São Paulo – Sales of copyright for Brazilian books reached US$4 million in the first half of the year, accounting for 44.6% of the sector’s total exports, according to figures released on Thursday (6) by the Brazilian Publishers sectoral project. Exports of printed books totaled US$5 million during the same period.
Brazilian Publishers is the sectoral project dedicated to promoting Brazilian literature abroad. It is a partnership between the Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). Overall, 55.3% of sales by publishers participating in the project came from exports of printed books, while 44.6% came from copyright sales during the first half of the year.
Data for the first half of last year show that exports under the Brazilian Publishers project totaled US$14.3 million. Sales were split between 17.3% from copyright transactions and 82.6% from printed book exports. In 2024, copyright sales also reached US$4 million, representing 30.6% of the total, while printed book exports amounted to US$10 million, or 69.3%.
In a statement, CBL President Sevani Matos said the first-half figures underscore the growing maturity of Brazilian literature in international markets. “The significant increase in the share of copyright sales demonstrates that the global market is not only interested in importing books printed in Brazil, but is also actively seeking to translate and incorporate our voices and stories into its own languages and publishing catalogs,” she said.
Brazilian Publishers Coordinator Rayanna Pereira highlighted, in the statement, the project’s participation—along with Brazilian publishing companies—in major industry events held in Bogotá, Colombia; London, England; and Istanbul, Türkiye. Additional appearances are scheduled for the second half of the year, including the Sharjah Publishers Conference in the United Arab Emirates, to be held in November.
Translated by A.I.
