How much cost to translate a novel (italian to english), and who can I ask?
June 6, 2008 5:04 AM Subscribe
How much cost to translate a novel (italian to english), and who can I ask? I mean a very good translation, the one you can find in bookstores.
Sorry for my bad english, but it's the reason I ask you this :)
Sorry for my bad english, but it's the reason I ask you this :)
Best answer: I know a couple of translators (not of Italian, though) who charge a base rate of about $20-30 per page, and more as things get harder (technical language that has to be translated perfectly, small print, etc). I suspect that a fair bit of literary translation gets done more as a labor of love, rather than as a well-paid job; I also know people who have translated poetry and fiction in place of writing an undergraduate or masters thesis.
posted by Forktine at 5:57 AM on June 6, 2008
posted by Forktine at 5:57 AM on June 6, 2008
Best answer:
As far as I understand this, publishers usually arrange literary translation. ON the private market you could start by looking on proz.com or inquiring with the American Translation Association. Really for something of this magnitude you would want to make a private arrangement with a translator because you will be 1-step closer to the process than if you use an agency, and of course you'll be paying the agency's costs in the price they charge you. However you'll be able to arrange a discount with the translator directly because of the volume of work you'll be giving them (translators like security - because they can plan where and when they will be working) that will be similar to paying agency rates any way.
Start with personal recommendations, ask for portfolio's, ATA accredited translators will all be very good, they exams are the toughest out their. Do you have a relationship with a publisher, do they have any experience of doing this?
posted by munchbunch at 6:59 AM on June 6, 2008
As far as I understand this, publishers usually arrange literary translation. ON the private market you could start by looking on proz.com or inquiring with the American Translation Association. Really for something of this magnitude you would want to make a private arrangement with a translator because you will be 1-step closer to the process than if you use an agency, and of course you'll be paying the agency's costs in the price they charge you. However you'll be able to arrange a discount with the translator directly because of the volume of work you'll be giving them (translators like security - because they can plan where and when they will be working) that will be similar to paying agency rates any way.
Start with personal recommendations, ask for portfolio's, ATA accredited translators will all be very good, they exams are the toughest out their. Do you have a relationship with a publisher, do they have any experience of doing this?
posted by munchbunch at 6:59 AM on June 6, 2008
Response by poster: thank you
very useful informations
posted by Carl Mentor at 7:46 AM on June 7, 2008
very useful informations
posted by Carl Mentor at 7:46 AM on June 7, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Jeanne at 5:41 AM on June 6, 2008