| Vom Thema belegte Seiten: < [1 2 3] | Translating a novel: price range? Initiator des Themas: Fannie Poirier
|
|---|
Bernhard Sulzer 
Vereinigte Staaten
Local time: 04:10
Englisch > Deutsch
+ ...
| Let's just agree do reject automatic discounts and rock-bottom rates | Nov 15, 2016 |
Chris S wrote:
Bernhard Sulzer wrote:
Well, when it comes to translating, your basic economics doesn't always apply. especially, if you're applying it for all the wrong reasons.
If you quote a piecemeal rate (per word), then it has to, otherwise you won't be competitive.
As others have already said, the value of your time is constant, so the rates you charge should reflect that. If something can be translated quickly, or is large enough to reduce idle time, research and admin, you should charge less per word to get the same per hour. Because if you don't, someone else will. In the real world of imperfect markets, you will sometimes be able to get away with charging more, but not indefinitely.
Believe me, I'm as stubborn and mercenary as you are when it comes to pricing, but I recognise that I'm living on borrowed time and it could come back to bite me. Sadly the rules of economics don't cease to apply just because you don't like them.
hey Chris,
My argument is with a situation where someone suggests that simply because they can translate something faster or simply because the text is larger, that it warrants an automatic discount. The process of calculating a fair rate is more complex than that as I know you are aware of. Of course one takes many factors into account when quoting a price and while competing with other professionals (not amateurs mind you). But we're discussing already the bottom of the barrel (10 cents and less for translating).
| | | | Marie C.K.
Local time: 11:10
Italienisch > Englisch
+ ...
| Appropriate Rates for Book series? | Jul 3, 2020 |
Hello,
I hope I get a quick reply as I gauge an offer for ENG - ITA translation of a fiction book series project that would last 5-9 months:
Is 0.015 USD / word a market offer for this type of a project?
It's 0.005/wo for proofreading
Thank you for any clues!
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spanien
Local time: 09:10
Mitglied (2007)
Englisch
+ ...
| How many words per hour do you expect to do? | Jul 3, 2020 |
Marie C.K. wrote:
Is 0.015 USD / word a market offer for this type of a project?
It's 0.005/wo for proofreading
Have you worked out what you expect to earn per hour and per month? Can you hope to live on it? I know I couldn't. Book translation is known to be quite poorly paid, but even with possible royalties (and they are never guaranteed) I don't see how it's possible, personally.
| | | | Tom in London
Vereinigtes Königreich
Local time: 09:10
Mitglied (2008)
Italienisch > Englisch
| never accept royalties | Jul 4, 2020 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
Marie C.K. wrote:
Is 0.015 USD / word a market offer for this type of a project?
It's 0.005/wo for proofreading
Have you worked out what you expect to earn per hour and per month? Can you hope to live on it? I know I couldn't. Book translation is known to be quite poorly paid, but even with possible royalties (and they are never guaranteed) I don't see how it's possible, personally.
I once agreed to write a book for a small advance payment + royalties. The publisher never bothered to send me the sales figures, which made it impossible for me to work out whether I was due royalty payments. I never got any royalties. Then the publisher went bust. About a year later I found that my book had been selling like hot cakes and had been translated into Chinese. This project was a complete loss-maker for me - never mind all the hard work and time I put into it. Now print the following message on a large piece of paper, and tape it to the ceiling above your bed:
NEVER AGREE TO BE PAID IN ROYALTIES
[Edited at 2020-07-04 08:14 GMT]
| | |
|
|
|
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
Englisch > Russisch
+ ...
| No white elephant for all | Jul 4, 2020 |
Tom, sorry to hear that even such a thoughtful and careful reader as you could buy into tricks.
I happen to know a colleague who was contacted by a not so big publisher, translated a book, and won not only decent rates and favorable terms, but also some 3% royalties. Certainly, sometimes it’s better to be safe than sorry. However, when a bigger publisher came, she got a pretty sum as her “passive income” for reprints and e-sales too, not to mention good publicity and respect.... See more Tom, sorry to hear that even such a thoughtful and careful reader as you could buy into tricks.
I happen to know a colleague who was contacted by a not so big publisher, translated a book, and won not only decent rates and favorable terms, but also some 3% royalties. Certainly, sometimes it’s better to be safe than sorry. However, when a bigger publisher came, she got a pretty sum as her “passive income” for reprints and e-sales too, not to mention good publicity and respect.
She didn’t depict it as something rare or extraordinary, yet noticed there’re rather many such literary translators. Meanwhile, many freelance writers, journalists, and photographers mostly live off the previous works, risking their financial and psychological stability. It always depends... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ines Abrunhosa dos Santos (X)
Portugal
Local time: 09:10
Englisch > Portugiesisch
+ ...
| rate for the whole project | Dec 27, 2023 |
Hey everyone and happy holidays!
So let's say I were to be offered to translate a whole book novel however instead of being asked for the hourly rate I had to give the whole project rate as if I knew long it'd take me. Can anyone here give me an approximate time of how long it took them to translate the 117,000 words so I can understand +/- how long it could take for 49472 words? I was thinking if I charge 0.10/word it makes approx. 4947.2€ however unsure if doing the right math... See more Hey everyone and happy holidays!
So let's say I were to be offered to translate a whole book novel however instead of being asked for the hourly rate I had to give the whole project rate as if I knew long it'd take me. Can anyone here give me an approximate time of how long it took them to translate the 117,000 words so I can understand +/- how long it could take for 49472 words? I was thinking if I charge 0.10/word it makes approx. 4947.2€ however unsure if doing the right maths and seems also a bit overwhelming to ask. On another hand it does take work, time and FYI I don't use CAT tools. Really not keen on those.. So then I got lost because I'd have to think how long it could take me to think of a fair price for both parties. If not imposing how much did it cost to the client translating those 117,000 words? No deadline mentioned yet so that had to be considered as well.
Also anyone knows of a free calculator online which tells us that, like.. if we had to translate those many words I mentioned how long it'd take to do it or an estimated minimum time?
Any heads up are welcome:)
Thanks ▲ Collapse
| | | | Evgeny Sidorenko
Russische Föderation
Local time: 11:10
Englisch > Russisch
+ ...
| It all depends | Dec 29, 2023 |
I'm not sure what kind of tips you would expect without others knowing if this would be you sole occupation, or working only part time and taking up other smaller jobs. Also, I would never think of an hourly rate for novels. I don't think any publisher would accept an hour-based justification. It must be based on a per word rate. I translate books as a kind of hobby (self-publishing, not really earning anything from it), but the time it takes me always depends on how busy I am with actually paid... See more I'm not sure what kind of tips you would expect without others knowing if this would be you sole occupation, or working only part time and taking up other smaller jobs. Also, I would never think of an hourly rate for novels. I don't think any publisher would accept an hour-based justification. It must be based on a per word rate. I translate books as a kind of hobby (self-publishing, not really earning anything from it), but the time it takes me always depends on how busy I am with actually paid work. E.g. in the spring it took me about 2 months for a book of 90000 words, but this was a significant decline in paid jobs, and I had plenty of time I could assign to it. Again, hours on a particular day/week can vary greatly. I would be happy now if someone could offer me a book translation which would be paying my average income from smaller jobs for a few months, it would mean a steady workload and not having to chase all the smaller projects in the shrinking maket... but it's not the case. On the other hand, the average income also is quite different every year/quarter. I guess it's just a situation when you cannot calculate and consider everything in advance and have to take some chances. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Matthias Brombach
Deutschland
Local time: 10:10
Mitglied (2007)
Niederländisch > Deutsch
+ ...
Ines Abrunhosa dos Santos wrote:
Any heads up are welcome:)
Thanks
Are you sure whether that dream offer isn't a scam? Take care.
| | |
|
|
|
Laura Haydon
Frankreich
Local time: 10:10
Französisch > Englisch
I've recently translated a memoir and a novel, both for a well-known and very big publisher. However, it was done via an agency. The agency imposed a per hour rate of 30 euros. They also insisted that I work at a rate of 1,000 words per hour. I was required to time each translating session and submit a timesheet. If I seemed slower than required, I got rapped over the knuckles.
I was also required to use a platform called Phrase which is not actually a CAT tool but simply a platfor... See more I've recently translated a memoir and a novel, both for a well-known and very big publisher. However, it was done via an agency. The agency imposed a per hour rate of 30 euros. They also insisted that I work at a rate of 1,000 words per hour. I was required to time each translating session and submit a timesheet. If I seemed slower than required, I got rapped over the knuckles.
I was also required to use a platform called Phrase which is not actually a CAT tool but simply a platform linked to DeepL. It was not possible to set it to UK English for the memoir so all the US English had to be corrected. So, frankly, MTPE rates shouldn't really apply.
The memoir was 34,456 words long and took me 45 hours. So I was paid 1,350 euros. It was a last-minute rush job that I completed in a week, working over a bank holiday and a weekend. When I asked if it might be possible to paid a bit extra for the rush job and working over a holiday weekend, I was told no and the agency complained that it shouldn't have taken me as long as it did. The rate per word worked out as 0.039 euros.
The novel was 177,140 words long and took me 170 hours. So have billed for 5,070 euros. That's a rate of 1,048 words per hour and a per word rate of 0.029 euros. I was regularly castigated for 'taking much longer than the other post-editors'. The book was fascinating but my experience with the agency was less than pleasant.
Why the hell did I take that second job, given my experience first time around? Well, I had no other work, plus I want to be able to put those books on my CV so I can approach publishers. Would I take work from this agency again? Depends whether I'm desperate for work or not but I very much hope that I'll be in a position to say no. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Canadian practices | Jan 6, 2024 |
https://www.attlc-ltac.org/en/rates/#:~:text=The%20LTAC%20recommends%20the%20following,per%20word%20for%20other%20genres
Book translations in Canada are paid by the word.
The recommended rate of .25 per word for prose is just that, a recommendation, the Canada Council grant rate is currently .18 pe... See more https://www.attlc-ltac.org/en/rates/#:~:text=The%20LTAC%20recommends%20the%20following,per%20word%20for%20other%20genres
Book translations in Canada are paid by the word.
The recommended rate of .25 per word for prose is just that, a recommendation, the Canada Council grant rate is currently .18 per word. Anything below 0.18 per word is low, in Canada.
I tend to be wary of authors who want to pay for the translation themselves. The publishers are the ones who should pay, through the grant, which authors cannot get. Few authors can afford to pay the true cost that would make it worthwhile for the translator. Fiction is time-consuming to do well.
Good luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
Vereinigtes Königreich
Local time: 09:10
Mitglied (2008)
Italienisch > Englisch
| That's $11,400 | Jan 6, 2024 |
Jack Doughty wrote:
I translated a novel earlier this year, 114,000 words, and I was paid (on time, no problems) at a rate of $0.10 per word.
That's probably a lot more more than the Author got as an advance. Unless we're talking about mass market bestseller stuff (the dreadful Dan Brown etc).
| | | | | I don't think... | Jan 6, 2024 |
Tom in London wrote:
Jack Doughty wrote:
I translated a novel earlier this year, 114,000 words, and I was paid (on time, no problems) at a rate of $0.10 per word.
That's probably a lot more more than the Author got as an advance. Unless we're talking about mass market bestseller stuff (the dreadful Dan Brown etc).
Jack will be able to answer you.
| | | | | Vom Thema belegte Seiten: < [1 2 3] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Translating a novel: price range? | LinguaCore | AI Translation at Your Fingertips
The underlying LLM technology of LinguaCore offers AI translations of unprecedented quality. Quick and simple. Add a human linguistic review at the end for expert-level quality at a fraction of the cost and time.
More info » |
| | Pastey | Your smart companion app
Pastey is an innovative desktop application that bridges the gap between human expertise and artificial intelligence. With intuitive keyboard shortcuts, Pastey transforms your source text into AI-powered draft translations.
Find out more » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
