Monday, April 28, 2008

Japanese Spymaster's

I found out today that Spymaster's Lady will be translated into Japanese. So those of you who were waiting for the Japanese edition ... you are in luck.

I am wondering how you do a French accent in Japanese, but I don't think anyone will ever be able to tell me.

I'm actually hoping it comes out as a manga.

6 comments:

  1. That is awesome. *g* How cool that your book is going into Japanese!

    And I would _totally_ buy that manga!

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  2. I will have to figure out how to buy a copy. I want to see this.

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  3. I fear something will be lost in the translation unless it's done by a talented someone who is able to convey the unique phrasing. *shaking head* I really don't see how they can do it. Having said that, even without those wonderful subtleties, it's a great story with unique characters. They just won't get the FULL impact of your talent.

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  4. (grin) You are so fine.

    There's a whole 'nother art to translation. It's like writing ... but not quite. To have THAT much knowledge of two languages ... remarkable.

    Apparently historical Romance is very popular in Japan. And there's something 'fated' and Japanese about Annique's dilemma, don't you think?

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  5. That's fantastic!
    And a manga would be way cool :)

    Any chance of a German translation at some point (not that I don't very much enjoy the English original)?

    Nina

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  6. Hi nbb --

    I'm not the one to go spouting off about this, because I don't know much.

    But the way it works seems to be this:

    In the original contract, the publishing company, Berkley, acquired from me the rights to sell the manuscript of Spymaster's Lady to foreign publishers who would translate it and print it in foreign language editions.

    I don't think I get any special money for giving Berkley this foreign sales right. But I do get advances and royalties on those foreign sales.

    Contract-wise, it's a win-win situation. Berkley doesn't pay anything much for the chance to sell TSL in Germany, France, and parts further afield. They already have an in-house staff that does nothing but sell foreign rights all day, and thereby earn their bread.

    I can go back to staring at the computer screen, brooding.

    My agent doesn't have to worry about contracts written in Roumania, which gives her time to watch reruns of House and grow prize-winning peonies.

    And Berkley gets a slice off the top of what the foreign publisher pays me, which makes Berkley happy.

    Scuttlebut and rumor tell me foreign rights sales come waaaay down the road. Long after original publication.

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