Leylha Ahuile is a contributing editor to Publishers Weekly covering Spanish-language books.
On June 18, I hosted a PW webinar called “Spanish-Language Books in the U.S.” that generated a number of questions from publishers, booksellers, and librarians, including many about the growing demand for Spanish-language children’s and young adult titles. The interest in this segment is due, in part, to the increased birth rate among Hispanics, and the fact that many parents of children born in recent years want their kids to maintain their Spanish-speaking and -reading skills, even as they learn English. Another factor is the growing number of non-Hispanic parents who want their children to learn Spanish as a second language.
At present, most Spanish-language children’s and YA books in the U.S. are imports from Latin America. The hottest YA titles in Spanish are translations of bestselling English-language books—especially those with movie adaptations.
The panelists in the PW webinar were Lluvia Agustin, director of Spanish sales, HarperCollins Español; Edward Benitez, director, U.S. Spanish-language sales, Penguin Random House/Celebra Libros; Diana Calice, manager, Spanish distribution, Independent Publishers Group; Jaime de Pablos, director, Vintage Español; Jonathan Blanco, key account manger, HarperCollins Español; and Deyanira Navarrete, account executive, Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial—USA. After the publishers presented some of their new titles, I took questions from webinar participants. Among the questions we did not have time to answer were the following:
What elements make a book in Spanish successful in the U.S.?
Just as with books in English, it is difficult to say. It would be unfair to say that one or two elements determine success—much depends on the publisher’s consumer and market. Is it primarily selling to the trade? Education? Are consumers familiar with the author? What will the publisher do to support the book? These are just some of the important questions. But first and foremost, the book must be well written, and, if it’s a translation, the translation must be well done.
Who are the distributors for independent Spanish-language publishers?
There are a number of distributors, and many reach specific markets. Among the best-known distributors are American Book Group, Bilingual Publications, Giron Books, IPG, Latin American Book Source, Lectorum, La Liberia, and Lorito Books.
What’s the best way to reach Spanish-language book buyers?
Publishers should start out by talking to distributors and wholesalers. They are well versed in what sells and in different regions. Since some of the distributors only focus on one or two sales channels, it would be best to speak to more than one. Just know that distributors sell books but don’t generate the demand—the same is true for English-language books. It is up to publishers and authors to promote their books. Too often, publishers think that if they release a book, it will sell itself; this doesn’t happen with English-speaking consumers, so don’t expect Hispanic consumers to be different.
Readers can register for free to access the original webinar here.
