It’s already a thrill to finally hold your finished book in your hands, but imagine how exciting it would be to see your book printed in multiple languages!
By selling foreign rights to your book, you can access important markets and reach millions of readers in parts of the world that don’t speak English.
You can sell foreign rights on your own, but it helps to have a foreign rights agent on your side. So in this post, we’ve rounded up dozens of foreign rights agencies that work with publishers and authors to turn books into worldwide bestsellers.
List of Foreign Rights Agencies
Below are 21 agencies that specialize in selling foreign rights for titles originally written in English, as well as several other languages.
1. InkWell Management
InkWell represents major literary prize winners and many of the world’s bestselling and best-loved authors.
In addition to its full-time literary agents, InkWell is home to a dedicated foreign rights department and contracts manager. They also work with leading agencies in every foreign market and have agents based in Australia, Boston, and Dallas.
You can find a list of InkWell Management’s foreign co-agents (in 33 different countries) here.
Contact: [email protected]
2. Taryn Fagerness Agency
Established in 2009, the Taryn Fagerness Agency represents foreign rights for books on behalf of North American publishers, literary agents, and authors.
Taryn Fagerness has worked in foreign rights since 2004 and sold hundreds of books to foreign markets, including work by Jennifer Armentrout, Charles Mann, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and many more.
She’s also sold subsidiary rights in nearly all genres, including literary fiction, thriller/suspense, commercial fiction, romance, history, self-help, business, and children’s books.
You can find a complete list of territories to which she sells here.
Contact: tarynfagernessagency.com/contact
3. Louisa Pritchard Associates
LPA sells international rights on behalf of leading literary agencies and publishers. They provide all the services of an in-house rights department and deal direct in most international markets, also working with carefully selected sub-agents where appropriate.
Louisa Pritchard has over 25 years of experience selling rights in a wide range of fiction and nonfiction. The LPA team also attends the London, Frankfurt, and Turin book fairs each year.
Contact: [email protected]
4. 2 Seas Agency
Founded in 2011 in Ojai, California, 2 Seas Agency represents a select number of publishers, authors, and agencies in both domestic and international markets.
2 Seas has sold rights for titles originally written in English, French, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Italian.
Contact: [email protected]
5. Madeleine Milburn
Based in London, the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film agency works with authors across all genres.
They’ve seen particular success with upmarket fiction, children’s books, teen and YA fiction, and nonfiction, with a focus on narrative nonfiction, history, self-help, memoir, and biography.
Prior to starting her own agency, Madeleine Milburn specialized in foreign rights at the oldest literary agency in the UK.
Contact: [email protected]
6. Pontas Literary & Film Agency
Based primarily in Barcelona, the Pontas team can read and write in several languages. They attend more than ten events annually, including book fairs and literary and film festivals.
The agency was founded in 1992 by Anna Soler-Pont, and today the team represents a wide range of authors from all over the world.
At this time, they are only representing works of adult fiction written in English and French.
Contact: pontas-agency.com/submissions/
7. Eulama Literary Agency
Eulama is the second oldest literary agency in Italy. In 1964, Harald Kahnemann and Karin von Prellwitz moved the head office of the agency from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Rome, Italy, but the company has maintained close working relationships with the most authoritative Latin American publishers.
The agency is dedicated to promoting quality fiction and nonfiction worldwide, and has established itself as one of the leading international rights mediators.
Contact: [email protected]
8. David Luxton Associates
David Luxton Associates is a London-based literary agency that specializes in nonfiction, especially sports writing, health & fitness, business, nature writing, memoir, history, popular reference, and politics.
Their team is active in all areas of the rights and licensing marketplace, including selling US and translation rights and negotiating film and TV deals.
Contact: davidluxtonassociates.co.uk/contact/
9. Japan Uni Agency, Inc.
The Japan Uni Agency negotiates publishing licenses, specifically the Japanese translation rights of foreign titles and foreign rights licenses of Japanese titles.
They also serve as a publishing consultancy and agency for translators.
Contact: [email protected]
10. Maydo Kooy Literary Agency
The Maydo Kooy Literary Agency represents authors and independent, English language publishers for the sale of rights into the Nordic countries and the Netherlands.
Founder Maydo van Marwijk Kooy started her first agency in 1980 after working as a foreign rights manager at Simon & Schuster in New York.
Contact: [email protected]
11. Kátai & Bolza Literary Agents
Kátai & Bolza was founded in 1995 by Katalin Kátai and Péter Bolza, and is now one of Hungary’s most prominent independent agencies.,
They sell translation rights for many publishers from North America, the UK, Australia, Europe, and Israel. They do not represent individual authors.
Contact: [email protected]
12. Johnson & Alcock Ltd.
Founded in 1956, Johnson & Alcock is a literary agency based in London. They represent most genres of fiction and nonfiction, but do not accept plays or film scripts.
Helene Butler is the current Head of Rights. She sells rights directly in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Brazil, but also works with selected co-agents in other territories.
Contact: [email protected]
13. Berla & Griffini Rights Agency
Although much of Berla & Griffini’s work specializes in promoting German literature, they also represent several English language publishers, ranging from the Big Five to smaller, independent houses.
They also offer foreign rights services and handle international negotiations through their own network of international contacts, or by collaborating with a number of co-agencies.
Contact: [email protected]
14. THIS BOOK TRAVELS Foreign Rights Agency
Based in Hamburg, Germany, the THIS BOOK TRAVELS Foreign Rights Agency represents a select list of fiction and nonfiction titles, with a focus on quality and original literature.
Contact: [email protected] (Kathrin Scheel)
15. Andrew Nurnberg Associates
Founded in London in 1977, Andrew Nurnberg Associates represents authors of literary and commercial fiction, general nonfiction, and children’s books from around the world.
They also represent leading UK and US publishers for the sale of translation rights through their offices in the UK and overseas.
Contact: [email protected]
16. RIGHTOL Media Limited
Founded in 2006, RIGHTOL is a leading rights agency in China and Asia. They provide international copyright services for publishers with their team of over 60 experienced rights agents.
RIGHTOL represents works from over 50 countries in over 30 languages.
Contact: [email protected]
17. ILA
ILA manages translation rights for general fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books. Their clients include publishers in the US, UK, and Canada, and they sell in all languages except English.
Founded in 1965 as a partnership between select literary agencies in London and New York, ILA is now one of London’s top independent rights teams.
Contact: [email protected]
18. Lora Fountain Literary Agency
The Lora Fountain Literary Agency is based in Paris and sells translation rights primarily to the French, but also to the Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and Latin American markets.
Their clients include publishers from across the English-speaking world, as well as several from Spanish-speaking countries.
Contact: [email protected]
19. The BKS Agency
Based in London, The BKS Agency boasts decades of experience selling rights across domestic, foreign, audio, film, television and other markets.
Their projects include a wide range of fiction and nonfiction titles by bestsellers, Olympic athletes, entrepreneurs, and other experts.
Contact: thebksagency.com/submissions
20. Linwood Messina Literary Agency
The Linwood Messina Literary Agency is based in Paris and represents translation rights on behalf of French- and English- language publishing companies, as well as international agencies.
Linwood Messina also helps English agencies to sell the film rights to their books into the French film and television market.
Contact: linwoodmessina.com/page-section/contact/
21. Curtis Brown, Ltd.
For nearly a century, Curtis Brown, Ltd. has licensed translation rights, working with representatives across dozens of countries and territories.
Founded in London in 1905, Curtis Brown established his first U.S. branch in New York in 1914.
Contact: [email protected].
Selling Your Book in Other Countries
If you’re interested in giving your book an international reach, one of the first steps you may need to take is translating your book.
Your agent will usually coordinate this for you, but if you’re going it alone, you can search for experienced translators or translation agencies.
Then, once your book is published in your target markets abroad, remember to keep up your marketing efforts to continue reaching as many readers as possible.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 100: Selling Foreign Language Rights for Your Book with Elliott Katz
- What Are Subsidiary Rights? What to Know Before You Sign a Publishing Contract
- How to Translate a Book: 7 Tips for International Success
- The Ultimate Book Marketing Plan: What To Do Before, During, and After Your Launch
As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
