How to Publish a Book Internationally (Easily!)

Heard of publishing wide? It’s all about maximizing your reach by selling your book in every format, store, and country possible. But can you publish a book in another country? Yes. And it’s easier than ever to accomplish today. Let’s go over how to publish a book internationally, easily.

Selling Books Internationally: The Numbers

First, below are recent market trends to help you understand why you should self-publish internationally. This data comes from PublishDrive, a global publishing platform that handles over 100K titles for tens of thousands of indies in hundreds of thousands of book channels worldwide.

Since 2019, there’s been an upward trajectory of digital book sales growth for self-published indies:

The outbreak of the pandemic further shifted this trend toward digital mediums such as audiobooks, online libraries, and subscription reading apps. This digital burst made more content accessible to more markets. As more people go online to shop for their books, self-published titles in many of these virtual bookshelves are getting the attention they deserve.

Indies experienced significant growth in sales from a range of countries in 2023:

If you’re trying to sell as many books as possible, why stop at your home country? The demand for self-published books soars across continents – you don’t want to miss out on these international markets.

PublishDrive gets your book into all markets possible.
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Do I Need to Translate My Book?

Now you know the goldmine that is global book publishing. However, you may wonder “can I publish a book in another country without translating it?” This is a valid question, as translation requires time and money.

You can indeed translate your book to your targeted country. But if you don’t have the funds for it, know that a majority of books sold to PublishDrive’s global audience are English-language books:

People want books in English! International publishers in India have experienced a rise in demand for English titles. In China, the largest market in the world, there’s a particular interest in Western titles. See how to self-publish books in China. 

If you want (and have the capacity) to take a more targeted approach by translating your book, there are benefits to know. Bestselling author Jean Joachim shared these insights:

• Translating your book into your target country’s language can increase your chances of getting noticed by a local agent or hitting the country’s Amazon top 100 list.
• When advertising, make sure to use the language of your target country.
• Don’t tweak the content of your book when translating it. Stay as genuine as possible.

When it comes to the logistics of how to sell books internationally, here’s what to know –

How to Publish a Book Internationally: Different Routes

There are several routes you can take. You can license foreign and translation rights to international book publishers. You can pitch your content to book wholesalers or foreign agents. These efforts involve reading up on international rights, pricing strategies, and more.

Here’s how international rights work:

• Foreign language rights allow you to publish your title legally in its original language in foreign countries.
• Translation rights allow you to legally translate and publish your title in languages other than the original.

Here’s how these rights play out under traditional and self-publishing routes:

• Traditional publishing houses will add licensing details to your contract. These details vary depending on which entity you work with.
• Self-publishing platforms usually own all international rights aligned with general platform conditions.

Although you give away your international rights, traditional publishers can provide professional translators and administrative support while ensuring your title is fit for foreign markets. Self-publishing platforms also take care of foreign rights publishing for you.

So, is it better to go with an international publishing house or self-publishing platform? Since this write-up is about the easiest way to go global, self-publishing is the way.

As you may already know, there’s no guarantee of getting published under traditional publishing. And if you do get signed, it may not be an international opportunity. Under self-publishing, you guarantee your book's release and decide exactly where you want to sell.

With many self-publishing platforms available and international publishing companies accepting self-published titles, you can start selling books internationally in no time.

How to Self-Publish With International Book Distributors

Which platforms are best for reaching a global audience? The best ones have the widest distribution reach, are easy to navigate, and are free to try. Here are the best free self-publishing platforms to know:

These channels generated an increase in sales for indie authors and publishers in 2023:

Plus! PublishDrive is a one-stop-hub that reaches them all, along with hundreds of thousands of other channels (over 400 bookstores and 240K+ libraries, to be exact).

This kind of book distribution is called book aggregation. PublishDrive is a leading book aggregator with a vast distribution network and a suite of publishing tools at your fingertips. It uses a unique royalty model where you keep 100% of the net royalties you earn (other aggregators take an additional 10-30%). See just how much you can earn with this book sales calculator.

How to Publish a Book Worldwide With PublishDrive, Easily!

Going global with PublishDrive is super simple:

1. Sign up to PublishDrive. Once you’re in, navigate to the book upload process.
2. Upload book files and fill out your metadata. We’ve got a nifty AI book metadata generator to help you craft and optimize your best metadata.
3. Click on all the channels you’d like to distribute to, from big retailers like Amazon to international book publishers in India and beyond. 

Here’s what else:

• Easily view your sales performance, analytics, and royalty reports. Go through a simple tax process for every country you sell in.
• Figure out how you want to price your book depending on different markets with PublishDrive’s AI recommendations.
• Access book marketing tools for sending copy reviews, running Amazon ads, featuring in newsletter and store promotions, and more.

Ready to publish internationally?