At writing and publishing industry events alike this year, we’ve noticed growing attention and conversation on the growing global market for ebooks. Does this mean you should be exploring foreign markets and translations?
There are three distinct types of opportunities for your work in the global market:
- Distributing your English-language work in markets where English is a second language
- Selling your rights to a foreign publisher directly or using an agent
- Translating your English-language work and distributing directly to foreign countries
The first option is a no-brainer for self-publishing authors who use the major digital distribution services. Basically, just give the retailer or distributor permission to make your English-language work available for sale in other territories, assuming you hold the rights.
The second option (selling your rights) takes time and energy if you don’t have an agent already, and is typically outside the ability or expertise of the average author.
The third option—paying to have your work translated—is the highest risk. However, more and more services are emerging that help authors navigate the foreign rights and translation landscape. We’d like to emphasize the word navigate; while there is opportunity, selling translations entails high risk and potentially low return on investment.
What are the biggest ebook markets in the world? The US is first, followed by the UK and then Germany. For most English-language authors, the first translation investment should be for the German market.
What categories or genres work well in foreign markets? Commercial fiction does well in Europe, just as it does in the US. UK romance readers tend to be more conservative (meaning: market those steamy romances elsewhere in Europe). If you’re interested in difficult-to-access Asian markets—China in particular—self-help or self-improvement works best.
What’s the greatest translation challenge? First, getting (and having the budget for) a quality translation, and second, knowing how to reach readers in a foreign country. Sometimes it’s also a challenge to distribute the work, particularly in emerging markets such as China, where work must be approved (and possibly censored) before it’s distributed.
What translation resources are available to authors? For quality translations, check out Language+ Literary Translations. Typical cost is 12 cents per word, with the author retaining all rights and royalties. While it entails more risk, you can also try to hire translators through marketplaces like Babelcube and Fiberead. Just be careful: think through how you’ll assess the quality of the translation if you don’t know the language.
An offbeat way to reach international readers: Serialize your work through Wattpad, which has a very large international user base (predominantly reading in English) and can help you reach readers directly in foreign markets.
Bottom line: Bestselling author C.J. Lyons says that, three years ago, she paid to have two of her books translated into Spanish. However, given the price of translations, she says it will take her probably more than 100 years (!) to earn out. “Authors need to consider their return on investment,” she says.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
