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.

Translation Rights Contract Clauses: 10 Things to Check (2026)

A translation rights contract is rarely longer than 15 pages, but the consequences last 5 to 10 years. Most indie authors who sign their first foreign deal do not read the contract carefully because they are excited it exists. Six months later they discover they gave up audio rights for free, granted a 99-year term, or signed away their right to ever sell that language to a different publisher.

These are the 10 clauses to read line by line before signing - or before sending the draft to a contract lawyer.

1. Grant of rights (the most important clause)

This clause defines exactly what you are selling. It should specify one language and one territory. Acceptable language: "the exclusive right to translate, publish, and distribute the Work in German language only, throughout the world."

Red flags: "all languages", "worldwide rights", "all forms and media", "in perpetuity". Each of those phrases gives away rights you could sell separately for real money. Never grant world rights in all languages in one contract.

2. Term (how long the publisher holds the rights)

Standard for indie authors: 5 to 7 years from publication date. Acceptable for established authors with large advances: up to 10 years. Reject "life of copyright" or "perpetual" terms unless the advance is genuinely life-changing.

3. Advance and payment schedule

The advance is the upfront payment, typically split 50% on signature and 50% on publication, or 1/3 on signature, 1/3 on delivery of translation, 1/3 on publication. Avoid contracts that defer 100% to publication - publication can be delayed indefinitely.

4. Royalty rate and base

Royalties are calculated either on retail price (cover price) or net receipts (what the publisher actually receives after retailer discounts). Net receipts can be roughly 40 to 50% of retail, so a 15% net-receipts rate is comparable to a 7-8% retail rate.

Reasonable indie royalty rates for 2026:

Hardcover: 10% to 15% of retail (or 18% to 25% of net)
Trade paperback: 7% to 10% of retail (or 14% to 18% of net)
Mass-market paperback: 6% to 8% of retail
E-book: 25% of net receipts (industry standard)
Audiobook: 25% of net receipts

5. Reversion clause

This clause returns rights to you if the publisher fails to publish or lets the book go out of print. You want:

Publication deadline: Rights revert if the book is not published within 18 to 24 months of signing.
Out-of-print clause: Rights revert if the book sells under a defined threshold (e.g. fewer than 100 copies in 12 months) for two consecutive royalty periods.
Reversion is automatic on written notice - not contingent on publisher agreement.

6. Subsidiary rights

This clause decides which derivative rights travel with the translation deal. Default position: the publisher gets only the right to publish the print and e-book in their language and territory. You retain:

Audio rights (worth 20 to 40% of print advances in 2026 - never give these away for free)
Film, TV, and dramatic rights
Merchandise, gaming, and digital adaptation rights
Serial rights (magazine and newspaper excerpts)

If the publisher insists on audio, separate it: separate advance, separate royalty, and reversion if audio is not released within 12 months of the print edition.

7. Translator approval

You should have the right to be informed of the translator's name and to object on reasonable grounds (prior bad work, conflict of interest). You should not have approval over their rate or schedule - that is the publisher's job. The contract should also confirm the translator is engaged by the publisher, not by you. See who pays for book translation for why this matters.

8. Royalty accounting and audit

Standard: royalty statements twice a year (April and October), with payment 30 to 60 days after statement. You should have the right to audit the publisher's books on reasonable notice, at your cost (refunded if the audit finds a discrepancy over 5%).

9. Out-of-print and e-book "in print" trap

Old contracts considered a book "in print" only if physical copies were available. Modern contracts often define "in print" to include e-book availability - which means the book is technically never out of print because the publisher can keep a $0.99 e-book listed forever. Insist on a sales-threshold trigger: if sales drop below X copies in 12 months, rights revert regardless of e-book availability.

10. Governing law and dispute resolution

The contract should specify which country's law governs disputes and where arbitration or court proceedings take place. Most foreign publishers want their own jurisdiction. This is usually acceptable, but understand it means enforcement requires hiring a lawyer in that country if something goes wrong. Arbitration through ICC or WIPO is often cheaper than court for international disputes.

Things that should NOT be in the contract

Author covers translation cost. The publisher pays for translation. Always.
Author covers marketing or "print costs". A publisher asking the author to fund marketing is a vanity publisher.
Non-compete clauses on your other books. A German publisher buying Book 1 has no right to block you from selling Book 2 to a different German publisher.
Right of first refusal on your next book at the same terms. First refusal is fine; same terms is not - next book negotiates from scratch.

Get it lawyer-reviewed

Even a $1,000 advance contract is a binding international agreement. Author guilds in your country offer contract review at member rates. The Authors Guild (US, $135/year), the Society of Authors (UK, £114/year), and ALCS member services all include contract vetting. The cost of one review is trivial against the cost of a bad clause locked in for 7 years.

The honest summary

Most translation contracts are reasonable. The risk is in the 2 or 3 clauses that quietly take more than you intended to give. Read the grant of rights, term, reversion, and subsidiary rights sections word by word. Get a lawyer to read the rest. If you are working with an agency, this is part of what they should be doing for you - never sign a contract your agent has not redlined.

Translation Rights Contracts: 10 Clauses Every Author Must Check