In nowadays world, everything is global. This global trading is pushed by trend and demand. High demand is NOT created by magic overnight without formula. At the smaller scale, this demand can be created by social media followers. This is our power, population.
Literature is the most strategic way to promote every facet of our countries, not just food and culture, but overall. By bringing stories from Southeast Asia to the world, the readers from all over can grow their respect, love, loyalty, even higher understanding toward Asia. Ultimately, this is the most effective investment the governments can ever support. It lasts for years, even decades or centuries. This is why every country in the world supports translation grants. Some of them have production and/or promotional grants which enables their authors to be sent abroad upon the launch of the translated versions in that country.
The effect doesn’t stop there. The world will open their eyes to other products of anything our countries produce. If we produce coconut products (and they knew from stories!), the world starts to realise, see and this in turn creates demand. As we all know, Southeast Asia is rich. With better reputation, this means future. The future is Asia.
Books That Need Full Support Without Condition
1. Narrative Non Fiction Biography and History
This kind of books have great value for us, but not for foreigners. We've been raised in a country that has special bond with its history. We have heard our history since at school and are familiar with our national heroes. We proud of them and we highly respect them, definitely. However, the foreigners will not feel the same way.
Even with full translation funds, there is no guarantee that foreign publishers will publish these books. They still have to balance their own investment against, at least, production costs. If they think it will not sell well in their country, regardless of the quality or importantance to us, they will not have it translated and published. This unconditional translation grant, gives us a chance to promote our piece of history to the world, to make the world understand us.
2. Full Version of English Translation
If we have full English version, we can let the foreigners read in full and decide quickly if they will buy or not. Without full version (only summary or synopsis), it will not make them decide because they will NOT risk of buying rights if at the end they risk disliking the content – We haven’t reached a the necessary level of reputation and trust (yet). If they decide to buy (because they like it) and they publish in another language other than English, sometimes they are willing to pay the translation cost, if they think it is worth the price. So clearly, this full English version is only for foreigners to read and understand totally the content offered.
Another reason why it is important to translate into English is because we will then hold the rights of using the English version. Imagine if a UK or US publisher were allowed to translate one of our books - they have the rights to use or (re)sell! We don’t have any rights to use English version as a material to offer to another foreign publishers from another country – technically, this is against the law. We will not always be lucky getting out of this problem and they will have the legal power to pay the same price as they pay for the translation cost. It is wise and clearly better to spend this cost at the beginning of the process.
Not For “Expired” Books
As a publisher, we would publish books based on trend and demand, wondering if it sells well or not. If we pass the trend, it's too late to publish! We will have to decide not to publish and wait until the trend comes back. It is the same for worldwide rights. If everyone talks about Harry Potter (and luckily the whole world understands their language), the demand is on the rise. This applies for any book, especially fiction. Timing is everything.
Novels with high potential to be sold worldwide have better been translated into English even before the original version is launched. This is simply because we speak minor languages of the world. This way, we can offer immediate rights the same time the original version is made available in another country. With translated versions launch in multiple countries, more people talk about it, the higher the chance for worldwide best seller and the easier to sell other or more rights. We don’t even have to offer, people will come to you.
Novels published for 3 years or older, will not be worldwide trend. It is true that every country has its own taste and demand, but these older books are harder to sell its translation rights. Even if it is sold, it will NOT become the worldwide best seller that people talk about. It will sell because it simply could sell in their country! The older the book, the more “expired”, the more difficult it is to sell the rights, much less winning whatever awards!
Foreign publishers as a rights’ buyers, will want to see/read new books that provide translation rights, are made available in as many countries as possible - rather than best seller in our own country. If you are buying rights from another country, you also want new books. No one wants old books, unless they are classics. If it's not classics, than it's expired!
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