: Are significant edits made to books first published in the USA, for the UK market? An answer on sci-fi, "What passages were removed or changed from the North American version of His Dark Materials?"

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I've watched this question for a while without answering because I have no expertise in this field; however, based on the research I've done and the lack of adequate response I'll throw this out there:

Typically, it appears, they are not. Based on the same sorts of edits that are made to publish in the US; it is likely there's a grammar/spelling edit to put it into local language from time to time; and it also would be possible that revisions might be made to make it "local" where the book is stronger with that tone. (IE, sometimes when publishing in the U.S. a town is "re-cast" as a small american town to make the story familiar; it could be done in the opposite direction as well for some section of stories). But there are no obvious examples of much of this happening.

That obviously doesn't mean it doesn't happen, ever; but Occam's razor says we'd find more evidence and discussion of the topic if it did occur with any frequency. So, with the lack of a response from an expert, I think this is the safe thing to assume after weeks of you searching and the rest of us having nothing of import to say.

This is likely not a satisfactory answer, so I would advise you query experts in the publishing world if you'd like to know more. Write a few letters to some agents, publishers and or authors who have a presence in both markets and see what they say. I'm curious as to why you want to know more and it might change the value of this or any other answer.

If you want to know because you're thinking about writing a book

It likely does not matter what the publisher wants to do for foreign sales. Write the best book you can. Foreign sales, translations and edits are usually only a problem for published people. There are many directions you can go with foreign rights, but where translations are involved you often cede creative control. That much is known. So, if your counterparts in the UK want changes, they can likely get them within reason; but that's not likely to be on the author unless legal agreements are in place which would make it so.

If you want to know because you're thinking about publishing books in the UK

Shrug; publishing is about moving product into the hands of a readership. If audiences in the UK have particular wants or sensibilities that make an edit desirable because it leads to sales, then you make it. But, people in the UK are likely exposed to enough "Americana" that they can understand a book written in the U.S. and so I would think the argument would be to have the lightest touch possible. If it's a good story with worldly appeal that makes sense to a reader from the U.K., it will likely sell without much work. And that means more profit. Again Occam's razor brings us to a familiar answer; reinforced by a lack of information. Publishers want to make money; spending less money means making more; if the book can stand on its own, don't change anything.

And that brings us to the last point I think is worth considering. If a book doesn't read well in the U.K. market, there are probably enough books out there that already do read well enough. English is one of the most commonly spoken languages out there. If you're a publisher looking to maximize profits, you probably don't want a fixer-upper unless it's a really, really good book. So, you are more likely to take on the foreign work that's publishable as it is, than the one you need to invest in.

This reasoning suggests that for further research: if you're going to find books that have been edited, I think you want to focus on the extremely niche markets that would clamor and invest in desirable, but scarce foreign works; or in the mass market area where there's enough of a margin to support the edits.

TL;DR: I don't know, but I reason it's unlikely; do some research. I've offered some of my reasoning for where I would look for the answer. Apologies for not having the answer you're looking for, but this will hopefully help you move forward toward one.

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