How much does it cost to use RightsWord?

We offer three plans: Free (evaluation with 20 publishers, no fees), Solo at $99 (700+ publishers, no commission — keep 100%), and Premium at $199 (1,500+ publishers, dedicated agent, 20% commission on deals, with the $199 credited back from your first commissions).

How is this different from just uploading to Amazon?

Amazon is self-publishing where you handle everything. We connect you with traditional publishers who pay advances, handle translation, printing, marketing, and distribution in their market. You get a dedicated publishing house in each country.

What kind of books can I submit?

Fiction and non-fiction in all genres. Your book should be completed and you must hold the translation/foreign rights - meaning you're self-published, or your publisher granted you these rights.

What happens after a publisher makes an offer?

We handle the entire negotiation - advances, royalty rates, rights duration, territory scope. Once you accept, the contract is signed and the publisher pays the advance.

What do publishers handle after buying rights?

Everything: translation, editing, cover design, printing, marketing, and distribution. You don't invest any money - you simply receive royalty payments. Truly passive income.

How long does it typically take to get a deal?

Some authors receive offers within weeks, others take several months. Your book stays active indefinitely, and we continuously match it with new publishers joining our network.

Is my manuscript safe on the platform?

Publishers only see your synopsis and sample initially. Full manuscripts are shared only with seriously interested publishers under confidentiality terms.

Can I use RightsWord if I already have a literary agent?

If your agent handles foreign rights, work through them. But many agents focus on domestic markets - if you hold your foreign rights, we can complement your existing representation.

Do I need a literary agent to use RightsWord?

No. RightsWord was built specifically for authors who don't have foreign rights representation. We work directly with independent and self-published authors - no agent required. If you do have an agent, we can complement their domestic focus with international outreach.

Can I submit a book that's already on Amazon?

Absolutely. Most of our authors are self-published on Amazon or other platforms. As long as you hold your translation and foreign rights (which self-published authors automatically do), you're eligible. Having existing sales data actually strengthens your pitch to international publishers.

How much do translation rights typically pay?

Advances typically range from $500 to $5,000 per language deal, with ongoing royalties of 7%-12% on every copy sold. Premium authors with strong sales records or high-demand genres can command higher advances. Multiple deals across different countries create compounding passive income.

What genres sell best internationally?

Thrillers, romance, literary fiction, self-help, and business books tend to have the strongest international demand. However, every genre has markets - children's books do exceptionally well in certain regions, and niche non-fiction can find dedicated publishers. We evaluate each book's global potential individually.

What countries buy the most translation rights?

Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Brazil are among the largest markets for translation rights. Asian markets like China, Japan, and Korea are rapidly growing. Eastern European countries like Poland and the Czech Republic are also very active buyers. Our network covers 50+ countries across all continents.

10 Common Mistakes Selling Translation Rights (and How to Avoid Them)

Most indie authors do not lose money on translation rights because they fail to find publishers. They lose it in the contract, the moment after they find one. The mistakes below are the ones that show up over and over, across dozens of indie deals - and almost every one is preventable with a single sentence of pushback.

1. Paying for the translation themselves

The most expensive mistake. Real foreign publishers pay for translation; if anyone in the chain asks you to fund it, you are not selling rights, you are buying a service. See who pays for book translation for the full breakdown.

2. Granting world rights to one publisher

A foreign publisher in Germany asks for "world rights" or "world translation rights" instead of just German rights. They have no plan or capacity to sell into France, Japan, or Brazil - they just want to lock the rights up "in case." Six years later, the book is unsold in 30 markets and you cannot do anything about it.

Fix: grant only the specific language and territory the publisher actually publishes in. German-language rights in Germany, Austria, Switzerland - not "world German rights" and never "world rights."

3. Signing without a reversion clause

A reversion clause says rights revert to you if the book goes out of print or if sales drop below a threshold for two consecutive royalty periods. Without it, a publisher can sit on your rights indefinitely while doing nothing with the book.

Fix: insist on a reversion trigger. Standard language: "Rights revert to author within 90 days of written request if (a) the work is out of print in all formats, or (b) annual sales fall below 250 copies for two consecutive royalty periods."

4. Accepting "net receipts" royalties without negotiating

Net receipts royalties pay roughly half what cover price royalties pay at the same headline rate. Many contracts default to net. Many authors sign without asking.

Fix: always ask first for cover-price royalties. If the publisher insists on net, negotiate the rate up 3 to 5 points to compensate. See translation rights royalties explained.

5. Letting the contract term run 10+ years with no exit

A 10-year term is reasonable. A 15-year term with no out is not. Markets change, publishers get acquired, editors leave, and your book can be stranded.

Fix: cap the term at 7 to 10 years. Combine with a strong reversion clause. Avoid "life of copyright" language, which is essentially forever.

6. Saying yes to upfront-fee "rights agencies"

Real rights agencies work on commission. They earn a percentage of what the publisher pays you, and only when a deal closes. Anyone charging $1,500, $5,000, or $15,000 upfront to "represent your rights internationally" is selling marketing - not representation. The deals rarely materialize.

Fix: work with commission-only agencies. RightsWord, for example, charges $0 upfront and earns only when a publisher pays you.

7. Skipping the translator approval clause

The translator decides whether your book reads like a real book in the target language or like a Google Translate output. Without an approval clause, you have no say.

Fix: contract should specify that the publisher consults you on translator choice and that you have approval rights over the translator's name (not their fee or schedule). You are not vetoing for sport - you are confirming the name is a real, working literary translator. A 30-second LinkedIn check is enough.

8. Ignoring withholding tax

Foreign publishers in Germany, France, Brazil, Japan, and others withhold 10% to 30% of royalty payments at source. The US has tax treaties with almost every translation market that reduce this to 0% to 10% - if you file a single form (W-8BEN or local equivalent) before the first payment. Most authors do not, and lose thousands over a contract term.

Fix: ask the publisher's contracts department which tax treaty form they need and submit it before the first royalty period closes.

9. Selling audio and ebook rights into the print deal "for free"

Print publishers often try to bundle ebook and audio rights into the same contract at the same royalty rate as print. Ebook and audio economics are completely different - higher margin, no returns - and should be priced accordingly.

Fix: either (a) negotiate ebook royalties at 20% to 25% of net receipts and audio at 15% to 25% of net receipts within the same contract, or (b) retain ebook and audio rights and sell them separately. The second option is rare for indies but always worth raising.

10. Not telling other publishers about signed deals

Every signed translation contract is leverage for the next pitch. Indie authors often forget to mention them - they assume publishers do not care. Publishers care a lot. A German deal makes Italian, Spanish, and Brazilian editors more confident; a Japanese deal makes Korean and Taiwanese editors curious; a French deal signals quality everywhere.

Fix: maintain a one-page "rights status" sheet listing every signed deal (publisher, market, publication date) and include it in every new pitch. See how to sell internationally without an agent.

The honest summary

None of these are advanced moves. They are simple sentences in a contract, simple questions to ask a publisher, simple forms to file. The reason they keep costing indie authors money is that nobody warns them in advance. Print this list. Re-read it before signing anything. Push back politely on every clause that misses one of these protections - publishers expect it from professional authors and respect it more than silent signing.

Want a second pair of eyes on a translation rights offer before you sign? Submit your book - we review every submission personally, contracts included.

10 Common Mistakes Indie Authors Make Selling Translation Rights