Expert: Tom Carter ~ Travel China Expert - 9/9/2008

Question
QUESTION: Purely by accident (but not really) I have discussed with a native of Shanghai the possibility of his acting as my agent when he approaches a Chinese publisher in that city. He will try to get one of my books (I have one finished and three on the way) translated and published there. He is bi-lingual so translation and interpreting is not a problem.

Apparently "trust" is a big thing in China, even more than contracts and negotiations over power lunches, so he wants to meet me face-to-face, but that is quite impossible. However, my daughter (a baby diplomat in Melbourne, Australia) and the co-author of one of my books (a banker in Israel) have both agreed to meet him and the publisher, face-to-face, in Shanghai.

The book that he seemed most interested in is a well-researched fictional tale about a 60-year-old secret about the U.S. and the atomic bombing of Japan. Apparently, a book that makes the U.S. and Japan look bad will be a hot seller in China.

I don't have a specific question except for this: What's your opinion about all of this??

ANSWER: Hi Bill!
Um...this isn't the typical travel-related question I get here on AllExperts. But never one to turn down the chance to interface with other authors or China fans, I'll oblige you with my opinion :) I just hope you can appreciate my candor and honesty.

First of all, why would you want to make Japan "look bad"? If your book is really "well-researched", then you'd be the first to realize that what both nations could use is a good dose of healing. Both continue to hold damaging grudges against the other for something that happened over 70 years ago. The difference is that Japan is an obscenely wealthy nation while China is still developing. China is quite obviously embittered by this fact, which is why they continue to poison their citizenry and their youth with anti-Japanese propaganda. If China really wanted to avenge their people, they would develop their tech sector to rival Japan, and perhaps also make Japan increasingly dependent on China's agricultural exports. But if you purpose is to sell books rather than promote world peace, then I can't blame you for capitalizing on China's anti-Japan/anti-American politics.

My experience with China's publishing industry, however, makes me question why you think your book will be a "hot seller"? First of all, you are a foreigner, so getting your book approved by China's state-run General Administration of Press and Publication is going to be a hurdle, even if your book is 100% pro-China.

If it does NOT get approved, then you'll either have to go black-market, or get the book published in Hong Kong and illegally distributed in China (if your target readers are Chinese). If your book DOES get approved, it will need to be spot-on translated, requiring not a little expense or time to do so.

Next, if your book is published legally in China, I wouldn't expect to see any "hot" sales so quickly. While the Japan that you vilify has a voracious book market, Chinese people do not share a similar love for books. For the few book lovers in China, pirated copies costing a fraction of what yours would sell for abound on street corners and even in the official government-run book stores chains. Simply put, most Chinese don't have even 100rmb to throw away on fiction, though they might pick up a photo-copied copy for 8rmb.

Lastly, and to put it delicately, China has very, um, different way of approaching business dealings and financial matters than westerners are accustomed to. Contracts are fluid at best, and foreigners have very little legal recourse in the event that they are "Shanghaied".  Meeting with your potential published is in YOUR best interest, not theirs; instead of your daughter and co-author, you should spend that airfare on a Chinese attorney specializing in entertainment and publishing law. This isn't against China; I would give you the same advice if you were in America or London. Trust me, I've had my fill of retarded white publishers and their toilet-paper book contracts.

Also, it is "guanxi" (connections, relationships, back-room deals, etc.) that is most important in China. As every foreigner looking to make a buck in China has learned, you can't get through a single door without having some kind of guanxi with that business. Your "agent" should have lots of guanxi and be well-connected in the publishing industry, or least have well-lined pockets, if he expects to meet with anyone higher up than the secretary. And your agent should have already expressed to you everything I have written today. If he hasn't, then you need to question his knowledge and roll in your literary pursuits.

Please don't let my bluntness turn you off from this endeavor. I admire any artist for having the ambition to succeed, because as I know all to well, its not easy. My love for China is eternal, but I also know the realities of doing business there. There are literally thousands of publishing houses across China, but unless you are a risk taker, then you should only be consorting with the ones who 1) you are positive will not plagiarize your intellectual property, and 2) you are positive will meet every requirement in your contract.

Good luck, and please keep me apprised of your new adventure. I am sincerely interested to hear how it all turns out!

Best,
Tom Carter
http://www.tomcarter.org

Thank you for supporting photojournalist Tom Carter's CHINA: Portrait of a People, the most comprehensive book of photography on modern China ever published by a single author. Available now from Blacksmith Books.
http://www.blacksmithbooks.com/9789889979942.htm

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: In general terms, I am aware of everything you have stated regarding China and the publishing business, and the theft of intellectual property.

First of all, my "agent" lives and works in Shanghai and is quite bi-lingual. I have spoken to him several times via the Internet, so I know his English is excellent, and being a college graduate in pharmacy, I can only assume his Chinese is also excellent. He likes my book (the five chapters available to read) and he is qualified to translate it into Chinese.. and he has agreed to.

Also, I have agreed to a large (percentage) fee for his services, much higher than an American literary agent would be entitled to. What he does with the excess amount is up to him.

I have also since learned the name of the publisher: East Chine Normal University. Since my book (like my previous two books) are geared for high school and college students, I think that's a great fit. According to a U.S. Government website, there are only about 500 registered publishers in China, but I am quite sure that this university is one of them, so the chance of them running off and photocopying the book is diminished.

I really did misspeak when I said both the U.S. and Japan look bad in my book. America already looked bad in 1945 after dropping nuclear weapons on two civilian cities, so my story just makes the U.S. look even worse. Also, the economic decline of the U.S. (in 2008) that result from actions I claim the U.S. engaged in 60 years ago is a natural, well-researched outcome. That's why my co-author, an international banker and financial advisor, was chosen.

Japan is not made to look bad in the traditional sense, but there is panic and the evacuation of Tokyo in 2008 in my story, which some (read: Chinese people) might gloat about.

This is not really a follow-up question, but a final, follow-up response would be appreciated.

ANSWER: Hello again, Bill.
No problem; as I said, I enjoy this sort of dialogue.

First, read this:
http://www.china.org.cn/books&magazines/2008-08/27/content_16344209.htm

Please pardon me for saying this, but it sounds like you picked some random (albeit educated and with a fluency in English) Chinese person to be your agent. Why exactly did you tap this guy to represent you: because he has guanxi with this particular publishing house, or because he's the only Chinese person you know?

Seems like you have made alot of "assumptions" about this guy (such as his talent for translating) just because he studied pharmacy? As you may or may not know, a translator needs to be just as gifted a writer as the original author, if not more so. I mean, really, you should be hiring a professional translator to do this for you if you value your work at all. Amongst so many other questions, how will YOU ever know that his translation was accurate?

I don't want to second guess your judgement, Bill, I am just hinting that China isn't especially known for it's production quality - in any sector - and that some college kid with a couple essays under his belt may not do your book justice. BUT...that's your call. It's not my place to question anyone.

East China Normal University is a reputable institution, but again you're only "quite" sure this university is authorized to publish fiction books written by a foreigner. You or your "agent" really need to contact the General Administration of Press and Publication to validate this information.

Also, do not be so confident that your book is un-photocopiable. It is not the director of ECNU that I would be worried about, but some under-paid grunt worker at the nickel-and-dime printers they outsource it to. Your "agent" needs to earn his fee by being present throughout every step of the process. If he just hands it over to them, then I'll wager that your book is selling on taobao.com and at a bus stop in Kunming the following month - SANS your name.

Here's a website with a list of some registered publishers; I am not vouching for any of them; it's just for reference purposes.
http://www.cecc.gov/pages/virtualAcad/exp/expcensors.php

There are also a few foreign-run publishers (and foreign lit agents) in China and Hong Kong that you might want to contact as well (can't give you any names though, for various reasons). I just think you are putting alot of faith in one publisher and one agent, when you should be exploring your options more. Piracy isn't your only concern; distribution, print run, royalties and international rights are also variables that could get lost in translation along the way.

You asked for my opinion, so there it is. I do wish you the best of luck, and like I said please keep me updated on your progress. Also, feel free to pick up a copy of my new book CHINA: Portrait of a People; I can use the sales, and it's pretty :)

Tom Carter
http://www.tomcarter.org
http://www.blacksmithbooks.com/9789889979942.htm

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: You have said a mouthful, and I will check out every link and every contact you have suggested. But my overall reaction is that I am now a bit gun-shy, since you have portrayed the whole process as similar to trying to sell a book to some green, alien, four-eyed sloth, that landed in the middle of the Red Sea from the planet Xudidffffs whose only true intention is to eat Americans for lunch and then return to his home planet for a nap.

I was told the Chinese only illegally copy books that are already famous in other countries but you have successfully scared the hell out of me. If China were an English-speaking nation and I read what you just wrote about the way some Chinese do business, I would immediately cut off all contact with my agent.

My final comment - and on a positive note - is a response to who I know in China and how I found this "random" Chinese translator. About six months ago, one of my books was to be on display at the Beijing Iinternational Book Fair this September, and I needed a short translation that I eventually glued to the front of my book to attract attention... it essentially said (in Chinese) "STUDENTS!!!!!!!!!! This book is for you... etc." Then, six months later, he e-mailed me out of the blue and asked if I had more to translate... and one thing lead to another. It turns out he has his own translation company for foreign businessmen who want to have their English letters, advertising material and websites translated into Chinese.

As far as other Chinese I know... two come to mind. One is an elderly American professor, David H. Li, originally from Beijing who has translated the Art of War into English and has published several books on Xiangqi, the national game of Chinese chess. He said my comparison of the Art of War to Xiangqi in my book Professor Conundrum Mysteries! was a "master stroke."

The other is Lin Pu, the editor of a physics journal in China (www.scideanews.com) He also enjoyed my book, and helped me translate my name, the book's title (no easy feat that professional translators in China failed miserably at) and the name of my book's main character (Professor Conundrum) which itself is quite difficult since Conundrum is both a family name and an English word meaning "puzzle." He also translated a full-page of my book into Chinese because a portion of my book is about ancient China and I wanted that page to look authentic.

So, you see... I already have made several connections with China and its people through the research, writing, and translating of my book, and I hope this last connection is the one that (finally) benefits me financially.

My name is Bill Streifer and my e-mail is photografr7@yahoo.com if you want to continue this discussion. Allexperts cuts responses to three... and this is my third.

Answer
Hey Bill,
My intent truly was not to scare you, but rather only to hint that you put your guard up a bit more. I think handing over your intellectual property to ANY agent or publisher (in the US, UK or PRC) should be done so with caution. There's NOT alot of money in literature anymore; indy authors like us remain at the bottom of the literary totem pole. The only safe bet is to self-publish, but not only does that take the glory out of being a "published" author, but it reduces to 1% the book's chances of getting picked up by a "real" publisher. So the only alternative is to place our work in a publisher's hands, and trust that they honor our rights and royalties. This world needs more art, and really needs more books, so I am all about encouraging other authors and artists to go for it. I think what you are doing is great (especially because I despise math with a passion, heh), and I hope your Shanghai connection benefits you. Today's China is like the old Wild West, a Final Frontier where anything goes and fortunes are made and lost every moment. It's true! Those past 4 years in China for me were riveting! And now I am waiting to see if my own book sinks or swims, all the while exhausting my resources to promote it - an endless, thankless job for independent authors such as ourselves who get no love from the media. Far from trying to scare you, I just wanted to channel all my first-hand publishing and China experiences (both good and not), to compell you to explore ALL your options before you hand over your work, so that it gets the best distribution, promotion and royalties possible. Having explained your agent to me more, he now sounds like an upstanding guy, and I'm sure he'll do a good job in translating and marketing your book. Go with your first instincts, and let fate decide if it was meant to be. At the very least, your book will become an underground blackmarket hit, but if your instincts proved right then I'll be seeing your mug on the cover of China Daily pretty soon.
Take care and good luck to both you and Prof. Conundrum,
(and please be sure to rate my answers, thanks)
Tom Carter
http://www.tomcarter.org
http://www.blacksmithbooks.com/9789889979942.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj1tqIg1SBU