Why don’t we have a vibrant tradition of literature in translation here in North America? A solid look at the difficulties of placing translated fiction on domestic lists.

Apart from economics, the often cited reason for the difficult of placing translations with American publishers is the limited number of US editors who speak a foreign language.  This is indeed an obstacle.  Rachel Kahan, a senior editor at the Putnam, says, “There doesn’t seem to me to be as concerted an effort to bring [foreign language] authors to the US as there is to bring UK authors to the US, but I think a lot of that is just the language barrier.”

One remedy is for a publisher to prepare a good sample translation — with an emphasis here on the word good.  Still, points out Kahan, “It costs a lot to have something translated and get it gussied up and ready for the American market.  They have to decide, is it really a book that’s likely to find a US publisher anyway?”

A vicious cycle develops where the difficulty of placing books in the US makes it less likely foreign publishers and agents will invest in packaging their authors to submit here, which makes it harder for US editors to develop an understanding of foreign markets and what authors might be the best match for their audience.  This, in turn, arguably contributes to the scattershot nature of publishing translations here and the chances that the books that do get published will find success.