If you want to expand your readership you have to be open to new markets. We at novum reveal how, why and where you should publish your book internationally.
‘I've put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant, and that's the only way of insuring one's immortality,’ James Joyce once said of his masterpiece, ‘Ulysses’. And the Irishman was to be proved right. Even 100 years after its publication, Joyce’s monumental work provides fertile material for discussion in literary studies. The book, with its impenetrable density of parables, symbols and stylistic subtleties, is considered one of the most complicated books in world literature. Readers require a great deal of patience to understand it. The only thing more difficult than reading it is translating it, and only a few linguistically gifted people have dared to translate this classic.

The translation of a book is not simply a strict transcription process. Though it may be possible in some cases for technical literature, when a work of linguistic art is to be translated, it becomes more difficult. It takes a lot of patience, time and above all intuition to translate a book adequately. Even more important than vocabulary, spelling or grammar is the effect of the work – it is not only words and content that need to be translated in a way that is close to the original work, but the intended effect of those words upon the reader also needs to be considered. Many authors spend a lifetime searching for their style – the task of a good translator is to not distort it. 

Why translate? The potential of the international book market.
But why should we translate books? Is the domestic market not already oversaturated? Not as far as the market for ‘International Literature’ is concerned – because the market is enormous. To support cultural transfer through literature, countless prizes, festivals and events have been created around translations.

If you want to expand your readership you should definitely consider translating and publishing your work in another language. Just as linguistic intuition is required of authors, so is business intuition. A book with bestseller potential is always a reflection of the Zeitgeist – both in terms of content and on a cultural level. The literary motif becomes all the more important when you hope to tap into the international market, as the themes of the book can also translate to other cultural environments. We have compiled a checklist for you of other things that need to be considered:

Translator: The best book is of no use if it has been translated incorrectly. We focus on quality and have already had numerous authors, including Stan Wolf and Nicole Luck, successfully translated into other languages.

Market experience: International markets require international contacts. On one hand, this makes it much easier to enter the market. On the other hand, other markets also have different rules of the game – competition, licence trading and interest groups often differ to those in the country of origin.

Openness: Even if you have precise ideas, trust novum publishing for an international publication. Not only the market, but also the understanding of language and aesthetics are sometimes different abroad.