Hello Gentle Reader, this video is all about books in translation, AKA foreign editions (although they are not exactly the same thing – I talk about that too!)
QUESTIONS I ANSWERED
- Have you ever been able to read a translation of your work? How do you make sure the translation is good? If you could read one which language would you pick?
- How does the process of deciding to translate and choosing a translator go? Did you ever have to switch translators in the middle of the series?
- If the Protectorate and Finishing School are published by different publishers in the same country, can you ask to keep the same translator?
- What is the most surprising language your books have been translated into?
- Do translators ask you questions to clarify a passage ? What was the most funny or unexpected question asked? Here’s an example of some of the questions my Japanese translator asked.
- How do you make sure that the jokes do not get lost in translation? Straight washing?
I start off talking about the 3 different ways a book/author can get translated – 2 traditional and one indie. There are others but these are the main ones:
- Selling world rights to your US or UK publisher.
- Retaining world rights and selling them individually into foreign countries with a foreign literary agent.
- Doing it alone, where you have to contract and hire the translator. This means you must understand international copyright laws (esp Germany).
I also talk about why it really rare to be in certain languages/countries esp China, Russia.
Why cover art might change in different countries.
LINKS OF INTEREST
Here is one of the places you can buy my foreign editions: Worldbuilders Market (proceeds to charity).
In some cases you can also buy foreign editions outside of the country of origin on Book Depository & Amazon.
Occasionally I will give a few away to my newsletter subscribers (option to enter, random number generated winners).
There are updated lists of all my foreign translations and editions on my wikia.
- Parasol Protectorate
- Finishing School
- Soulless Manga (out of print)
- Custard Protocol
Here it is as of Feb 2021 (this post/list will not be kept up to date please use the wikia for that). These are book that have SOLD THE RIGHTS to be translated and/or distributed into that territory, I generally have NO IDEA if they are actually out in that territory.
UK & Commonwealth ~ Orbit UK | Atom
- Soulless ~ September 2010, Orbit UK
- Changeless ~ September 2010, Orbit UK
- Blameless ~ September 2010, Orbit UK
- Heartless ~ July 2011, Orbit UK
- Timeless ~ July 2011, Orbit UK
- Etiquette & Espionage ~ Feb. 5, 2013, Atom
- Curtsies & Conspiracies ~ Nov. 5, 2013, Atom
- Waistcoats & Weaponry ~ Nov. 4, 2014, Atom
- Manners & Mutiny ~ Nov. 3, 2015, Atom
- Prudence ~ March 17, 2015
- Imprudence ~ sometime 2016
- Competence ~ GAIL CARRIGER LLC
- Reticence ~ GAIL CARRIGER LLC
Brazil ~ Editora Valentina
- Alma? (Soulless) ~ 2012
- Metamorphose? (Changeless)~ 2013
- Inocencia? (Blameless)~ 2014
- Coracao? (Heartless)~ April 8, 2016
- (Timeless) ~ unknown
Croatia ~ Školska knjiga, Lumen imprint, Zagreb
- Šarm i špijunaža (Etiquette & Espionage) ~ release date unknown
Czech Republic & Slovak Republic ~ Albatros Media/CooBoo, Prague & Bratislava
- Etiketa & Spionáz (Etiquette & Espionage)~ out
- Poklony & Sprisahania (Curtsies & Conspiracies) ~ out – Slovak Edition
- Úklony & Úklady (Curtsies & Conspiracies) ~ out – Czech Edition
(The paperwork for these two publishers gets very confusing. They both show up as CooBoo.)
Denmark ~ Forlaget Tellerup
- Sjælesluger (Soulless)~ September 2019
- Forbandelsesbryder (Changeless) ~ out
- (Blameless) ~ out
France ~ Orbit Franch | Calmann Levy | Le Livre de Poche | Pika
- Sans Âme (Soulless)~ January 2011, Orbit France / Calmann Levy, pocket ed Le Livre de Poche
- Sans Ame (audiobook)
- Sans Forme (Changeless)~ November 2011, pocket ed Le Livre de Poche
- Sans Honte (Blameless) ~ April 2012, pocket ed Le Livre de Poche
- Sans Coeur (Heartless) ~ November 2012, pocket ed Le Livre de Poche
- Sans Âge (Timeless) ~ April 2013, pocket ed Le Livre de Poche
- Étiquette & Espionnage ~ March 12, 2014, Le Livre de Poche
- Corsets & Complots ~ September 24, 2014, Le Livre de Poche
- Jupons & Poisons ~ June 10, 2015, Le Livre de Poche
- Artifices & Arbalètes ~ June 15, 2016, Le Livre de Poche
- (Soulless Vol. 1) manga ~ March 2014, Pika
- (Soulless Vol. 2) manga ~ May 2014, Pika
- (Soulless Vol. 3) manga ~ March 2015, Pika
- Prudence ~ October 26, 2016
- Imprudence ~ June 7, 2017
Germany ~ Blanvalet | Carlsen Verlag | Weltbild
- Glühende Dunkelheit (Glowing Night – Soulless) ~ May 2011, Blanvalet, hardcover from Weltbild
- Glühende Dunkelheit (audiobook), Blanvalet
- Brennende Finsternis (Ignited Darkness – Changeless) ~ September 2011, Blanvalet, hardcover from Weltbild
- Entflammte Nacht (Burning Night – Blameless) ~ July 2011, Blanvalet, hardcover from Weltbild
- Feurige Schatten (Fiery Shade – Heartless) ~ April 2012, Blanvalet
- Sengendes Zwielicht (Searing Twilight – Timeless) ~ November 2012 , Blanvalet
- (Soulless Vol. 1) manga ~ Summer 2013, Carlsen Verlag
- (Soulless Vol. 2) manga ~ Winter 2013, Carlsen Verlag
- (Soulless Vol. 3) manga ~ Winter 2014, Carlsen Verlag
Hungary ~ Konyvmolykepzo
- Lélektelen (Soulless)~ November 2011
- (Changeless) ~ Summer 2013
- Szégyentelen (Blameless) ~ out
- (Heartless) ~ 2016
Italy ~ Baldina & Castoldi
- (Soulless) ~ March 2011
- (Changeless) ~ out
- (Blameless) ~ unlikely
- (Heartless) ~ unlikely
- (Timeless) ~ unlikely
Italian and Spanish editions of the Parasol Protectorate are unlikely to continue to be published for legal reasons.
The Parasol Protectorate Books Japanese Translations (not manga)
Japan ~ Hayakawa
- (Soulless) ~ April 2011
- (Changeless) ~ June 2011
- (Blameless) ~ December 2011
- (Heartless) ~ April 2012
- (Timeless) ~ Fall 2013
- (Etiquette & Espionage) ~ out
- (Curtsies & Conspiracies) ~ out
- (Waistcoats & Weaponry) ~ April 22, 2015
- (Manners & Mutiny) ~ out
- (Prudence) ~ December 8, 2015
Poland ~ Proszynski Ska S.A.
- Bezduszna (Soulless)~ March 2011
- Bezzmienna (Changeless) ~ June 2011
- Bezgrzeszna (Blameless) ~ March 2012
- Bezwzgledna (Heartless) ~ out
Spain ~ Versatil
- Sin Alma ~ November 2010
- (Changeless) ~ October 2011
- (Blameless) ~ April 2012
Italian and Spanish editions of the Parasol Protectorate are unlikely to continue to be published for legal reasons.
Sweden ~ Styxx Fantasy
- Själlös (Soulless) ~ March 2012
- Chanslös (Changeless) ~ Winter 2013
- Hemlös (Blameless) ~ unknown
Taiwan ~ Faces Publications
- (Soulless) ~ January 2012
- (Changeless) ~ Unknown
- (Blameless) ~ Unknown
- (Heartless) ~ Unknown
- (Timeless) ~ Unknown
- (Soulless Vol. 1) manga ~ Unknown
- (Soulless Vol. 2) manga ~ Unknown
- (Soulless Vol. 3) manga ~ Unknown
Thailand ~ KaeKwarn
- (Soulless) ~ January 2012
- (Changeless) ~ April 2017
- (Blameless) ~ April 2017
- (Heartless) ~ April 2017
- (Timeless) ~ April 2017
Turkey ~ Artemis Yayinlari
- Soulless ~ unknown
- Changeless ~ unknown
- Blameless ~ unknown
- (Etiquette & Espionage) ~ unknown
- (Curtsies & Conspiracies) ~ unknown
Russia ~ Arcadia Press
- (Soulless) ~ 2020
- (Changeless) ~ 2020
- (Blameless) ~ 2021
Russian Covers of Soulless & Changeless
More on Gail + Languages & Names?
- Anglicization: In Which We Revisit the Ladybird Problem
- Pronouncing Names & the Meaning Behind Them, Plus How does Gail Choose Names?
- Why Gail uses the G.L. Carriger pen name.
- Pronunciation Guide for the Tinkered Starsong Books + Alien Linguistics
Yours still confused about foreign editions,
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