Publishing translated works: Examining the process

Greystone Books Ltd., based in Vancouver, publishes many translated works. This report is intended to examine the benefits of publishing translated works and compare that to publishing original English language works. This report will analyze two translated works: Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders, which was translated from German to English, and 1000 Lashes: Because I Say What I Think by Raif Badawi, which was translated from Arabic to English. Greystone Books’ process for publishing translated works will be explored to understand how its acquisition, translation, editorial, and marketing and publicity processes work. These will be compared to Greystone’s processes for publishing original English language works. Two case studies will be presented to further evaluate Greystone’s process for publishing translated works. Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders had a regularly-paced schedule and an accessible author, whereas 1000 Lashes: Because I Say What I Think by Raif Badawi had a very tight schedule and an absentee author. By examining these two books, this report will determine if publishing translated works is a more, less, or equally effective method than publishing original English works for Greystone.