In today’s interconnected world, the opportunity for authors to reach readers globally is greater than ever. With digital publishing, global e-commerce, and international literary agents, books can find homes and readers in almost any country. Successfully distributing and selling books in foreign markets does, however, require thorough research, cultural understanding, and strategic marketing. This includes knowing if there is an audience for you book, optimizing your content for local appeal, and leveraging targeted promotions.
Whether you're a self-published or traditionally published author, here are eight essential steps to help you find success internationally:
Foreign rights are just one of the many categories of subsidiary rights that authors need to consider when entering into a book publishing contract. Subsidiary rights cover every form of the book that is not the physical book itself including audiobooks, movie adaptations, translations, foreign rights, and more. It's important to check the fine print of any publishing contract to see if you granted any these subsidiary rights to your publisher.
If your book is traditionally published, you likely assigned translation and foreign rights (and several others) to the publisher, restricting what you are able to do with the book on your own. If your contract contains a reversion clause, you may be able to get these and other rights reverted back to you. If your contract doesn’t contain a reversion clause, or, you don’t meet the stated thresholds to get the rights reverted back to you, you can try to negotiate with your publisher. They may not have future plans for your work, or, are willing to revert foreign rights back to you while retaining print rights, for example.
Self-published and independently published authors typically retain all of their rights in the publishing process. This is one of the big advantages of publishing on your own or through a supported self-publishing company.
If you’ve reviewed your contract and are still unsure about whether you or your publisher controls the translation and foreign rights for your book, we recommend you consult an intellectual property attorney and have them review your publishing contract. In addition, you’ll want to confirm who controls the rights to any artwork included in the book such as cover artwork and any illustration work or images used.
Before launching your book in a new country, it’s important to take the time to understand the local market and find the answers to these questions:
• Which format of books sell best?• What genres are most popular?• Is there an audience for your book?• Will you need to translate your book into another language?• How do readers in that country discover books?• What are the pricing expectations?
There are certain genres that sell better in some counties than in others. For example, crime fiction tends to dominate in Scandinavian countries, while romance thrives in parts of Latin America. And, the readers in smaller countries may prefer print books over eBooks. To conduct research, you can look at local bestseller lists, consult local publishing blogs, or work with a literary consultant familiar with the country to get more information. Online tools and databases like Google Trends, publishing industry reports, or platforms like Statista and Nielsen BookData can also be used to gather insights.
For nonfiction authors, you’ll want to ensure your topic is relevant to readers in the country you are targeting. What may be a popular or timely topic in the United States, may not resonate with foreign readers.
You’ll also want to understand how your book will need to be priced in order to be competitive, adjusting it based on local purchasing power and currency. Knowing the answer to this and the questions listed above can help you position your book appropriately and avoid any missteps.
Book translation is more than just a word-for-word conversion—it’s about preserving your voice while ensuring cultural relevance. If the country you are targeting does not have a large English-speaking readership, you will want to consider translating your book into the primary language. We recommend avoiding AI tools to do the translation, unless you're working with a professional translator afterward to fine-tune. A professional can also help ensure your book resonates with the new audience by adapting the material to suit the emotional and cultural context of the target language. A poor translation can damage your author branding and risk future sales.
Two of the most important marketing decisions you will make are your book’s cover artwork and title. These act as a first impression for potential readers, and, in just a few short seconds, they will decide whether or not your book might be something they are interested in purchasing. Your title will also factor into how discoverable your book is online. This means your title needs to be searchable, concise, clear, AND intriguing.
Book covers and titles that sell well in the United States might not appeal to readers in other countries. This is because cultural aesthetics can vary widely, and colors, fonts, or images can carry different connotations abroad. In addition, there may be certain humor, puns, or idioms in your title or subtitle that won’t translate well.
If you determine your artwork and/or book title need to be updated after researching the local book market you are targeting, we recommend working with a local designer or a designer familiar with that book market.
While there are global platforms like Amazon and IngramSpark that offer print-on-demand and eBook distribution, many countries have distribution channels or platforms with a stronger, local presence:
Tolino: Tolino is a prominent e-reader and digital book platform in Germany. It offers a wide selection of German and international eBooks, including fiction, non-fiction, and specialist books.Rakuten Kobo: Kobo is a Canadian company that sells eBooks, audiobooks, and e-readers. It is popular in many countries including Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, and several European nations.FNAC: FNAC is a French retail chain and online marketplace that sells a wide variety of products, and also has an ebook platform, offering a vast selection of digital books for purchase and download. FNAC has a strong presence in France and other European countries, as well as some international locations.
You can reach even more readers by using a platform like OverDrive to make your eBook available through libraries worldwide, and ACX (Audible) to create and distribute your audiobook globally. Uploading to several, different online platforms can be time consuming, so you can consider using an aggregator like Smashwords, Draft2Digital, or PublishDrive, which allow you to upload your book once, and distribute digitally to a large list of online, global retailers.
If you find that you could use some assistance with distributing and selling your book in foreign markets, you can consider submitting your work to literary agents and publishers that work internationally. Events like the Frankfurt Book Fair (Germany), London Book Fair (UK), or Guadalajara International Book Fair (Mexico) are excellent avenues for networking and rights sales negotiations. You can meet foreign publishers, agents, and distributors who are actively seeking new titles, or search online for representatives in your target country. There are even literary publicists that have valuable knowledge and experience in foreign markets.
Unfortunately, there is an increasing number of scammers out there targeting authors with false claims and promises, and some even pretending to be literary agents or marketing service providers when they are not. A popular scam targeting self and independently published authors is an email offering to display and sell a book at international events like the Frankfurt Book Fair. Many of these emails are sent by individuals intending to take your money with no plans to follow through on the service. Be sure to vet any companies or individuals that send solicitation emails, and work with legitimate companies like The Combined Book Exhibit and The American Collective Stand if you want assistance with participating in international book events.
Authors wanting to reach a global audience will benefit most from building a strong, digital presence, and focusing on digital marketing efforts. This includes your:
Author Website – Your website serves as your central hub, and should include any information potential readers worldwide need to know about you and your books. Website platforms like Wordpress and Wix offer free, basic accounts to get started.
Social Media Pages – All social media platforms are capable of reaching a global audience, but the popularity and demographics of a platform can differ from country to country. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are highly popular globally, for example, but within specific countries or regions, other platforms like WeChat (China), VK (Russia), Line (Japan), and KakaoTalk (South Korea) are more dominant. You might find it beneficial to build a social presence on a country-specific platform.
Email Newsletter – Sending a weekly or monthly newsletter to your list of global contacts can be a great way to communicate and build a fan base long-term. Platforms like MailChimp and MailerLite offer free, basic accounts to get started.
Online Advertising – Authors tend to see the biggest return on any advertising investment with digital advertising. It is more affordable than traditional methods, with ads starting at just a couple of bucks per day. Other benefits include the ability to set a budget, target specific readers, and track the results. Popular book advertising channels with a global reach include:
Amazon Ads: If your book is available for purchase on Amazon, you can access their advertising platform through your Amazon Author Central page or through your Kindle Direct Publishing account. The advertising system can take some time and practice to figure out, but can be worth the effort and investment.Book Promotion Service Providers: You can apply to have your book advertised in the newsletters of platforms like Bookbub and The Fussy Librarian. They promote discounted or free eBooks only, so if you haven’t created an eBook version of your book, you should consider created one if you’ve retained your eBook rights. You can also consider country-specific promotions using services like Written Word Media or Book Rebel.Social Media Platforms: Facebook and Instagram provide the perfect advertising channel for authors because specific categories of people can be targeted and they require a very small investment to test out.
Once you establish a strong digital presence, you can seek out local influencers or book bloggers in your target country, and work with local online communities to host giveaways, virtual book clubs, or Q&A sessions.
Pro Tip: As with your book’s title and content, there may be certain phrases or words you’ll want to adjust or avoid in your marketing and promotional messaging. For example, hashtags, holidays, and memes that are relevant in the United States may not be relevant in foreign markets.
When you launch your book in a new market, it’s important to monitor its performance to see if any adjustments should be made. It can be helpful to look at sales data by region, read reader reviews (even translated ones), and note which marketing efforts are resulting in sales. You can use this data to refine your approach for the next target market, or repeat successful efforts in markets where you are gaining traction. If you are getting any feedback about something that can be improved, take it seriously and reassess.
International sales can be a great avenue for authors ready to expand their reach. There is often less competition in foreign markets, and a translated book can naturally create heightened interest. With thorough research and a strategic approach, introducing a book in other countries can enhance an author’s platform, create global awareness, and provide a boost in sales long-term.
Photo credit: alexskopje from Getty Images; Photo credit: Thx4Stock from Getty Images; Photo credit: Parradee Kietsiriku from Getty Images
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