A while ago David Menon, a friend and fellow crime author, announced on Facebook that one of his books was being translated into a foreign language. A bit later on he announced the in progress translation of another of his rather excellent books. I could not work out how this was happening and suspected - wrongly as it happens - that money was changing hands for this. Being as I earn the financial equivalent of half a very small peanut and so could never afford to pay someone to translate my books I gave it no further thought except as a pipe-dream. Then David contacted me and suggested I do the same via a site called Babelcube. I looked into it and uploaded details of all the full length DI Frank Lyle Mysteries. I was still sceptical since I’m not exactly an Amazon bestseller and my books never rise out of the 200 and something rankings on Amazon. However most of them have a 4 star review average which I hoped would count for something. Babelcube is a great opportunity for authors to get their books to more readers via translation into other languages. You can find out more at Babelcube.com Following a life-long fascination with Latin America I want to sell more books there therefore translation into Spanish was my priority. I don’t want the DI Frank Lyle Mystery Series to be available only to the English speaking world. There are countries where the police are extremely corrupt and so I want people to be able to read about coppers who are not. I approached translators on Babelcube and the first offer for Murder in the Wings wanted payment, so I declined. I approached another and she was currently working on something but would have a look when she’d finished her current project. A while later she made an offer to translate Best Served Cold into Spanish. Today I saw and approved the first ten pages. My Spanish is limited but I was able to follow it because I know my own book so well. The final thing should be completed around Christmas so I will authorise Babelcube to release it for New Year. My good friend and trusted cover designer, John Holt, has come up with a superb cover design. The bonus is that I have a good relationship with my translator, Maria Fernanda Trapani and she is enjoying the book, which means I have gained a new fan as well. We chat on Facebook regularly and she is totally delighted with her name being on the cover too. Whether she will move on and translate the other books remains to be seen but we are working together to deliver a top notch translation of Best Served Cold or should I say Se sirve frio. I’m incredibly excited about this project and look forward to seeing the finished work. I have no doubt Maria will do El Inspector Frank Lyle (DI Lyle) justice. I don’t have a lot to be excited about at the moment but this has made my day. So don’t hesitate. Get your books on Babelcube today. I’d like to end this Fanzine edition by saying a huge thanks to David Menon for telling me about Babelcube in the first place. I’m glad I went for it. Huge thanks also to John for redoing what was already a great cover. But the biggest and most heartfelt thanks goes to Maria for bringing DI Lyle to life in Spanish. Muchas Gracias Maria. |