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Success in Many Languages

Some books translate and sell around the world. Can yours?

by Chuck Martin, author of COFFEE AT LUNA'S on how to achieve fo

The book is by Chuck Martin, a former IBM vice president and author of five bestselling business titles published by McGraw-Hill and other mainstream publishers. As CEO of NFI Research, Martin is at the leading edge of global idea exchange and research, and he decided to put his findings into a book that would touch a nerve with business managers around the world. He chose the concise, business fable-style book that people typically read in one sitting and love to share with associates – and he decided to publish it himself.

When a literary agent from Korea found the book listed and reviewed at the Independent Publisher website, he contacted Martin about marketing foreign rights to the book in that country. This being his first self-publishing project, Martin hadn’t given foreign rights much thought, even though his other books are quite widely translated and circulated overseas. When the Korean agent quickly sold rights to Bertelsmann Korea, Martin thought, “Gee, maybe other foreign rights agents would be interested.” He did a Web search to find other agents, contacted them via email, and soon enough he was negotiating deals in both Taiwan and Mainland China.

“I sent a separate proposal to each agent, with a personal message geared to their market, and attached a pdf version of the book’s media kit. I keep the message short and simple, and follow up periodically. Typically they’ll say, ‘Very interesting, send us a book.’ I almost always get replies from them, and in all cases where we’ve made a deal, they’ve found multiple offers. And this is all by email; no phone calls.”

Martin must be doing something right -- he’s now working with agents in Japan, Russia, Brazil, and ten other countries around the world. (Newsflash 10/25/05: check off another one – the Brazilian deal just went through.)

“It’s all about doing the detail work,” he says. “And it is a lot of work, to find the contacts, send the proposals, and then follow up. You have to be very organized about staying in touch with all of your contacts.”

But Martin’s real secret to success may be having the right book at the right time. At first glance, Coffee at Luna’s is like other business parable books on the market, but this little white book with red and blue letters is much less “cheesy” than the others. Rather than metaphorical images of mice in a maze, this fable is set in the real world of day-to-day business. Martin’s NFI Research staff spent two years surveying 2,000 business executives, in 50 countries, every 14 days. So, even though the book is written as a fable, the main character’s comments are based on solid and specific research.

“Business people who read the book often say, ‘It sounds just like me,’ because it IS them. Real people in real business situations helped write the book,” says Martin. “We did market analysis on the design, page count, everything. Twenty five executives and managers read for us during the manuscript stage, and they gave us great input.”

The Coffee at Luna’s story unfolds when “Teacher” comes to the aid of Bill, an upwardly-mobile workaholic on the brink of destroying his career and his marriage. Teacher imparts desperately needed knowledge to Bill at Luna’s coffee shop, over a good-old “cup of joe,” imparting the knowledge he needs to achieve a healthy balance between work and home life.

“The problem Bill faces is a global business phenomenon,” says Martin. “I think the book works because of the way people everywhere recognize themselves and what they’re caught up in, plus this book offers a solution to the problem. The concept of bringing balance to an out-of-control work and home life is a universal theme.”

“The reaction from agents who read the book is instant: ‘I love this book – I will market it for you!’ That’s the way is was when the first agent took it, and it’s been happening that way ever since.”

As Martin says, it takes a lot of persistent, detailed work to play the foreign rights game, but the payoff can be huge. “I send them two books, and they send me money.” The foreign rights advances he’s received have more than paid for the creation and production of the book in the U.S. “Every book I sell now is pure profit,” he says.

Of course, Martin’s reputation, sales record, and his concerted marketing and promotional efforts have all helped. But it doesn’t take any research at all to discover he’s on to something – some of it as simple as a good cup coffee – that leads to real publishing success.

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Chuck Martin’s Top 5 ”Rights” for Foreign Rights Sales Success

1. The Right Book: Make sure your book is the right fit for the audience. Not every topic travels well overseas. Do the research required to determine which foreign countries will relate to your book’s topic and style and focus your efforts there.

2. The Right Contacts: Build a list of foreign rights agents that will interested in your book, and work closely with them to build good relationships and good communication. Agents need to “get” your book and be enthusiastic about selling it to their clients. Be attentive to each contact’s needs and follow through in a timely manner.

3. The Right Message: Send a killer proposal to each agent, personalized to them and their country. Keep it short, with distinct selling points, including your successful sales record at home. Be careful with attachments and tailor your proposal to the style each agent prefers. Follow up quickly, and keep in touch periodically.

4. The Right Marketing: Your marketing plan at home must be in full swing, building momentum in every possible way -- syndicated columns, radio and television appearances, online promotions – increase your exposure and gather success stories that make you the “go-to” author and expert in your field.

5. The Right Attitude: Foreign rights success is all about hard work, attention to detail, and patience. “It’s not one thing, but the combination of a lot of things that make it happen,” says Martin. “Stay patient. When you get the first breakthrough, build on that success, and a whole new world will open up.”

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Coffee at Luna’s: A Business Fable
Three Secrets to Knowledge, Self-Improvement, and Happiness in your Work and Life
By Chuck Martin, published by NFI Research www.nfiresearch.com
ISBN: 0976327309; $19.95; 112 pp. hardcover