I'm Big in Korea

Korean Where Am I Wearing?

It’s strange not being able to read a book that you’ve written or even your name. But such is the case when I received the Korean translation of “Where Am I Wearing?” in the mail.

A lot of folks have worked on the book, but few have spent as much time with it as this translator. I would love to sit down and have a chat with them to see how they went about translating “fella” and “undercover underwear buyer.”

I suspect Korea was interested in the topic because they had a thriving garment industry in the 1960s which is anything but thriving today.  Need proof? Inventory the clothing labels in your closet.

This is my first translation so it’s definitely worth geeking-out over.  However it’s not the only foreign country where the book can be found.  One of the cool things about Wiley & Sons is that they are a global publishing company. They have offices in Singapore, Tokyo, India, Australia, England, and elsewhere. The offices are staffed with actual Wiley employees.

I’ve received emails from readers in Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan to name a few places.  It’s an honor to be able to introduce readers around the world to Arifa, Nari, Ai, Dewan, and Zhu Chun.

A lot of times when a book sells to a publisher the author will retain foreign rights. This means that the author’s agent can pitch foreign publishers. If the foreign publisher wants it, then another contract is entered complete with advance and royalties.  Since Wiley is a global publisher they almost always buy “World Rights” as opposed to “North American Rights.”

That means I don’t get a check when my book is published in another country and/or language.  Instead I just receive translations and emails out of the blue, which is a nice consolation.

 
2 comments
Kent says:

Korean eh… very cool Kelsey. I wonder if you’ll get translated into Chinese in Singapore.

Let your voice be heard!