How can I get the publishing rights from a book publisher?

Question

I want to start a publishing company that will translate and publish foreign books. How can I get the rights from the publishers in order to publish the books in my country? What are the most frequent terms of such an agreement?

Answer 1

First, you get an attorney versed in publishing and copyright law. If you cannot afford an attorney, you won't be able to afford running a publishing business. That's just reality. These contracts are written in legalese, and particularly when dealing with international law you need a professional.

Besides, you would not be negotiating with publishers. You would be negotiating with the authors. Generally, authors retain the copyright to their works, and sell various rights to different publishers. For example, a publisher may have purchased First Time North American Rights to a book, but not South American Rights or World Rights. You would need to contact the copyright holder to discuss these things.

Answer 2

Its called foreign rights - sometimes the publisher holds them - other times the author still holds them and you have to go through their agent. It depends on the author's contract. Read some sites on foreign rights