Foreign Rights Submissions
You’re ready to bring on a trusted partner to move forward.
If you’re an entrepreneur, solopreneur, something ending in -preneur in book publishing, I help you find the words and tools to make your business stand out in today’s globalised digital book publishing industry, get fresh ideas to succeed through international licensing, foreign rights and online marketing, and make you a go-to resource for your ideal buyers in a rapidly changing online space.
Single & Multiple Works
As featured in:
The WittmannAgency’s RISE & SHINE Global Foreign Rights Representation
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RISE & SHINE Overview
Foreign rights licensing is when a book rights owner [such as an author, publisher, or agent] gives another party [typically a foreign publisher] permission to translate, publish and sell the work in different languages, territories, and formats (such as print, eBook, audiobook, or adaptation for film/TV).
Foreign rights licensing allows your work to reach a broader, more international audience, potentially increasing your exposure, sales, and revenue streams.
When I say “foreign rights” I’m typically referring to two main categories:
“Foreign [same language / other territories, if you are in the US, means UK] and translation [other languages / other territories] rights.
For example, if you’re a US-based author or publisher:
“Foreign rights” could mean selling English-language rights to a UK publisher (same language, different territory).
It could also mean selling translation rights to a German publisher (different language, different territory).
It’s important to note that “foreign rights” can encompass various combinations of language and territorial rights, depending on the specific agreement between the rights owner and the licensee.
The Wittmann Agency’s RISE & SHINE global rights representation helps publishers, authors, and rights owners market and sell their book rights internationally. RISE & SHINE offers direct connections with publishers in over 90 countries and provides custom-tailored support for expanding into foreign rights licensing.
Yes, you can submit your books for RISE & SHINE Global Rights Representation from anywhere in the world.
The submission process is entirely digital, allowing for applications from any location.
Everything is online — so no travel is required.
The Wittmann Agency‘s RISE & SHINE Global Foreign Rights Representation offers a unique approach to foreign rights and licensing in the international book publishing industry.
This approach has been road-tested for over 10 years with outstanding results for authors and publishers.
I deeply care about you – my clients
Customised representation: RISE & SHINE caters to both publishers and authors, offering tailored support for those looking to expand their book program internationally.
Direct international connections: The Wittmann Agency works directly with publishers in over 90 countries, potentially offering higher revenue shares without intermediaries.
Curated submissions: The Wittmann Agency carefully selects works that complement their current portfolio, ensuring a focused approach to representation.
Flexible service packages: RISE & SHINE offers tiered services (Standard, Premium, and Excellence) to accommodate different needs and budgets.
Social media promotion: The Wittmann Agency‘s RISE & SHINE includes social media presentation of titles as part of their services, enhancing visibility.
Specialised market knowledge: With 25+ years of experience, Claudia Wittmann provides informed insights into placing works with publishers in German-speaking territories and worldwide.
Local support in select key markets: The Wittmann Agency has supporting local peers in specific countries like South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, P.R. China, Turkey, and Bulgaria.
Focus on quality and diversity: RISE & SHINE represents an eclectic mix of self-help, non-fiction, fiction, and children’s books, prioritising quality and potential for international appeal.
RISE & SHINE is for published works only.
Or at least the books must have an expected publication date and an ISBN — we do not accept unpublished manuscripts for representation.
Please submit your works only through the Online SubmissionCard. You can access it here!
Submissions sent by mail or E-Mail will not be considered or returned.
Note: High-quality English excerpt or full English manuscript of the already published book(s) in PDF is precondition.
RISE & SHINE is for fiction and non-fiction titles for adults and children.
You can find all the details here.
RISE & SHINE is not for poetry, screenplays, or academic texts.
RISE & SHINE is for authors and publishers who are passionate about their works, open to collaboration, and committed to building a long-term career.
The Wittmann Agency’s RISE & SHINE submission period runs twice a year, from March 1 to March 31 and from October 1 to October 31.
Submissions are only accepted during this period and must be made through the Online SubmissionCard.
Vistit The Wittmann Agency’s FAQs or write an E-Mail.
Who’s RISE & SHINE perfect for?
Is this you?
You’re a publisher.
You are a big-hearted publisher and wish to seamlessly expand beyond your core business into international foreign rights licensing for your book program with specialised support and a fast turn-around time so you can focus on your own business. You are passionate about your books, open to collaboration, and committed to building along-term career with a trusted partner at your side.
You’re an author.
You are a passionate author, have written and traditionally or self-published one or multiple books and sold 5.000+ copies on a reasonable price and want to place your book(s) in front of thousands of international commissioning editors and potential licensees with custom-tailored support for your unique situation.
Global Foreign Rights Representation
The Wittmann Agency: Your License to Success!
Quality
The Wittmann Agency is committed to an eclectic mix of quality self-help and companion books, strong-selling non-fiction, discerning fiction and select books for children and young adults that are beautiful, inspiring and thoughtful and make the perfect licensed edition to travel the world.
Higher Returns
The Wittmann Agency works directly with international publishers in over 90 countries of the world, which offers you a much higher share of the revenue from all your rights, without the usal revenue split between multiple agent and/or the primary publisher.
Tailored Support
The Wittmann Agency has the pleasure of sending your works to a vibrant community of carefully-chosen, hand-selected and perfect-fit individuals (commissioning editors) and businesses (agents, publishers). In South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, P.R. China, Turkey and Bulgaria The Wittmann Agency has in addition supporting local peers.
New Opportunities
The Wittmann Agency is always looking for new exciting titles to carry in the agency that will “complement” our current portfolio.
RISE & SHINE Process
For Publishers & Authors
Prepare Your Submission
Query
✔ A concise and compelling introduction to author & work.
✔ Clearly state the title, genre, and target audience.
✔ Highlight the unique selling points and potential international appeal.
✔ Briefly mention any relevant awards, recognition, or sales history.
Synopsis & Rivals
✔ A concise and compelling summary of the book, revealing the complete plot (including the ending).
✔ A one-paragraph pitch written in a clear and engaging style.
✔ Name books similar to this work.
USP & Authenticity
✔ What are the unique elements (USP) of the book to stand out?
✔ Can you prove your book is a human work of art and not AI generated?
✔ Highlight your vision for marketing your book globally?
Sample Material
✔ For non-fiction: The table of contents, introduction, and one to two sample chapters
✔ For fiction: The first three chapters or approximately 50 pages.
✔ For illustrated books: The complete manuscript and sample illustrations.
Author Biography
✔ A brief (one paragraph) biography highlighting the authors relevant experience and credentials.
✔ Including any previous publications, relevant expertise, or connections.
Rights Information
✔ Clearly state the rights available (e.g., worldwide foreign rights).
✔ If rights are held by someone other than the author/publisher, please provide contact information for the rights holder.
✔ Specify in detail which rights are reserved, which have been sold, and identify the purchasers of those rights.
Material Format Requirements
✔ Author Photos: Provide a high-quality, professional headshot that aligns with industry standards (e.g., resolution of 300 DPI and a neutral background).
✔ Manuscript/Text: in PDF
✔ Book Cover: in JPEG (.jpg) format or PNG (.png) format for transparent background in high resolution of 300 DPI
Contact Information
✔ Full name of the author, publisher and contact person(s) for foreign rights licensing including E-Mail address, phone number, social media handles, website and mailing address.
For Publishers & Authors
Submit Your Books in 3 Easy Steps
Ready
Click the button below, quickly sign-in, register and download your link to access your FREE online SubmissionCard.
Note: It’s a double-opt-in process to access your FREE Online SubmissionCard due to Europe’s GDPR data protection law, which ensures the information that you share is kept secure.
Steady
To submit your book(s), please complete your SubmissionCard online and tell me about the author, the work, and why readers will love the book – top things I MUST know considering your book(s).
If you’re looking to submit multiple titles for consideration with The Wittmann Agency’s RISE & SHINE Representation, please use a separate SubmissionCard for each book.
Go
Save your message and submit your Online SubmissionCard with 1- Click and tell me why you think your work will be a great fit for The Wittmann Agency!
If you’re ready, click the button below and let’s do this!
For Publishers & Authors
What Happens Next After You Send Your Submission?
Is this you?
If I see international potential in your books.
If I like your work(s), I’ll ask you to see more material and then contact you to discuss it in detail.
Once I have thoroughly reviewed your SubmissionCard and all accompanying materials, and believe your work(s) would be a great fit, I will reach out to you via E-Mail to discuss the details of an agency agreement and outline the next steps to move forward together.
Due to the high volume of submissions, I may not be able to respond to every E-Mail within 5 working days but I do try.
If I have decided not to offer global foreign rights representation.
If I have decided not to offer global rights representation on the basis of the material you’ve sent in, I’ll reply with a brief note.
I’m unable to send detailed critiques or detailed comments because of the volume of material I receive.
Comments are a huge responsibility which requires serious thought and time commitment. This is not a level of service I can offer when declining submissions.
If I say no to representing you and your work at The Wittmann Agency, it will not necessarily mean that I didn’t like the work, but I owe it to my existing clients not to become over-committed and through long-standing (25+yrs) professional experience I also have an informed eye as to what I can currently place with publishers in German-speaking territories and throughout the world.
RISE & SHINE Investment
The Wittmann Agency offers three RISE & SHINE investment packages for authors and publishers looking to promote their books internationally:
Standard: This is an entry-level package for those who want to promote selected book publications through The Wittmann Agency while handling other matters themselves.
Premium: This package is for existing clients who want to support the promotion of their new publications with their own contribution
Excellence: This is an all-inclusive package for clients who want comprehensive promotion of both their backlist and new publications.
RISE & SHINE is an investment for any author, publisher, rights owner or business owner committed to growth, and I respect your investment.
The Wittmann Agency currently accepts payment via bank transfer. At this time we don’t have the capability to process checks, credit card payments and cryptocurrencies.
Yes, The Wittmann Agency offers fast, safe, and strictly confidential contract-related services in English and German for any territory.
The Wittmann Agency specializes in contracts for the publishing industry and helps authors and publishers avoid common legal mistakes in global publishing and international licensing.
The Wittmann Agency is specialized:
– International licensing contracts in English and German
– Author and licensing contracts in English and German
– Foreign rights publishing contracts in English and German
The Wittmann Agency’s contract services include:
– Developing specialized international licensing contracts in English and German
– Negotiating, drafting and finalizing legal documents customized to clients’ unique situations
–Advising on best practices for contracts
The Wittmann Agency’s International Rights Review:
It’s a comprehensive evaluation of your existing rights portfolio to uncover hidden revenue streams and optimize your licensing strategy.
What’s Included:
– Detailed analysis of your current rights agreements.
– Identification of untapped markets and potential licensing partners.
– Recommendations for negotiating more favourable terms and maximizing revenue.
– Investment: depending on portfolio size
The Wittmann Agency works with award-winning solicitors to create contracts that help bulletproof publishing businesses.
The aim is to get The Wittmann Agency’s clients the most advantageous terms in their contracts.
The Wittmann Agency does not offer legal consultancy.
For legal matters, The Wittmann Agency has access to a network of qualified solicitors specializing in Global Licensing, Media Law, and Civil and Criminal Law.
Your results with RISE & SHINE Global Foreign Rights Representation will depend on various factors, including market demand, universal appeal of the work, sales performance of the original edition, author reputation, quality and relevance of the content, publisher reputation and network and your effort.
Because these factors vary for each book, I cannot guarantee specific outcomes, success, or income levels.
I aim to provide you with a robust toolkit to help you achieve your desired results in foreign rights licensing.
RISE & SHINE is not a “get rich quick” program; achieving success in global foreign rights licensing requires significant time, effort, active participation, commitment and dedication from all parties involved.
Claudia Wittmann supports RISE & SHINE clients who sign up with The Wittmann Agency with:
– Ongoing Support
– Expert Guidance
– Long-term Partnership
– Personalized Assistance
I can’t promise that. I share my expert insights, best advice and strategies through the RISE & SHINE.
If you wish one-on-one coaching this is available through the Explore & Navigate packages.
This personalized option ensures you receive tailored guidance and feedback, allowing you to navigate your goals more effectively.
The WittmannAgency’s RISE & SHINE Global Foreign Rights Representation
Your Questions Answered
Testimonials
My Happy Clients!
Jill F.-K.
Publishing Associate at SLP, New Zealand
Silke F.
Foreign Rights Manager, Germany
Debra D.
Author & Musician, USA
Ralph Mankau
CEO & Publisher at Mankau Verlag, Germany