F is for Foreign Rights

I suppose this topic is self-explanatory, really. But post UK sale of a novel (or wherever your home territory may be) and whatever rights have been snapped up in that initial high six-figure deal, there's always room for a bit more wheeling and dealing with the foreign rights. And then there are audio and large print rights, book clubs, e-books (I love my Sony e-reader) and of course, the film option can be sold. Lots of times, actually, if it doesn't go into production.

I haven't done too badly on the forein rights deals so far. There have been a few sales - not least to Germany, a huge market, who are right behind promoting my work. I haven't got a clue what's written between the pages of BLUTSKINDER (Blood Ties) but it sold well, and I've now signed another two book deal with my German publishers, who want to 'build me'.

Also, my book's being translated into Russian and the Slovak edition is out sometime soon. I am Sam Hayesova on the cover. Most odd. Blood Ties is also an unabridged audio book and there's a large print version too. My agent has had interest from other countries and they all work hard, agents and sub-agents, constantly letting editors know what books they have to sell.

A foreign rights sale means more food can be bought by the author, as well as having a far wider audience. I'm both thrilled and curious about someone in a town I've never heard of in remote Russia reading my words in their language.

It never ceases to amaze me when I read that an author has 'sold in over thirty-six languages' or whatever. I wasn't even sure there were that many! It would be a full time job just keeping up with the different covers. I hope to be in that position someday myself. But if I'm honest, and I'm sure most authors will agree, the territory to bag is the USA. It's big and they sell a lot of books. And they have lots of film companies. I was quite surprised to find out not so long ago that Martina Cole only fairly recently cracked the States. Why? She's huge here. And I'm also occasionally surprised to read about authors that I wouldn't have thought would do well out there but have.

And once you have a foreign deal? Well, then come the contracts. Thankfully, that's what agents are for (partly) and mine does a fine job of putting yellow sticky notes in all the right places after she's suffered all the eye-strain of reading them. And finally, after what seems like months...no, years...(it usually is months and years) you might actually see a foreign edition of your book.