There's not a huge market for it. German fantasy is translated more often than other languages, but even that is barely represented. Spanish-language magical realism is sometimes translated. The rest goes untranslated because there is not much of a market for it in the US. Maybe in the UK where literary translation is more respected, sure. However, there are too many English-language authors already for there to be much room for translated ones--is how the feeling goes. Also, translation, instead of being an art form, is regarded more as something lost and the something lost is big enough to interfere with the story and language (Voice, for example) itself. Why have something translated when you can have something just as good in the original?
Many other cultures don't have as high an appreciation for what we consider SF or F, as well. Germany, Japan, yes. Other countries? Not nearly as much. Even the UK's SF&F markets aren't as big as they could be. Different culture, different values.
Good luck with that idea. It's something I'd like to see more of, myself, but it's an uphill, upstream battle. :/ Spread the word about literature in translation, then give literary translators in the US more rights (they get trampled by publishers here) and higher pay, then we'll see....
Many other cultures don't have as high an appreciation for what we consider SF or F, as well. Germany, Japan, yes. Other countries? Not nearly as much. Even the UK's SF&F markets aren't as big as they could be. Different culture, different values.
Good luck with that idea. It's something I'd like to see more of, myself, but it's an uphill, upstream battle. :/ Spread the word about literature in translation, then give literary translators in the US more rights (they get trampled by publishers here) and higher pay, then we'll see....
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I'm hoping that the next publishing method--whatever it is--will have fewer, or at least different, gatekeepers.
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Because it isn't just as good?
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