Know Thy Author: A Translator's Guide to Working with Self-published Authors
It seems quite obvious that taking the time to know your translator or to know your author is a must. Over the years, I have been working as a freelance literary translator and have figured out what kind of professional I want to be. And, like lots of things in life, I have learnt most of it by making mistakes I never ever want to repeat.
Thankfully, those mistakes gave me the chance to try different approaches in my career and to question contracts, emails, and even sentences that, either spoken or written, could lead to a future misunderstanding.
In the beginning, I was eager to translate books for as many customers as I could to build a name for myself. But now, I am eager to translate books while working with the right authors for me.
When it comes to work, for this literary translator, there are few things as rewarding as bringing quality books to readers and building a professional relationship that will significantly grow an author’s presence in the Spanish market and expand the literary horizons of many readers.
Being a literary translator who works almost exclusively with self-published authors, I find it essential to get to know my authors properly before getting started. Hence, throughout my career, what started out as a short exchange of emails discussing fees and contract terms with new customers has evolved into a kind of video call interview.
Among other things, discussing the projects over a video call allows me to understand: who the author is, how their career has been progressing so far, how much effort and marketing they are willing to put towards exploring a new market, how much risk they are willing to take, how many books they are planning on translating for the foreign market, what research they have done and what their expectations regarding the translated book are.
Truth be told, this approach might not be what most translators do, but the way I see it, this first introduction might be a great way for both parties to know whether we will be a good match or not.
If things go right, this could be the beginning of a long-lasting professional relationship between an author and their translator, so skipping this is a big no-no for me.
If the interview doesn’t go the way I expected? Well, that’s just the way the cookie crumbles! You might think this sounds a bit intense, but understanding my authors’ unique needs and perspectives is vital in creating the best collaboration possible.
So, since today’s article is about my personal experience, I would like to address what usually happens after an author contacts me requesting my fees, accepts them and shows interest in starting to work together.
Know Thy Author
Here are (some of) the questions I tend to ask authors before signing any contracts:
1. Have you ever had any other books translated into any language?
This is something I can research beforehand (and I always do), either on the author’s website, on Amazon or on Goodreads. However, since sometimes authors write under different pen names, it is always a good rule of thumb not to assume anything.
And if the answer to the first question is yes…
2. How was the experience? Did you hire a translator, or did you sell your foreign rights?
This allows me to understand the author’s past experience and their possible causes for concern. Do they already have an audience in my target language, or are we starting from scratch? A few scenarios are plausible, and they are all worth exploring further:
- If the rights were sold and handled entirely by a third party, even if the author already has a brand in the target market, they will have to start from zero, building relationships with their audience, creating a newsletter to announce new launches, building social media presence, etc.
- If the author worked independently with a bad translator or had a bad experience, we can discuss what could have gone wrong and what we can do together in order to achieve better results.
- If the author has already conquered another foreign market and is now looking into exploring the Spanish market, we can discuss deadlines, marketing techniques, reader magnets, etc.
3. If the book you want to translate is part of a series, are you considering translating the other titles in the series?
Book marketing experts agree that there is nothing more effective than writing another book after releasing the first one, in order to promote yourself, build a read-through and market your titles.
So why shouldn’t it be the same when it comes to a foreign audience? Do foreign readers want to start a series only to find out the author is waiting to see how sales are before commissioning more translations? Wouldn’t authors lose all momentum if they released book 1 in a series only to release book 2 a few years later? We’ve all been left at that cliffhanger ending, only to languish, waiting for the sequel that never comes.
Book marketing experts also agree that stand-alone books are far harder to market. However, when it comes to a foreign market, they might be a safer choice if you want to play it by ear – at least you won’t burn your audience if you choose to wait.
4. What’s your ideal deadline for releasing titles in the Spanish market?
Since releasing a translated title in a foreign market takes as much prep and marketing as releasing a new book in your home market, the answer to this question should be clear from the beginning. Is the deadline set in stone? Can I, as a translator, commit to said deadline without compromising quality? Do we need to negotiate the dates?
5. If you’ve worked with other translators in the same series, is there a glossary available?
Also, is it possible to read their translations and contact them if I have questions?
Even though I am not a big fan of picking up from where someone else left off, if I commit to something, I want to get it right. And sometimes that means doing extra work and research. In order to keep a series consistent and an audience hooked, if you change translators at any point in a series, you will want the translator to keep up with what already happened (in some genres, like paranormal and fantasy, this might be more pressing than in others, like romance).
6. Is there any software or format you require?
In my experience, most authors ask me how I prefer to work, and they hire a professional formatter, but it’s better not to assume anything and get even the smallest details straight from the beginning.
Final Thoughts
This approach isn’t for everyone. Expanding into a new market is an investment, and it takes time, resources, and the right team to have any chance of success. Sadly, many authors don’t realise this, and sabotage their own success by cutting corners with amateur linguists, jilting readers with inconsistent narratives, and missing their shot to capitalise on peak reader interest. It’s not really their fault – writing novels is hard, and not everyone has the time to spare, or maybe they simply don’t know the dangers!
That’s why I share my experiences in this blog, to give you the knowledge you need to choose what’s right for you, and maybe, sometimes, that choice is waiting until you can give your all to exploring new markets. I may not be churning through clients with this approach, but the stories I do bring to life for Spanish readers are all the better for it.
This post may contain affiliate links
