A surprise package arrived in the post today. A Chinese edition of The Backpacker's Handbook. I had heard last year that such a version existed and I did ask the publishers about it but heard nothing until today. It's a big book, some hundred pages longer than the English version. I can't read it of course but it does look good!
As far as I know this is the first time any of my books have been translated into another language. I must admit I never thought the first one would be Chinese. I presume the gentleman pictured on the flyleaf must be the translator. To him, many thanks. I find it quite startling and flattering that my book is available in Chinese in China.
In a note in English it says that this edition is jointly published by McGraw-Hill Education (Asia) and Post and Telecommunications Press. A Google search reveals that the latter is a big Chinese publisher founded in 1953. The note also says that this edition is only authorized for sale in the People's Republic of China, excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
It's potentially a very big readership, Chris. Will you be going for the Lamborghini, or the more understated Aston Martin?
ReplyDeleteIs this authorized by your publishers? Do you get any royalties from it or is this another example of copyright infringment, a knockoff?
ReplyDeleteIt is authorized. McGraw-Hill are my publishers. If it sells enough I might get some royalties - I have no idea of the price! I also have no idea how many backpackers there are in China.
ReplyDelete:-). I'm not banking on making anything! I'm just hope there are lots of backpackers in China.
ReplyDeleteWell, even if backpacking is relatively small in percentage (of the population) terms, it could still be sizeable numbers. Fingers crossed, eh?
ReplyDeleteChina is a bit of a mystery to me, in terms of internal freedom of movement, but the potential for exploring landscape on foot must be enormous, if it's allowed.