The purpose of this page is to encourage publishers of English-language books for young people to consider the value of publishing
quality, well translated, Spanish-language children's books.
Why Should You Publish Children's Books in Spanish?
There is an ever-increasing number of Spanish-speaking children in the United States. Many of these
children have Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and bilingual educators are constantly looking for Spanish or Bilingual books in a variety of subjects (and age levels) that will help these children step into reading.
There is also a large number of Spanish-speaking parents in the U.S. who want their children to maintain
their Spanish-language skills. As a result, many Hispanic children in the United States, even those who are second and third generation, speak Spanish in the home and retain ties to their roots. Publishers
can effectively respond to this market by making available the broadest possible selection of excellent children's books in Spanish.
English-speaking children are learning foreign languages at a much earlier age than ever before.
Spanish-language children's books allow a language teacher to introduce Spanish through a Whole Language approach. Spanish children's books are the perfect way to introduce the language in a fun and interesting way.
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What is the Size of the Spanish-Language Market?
The Hispanic Market is a growing one in the United States, and it has largely been untapped by
children's book publishers. The United States, with a population of over 25 million Hispanics, is the fifth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, after Mexico, Spain, Colombia, and Argentina. Hispanics
will constitute the largest minority group in the U.S. by the year 2000. According to an article in the January 27, 1997 issue of Publishers Weekly, "Between 1995 and 2005 … the number of Hispanic
Americans between the ages of 5 and 17 is expected to increase by 2.4 million."
In response to these demographic changes, the Spanish-language children's book market is evolving
too. The principal markets for books in Spanish come from the large number of Hispanics enrolled in our public school systems, adults and young adults with limited proficiency in English, and, to a lesser
degree, those adults and young adults who are totally bilingual.
The institutional market is of major importance for anyone publishing in Spanish, as most
Spanish-language books will be sold to libraries. Spanish-language books can also be sold through traditional trade channels. The largest concentrations of Spanish-speaking book buyers are in California,
Texas, Florida, New York, and the Southwestern US These areas also boast the greatest numbers of distributors and bookstores that sell Spanish-language children's books. However, Spanish speakers
and readers live throughout the United States and have increasingly shown that the market is national, not just regional.
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What Should You Publish in Spanish?
There are various types of titles that do well in the Spanish-language market. Stories that feature
Hispanic protagonists, or that deal with aspects of Hispanic culture, are obvious choices that would appeal to this market. These include books written by Hispanic authors living in the US and those living
in Latin America and Spain. Books that are very popular in English and that have become classics would be welcome in Spanish-language editions. Good literature is universal. Many publishers have had
success with translations of their most popular titles. Many teachers, librarians, and book buyers are monolingual and are happy to buy titles that they know are tried and true.
If possible, publishers should talk to members of the Spanish-speaking community, as well as
organizations that serve the community, to find out what would be appealing and interesting to Spanish-speaking children.
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In What Format Should You Publish?
The decision to publish in hardcover or in paperback is arrived at through virtually the same process for a
Spanish-language book as for one in English. Do you want review attention? Do you want to get into the libraries? Is your book a mass market book? These questions are as relevant in Spanish as they are in English.
The decision to publish simultaneous English and Spanish editions should be made on a title-by-title
basis. It may be better to wait to publish a hardcover Spanish edition until you see how well the English-language edition is selling. It might be advantageous to publish simultaneously in paperback, as
educators can use both editions in the classroom right away.
Some titles work well in a bilingual format, though there is some agreement that for very young children
Spanish-only books seem to be the best. A child who is learning to read may become confused by seeing two different languages on the same page.
Bookstore buyers, educators, and librarians have expressed preferences for both bilingual and
Spanish-only books. Obviously, a bilingual edition is attractive to some book buyers because they are able to purchase one book rather than two. A bilingual edition may be useful to teachers of Spanish or English.
If one publishes both English and Spanish-language editions of a book, it is obviously economical to
print both editions together, as printings of Spanish-language books are usually small. If the typography, including the title page, is in black in the English-language edition, publishers can avoid making
four-color plate changes for the Spanish edition. Another option is to run-on a Spanish-language edition with a reprint of the English-language edition or with the paperback edition of the English-language book.
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How Should Regionalism and Colloquialisms in Language be Addressed?
The meanings of some words in Spanish may differ from country to country and there may be different
pronunciations from country to country, but to the Hispanic population, Spanish is a common language.
Publishers should keep in mind the primary goal of a translation: to convey as closely as possible the
meaning, style, and flavor of a specific story. The background of the author and setting of the book are factors that drive many decisions. If a book is clearly set in a particular place and reflects a particular
Hispanic culture, regionalisms may be necessary to add flavor to the text or to maintain accuracy. The names of foods are often specific to one country or another, for instance. If it is necessary to use many
regionalisms to preserve the author's voice, a glossary might be included in the book to help readers who are unfamiliar with the regionalisms.
If the story is of a general nature and the author does not use a colloquial voice, a "universal" Spanish
should be used—universal meaning most generally or commonly used. While it is sometimes difficult to determine which word is universal, the Diccionario de la Real Academia is considered an authoritative
source; for usage, Maria Moline's Diccionario del so del epsilon is most frequently consulted.
Authors are individuals, and they write with a "voice" that reflects this individuality. When translating a
book into Spanish it should be the author's original voice that dictates the syntax, diction, meter, etc. of the translated text. If the author is from an English-speaking culture, the translated text should reflect
the formality/informality of the original language, and for idiomatic choices it should take universal Spanish as its point of reference.
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What are the Staffing Requirements in Spanish-Language Publishing?
To establish yourself firmly in this market, it is important to hire qualified native Spanish-speakers both in
your editorial and sales departments. Their expertise and knowledge, combined with your resources, will help obtain the right results. It is important to apply the same professionalism that you do in publishing
books in English to your Spanish-language line.
All books need to be edited. You would never publish a book in English without editing it, and the same
rules should apply to books in Spanish. It is essential that any publisher who plans to publish books in Spanish have a native Spanish-speaking editor whose job it is to coordinate all the steps of the
publishing process. This may be a luxury for some publishers, but it is very important that an individual be found, even if on a freelance basis, who can coordinate the process.
Copywriters and proofreaders should be professionals. Deep knowledge of the language is the first
prerequisite for working in Spanish-language publishing, followed by a command of the specific and technical aspects of copy writing and proofreading work.
Copywriters and proofreaders often make editorial corrections. At times when certain words are not
clearly understood in different regions of the Spanish-speaking world, it is important to choose the most acceptable option. When deciding what is most acceptable is especially difficult, consultation with
people from a variety of geographical regions will help to keep a book from falling into deep regionalism. It is useful to have people from different geographical regions working at the different stages of production.
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Finding Reliable Translators
Translators should always be native Spanish-speakers. They must have complete command of both
English and Spanish. In addition, translators must possess an extensive understanding of the cultures with which they are dealing. Translators should be sensitive to the linguistic and cultural differences that
exist within the Spanish-speaking world. Without this knowledge, a translator cannot understand and work with the popular expressions and colloquialisms that are the fabric of a language. Above all, the
translator should be a skilled writer.
It is important to choose the best translator for a particular project, e.g., a translator who has experience
with and an interest in poetry for a collection of poems, and so forth. While it is important that the industry not limit itself to the same few translators for every project, it is equally important that a
translator have experience with children's books. In order to choose the best translator for a specific book, it is accepted practice to give several translators sample material and have a knowledgeable
Spanish-speaking editor compare their work before selecting the translator for that book.
Here are a few resources for information on Spanish-language books and the market for Spanish-language children's books:
NABE - National Association for Bilingual Education
1220 L Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 898-1829
http://www.nabe.org
REFORMA - National Association to Promote Library Services to the Spanish Speaking
contact the American Library Association
50 E. Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
(800)545-2433
http://www.latino.sscnet.ucla.edu/library/reforma/index.htm
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
1600 Cameron St., Suite 300
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703)836-0774
http://www.tesol.edu
Association of American Translators
1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 220
Alexandria, VA 22314-2840
(703)683-6100
http://www.atanet.org
Center for the Study of Books in Spanish for Children and Adolescents
Attn.: Dr. Isabel Schon, Director
California State University San Marcos
Craven Hall, 4th floor, room 4206
333 So, Twin Oaks Valley Road
San Marcos, CA 92096-0001
Phone: (760) 750-4070
Fax: (760) 750-4073
http://www.csusm.edu/campus_centers/csb
Awards and Honors for Spanish-Language Authors and Illustrators:
Pura Belpre Awards for Writing and Illustrations
Administered by Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and REFORMA
Contact ALCS at American Library Association's Public Information Office
50 East Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
800/545-2433
Julie Kline, Outreach Coordinator
Center for Latin America (CLASP)
University of Wisconsin
Curtin Hall 907
PO Box 413
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Phone: (414) 229-5986
Some other informational publications are:
I Translation Committee of PEN American Center. "A Handbook for Literary Translator" PEN American
Center, 568 Broadway, suite 401, New York, NY 10012 (212)334-1660
Sally Lodge "Spanish-Language Publishing for Kids in the U.S. Picks Up Speed." Publishers Weekly Special Supplement, August 25, 1997, pp.S48-49.
Isabel Schon. "Spanish-Language Books for Young Readers – Great Expectations, Disappointing Realities." Booklist, Oct. 1, 1995, pp. 318-319.
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