"How can a bookseller recommend works in translation if they are not available? How many publishing houses have editors who are fluent in another language other than English? How many are world-conscious, read a foreign newspaper a week, read works in translation, read foreign media? How many spend considerable time scouting bestseller lists abroad, or spend time making contacts with foreign literary agents, or their own editorial counterparts abroad?"
Miraida Morales, Spanish Language sales representative for Independent Publishers Group, asks great questions. She posed the previous batch to me a couple of years ago, in response to a piece I wrote for Words Without Borders. She continues to ask questions, but this week I get to turn the tables on her.
Could you could give us an overall picture of the U.S. market for Spanish books?
"In a word, growing. It's a great market to watch right now. As the Hispanic and Latino demographic in the U.S. grows, so does the spending power that this community can yield. With increasing spending power, we see increasing demand across all book categories. We also see increasing demand for books in Spanish in bookstores that have not traditionally focused primarily on Spanish books. That's perhaps the strongest indication I see of how large the boom is--the fact that Spanish speakers aren't just going to Spanish language stores to buy their media. They're starting to go to chains, local independents, online stores, and public libraries more and more."
Are there regions of the U.S. where the strength of the market might surprise a casual observer?
"It is far too simplistic to assume that the strongest market for Spanish language books would be simply in L.A. or Miami, for instance. There is a demand for Spanish books everywhere in the nation. I read recently that more and more Hispanic families and individuals move from urban centers into the suburbs every year. This is causing a more even spread of demand for Spanish language across the U.S. than previously. Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Ohio are states I wouldn't have thought were obvious before I started to work with Spanish books in the U.S., although now I consider them completely logical."
What surprises you about the Spanish book sales in the U.S.?
"What keeps surprising me is that even though Spanish continues to be a highly contested and controversial topic in many areas of the U.S., the demand for books in Spanish keeps growing. Every month I see more and more independent bookstores take a gander at selling some Spanish-language titles, and it seems to be working for most of them."
What pleases you?
"I am also pleased to see how savvy the market is getting. Not just the Spanish books market, but the general book-buying market as well. The language barrier was quite a hurdle for many book buyers, but with increased data, communication, and awareness, Spanish language books are available in virtually every bookstore in the U.S. Whether consumers are aware of this availability is another matter entirely. Some stores do a great job of letting their customers know they have Spanish titles available, and others are still working on how to best do that."
What do you see in the future?
"The market and demand for Spanish books in the U.S. will continue to grow. In the near future, I see original works in Spanish more prominently carried in bookstores across the U.S. I think we will also see more translations of Spanish works into English. Take the recent 'discovery' of Roberto Bolaño's work in the U.S., for example. I already see the U.S. English-language readership becoming much more aware of the rich cultural and literary traditions that exist not just in Spain, but in Latin America and the Caribbean as well.
"Also, as more and more bookstores feel the crunch and pressure to differentiate themselves from the competition, I believe some of them will look to expand into other categories, not least of which will be Spanish and Latino books. Before long, more and more stores will feel the need to carry a certain selection of books in Spanish (whether literature, reference, children's books, language acquisition, or self-help) in order to stay competitive in this marketplace. The growth of the Hispanic market in the U.S. is undeniable. Already marketers in the automobile, fast food, apparel, sports, and liquor industries are getting hip to this shift. Bookstores and publishers won't be far behind in catching on to the growing trend and population change."
Next time, a few booksellers will join our conversation.--Robert Gray (column archives available at Fresh Eyes Now)