14 Things Self-published Authors Should Know about Freelance Literary Translators
Behind every translated book lies a freelance literary translator—often overlooked, rarely credited, yet essential to a book’s journey into a foreign market. While their work might seem quiet and academic, and they tend to be forgotten or taken for granted not only by industry leaders but also by readers, the reality of a literary translator’s effort is far more nuanced.
Freelance literary translators juggle tight deadlines, deep cultural research, and the delicate task of preserving an author’s voice across languages. And, more often than not, it is in their expertise and storytelling skills that lie the success of a book in a new market.
Today, in the hopes of shedding some light on this unsung profession, we set out to uncover 14 things all self-published authors should know about freelance literary translators—from unexpected challenges to the surprising joys of the job. But, whether you’re a writer, reader, or aspiring translator, we are positive that in this article, you will find an inside look at the realities of this fascinating and often misunderstood profession.
1. Literary translators read each book at least 5 times (counting source and target language)
Before setting up to translate a book, a literary translator does what is known in the field as an “instrumental reading”. Unlike casual or aesthetic reading, instrumental reading treats the source text as a functional tool, focusing on its structure, meaning, style, and cultural elements to ensure an accurate and effective translation.
Once the linguist has performed the instrumental reading and ascertained the communicative intent of the source text, as well as identified its tone, register, syntax, grammar, and cultural references, the translation process may begin.
During this process, the translator will read the book at least four more times, throughout the stages of translating, editing, proofreading, and final reviews prior to publication.
2. Their name often isn’t on the cover or credited by book retailers
Despite shaping the book in a new language — and some professionals going as far as becoming the distinctive voice of an author in a foreign market — it is often the case that literary translators do not receive credit on the covers of the books they have translated, nor in book retailers’ catalogues. Translators’ associations have been fighting for years in order to achieve more visibility for translators, and nowadays, it has become possible to credit translators on online book retailers such as Amazon.com (though this practice is still not yet widespread among major publishers nor considered by many self-published authors).
3. They are part-time researchers
Just as most authors write in a niche and become experts not only in the genres and subgenres they write, but also in the topics they address (memoirs, self-help books, historical romance novels, etc.), literary translators frequently specialise as well. A big part of a translator’s work is to research and work with glossaries to maintain consistency and deliver accurate information to the target audience. It is then not surprising that literary translators specialise in specific genres and develop their knowledge and skills almost to the point of becoming experts in the field.
When it comes down to genre and subgenre expectations, historical, cultural, and even niche slang details matter, and the skills of specialist translators come to the fore.
4. Deadlines rule their life
Just like any other freelance profession out there, the workflow of a literary translator may vary greatly according to multiple factors. Once a project is accepted and deadlines are negotiated, even though flexibility is key, the pressure is on to deliver an accurate and nuanced translation.
This is particularly true when translating novels for self-published authors, who seek to release multiple titles a year in order to keep their audiences engaged and hooked on their series.
5. Some authors don’t realise how much literary translators do
When authors first start working with literary translators, they might assume the work is simple: rewrite what they’ve already written in a foreign language. This assumption rarely considers the real work behind a translation: the cultural nuances, the research required for each particular project, the creation of glossaries to maintain consistency across series, the genre research in the target language to meet audience expectations, etc.
Failing to understand a translator’s work can often lead to miscommunication or unrealistic expectations with regard to copyrights, royalties, or fair compensation.
6. Royalty payments are rare
Despite literary translators being the copyright owners of the translated books — thus having the right to royalties, as regulated by several national copyright laws, including the Berne Convention — in reality, most translators are paid a flat fee regardless of the book’s sales or success. There are, however, multiple good reasons why literary translators should receive royalties.
If a book were to become a series, a movie, or a play, the translators would rarely be recognised. Their translations would increase sales (thus generating revenue and royalties for other parties), their glossaries would be used not only in media content but also in merchandise, and still, they would hardly receive any recognition, bonus, or royalties from this.
7. It’s a lonely job
Beautiful as reading and translating are, it is true that when you are a literary translator, you spend much of your time in utter silence with a keyboard and a screen. This is one of the reasons why many translators choose to devote part of their work to other endeavours related to their profession, such as interpreting or teaching.
8. Literary translators develop emotional ties to characters
Even though literary translators are not the original creators of the source text, when rewriting it in another language, they become the author’s voice in that language. In order to achieve the same effect that the source text had in its home market, translators often resort to a number of literary devices, which may result in some changes to the source text in order to transfer its full meaning to the foreign audience. It is then not surprising that translators become co-writers of the books they work on and end up becoming irreversibly attached to the characters and the story.
9. They have to fight for fair rates
This is especially true in the freelance world. And this is, no doubt, something most translators struggle with. Establishing rates as a freelancer is no easy task. After all, they are not only pricing their knowledge and experience, but also the cost of operating their translation business (including electricity, Internet connection, computer, software, office space, pension savings, taxes, holiday pay, etc.).
Thanks to translations, indie authors can develop new income streams from one book!
10. Marketing is part of the job
In order to succeed in any freelance profession, a freelancer must not only actively search for potential customers, but also spread the word about their services. Literary translators are no exception. It is a simple fact: to get more work, you must also sell yourself. Some are active on professional channels, such as LinkedIn, whereas others have their own podcasts or blogs. Whatever they choose to do, it is important for them to share their knowledge and their experience (or their portfolio) with their potential customers or their target audience.
Corinne McKay (French>English interpreter and translator) and creator of Training for Translators has multiple podcasts, blog posts, and books aimed at helping translators succeed in their business.
11. They juggle multiple projects
As mentioned earlier, a translation project involves reading, translating, editing, and proofreading before a book is ready for release in a foreign language. It is then not surprising that for freelance literary translators, multitasking is their default mode. While they are translating a book, they might also be editing another project on the side and reading the next book they will translate. Some literary translators also interpret, do subtitles, blog, teach, or work on other translation projects from different fields.
12. Cultural nuance can make or break a translation
Translating a book is not just about language. In order to successfully bring a book to a new audience, a literary translator must translate not just words, but also tone, subtleties, social norms, and sociocultural backgrounds. An experienced professional will make the right decisions and resort to different techniques in order to reproduce the text in the target language and meet the audience’s expectations. A less skilled translator (or even worse, AI tools which can lead to epic fails such as this one), on the other hand, might make mistakes or become too literal in their choices, thus creating a dissonant result that fails to connect with the audience altogether.
13. Literary translators need a thick skin
Literary translators are often described as shy creatures. While this might be the case for many translators out there, the reality is that, shy or not, their work tends to end up in the hands of hard critics. Feedback from editors, authors, and readers varies, and it is often the case that negative reviews hit harder than positive ones. But the feeling they get when the positive reviews come in? When their latest release becomes the #1 best-seller on Amazon in its category soon after release? We wrote an entire article about that feeling!
14. Literary translators are an invisible bridge
Essential but overlooked, literary translators are indispensable but often unrecognised. They are key cultural actors and are typically referred to as an “invisible bridge” because they connect people, cultures, and ideas across languages without drawing attention to themselves. Moreover, they carry ideas across cultural boundaries, frequently smoothing out or re-shaping concepts to fit the reader’s worldview, all while remaining behind the scenes. And they make it possible for global stories to be shared and understood, even though their role is mostly invisible to the audience.
Want to Know More?
Did you know all of this? How familiar were you with the work of literary translators before reading this article, and what surprised you the most?
If you need help choosing the right translator for your projects, don’t miss this article full of insightful tips.
Would you like to learn more about Literary Translations?
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