“Reaching for 1.5 Billion Chinese Readers: A Guide to Self-Publishing in the Chinese World” is an ebook I have been writing for a while. Now I have launched a fundraising campaign at Indigogo, and am hereby asking for your support.
Since February 2011, I have been helping more than 20 English-language authors from Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Holland and Kazakhstan to translate, publish and promote their writings as ebooks in the Chinese world. I am fortunate to have the support of these authors, as well as the trust of various agents and publishers in these countries. But I am acutely aware that getting published in the Chinese world is not that difficult, as long as you know how. And I would now like to share this know-how with even more authors, no matter what publishing avenue they choose.
I aim to explore three major issues in this ebook. Firstly, what is the Chinese world and what is its (digital) literary market like? What does its readers (and critics!) want? I answer some of the questions frequently asked by English-authors, such as “Will my book sell in China?” “Will it be banned by the Chinese government?” “What about the problem of piracy?”
Secondly, I get down to the vital and practical issues of finding Chinese agents and publishers, signing contracts and negotiating royalties. I probe the similarities and differences between the Chinese and Western publishing industries and break it down to specific literary markets such as China and Taiwan, and how things are done differently for the publishing of paper-based and digital books.
Finally, I tackle the most challenging task faced by English-language authors — translation. I explain how to find the best translators who can also serve as editors and proofreaders, how to ensure the translation is of the highest standard, and issues such as cover design and formatting that will boost the chance of your book being accepted for publication. Building an author platform in Chinese is also crucial.
I hope I can have your support for the completion of this ebook as a valuable resource for all authors — not just self-publishing authors, but also those traditionally published authors who are keen to understand more, and become more involved in, the process of having their books translated and promoted in the Chinese world. Please spread the word and “make some noise” in your own way to promote this campaign.
For more details about my Indigogo fundraising campaign, please see Here.
Voices under the Sun 陽光下的聲音 