5 Signs Your Book Has Potential for International Success
Determining if a creative work will resonate with a global market can be a challenging and complex process.
How is an author supposed to navigate the cultural differences, linguistic nuances, and varying literary traditions that can all impact the reception of a work in the global market?
In other words, how can you tell if your book is a good fit for the translation rights market?
My Magical Words, published by Free Kids Press, translated into Korean.
Thankfully, authors and publishers interested in expanding their reach to the foreign rights market don’t need to do extensive research to determine the potential for success in a particular market.
That’s our job as literary agents at DropCap, which is why we built our own proprietary software to take the guesswork out of matching titles with interested book buyers around the world.
The truth is that while it can be difficult to know with certainty if an English-language title will succeed in a global market, there are a few things that we have found really help titles stand out at international book fairs and within our database of rights buyers.
DropCap agent Allison Olson, showcasing titles at the Frankfurt Book Fair from our publishers including Bearport, Jump!, Free Spirit, Familus, and more.
These five tips will help you determine whether or not your book is a good fit for the translation rights market, and DropCap’s exclusive online marketplace:
1) Unique and original content
You probably could guess this would be first on our list: translation rights buyers are looking for books that offer fresh and unique perspectives, ideas, and stories that are not commonly found in the local market.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be writing about popular topics: you should! But your own unique spin on concepts and ideas are always enticing.
2) Marketable genres
It goes without saying that buyers are looking for books in popular genres which have proven to be successful in their respective markets.
In our experience, some of the most sought after genres are business, self-improvement, and children’s books. If your book is a very personal memoir or about a topic specific to your geographical region, it might not make the best fit for the DropCap Marketplace.
3) Well-written and engaging content
Of course, buyers are interested in books that are well-written and engaging, with strong character development, intriguing plots, and emotional depth.
Buyers with access to our titles at DropCap have the ability to download PDFs of your manuscript if your title has piqued their interest: capture their attention with your very best written work.
4) A strong author platform
Strong sales domestically are always going to be attractive to foreign rights buyers. Our clients are always interested in authors who have a strong platform and following, such as a large social media presence, previous successful book sales, and positive reviews.
You can probably guess why: if the title is successful in North America, it likely has potential for success overseas!
5) Potential for adaptation
One of the most exciting things about the foreign rights market is that we’re not just talking about books: buyers are also looking for titles that have potential for adaptation into other media, such as film, television, or graphic novels, as these can lead to additional revenue streams and wider exposure for the book.
The Octonauts, one of DropCap’s many success stories, has been a successful television series for over a decade!
The Octonauts series, published by DropCap partner Immedium, has been translated into Chinese, Hungarian, Spanish, and Korean to date.
We often hear from authors and publishers that navigating the international market is just too overwhelming for them to do on their own.
From negotiating contracts to managing marketing and royalties, it’s no wonder that many English-language titles don’t get the global attention they deserve!
That’s why we are so thrilled to be able to offer DropCap Marketplace to authors who know their books have the potential to make an impact in different geographies around the world.
Our team of agents are able to effectively market and manage titles, unlocking an entirely new level of success for authors and publishers around the world.
Is your book the next international bestseller?
Add your book to DropCap Marketplace now to get connected to our global network of book buyers→
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