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.

Who Pays for Book Translation? Real Costs and How Deals Work (2026)

Almost every indie author who looks into translating their book hits the same wall first: the assumption that they need to pay a translator out of pocket. Quotes of $5,000, $15,000, or $30,000 for a single language make the whole idea feel impossible. It is the single biggest misconception about how international publishing works.

In a real translation rights deal, the foreign publisher pays for the translation. Not the author. Knowing that changes the entire economics of going global.

What translating a book actually costs

Professional literary translation is priced per word or per 1,000 words, and rates vary widely by language and translator experience. Typical 2026 ranges for a full novel of 80,000 words:

German, French, Italian, Spanish (Europe): $8,000 to $20,000
Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Czech: $5,000 to $12,000
Japanese, Korean, simplified Chinese: $10,000 to $25,000
Arabic, Turkish, Russian: $6,000 to $15,000

On top of translation, the publisher also pays for copyediting in the target language, typesetting, cover adaptation, printing, distribution, and marketing. Total launch cost for a translated edition is rarely below $25,000 and often more. No serious indie author should be funding any of that.

Who pays in a real rights deal

When you sell translation rights to a foreign publisher, the deal flips the economics. The publisher pays you an advance, hires and pays the translator, produces the book, distributes it, and pays you royalties on every copy sold. You contribute the manuscript and the right to publish it in their language and territory. That is it.

The typical structure for an indie author looks like this:

Publisher pays you an advance ($500 to $5,000 for indie titles, sometimes more).
Publisher hires the translator and pays them directly. The translator works for the publisher, not you.
Publisher pays you 7% to 12% royalties on every copy sold after the advance earns out.
Your out-of-pocket cost: $0.

See how much translation rights actually pay for a full breakdown of advances and royalties by market.

When the author does pay (and why it is almost always a mistake)

There are three scenarios where authors end up paying for translation. All three are usually mistakes:

Self-translating then self-publishing in another language. You hire a translator, pay $10,000+, upload the result to Amazon KDP in German or Spanish, and hope readers find it. Without local marketing, distribution into physical bookstores, and a publisher's reputation behind the book, almost all self-translated KDP editions sell fewer than 100 copies. The author rarely recoups the translation cost.
Pay-to-translate "rights" services. A company offers to translate your book and "sell it internationally" if you pay them $3,000 to $15,000 upfront. The translation gets done. The international distribution rarely materializes. Real rights agencies never charge upfront fees - they work on commission because they only get paid when the publisher pays you.
Vanity foreign publishers. A "publisher" abroad offers to translate and publish your book if you cover the translation cost. They are not buying rights from you - they are selling a service to you. The book gets published but nothing else happens.

The clean test: who hires the translator

If you are the one signing a contract with a translator and writing them a check, you are not selling rights - you are funding a self-published foreign edition, and you are taking on all the risk.

In a real rights deal, you never meet the translator until after the book is published. The publisher chooses them, pays them, and stands behind the quality. Your contract is with the publisher, not the translator.

How to make sure you never pay

Refuse any "rights" service that asks for an upfront fee. Real agencies work on commission only.
Refuse any foreign publisher who asks you to fund translation. Real publishers fund their own production.
Pitch publishers directly or work with an agency that specializes in indie-author rights, like RightsWord. The agency earns a percentage of what the publisher pays you - and only if a deal closes.
Negotiate the translator clause: every contract should specify that the publisher is responsible for hiring and paying a qualified translator, and that you have approval rights over the translator's name (not their rate).

The honest summary

Indie authors do not pay to translate their own books in real rights deals. Foreign publishers do. If anyone in the chain is asking you for money to "translate and distribute your book internationally," they are not running a rights deal. They are selling you a service. Walk away and find someone who pitches publishers on commission.

Who Pays for Book Translation? Costs, Myths, and How Real Deals Work