GOING ABROAD

Writing for the International Market?

Category: Abroad

Rowan Wilcher | Monday, 11 February 2019

An author nearing the completion of her debut this summer recently shared a situation she found quite peculiar. Driven by a desire to publish her Dutch manuscript directly in English, she proposed the idea to her publisher—only to be told, much to her astonishment, that such a path was not an option. Did the publisher lack faith in the book, she wondered? Fortunately, that was not the case; for the publishing house, it was simply not customary to proceed in this manner.

A book on the history of Muiden Castle is unlikely to become a bestseller in Mexico.

Strange, you might think; surely any publisher worth their salt would want to maximise a book's potential? While that logic seems sound, it overlooks a crucial reality. For the sake of clarity, let us begin with the interests and the perspective of the writer.

The idea of writing a book in a foreign language is an enticing prospect for many authors, particularly when it comes to English. With a billion people worldwide possessing a sufficient command of the language, it represents a vast market by Dutch standards. This sounds wonderful, of course, but if you are currently viewing the world through dollar-sign-tinted spectacles, take them off for a moment—because, as the saying goes, 'there is always a catch'. And that snag reveals itself the moment you seek to publish your work

A Billion Readers

The billion readers mentioned earlier are, of course, not concentrated in a single territory but dispersed across nearly 200 countries. Each nation possesses its own distinct culture and regulatory landscape. Consequently, the likelihood of your Dutch subject matter resonating with such diverse local interests is slim. A book on the history of Muiden Castle is unlikely to become a bestseller in Mexico; the handful of copies you might sell there simply do not justify the endeavour. Conversely, a study on water management and the future of the Chesapeake Bay might well attract a significant following in Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland. Yet, while a niche international market exists for such expertise, you will face formidable competition from established authors already residing within those regions. Barring exceptional cases, it is rarely realistic to expect such ventures to yield fruitful returns.

Non-fiction authors who embark on an international adventure typically choose universal subjects with inherent cross-border appeal. These often fall within the realms of travel, management, or global technological trends—subjects that transcend cultural or geographical boundaries. To market such a work profitably, one naturally gravitates towards the two primary target markets: Great Britain and the United States. Together, these regions represent a population of nearly 400 million. However, even for authors with a broad focus, a significant hurdle remains: gaining access to a reputable, locally established publisher such as Penguin Random House or HarperCollins.

Gaining Access Abroad

The acquisition process abroad differs markedly from the conventions in the Netherlands. Most British and American publishing houses work exclusively through literary or international agents. These agents act as intermediaries between the author and foreign publishers. If an agent is convinced of your manuscript's merit, they will pitch it to various houses. Should they succeed, they will oversee contract negotiations in exchange for a percentage of the book’s proceeds. For Dutch authors looking to broaden their horizons, a British literary agent is often the superior choice on paper. Due to historical ties with the Commonwealth, they tend to be more internationally minded than their American counterparts. Nevertheless, the subject matter remains the ultimate deciding factor; a topic that performs exceptionally well in the US may fail to resonate entirely in the UK. You could, of course, attempt to bypass an agent, but you will inevitably find yourself relegated to the publisher's dreaded 'slush pile'.

For instance, in 2014, a Dutch publisher paid over 40,000 euros for the translation rights to 'Le Capital au XXIe siècle', a book by the French economist Thomas Piketty.

Is there no latitude then? As long as your book remains unpublished—and no contract has been signed for the manuscript—you, as the author, retain complete autonomy. You might even consider engaging several agents simultaneously, although such a move is seldom appreciated in the industry. However, if the book has already been published by a Dutch house, you have in all likelihood licensed the exploitation rights to them. Consequently, you are bound by the terms of the author's contract concluded with that publisher.

Below you will find an example of an author's contract in which these rights are comprehensively transferred to the publisher.

Entering into agreements with foreign agents on one's own initiative is then no longer an option. This is subject to an exception only if you have made specific arrangements with your publisher regarding so-called 'foreign (translation) rights'.²⁴ In practice, it is not uncommon for translation rights to remain (largely) with the author.

For a publishing house, such an arrangement is often financially unattractive; consequently, debut authors will find it difficult to negotiate such an exception. A publisher will, however, have no objection if you can persuade a foreign house or agent to enter into negotiations with them directly. After all, such an outcome is mutually beneficial.

The Dutch author and the challenge of bilingual publication

Given the complexities of the international publishing process, it becomes clear why Dutch publishers do not proactively board a plane the moment a new Dutch-language title is released. To do so would be to enter a market they do not fully command. To operate effectively abroad and generate the necessary publicity, they cannot act in isolation. This would involve significant costs and the need for intermediaries. Ideally, they would seek a local publishing partner, but this is rarely practical or economical.²⁵

In practice, the process is usually reversed. For a Dutch publisher, the most favourable scenario is when a foreign house or agent seeks to acquire the translation rights to your book. A Dutch publisher can facilitate this by showcasing your work through their networks or at international trade fairs, such as the renowned Frankfurter Buchmesse. This is not strictly necessary, however; foreign publishers also employ scouts who actively hunt for promising new titles. The translation and subsequent publication are then typically handled by the acquiring publisher. Dutch houses operate in the same manner when they secure the rights to an American or French book for their own domestic market.

If a book has proven successful in its original language, the price for rights can rise considerably. For instance, in 2014, a Dutch publisher paid over 40,000 euros for the translation rights to 'Le Capital au XXIe siècle' by French economist Thomas Piketty.²⁶ A substantial sum for a non-fiction work that went on to be published in over fifteen countries.

It should be noted that acquiring translation rights does not automatically include the illustrations. As high-quality images are costly, they are sometimes partially or entirely omitted in translated editions—a compromise that may lead an author to decline an offer.

Publishing directly in English for the Dutch market

None of the above suggests that Dutch publishers never publish English-language works by Dutch authors directly. For houses specialising in academic or professional literature, it is quite common for books to be written in English for the domestic market. A treatise on international liability law, for example, is naturally written in English, as a clear market exists for it in the Netherlands. Consider universities where English is now the primary language of instruction, or the legal departments of multinationals based here. In such cases, however, a Dutch version often does not exist—paradoxically, because there is no market for it.

In Conclusion

If you are currently working on a book, or intend to begin one shortly, with the ambition of seeing it published in another language, ensure you thoroughly research all avenues before making a final commitment. You may, of course, decide to forgo an agent or publisher altogether and opt for an eBook via Amazon. Whilst this is undoubtedly the swiftest route to the global market, it denies you the significant advantages of a traditional publisher, such as their established networks. Furthermore, Amazon may demand exclusivity—particularly if you opt for Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)—thereby preventing you from utilising other sales platforms. However, there is no definitive right or wrong in this choice. Do bear in mind that writing a (non-fiction) book is seldom a path to true wealth. Even 'international best-selling' Amazon authors generally maintain another profession for their livelihood.²⁷ Unlike in the Netherlands, however, there are prestigious literary prizes for non-fiction abroad, such as the American National Book Award or the British Baillie Gifford Prize.

If you wish to establish a reputation in your field internationally, you would be well-advised to secure the interest of a suitable publisher or literary agent. For the foreign reader—to whom you are, after all, an unknown quantity—this provides an essential layer of credibility. The same principle applies to entrepreneurs seeking to distinguish themselves in the international market through their writing.

If you intend to be active across multiple genres, consider writing under a pseudonym for one of them. This prevents confusion among readers who tend to associate a name with a specific style or subject. Naturally, you need not go quite as far as the celebrated American author L. Frank Baum.²⁸ He maintained no fewer than nine successful pen names, including three female ones.

There are, of course, other reasons to adopt a pseudonym. A pen name also allows you to maintain a clear boundary between your private life and your literary pursuits.

• 24. Provided specific criteria are met, publishers and authors with at least one published work may apply to the Dutch Foundation for Literature for a project grant, which can exceed thirty thousand euros. This provision also extends to international projects.↩
• 25. Notably, Anglo-Saxon publishers often view English-language editions produced entirely within other jurisdictions, such as the Netherlands or Belgium, with a degree of trepidation.↩
• 26. Chin-A-Fo, H. & Jaeger, T. (2014). Dutch publishers contend for the translation rights to Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century. NRC.↩
• 27. De León, C. (2019, 5 January). Does It Pay to Be a Writer? The New York Times.↩
• 28. Baum, whose Oz series forged a lasting association with the state of Kansas (the Sunflower State), published no fewer than fifty-five novels. Alongside his own name, he employed various pseudonyms, including Edith Van Dyne, Floyd Akers, John Estes, Schuyler Staunton, and Laura Bancroft. For further insight into Baum's life and oeuvre, see Thomas Fox Averill’s Kansas Studies Collection.↩