Towards a co-publishing of translated works: 12 proposals to reach the readers


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Basic principles
1.    Each of the co-published books has to reach the readers. Co-publishers, together with the translators and researchers and journalists involved, have to work together in order to achieve this goal.
2.    Both the national and the transnational levels are important for the dissemination of the co-published books.
3.    On-line promotion is important, still not sufficient. Public debates and debates in the media .should be encouraged.
4.    The translators should be associated systematically to the dissemination strategy and activities.

On a national level, in the publishing country
5.    Information to the bookstores should highlight with a short introduction to the book, to the author, to the context) the importance and interest of the book, possibly relate it to other authors and books of the same nature.
-    Within the book fairs, especially in the Arab countries where they play an important role, debates should be organized with the author, the co-publishers, the translator;
-    Whenever existing, national networks of bookstores should be involved in the dissemination plan.
6.    Information to the medias should highlight with a short introduction to the book, to the author, to the context) the importance and interest of the book, possibly relate it to other authors and books of the same nature.
-    Concerning the media, the promotion plan should target media that pay attention to culture in general, and more specifically to the debate of ideas and to other cultures.
-    Depending on the context, TV debates should be encouraged.
7.    Public debates are part of the strategy towards a dissemination of the translated works. They allow the audience, and the reader, to become more acquainted with the author, with the context, to ask questions, to react, to link the book with its own concerns. The most relevant places for such debates are :
a.    The libraries (city libraries, university libraries, national libraries);
b.    The universities and research centers.
8.    Whenever possible (depending on the subject, the author, the general context), those debates should be accessible on-line; but this should not be compulsory.

On a translational level
9.    A multilingual information on the co-published translated books should be available both on-line and printed. It should give a short introduction to the book, to the author, to the context), it should stress the importance and interest of the book, it should insist on the co-publishing frame and context.
Whenever co-financed by the Anna Lindh Foundation, the ALF website and the ALF networks websites are adequate for a wide dissemination on-line.
Transeuropéennes multilingual website represents a high potential for dissemination too.
10.    Information to the bookstores should focus, whenever possible, on the existing international professional networks (for example, the “Association internationale des librairies francophones”).
- International book fairs should be targeted as the adequate place to present the co-publishing projects and to highlight its transnational and multilingual dimensions.
11.    Information to the media should focus on international media interested in culture, especially those having multilingual editions, with the same priority focus on the media interested in culture and debate of ideas.
12.    Social networks are considered to be a key element in the transnational strategy to promote the co-publishing projects.
a.    Beyond the individual social networks (of the translator, of the author, of the researchers or journalists involved), a special effort needs to be done on the level of collective social networks (of the publishers, of the funders, including the European Commission, of a university and/or research institute, etc.)
b.    Within the Euro-Mediterranean frame, the co-publishing projects could derive much benefit from a dissemination among the following social networks at least :
i.    The Anna Lindh Foundation networks;
ii.    The Transeuropéennes networks.