Translation and Foreign Rights: The Basics
An introduction to translation and foreign rights for independent authors.
What Foreign Rights Are
Foreign rights are the rights to publish your book in another language or territory. As the author, you own these rights unless you sign them away.
You Own the Rights
As an independent author, you retain all rights to your work, including translation and foreign publishing rights, unless you have specifically licensed them to someone else.
Licensing vs Selling
Foreign rights are usually licensed for a specific territory or language, rather than sold outright. This means you can grant rights for a French edition, for example, while keeping every other right for yourself.
Realistic Expectations
Foreign rights deals are more common for established or notable titles. For most independent authors this is a longer-term consideration rather than an immediate priority, but it costs nothing to understand your rights from the start.
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