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.