As an author or publisher, you decide which books to translate, who translates them, and where they are distributed.
There are a few steps:
Make sure that you hold the rights for the translated work. If you have signed a contract with a publishing house or if you represent an author, make sure that you hold the rights to publish a translated version of the work and which territories these rights apply to.
Create an account at Babelcube, if you have not already done so. Provide as much detail as possible, as this will let translators get to know you, including your writing career and past successes. This will be your "business card" to help translators find you.
Post a book profile for every book that you want translated. Be sure to include information about its sales potential, including track record such as sales figures, sales ranks, reviews, customer comments, prizes won, and other useful information. You can also submit a short (2,000 character maximum) sample text from your book, which translators can use to provide a sample translation.
You will receive offers from translators. Often translators will work as a team, one being the primary translator, the other being the editor and proofreader. Each offer will tell you the destination language and estimated time for the translation. If you included a sample text from your book, a sample translation will typically be included to help you gauge the quality of the translator(s) (if you don´t speak the destination language, you may have a friend who can help).
Pick an offer. Browse through offers you receive and profiles of the translators. Once you find an offer that you like, review and accept the Translation and Distribution Agreement so that translation work can start. You will now need to upload your book and any additional material that needs translating.
When the first ten pages have been translated, you will have the opportunity to review them and make suggestions to the translator. If at this point you feel that the quality of the translation is poor and you cannot get the translator to improve it, you can cancel the project with no penalty.
Once the translation is complete, you will have the opportunity to review it and ask for changes. If you wish, you can use a professional proofreader to assist you. If you decide you don´t like the translation and can´t reach an agreement with the translator, you may cancel the assignment but a cancelation fee may apply.
Babelcube will enable you to convert the book into the different file formats for the various sales channels, publish it, and update things like pricing. Babelcube will distribute your book to all its channels that support the book’s language. Babelcube’s 300+ sales channel include the global online retailers, such as Amazon and Apple, and local retailers specializing in regions. You can request assistance from the translator(s), as desired.
Now the fun part! Let everyone know that there is a translated version of your book available. Promote it through Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Enlist the help of the translator(s) to help you reach the local media and social networks in the destination language.
You can also use innovative strategies; for example, if you have books in a series, you can use the same translator for the series and offer the first book permanently free, hooked readers will then buy the rest of the series. If you want to follow a strategy like this, include it on your books’ profiles within Babelcube so translators know.
You can follow your sales at Babelcube. You will receive a royalty statements and payments. Translators will also receive their corresponding share. You can see how the royalties are split on this page.
