New Digital-first Publisher Bringing Great Books from France into English

April 20, 2012 - PRLog -- France’s publishers announced 311 new French novels in January/February 2012 alone. That’s a lot of books, far too many of which will never reach readers outside of France. Le French Book, an independent, digital-first publisher specialized in good reads from France, was founded in December 2011 to bring more of these authors to English-language readers around the world.

“If we love it, we’ll translate it”
The company’s founder and CEO, translator and editor Anne Trager, explains her motivation, “I couldn’t stand it anymore. There are just too many good books not reaching a broader audience. There is a very vibrant, creative culture in France, and the recent explosion in e-reader ownership provides a perfect medium to introduce readers to some of these French authors.”

Le French Book has a straightforward motto: “If we love it, we’ll translate it.” They are starting with a crime fiction collection, because, as Anne Trager says, “That’s what I love most.” They also have some health and personal development books in the works, and an exciting series of short stories along with a spy thriller they are currently negotiating.  

Le French Book is based in New York, with a strong foothold in France. Its CEO has lived and worked in France for over twenty-six years and has a solid network and understanding of the country. “We started negotiating rights in December, and I’m happy to say that already already have four books in translation, and two more in the pipeline. We’re working with some major French publishers, including Albin Michel, Fayard, Payot-Rivages, and Seuil, and the concept has been very well received.”

Why digital first?
“Our goal is to expand a book’s reach, not to choose between digital or paper,” says Fabrice Neuman, the company’s Chief Technology Officer. “Publishing is changing and digital-first publishing enables a faster time-to-market. In our model, ebooks pave the way to all the other formats”

Le French Book emphasizes quality translation and top-notch publishing standards above all. Anne Trager specifies, “We are building close working relationships with the authors in order to produce the best possible translations.” Le French Book is also looking into new ways to work with translators, because, as Anne Trager says, “There are just so many good books to translate.”

Visit http://www.lefrenchbook.com for more information about the books they are preparing to publish.