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.

Selling Audio and Ebook Translation Rights Separately (2026)

A typical translation rights contract grants the publisher print, ebook, and audio rights in the contract language for a single advance. That is fine for a lot of indie deals. It is also where many authors quietly lose 30 to 50% of the potential income from a foreign market, because audio in particular is a separate ecosystem with separate buyers and separate economics.

What "all formats" usually means in a translation contract

Default contract language grants:

Print (hardcover, trade paperback, mass market) in the contract language
Ebook in the contract language
Audio in the contract language (sometimes carved out, sometimes not)
Sometimes book club, large print, and serialization rights

If "audio" is listed under granted rights and not specifically carved out, the foreign publisher controls it. They may produce an audiobook, license it to a local audio house, or simply sit on the right for the entire contract term while the audio market in that country grows around your book.

When bundling is fine

Small markets with thin audio infrastructure. Polish, Czech, Hungarian, most Arabic markets. Audio is not yet a significant revenue line; let the publisher have it.
Publishers that produce audio in-house. Some German, Dutch, and Korean publishers run their own audio divisions, give books real production budgets, and pay a separate audio royalty. Bundling with them works.
Authors with no separate audio strategy in that language. If you have no plan, no contacts, and no time to license audio separately, bundling is better than leaving the rights unused.

When splitting pays

Germany, Japan, France, Brazil: Mature audio markets with dedicated buyers (Audible Studios, local audio publishers, subscription services). A standalone audio deal in German often pays $1,500-$5,000 against royalties even for mid-list indie titles.
Romance, romantasy, thriller, and self-help genres: Audio penetration in these categories runs 25-40% of total revenue in major markets. Bundling under-monetizes by definition.
Publishers without audio capacity. Many small and mid-sized translation publishers do not produce audio at all. They take the right "just in case" and never exercise it.

Realistic 2026 numbers

For an indie author with proven English audio sales, a standalone foreign-language audio deal in a major market typically pays:

German audio: $1,500-$5,000 advance, 15-25% of net retail or PPD royalty
Japanese audio: $1,000-$4,000 advance, 12-20% royalty (smaller market, premium production)
Brazilian Portuguese audio: $500-$2,000, 15-20% royalty
French / Spanish (Spain) audio: $1,000-$3,500, 15-22% royalty

Stack a standalone audio deal on top of the print/ebook advance and you often increase the total deal value by 30-60% in that market.

The carve-out language that actually works

If you want to split, the contract has to say so explicitly. Acceptable language:

"Granted Rights are limited to print (hardcover, paperback, mass market) and electronic book editions in the German language. Audio rights (including but not limited to abridged and unabridged audiobook, dramatized audio, podcast adaptation, and AI-narrated audio) are expressly reserved by the Author."

Include "AI-narrated audio" explicitly. In 2026 this is the fight - publishers want it under "ebook" or under a generic "digital rights" bucket. Force it into audio so a real human-narrated audio deal does not get blocked by a synthetic version the publisher generated for free.

What about ebook?

Splitting ebook from print in translation contracts is rare and usually a bad idea. Foreign publishers price ebook and print together, market them together, and need ebook to make the unit economics work on small print runs. Pulling ebook out can kill the deal entirely. Leave ebook bundled with print; split audio separately if the market supports it.

The case for "first refusal" instead

If the publisher insists on audio rights but you suspect they will not produce, a workable middle ground is "first refusal" or "first option" language:

"Publisher shall have a first option on audio rights, exercisable in writing within 18 months of first print publication. If Publisher does not exercise the option within that period, audio rights revert exclusively to the Author."

This gives the publisher fair time to act and gives you a clean path to license audio separately if they do not.

Common mistakes

Granting "all formats including formats not yet invented." This eats VR, immersive audio, and whatever 2030 invents. Limit to defined formats.
Letting "digital rights" cover both ebook and audio in one bucket. Always split them by name.
Forgetting podcast and serialization rights. These are increasingly licensable in Germany, Japan, and South Korea. Reserve or define them explicitly.
Not asking. Many publishers will accept an audio carve-out if you raise it before signing. Almost none will offer it.

The honest summary

For mature audio markets in commercial genres, splitting audio out of translation deals is one of the highest ROI moves an indie author can make - often more valuable than negotiating a bigger advance. For thin audio markets, bundle and move on. Either way, the contract needs to say what it grants and what it reserves in explicit words. Default language always favors the publisher.

Want a partner who structures these splits for you market by market? Submit your book.

Should You Sell Audio and Ebook Translation Rights Separately?