What We Do
Hellebore Literary Agency helps self-published authors monetize their works globally, ensuring they receive fair compensation and exposure in foreign markets. We also aim to support foreign publishers by providing them with high-quality, unique content that resonates with local tastes and trends.
We offer a range of services, including identifying high-potential self-published books, negotiating translation rights deals, and managing the legal and financial aspects of the process for our authors.
TL;DR: if you’re a self-published author with a successful manuscript, we want to get that translated for you!
Check out our Spring 2026 catalog!
-
To publish traditionally, an author would typically need to work with a literary agency, who would then reach out to their industry connections who they think might be interested in the manuscript. After publication, the agency may work to sell the subrights of the book, including audio, TV and film, and foreign rights. Because self-published authors (SPAs) don’t go down the traditional publishing path, they often miss out on opportunities to tap into the full market potential of their books.
Some literary agencies already specialize in helping SPAs domestically, but foreign markets are largely untapped by SPAs. Hellebore is a specialized literary agency that focuses on selling the translation rights for SPAs—folks who may have incredible manuscripts but who haven’t had the same global opportunities as their traditionally published counterparts.
-
When a book sells its foreign rights, it gives the buyer (usually a publisher) the right to publish and distribute the book in a foreign market, often in a different language. These rights can be sold separately from domestic publishing rights, allowing authors and publishers to expand their reach globally. In our case, Hellebore works with selling translation rights for authors.