As Human Kinetics strives to reach an increasingly international audience, we want to start thinking about what
this means for all aspects of product development. For example, do we simply add metric units of measure, or do
we take further steps, such as editing the text differently or selecting photos, covers, and art differently? How
should this change our marketing copy and sales strategies?
To facilitate communication of these issues, we will add the "Level of Internationalization" section
that follows on this document to our Acquisitions and Editorial Transmittal (ETM) forms. At the acquisitions stage
for each product, acquisitions editors (with input from division directors and subsidiary directors) will decide
the appropriate level of internationalization for that product based on its potential sales worldwide.
The acquisitions editor would then share that information with the author so it can be taken into account while
the author is writing. Later in the process, the level of internationalization will be communicated to the developmental
editor or managing editor in the ETM form so she or he can help assess whether the manuscript has been written
at the appropriate level. If necessary, DEs and MEs would communicate this level to the freelance copyeditor
so that further necessary edits could be made during the copyediting stage.
This would be our least-used level. The product will be sold in the United States only or in the United States
and Canada. U.S. measures only. No metric. No expectation of sales by HK subsidiaries. No cost added to internationalize.
Metric is a must. Add metric equivalents and avoid terms that have inappropriate or offensive connotations in
other English-speaking countries. (See appendix 12 and appendix
13 of the freelance style guide for lists of inappropriate terms.) Products at level 2 and higher always include
metric units of measure, either as the sole form of measurement or with accompanying English units. No other obvious
steps are to be taken to internationalize the product. The cost for internationalizing a product to level 2 standards
is negligible and doesn't need to be accounted for.
Metric is a must. At level 3, we will be internationally sensitive with text, art, photos, cover, marketing,
and cover presentation, but we will not take extreme measures to make the product internationally appealing. Authors
would point out when statistics are from U.S. samples (e.g., "Physical activity has declined from 33% to 30%"
becomes "In the United States, physical activity has declined from 33% to 30%"). We may request some
revisions to accommodate international readers, we will select photos with an eye for balancing American images
with those from other countries, and we will try to use words and images on the cover that are internationally
sensitive. But we will not take this to the extreme. We will do what we can within the budget and time constraints
of the project.
Metric is a must. All areas, all departments are to accommodate international concerns. We are willing to pay
for the development costs that this will require, and these costs are significant. Some examples: As in level 3,
authors would point out when statistics are from U.S. samples (e.g., "Physical activity has declined from
33% to 30%" becomes "In the United States, physical activity has declined from 33% to 30%"). At
level 4, authors would also be asked to add a comparable number of statistics and examples from other countries
so as to broaden international appeal. Editors would review the products with international audience needs in mind.
The copyeditor would follow an international style sheet. We would balance the use of photos with obvious
American-only connotations (brand names, stores, or even situations and backgrounds such as grilling burgers by
a lake or having all rock-climbing photos be at American sites) with photos from other countries. Subsidiary staff
would be free to change the spellings of certain terms, such as using behaviour instead of behavior
in marketing copy within their subsidiary-specific marketing pieces.
A level 5 product is one that will not be sold in the United States. Instead, it will take on all of the characteristics
required for sales in the country or region stipulated. This will apply not only to the language used in the product
but also to design, photos, and marketing. Interestingly, it is less expensive to develop English-language products
at this level than to develop English-language products at level 4. Products at level 5 might be created for a
certain English-speaking country (e.g., using programme and behaviour for the UK or a European audience),
or they might be translated into a language other than English. Such translation, of course, is expensive.