Beyond Words: The Power of Translated Book Covers in International Publishing
As we have brought on many more titles to the DropCap Rights Agency via DropCap Marketplace, we have been asked many questions about how foreign rights work. Among those many questions has been this:
What happens to my book cover after my book is picked up for a foreign rights deal?
Great question!
The short answer is that if a book is picked up by one of our thousands of foreign rights buyers, they will offer a contract that will include translation of your book’s text as well as your cover.
Are You Living With a Narcissist, by Laurie Hollman and published by Familus, has been translated into four different languages with the help of DropCap, including Korean.
There are many reasons that the vast majority of our translated titles also include updated covers, but they all boil down to this:
The publisher purchasing the rights to your book needs to make sure all of the content, from the text to the presentation/cover, meets the needs of their geographical market.
They know their markets far better than we can, and just as one would in a traditional agenting deal, the author needs to trust the international publisher to do what is right for them.
Are there exceptions to this? Certainly.
If a rights buyer loves your book’s cover and/or interior designs and wants to include them in their translations, we are able to offer those as part of your contract negotiations.
The buyer would pay an additional fee for them (meaning more royalties for you!). However that situation is usually reserved for illustrated children’s books or special circumstances.
Flooded: A Brain-Based Guide to Help Children Regulate Emotions, by Allison Edwards, has been translated beautifully into 8 languages. These covers showcase just how the book’s cover has been interpreted around the world.
For indie authors new to DropCap Marketplace and foreign rights licensing deals, the idea that an international buyer might change the cover or interior design of the book that they have spent countless hours creating is a little overwhelming.
What if the buyer changes my cover and I think it’s “worse”?
Is it possible for me to meet with the buyer and discuss my creative vision?
Can’t we make sure that any contracts include the rights to both my written AND visual content?
These are all great questions, and boil down to the same answer:
Foreign rights agents and publishers who acquire your book are experts in what will appeal to and work for their market—your agreement with them will likely acknowledge your trust in their expertise and vision.
The Chinese version of Stick Up For Yourself: Every Kid’s Guide to Personal Power and Positive Self Esteem, by Gershen Kaufman and Lev Raphael, is quite a bit different than the original, published by Free Spirit Publishing:
Here’s thing to keep in mind:
While we have absolutely no doubt that your book was a result of a lot of hard work and energy combined with your very unique and relevant creative skill sets, when you enter into a foreign rights licensing contract, you are working with people who are experts in their geographies.
They have established relationships with us that are predicated around keeping their production schedules moving forward efficiently.
In other words, the author (you) will not be a part of the translation of your work.
Not even for the cover.
The good news is that with DropCap, you are working with only the very best in the business. We aren’t just saying that!
We have long lasting relationships with global rights buyers and publishers who have always treated the books they acquire from us with the utmost care.
Waking Up a Leader: Five Relationships of Success, by Dr. Daphne Scott and published by Lioncrest Publishing, has been published in numerous Spanish-speaking countries.
We hope this has been helpful in understanding a little bit more about how translation rights work and what to expect when you showcase your book as part of DropCap Marketplace.
We can’t wait to take YOUR book to the global stage!
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