How public funding could help the circulation of translated books
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the literature of various European countries are comparatively small in comparison with the needs of the sector. According to the figures collected by the OMC group members the only countries where annual direct support for the export of literature exceeds EUR 1 million are France (approximately EUR 2 million), Germany (approximately EUR 1.6 million) and the Netherlands (EUR 1.06 million). In Spain, Romania, Finland and Sweden, the financing is between EUR 680 000 and EUR 860 000; in
Denmark, Flanders, Iceland, Ireland, Poland and Slovenia, the figure lies between EUR 200 000 and EUR 500 000; and in the rest of the 18 countries that provided figures, the sums are between EUR 100 000 and EUR 200 000 per year. For a more detailed description of current national support systems, see Annex VII, ‘Funding Mechanisms’. The following sections describe best practices and makes key recommendations on the above topics.
02.2 | N ational grant support to publishers – what makes them attractive and efficient ?
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There are several factors for a publisher to consider when deciding whether or not to publish a translated book. In general, the costs of publishing a translated book are can be higher than those for books originally written in the local language. The cost of the translation should be added to the costs of buying the copyright, the editing of the translation might incur additional costs, and, when the book is published, it is more difficult to achieve good visibility in bookshops, media and other fora that help bring a book to potential
readers. On the positive side, a translated book has already proven its value in the market in its original language, albeit a different one. Thus, the ongoing costs of developing and nursing a writer’s work are reduced, and some marketing strategies can be adapted from the source language market. Publishers thus need some encouragement to take on books for translation, and, if there is a possibility of a grant to cover at least some of the costs, a publisher is more likely to consider taking on these projects.
