While in the US translated books make up only 3 percent of all publications, in other countries that percentage is higher. Joanna Zgadzaj and Nancy Roberts, of Stork Press, write an editorial piece on Publishing Perspectives on what the problem is with translations and if it is true that readers do not want them.

“When we talked to a number of booksellers we were told people who buy books don’t care if it’s a translated title or not, just whether it has a good story. And yet!” write the columnists. “Last year during International Translation Day, Alexandra Büchler from Literature Across Frontiers provided evidence that translation makes up only 2.5% of all publications in the UK, with a figure of 4.5% for literature. The United States, a nation which prides itself on its immigrant history, is no better with a mere 3% of the market.”

Read the complete story here.