Beyond the Page Week Four

Global Perspective

Over the last three weeks, we began closest to self with the mastery of craft, took a step away from craft in week two, delving into market awareness and adaptability, and in the third week, we moved outside the author bubble entirely. This fourth week is about having a global perspective when writing.

I grew up in a small area of my county outside Richmond, Virginia and in adulthood moved to Nashville, Tennessee. My novels are southern in nature, and they’re all set in the southern U.S. But I began my career (and spent most of it) with a publishing company based in London, England. I absolutely believe that their perspective is what taught me what I needed to know to craft novels that are received well globally.

While I write southern stories, having a global viewpoint in how to tell those stories has impacted my success. As of this post, my books have been translated and sold to publishers in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Turkey, and my novels have reached bestseller status in some. Readers in those countries are reading my stories set in small southern towns. Making sure they understand them is my responsibility.

Considering international markets when crafting a novel and finding a publisher who tailors marketing strategies to those markets could greatly impact an author’s success. So how does an author do this? Personally, I prefer to use editors from other countries to edit my novels. It’s amazing the things that don’t “translate” from one culture to another, no matter how similar. But if an author doesn’t have the luxury of worldwide editing, keeping in mind and respecting diverse viewpoints when writing is a good option. Ensuring accurate and sensitive representation of cultures and diverse perspectives might change the trajectory of a career.

At the end of the day, storytelling is about reaching people and sharing the author’s unique view of the world with others. The more people an author can reach, the better his/her chances of making a career from their stories.

Until next time, happy writing!

Jenny

© 2023