I want a US agent to publish my spanish written book

Caitlin Black

Wild one
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 17, 2009
Messages
44,834
Reaction score
2,928
Age
39
Location
The exact centre of all of existence
Well, technically, agents don't publish anything. But they do submit to hard-to-reach publishers, which is what I assume you meant. :)

I don't know a lot about US publishers, but I'm guessing you might need to secure a translation before you can be published over there.

I'd also assume that you would need to have been published already in Spanish, for a US publisher to consider this. If you haven't been published in Spanish already, you'll probably need someone to translate it before you can submit anywhere.

Just my first thoughts. :)
 

Caitlin Black

Wild one
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 17, 2009
Messages
44,834
Reaction score
2,928
Age
39
Location
The exact centre of all of existence
Oh, and a US publisher publishing it in Spanish might be a tough call to order.

I'm not knowledgeable about the marketplace over in the US, but at a guess I'd say 95% or more of US publishers only publish in English. (That's pretty much how it works in Australia, if bookstores are anything to go by...)

Don't quote me on that - it's just a guess. But I imagine not too many of them would publish in another language, especially if it's an original publication, and isn't being based on previous success. The exception to the rule would probably be "Learn To Speak X" type books, where there's an English translation of the foreign language with the purposes of learning to speak a new language.

Anyway, good luck. Hopefully someone else can come along and offer up more information than I've got.

:)
 

SaraP

You can't forget those you've loved
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 4, 2010
Messages
16,280
Reaction score
6,859
Location
Here, there, everywhere.
Cliff has already said it, there's a difference between an agent and a publisher. What I'm wondering is why do you want a US publisher to pick up a book in spanish? It's difficult as it is to get them them to pick up a book in english.
 

CACTUSWENDY

An old, sappy, and happy one.
Kind Benefactor
Requiescat In Pace
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
12,860
Reaction score
1,667
Location
Sunny Arizona
Here's a thought. With the Latino population now so large in the USA you might find an agent that will sell this to a Latino publisher. When doing your research you might try to find something on that order, then you will not need it translated.
 

Javier

Registered
Joined
Sep 4, 2010
Messages
21
Reaction score
1
Location
Mexico
Website
www.jnpro.weebly.com
Yeah i think i gave you too few info. The book's a novel, and yes I mean that the agent get a publishing house (indirectly publish it :)) I already went to an editor and he fixed all content, cover, isbn, everything's done but I want more reach, not only the 200 copies i printed, and I don't trust mexican publishing houses. I heard most steal from the author.
 

CACTUSWENDY

An old, sappy, and happy one.
Kind Benefactor
Requiescat In Pace
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
12,860
Reaction score
1,667
Location
Sunny Arizona
If you already have copies of your book then you already have published it.....self published. I don't understand....you want a distributor, not an agent.

You can not sell your book to a new publisher as you have used the first rights. Most publishers will not want it now. Agents sell to publishers.....I don't understand why you now need an agent. I think you may have gotten the horse before the cart.

You are wanting a way to get rid of your 200 books. A way to market them. That is a whole different ball of wax. I feel you have some of your ideas about publishing a little mixed up...or maybe I am not understanding what you are wanting. Sorry.
 

SaraP

You can't forget those you've loved
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 4, 2010
Messages
16,280
Reaction score
6,859
Location
Here, there, everywhere.
I agree with Wendy. Maybe take a look at the various stickies and threads in the Publishing sections of AW?
 

Javier

Registered
Joined
Sep 4, 2010
Messages
21
Reaction score
1
Location
Mexico
Website
www.jnpro.weebly.com
No, no look... This 200 books I can handle the sales myself, but I find it easier to get a publisher altogether, than getting a distributor and printing my own books again and risking loss of money. I have so few knowledge of the writing industry I think it's easier for a big publisher to manage this for me. I don't have the time and money to print up a thousand books and ship them all over and sell them, etc.
 

Snitchcat

Dragon-kitty.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
6,344
Reaction score
975
Location
o,0
You've asked this question in three different places. One spot is fine.

Long and short: you've self-published your novel in Spanish already, have 200 copies you can handle yourself, but would like a publisher to handle the printing and selling of an unknown quantity of books.

Issue at hand: you've given the definition of a distributor by saying you want someone else to handle printing and shipping so you can reach more people.

Would I be correct in assuming you want to get into book stores, supermarkets, on Amazon?

If I am, that's distribution work.
 

Javier

Registered
Joined
Sep 4, 2010
Messages
21
Reaction score
1
Location
Mexico
Website
www.jnpro.weebly.com
Yes, I want my book to be on book stores, supermarkets and Amazon. I guess publishing houses aren't the right choice? What do I do, then?
 

MacAllister

'Twas but a dream of thee
Staff member
Boss Mare
Administrator
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
VPX
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
22,010
Reaction score
10,705
Location
Out on a limb
Website
macallisterstone.com
You have to actually do your homework. Research which agents handle books like yours, write queries, compete with everyone else writing queries for their novels, land an agent, who will find a publisher for you, and you'll have to do it the hard way -- just like everyone else looking for an agent and a publisher.

You're not going to get major distribution into bookstores and supermarkets without a publisher.
 

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 23, 2007
Messages
3,469
Reaction score
397
Location
Cambridge, UK. Or 1590s London. Some days it's har
Website
www.annelyle.com
Yes, I want my book to be on book stores, supermarkets and Amazon. I guess publishing houses aren't the right choice? What do I do, then?

Publishing houses are the only way into that distribution chain. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.

So, you will have to go the standard route of finding an agent first. Since you have self-published in Spanish already, you may find this difficult for this particular book. Read the sticky threads here on AW and learn how the process works before deciding if it's the right route for you. It's a lot of hard work and demands very high writing/storytelling skills.
 

nupperi

Registered
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
3
Reaction score
1
Location
scandinavia
A little off topic,
My pipe dream is to be published in the US.
Since i live in Finland and write better in finnish than english, is there any sense in writing my novel in finnish and translate it/ have it translated to english? OR should i write directly in english, knowing that im not as confident in expressing myself?

edit. can publishers look aside from minor language issues and have it edited/corrected if the book is otherwise marketable?
 
Last edited:

SaraP

You can't forget those you've loved
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 4, 2010
Messages
16,280
Reaction score
6,859
Location
Here, there, everywhere.
I don't have any experience to answer that, but my guess is that a good story is a good story, no matter which language it's written.

Do you have any idea what the market is like in Finland?

I write in ESL, but I do it because that's what's most comfortable to me, not because of the market. I have no idea what it takes to get published in my own country.

Anyway, welcome to AW. :welcome: Hope you enjoy the forums. :)
 

nupperi

Registered
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
3
Reaction score
1
Location
scandinavia
The market in Finland is really small ( 5 mill. people in the country), and its mostly the couple old names who publish their 29th detective book or something.

Finnish people dont like changes :D

thanks for the reply saraP !
 

areteus

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
2,636
Reaction score
183
Location
Manchester UK
If you have an ISBN and so on already then you might be able to get listed at Amazon and other places in the version you have now. Go the self published ebook route or get into a POD set up like Lightening Source who will allow people to order your books where ever they are in the world.

BTW, have you not considered maybe a Spainish publishing house for this?