Celebrating our International Partners on our 25th Anniversary: Maria Pinto-Peuckmann (Germany and Portugal)

In 2017 we are celebrating the 25 th anniversary of our founding. From the very beginning, Berrett-Koehler books have been widely translated to many different languages and wonderfully received all over the world. Over the years, we have signed over two thousand foreign translation rights deals. We could not have done this without the tireless work of our translation rights agents around the globe. As part of our year-long celebration, we will be featuring one of these foreign partners every month.  We asked each of them to provide us with a few words describing their experiences working with BK.

We finish this series with our most recently formed partnership. As she describes in her letter to us below, we have known Maria for a long time, but it was only recently that we started using her services as our agent in German speaking countries and  Portugal. Her deep knowledge of these markets and her long-standing professional relationships, combined with her strong integrity and her desire to do what is best for Berrett-Koehler books, make her an invaluable partner who has already, in a very short time, delivered incredible results. Here is what she had to say:

Congratulations to BK on their 25th Anniversary! 

I first came in contact with Maria Jesus Aguilo two decades ago, when I was the Rights Director at Muenchner Verlagsgruppe, and managed all the rights for all their imprints. Berrett-Koehler had licensed World German rights for one of their bestselling titles (“Repacking Your Bags” by Richard J. Leider/ David A. Shapiro) to mvg, and in collaboration with Maria Jesus I closed a very good license deal in the domestic German market.

After retiring from Muenchner Verlagsgruppe in 2013, I started my own agency in January 2014 focusing mostly on the German, Portuguese and Spanish languages. I am a native of Portugal, and I have lived in Argentina, where one of my sons was born, and if Germany (I am married to a German man and have lived here for over four decades!), so I know these markets well. In 2015 I approached Maria Jesus again this time regarding “Refire! Don´t Retire” by Ken Blanchard and Morton Shaevitz for the German and Portuguese markets and this was the beginning of a wonderful and pleasant cooperation.  

I very much appreciate the work with Maria Jesus and Catherine and their competent, kind and always fair way of working and dealing with foreign partners. It fits really well with my way of thinking.  

 It is my pleasure to continue cooperating with Berrett Koehler and the Foreign Rights Team and I wish the whole BK Team, an innovative and exciting book ideas for the domestic and international readers.   

Maria

Maria Pinto-Peuckmann, Literaty Agency, World Copyright Promotion