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.
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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