5 Lesser-known Facts About Literary Translations

Leave a Comment / Translation World / SBT / 31/03/2025

5 Lesser-known Facts about Literary Translations

It is possible to find numerous facts about literary translation, some of which are more accurate than others. As a starting point, literary translation is often seen as a straightforward process, the mere act of taking a book from one language and rewriting it into another. In reality, however, it’s an art that requires a deep cultural understanding, creativity, and problem-solving skills. A craft that calls not only for mastery of two languages, but also storytelling abilities, attention to detail, broad knowledge of literature, passion, and dedication. While many authors and readers appreciate the work of translators, several aspects of the job remain hidden from the public eye. In this article, we aim to explore five lesser-known facts about literary translations.

5 Facts about Literary Translation:

1. Translators Are Co-Authors, Not Just Interpreters

A good literary translator doesn’t just convert words; they reconstruct the entire experience of a book in another language, ensuring that foreign readers have the same experience as the audience of the source text (a.k.a., the book written in its original language).

This often means that literary translators have to make creative choices, find equivalent metaphors, and even rework humour or wordplay. Some translators even influence the final style and tone of a work, becoming the author’s voice in a foreign market.

As a result, literary translators are more co-authors than mere intermediaries, their language knowledge and storytelling skills becoming a decisive factor in a book’s success in foreign markets. This is a fact widely recognised by the Berne Convention and many international copyright laws.

Need help finding the right linguist for your titles? Read 7 Tips to Find the Right Literary Translator for Your Self-oublished Books.

2. Some Words and Concepts Are Untranslatable

Every language has words and phrases that don’t have a direct equivalent in another language. For example, the Spanish word sobremesa (chatting after dinner), the German word Schadenfreude (pleasure in someone else’s misfortune), the Danish word hygge (a quality of cosiness), the Swedish word lagom (just the right amount), or the Japanese wabi-sabi (the beauty of imperfection) don’t have perfect matches in English. Consequently, translators must decide whether to explain, adapt, or replace such words without losing their essence.

3. Cultural Context Can Make or Break a Translation

A literary work is deeply rooted in its culture, and what makes sense in one society might not translate well to another. For instance, idioms, historical references, humour, historical and cultural context, and even character motivations might not resonate with foreign readers.

During the translation process, a skilled translator must find ways to bridge these cultural gaps while preserving the original’s intent and impact.

At the end of the day, cultural context isn’t just a minor detail—it’s the foundation of a great translation. A professional literary translator doesn’t just translate words; they translate meaning, emotion, and cultural relevance. By respecting these nuances, authors can truly connect with foreign readers, making their work feel as authentic and impactful as it does in the original language.

4. Translators Are Often Invisible

While authors receive all the fame, translators rarely get the recognition they deserve. Even though they play a crucial role in bringing literature to new audiences, their names are often hidden in small print. However, without their work, readers wouldn’t have access to international classics like One Hundred Years of Solitude or Crime and Punishment, nor would they be transported into the widely loved worlds of Harry Potter, Bridgerton, or A Song of Ice and Fire.

To make matters worse, in the era of AI, the erosion of readers’ trust in publishing houses is hard to miss. Recently, it has become evident that AI-generated books have left readers feeling deceived, as they fail to faithfully translate the source text into a foreign language. Sadly, a great example of this is the case of The Pumpkin Spice Café, by international best-selling author Laurie Gilmore.

Ultimately, crediting translators in the covers and credits of online vendors, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo, and reader platforms like Goodreads and StoryGraph can help authors demonstrate their commitment to foreign audiences and the quality of their books.

Find out readers’ reactions to HarperCollins’ latest approach to literary translations in the article Epic AI Fails in the Book Industry: The Pumpkin Spice Café Spanish Translation.

5. Literal Translations Can Be Disastrous

For non-professional translators, translating word for word often feels like the safest choice, but in reality, this approach can lead to confusing, awkward, or even disastrous results. Languages are deeply tied to culture, idioms, and context—elements that literal translations often fail to capture.

In Literature, translating word-for-word never works. A literal approach can strip a text of its rhythm, meaning, and emotional depth. Furthermore, a text may lose meaning (or that meaning can become distorted), readers may encounter idioms that don’t make sense, humour and emotion may fall flat, and the sentence structure may read awkwardly. The only way to avoid this is by working with skilled literary translators who know when to take creative liberties to ensure the text remains engaging and meaningful.

Discover 5 Common Mistakes All Untrained Literary Translators Make and How to Avoid Working with a Bad Linguist.

Final Thoughts

Apparent for some and yet surprising for many, literary translation is far more than just converting words from one language to another—it’s about capturing the essence, voice, and cultural depth of a story. The nuances of tone, idioms, historical and cultural background, and emotional impact make it a highly skilled art, often overlooked by those unfamiliar with the process. For the most part, it is a complex, creative, and sometimes underappreciated profession. Translators are not just language experts; they are cultural ambassadors, writers, and problem solvers.

From the unexpected challenges of preserving an author’s style to the hidden complexities of reaching international readers, literary translation requires expertise, patience, and creativity.

For authors, understanding these lesser-known facts about literary translations can make all the difference in successfully expanding into foreign markets. Choosing the right translator, allowing for cultural adaptation, and prioritising quality over speed are key to ensuring a book’s success. After all, a great translation isn’t just a mirror image of the original—it’s a new version that resonates just as deeply with a different audience. Hence, it is true for any author that investing in a skilled literary translator means giving their story the best chance to thrive across languages and cultures.

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Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

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Epic AI Fails in the Book Industry: The Pumpkin Spice Café

Leave a Comment / Translation World / SBT / 17/02/2025

Epic AI Fails in the Book Industry: The Pumpkin Spice Café Spanish Translation

Epic AI fails… what’s new? Not long ago, in our article AI for Book Translations, we addressed this polemic trend in the hopes of shedding some light on the aspects that few were acknowledging.

It is no surprise that AI has taken the book industry by storm, promising faster translations, streamlined content creation, and cost-effective publishing solutions. But what happens when AI-generated books miss the mark? From disastrous translations to poorly written novels, AI has produced some spectacular failures that have left readers frustrated and publishers scrambling to fix the damage.

In this new section, we’ll explore some of the most shocking AI missteps in the book world so far—stories of botched literary translations, AI-generated books that backfired, and the unexpected consequences of relying too heavily on automation. Whether you’re an author, translator, or book lover, these cautionary tales reveal why human expertise is still essential in publishing.

And what better way to kick off this section than with one of the major epic AI fails or, shall we say, disasters of 2024?

HarperCollins’ approach to using AI for the Spanish translation of Laurie Gilmore’s The Pumpkin Spice Café: Café con aroma a calabaza

Laurie Gilmore’s small-town romance novel has gained great popularity since its release. Among other achievements, the book has:

• become TikTok Book Shop of the Year 2024

• been featured in mainstream media

• reached the #1 bestseller list on The Sunday Times and USA Today

Furthermore, both critics and readers have praised the book for its cosy atmosphere and engaging storytelling. People Magazine noted that it “gives off the same level of endorphins as taking a sip of an actual pumpkin spice latte,” highlighting its comforting and enjoyable narrative.

The novel’s blend of a picturesque small-town setting, relatable characters, and a heartwarming romance has resonated with readers, contributing to its significant popularity.

But why did the translation fall short if the novel was so successful and widely popular in its home market?

Earlier, in a September 2024 interview with Spanish Newspaper La Vanguardia, HarperCollins’ CEO, Brian Murray, admitted to using AI book translation for some books as “the market is too small to afford a translator”. Additionally, he mentioned that in some markets (like Germany), there is a scarcity of literary translators, causing long waiting times. Nevertheless, he believes they will use translators in the future, with AI doing the first draft. He defended this practice by adding that with the correspondingly lower production time and cost, HarperCollins would be able to translate a lot more books. Lastly, Murray said the publisher will always use human translators throughout for the best literary authors.

Unsurprisingly, the interview in itself sparked concern among Spanish-speaking readers, with some wondering if this would be the beginning of a succession of epic AI fails.

In light of the big publisher’s take on using AI in the production of books, readers promptly noticed the absence of a translator in Gilmore’s book credits. And it wasn’t long before they publicly denounced it on social media, tagging the publisher and demanding explanations.

After assuring that HarperCollins would never use AI technologies to translate the best literary authors, the prominent publisher used AI to expedite the release and reduce costs of the Spanish translation of the widely popular The Pumpkin Spice Café. Yet, the Spanish-speaking market doesn’t lack talented professionals nor have particularly high translation costs. Unfortunately, this strategy led to several issues:

Quality Concerns:

Many readers reported that the Spanish translation lacked the nuanced understanding of cultural references and idiomatic expressions present in the original text. The AI translation failed to capture the cosy, small-town charm and the “cosy kink” elements integral to the story’s appeal. Consequently, it resulted in a reading experience that felt disjointed and unengaging.

From a literary translator’s perspective, small-town tales especially call for the human touch of a translator: recreating the tone, describing the cosy setting that feels like home, capturing the emotional depth and chemistry, preserving the warm and comforting feeling in the narration, ensuring natural dialogue and humour, and reproducing all the small-town inhabitants’ quirks.

It would seem that the logic behind using AI to translate a small-town romance novel and expecting to conquer the hearts of a foreign audience is flawed.

Reader Backlash:

The subpar translation quality led to negative reviews and dissatisfaction among Spanish-speaking readers. Notably, many felt that the essence of the story was lacking, and the characters’ personalities did not resonate as they did in the original. Furthermore, many went on to express their feelings of being scammed and their broad discontent on the publisher’s social media.

User	Spanish comment	Translation
Xavier_Beltran	Traducido por la propia editorial. Bonita manera de referirse a una IA y a la burda estrategia de sustituir a traductores humanos por una maldita máquina.	Translated by the publisher itself. Nice way to refer to an AI and to the crude strategy of replacing human translators with a damn machine.
Mikeyfdez	Qué pena lo de “la traducción”. Lo leeré en inglés.	Such a shame about “the translation”. I will read it in English then.
Vsha.bella.books	Me sale más barato comprarlo en inglés y usar la IA yo misma para traducirlo a que vosotros me cobréis 20 pavos por hacer lo mismo,	It is cheaper to buy it in English and use AI to translate it myself than to pay you 20 bucks to do the same.
Claraalbori	Iba a comprarlo, hasta que vi quién es el “traductor”.	I was going to buy it, but then I saw who the “translator” was…
Ceciii73	Obviamente si está traducido por IA me lo descargaré en vez de comprarlo. Si no pagáis traductores, no pago libros. Así de simple.	Obviously, since it is translated with AI, I will download it for free instead of buying it. If you are not going to pay translators, then I will not pay for your books. It’s as simple as that.

A New Normal?

Not only did the backlash affect the book’s reception, but it also tarnished HarperCollins’ reputation. The reliance on AI for literary translation was perceived as a cost-cutting measure that compromised quality, losing readers and authors’ trust.

Following this, many readers started paying closer attention to the books’ credits before making a purchase, afraid of being scammed. Moreover, they took to social media to vent their frustrations and let HarperCollins know that they refused to continue reading such nonsense.

Translation of the reviewer’s message to HarperCollins Ibérica:

“I got a copy of Mister Hockey via Kindle, and when I started to read it, I noticed the translation was not too good… There were too many inconsistencies, phrasing that made no sense and literal translations that didn’t sound natural. I have checked your website and realised there is no translator acknowledged. Therefore, I understand it is an AI translation.

I have read almost 20% of the book, and it is impossible to read because nothing makes sense. I am very sorry, but I will abandon reading the book and won’t be writing a review.”

Author's Silence

As for Laurie Gilmore, she has not made any public statement regarding the matter, nor has she addressed it in any official capacity. However, readers would love to know how involved she was in the decision-making process regarding her foreign editions.

Financial Implications:

Potentially, the negative reception of a book poorly translated with AI could incur additional costs to rectify the situation. HarperCollins may now have to commission human translators to retranslate the book, manage public relations to address the controversy and implement marketing campaigns to restore the book’s and the publisher’s image in the Spanish-speaking market.

Whether something will be done to rectify the damage done, however, remains to be seen. Currently, no public information indicates that HarperCollins Ibérica has taken any specific actions to address concerns regarding the translation, nor have they responded to the many upset readers on social media. At the time of writing, the publisher lists itself as the translator on its official website.

The Irreplaceable Value of Human Translators in Literary Translation

Undoubtedly, the AI translation failure of The Pumpkin Spice Café serves as a cautionary tale for authors and publishers alike. While AI can assist in many areas, it lacks the nuance, cultural awareness, and emotional depth required for literary translation. Certainly, books are more than just words—they carry heart, voice, and storytelling essence, all of which can be lost in machine-generated translations.

Thus, for authors looking to expand into foreign markets, there is no shortcut—investing in a skilled human translator is the key to success. After all, a well-translated book respects the integrity of the original story, connects deeply with new readers, and builds credibility. Besides, it enhances an author’s international reputation.

In conclusion, by prioritising quality over shortcuts, authors can conquer new audiences, boost sales, and create lasting literary impact—ensuring that their stories are loved and appreciated across languages and cultures.

Ultimately, we can only hope we won’t be seeing more of these epic AI fails in the future…

Choosing the Right Translator and How to Work with Them

Choosing the Right Translator and How to Work with Them

Choosing the right translator is fundamental to thriving in a foreign market. This also means you need to work with your translator as a team. We really can’t stress this enough.

At the beginning of their writing career, most authors struggle to find the right editors and proofreaders. They’ll go through countless samples, stress about trusting their manuscripts to an editor, and sometimes waste a lot of money only to wind up disappointed with the results. Whereas some more experienced authors still haven’t found the appropriate professionals, others managed to create the dream team — a developmental editor, a copy editor, a proofreader, a book formatter, and a cover artist. And after all they’ve been through to find them, one thing’s for sure — they’re never, ever letting them go.

We’re not going to sugar‍-‍coat it — finding the right translator for you can occasionally prove harder and more frustrating than finding the right editor. Because you probably don’t speak the language and have no way of personally assessing their skills. And this can quickly turn into a downer. But you shouldn’t get discouraged just yet!

Many authors have achieved great success in foreign markets. One of them? Kate Bateman, an international best-selling author of historical romance novels, translated into German, Portuguese, Italian, and French. Read this interview where Kate shares her tips with fellow authors.

Another one? Mariah Stone, an international best-selling author of historical romance and time-travel romance, translated into German, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Where to find professional literary translators?

Even though finding a skilled and qualified literary translator can seem like a tremendous hurdle, we can assure you it is far from finding a needle in a haystack. And we are here to help. There are several pages where you can find professional translators in any language with proven experience and credentials:

● linkedin.com/

● translatorscafe.com/

● proz.com/

● Google — most specialised professional translators have their website!

● Amazon — find translated books in your genre and research the translator. Are the titles getting good reviews? Would it be possible to drop a line to the author asking for a reference? Does the translator have a website or contact information so you can get in touch

● Recommendations from other authors

● Check on translators’ associations — they tend to have a section in which they have a database with all of its members or a form you can complete to be contacted by a translator that suits your needs

Some things to be aware of:

Of course, there are multiple websites where freelancers offer their services, too. Bear in mind that if you use these services, the website takes a share of the fee. Moreover, you want to be extra careful because many bilingual speakers with no formal training or experience tend to offer their services on these platforms. The issue lies in the fact that the customer reviews for their services might not consider things like the actual work quality, but focus on the interaction and communication with the linguist and their ability to meet deadlines. Generally speaking, qualified linguists tend to avoid these platforms, but if they do list their services there, they are among the most expensive providers.

At this point, we’d like to stress that we’d stay clear from royalty‍-‍share platforms if you expect to generate income with your translations, keep control of your translations, and avoid many further headaches born from misinformation. Remember that professional, qualified, and in‍-‍demand literary translators will rarely be found on job‍-‍posting websites or royalty‍-‍share platforms looking for projects that are little more than unpaid volunteer work. You want to work with a language professional, a linguist, with the work ethic to handle the task and deliver a quality product in due time and manner.

How do I know if I found the right translator for my books?

Let’s say you did your research and you found a potential translator for your novels. As that other old saying goes, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” And before teaming up with your translator, you need to find out if you’re a good fit. If finding the right editors proved challenging for you, then you know what we’re on about.

But what to do when you do not know the target language? Luckily, there is plenty! And most of it is free!

● Ask in author groups and forums. Chances are, you’ll encounter a bilingual speaker who’ll be able to assist you — for instance, by reading a sample and making comments on the work. Proceed with caution, though. If you do this, make sure only to ask native speakers of the language you’ll be translating your books into.

● Consult your subscriber list! You probably have native speakers in the target language you’re considering translating into, and they’ll be thrilled to assist you!

● Join reader forums and ask for help from native speakers.

● Hire a professional editor to assess the quality of a sample — whether it’s 300 words or an entire chapter of your manuscript, we think this expense could be worth it.

But are they really the right translator?

Before asking your community of helpers, you need to determine if your selected translator is the right linguist for your titles. Here’s a list of things you can try:

● Have them read a sample chapter of your book and ask them about their thoughts — this will give you great insight into the person you’re hiring. Are they mentioning things such as tone, mood, setting, character’s voice, or possible translation challenges? A professional translator reads books with a trained eye to spot these kinds of things.

● Check their previously translated titles and go over the readers’ reviews. Isn’t that the ultimate best way to assess your translator’s skills? In the past, Carolina used to show samples of her work to authors looking to hire her services, but nowadays, she points them to her Author Central Translator profile. There they can have a look at her portfolio and assess her work based on reviews of hundreds of native‍-‍speaking readers.

● Choose a translator to match your genre (and niche, if possible). No doubt, a translator who understands the market and the audience you’re writing for will have experience with the conventions of your genre and will do a better job communicating your message.

● Request translation samples. Professional translators usually provide free samples of up to 300 words. If you can afford it, we strongly advise you to consider asking for a paid sample of the first chapter of your novel. Get your beta readers’ input before deciding.

● Ask them questions about their translation process. Do they work with proofeditors or proofreaders? If so, what are their credentials?

● Set up video calls. Don’t be shy! No matter the target language, a good translator will have questions for you after the first reading of your manuscript. Set up a call to go over all these questions and make decisions together. Discuss possible titles. Don’t forget to brainstorm important keywords that could be worked into the titles and blurbs. Research what other authors in your genre are releasing in the foreign market you’re about to enter. There is no denying that some authors don’t like to be so involved with the translation process (especially if they don’t speak the target language). Others simply don’t have so much time for this and prefer to leave all these decisions in the capable hands of their trusted translators.

Beta readers? Why not!

● Ask your newsletter list whether there are any native speakers in your target language. Get your fans involved! Have them beta‍-‍read the first chapters or the entire manuscript and provide feedback. As translators, we love this part of the process. Keep in mind that the more people you ask to beta read and the longer material you provide them with, the more you’ll postpone your launching date. We think this is truly a worthy price to pay if you don’t speak the target language. Rest assured, the translation you’re paying for is on the right track.

● Working with beta readers, though, can prove challenging at times, and it’s important to remember that they’re your target readers, but they’re not typically professional linguists. Leave all major language decisions in the hands of linguists.

To learn more about how to work with beta-readers for Book Translations, don’t miss this article: Pros and Cons of Working with Beta Readers for Translated Books

Conclusion

Finding the right translator for your book will return a good translation and, as a direct consequence, build a path into a new market with new readers. However, finding or getting the wrong one, or even worse, a bad one, can damage your author brand and reputation. It might take some time, but it is worth being patient to get a good one: Translators sometimes are booked in advance or might be dealing with another project. Just because you found your translator, it does not mean that they will be immediately available; make sure to set some realistic deadlines and plan in advance.

Whatever you do, be fair to your translator and respect them for the professional they are.

Read our success story translating Mariah’s Stone time-travel romance series into Spanish here.

Disclosure:

This article is an edited extract from our Free ebook “Translating Your Books into Spanish: A Comprehensive Guide to the Spanish Market: Everything You Need to Know to Reach an Untapped Audience.”

If you would like to learn more, grab your copy at your favourite online vendor:

https://books2read.com/translating-your-books-into-spanish

This post may contain affiliate links

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

Ayelen Lapettina Benito

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

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SBT’s Goals for 2025

Leave a Comment / Translation World / SBT / 06/01/2025

SBT's Goals for 2025

Writing the post for the 2024 Recap was not only a lot of fun for us, but it also helped us become aware of how much we have achieved in the past 12 months. Furthermore, it got us thinking of the future… So now, as we head on into a brand-new year, it is time for us to work on SBT’s goals for 2025 and to set up some milestones and intentions for the coming year; we thought we’d share them with you.

Translate, Edit & Release

In 2025, we’ll be working on Mariah Stone’s “Fated” trilogy and on her brand-new series “Seven Dukes of Sin”, comprised of 7 books that will be launched throughout 2025 (and maybe 2026). Both these series are already in the making, and we are looking forward to seeing readers’ reactions to the Fated series — another time travel adventure which expands on the “Called by a Viking” universe but with some unexpected twists to keep readers hooked. Additionally, this is the first time we have worked on a book with a cliffhanger ending, and we are very curious about the audience’s reaction to it.

New Authors

In 2025, we would love to collaborate with new authors and explore new genres! On this topic, Ayelen would like to take a more active role in translating, while Carolina would love to edit Ayelen’s work.

Ebook

In November 2024, we launched our free ebook: “Translating Your Books into Spanish — A Comprehensive Guide to the Spanish Market: Everything You Need to Know to Reach an Untapped Audience”. This year we’ll be focusing on expanding our reach by marketing this compendium of tips, tricks, and valuable data on translating for the Spanish market. Our goal is not to get as many readers or newsletter subscribers as possible, but to get this ultimate free resource into the right hands—established, successful authors who are now ready to explore new markets and diversify their source of income.

Blog

Due to scheduling, and other projects (such as translations and the writing, editing and releasing of our Ebook), we didn’t set up a schedule for posting on our blog in 2024. However, in 2025, we are committed to posting at least two articles a month, bringing us to at least 24 articles by the end of the year.

On that note, you can expect to read other perspectives on our blog this year, such as other writers and relevant publishing professionals. We are working on some interviews and collaborations, for example with an author who is succeeding in foreign markets and a social media community manager who engages with foreign audiences on behalf of authors.

Social Media

Social Media has never been the focus of Spanish Book Translations: we were always more focused on developing our blog, creating insightful articles and sharing valuable translation tips for self-published authors, both on our website and on our free ebook.

In September 2024, though, we created a Pinterest account, with the aim of growing our reach and drawing more authors interested in exploring the world of translations to our blog.

LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for sharing reliable articles with self-published authors and establishing professional connections with other translators, editors, proofreaders, cover designers and industry experts. This means that focusing on our profiles and potentially developing a stronger presence is one of our objectives for the year. Would you like to connect with us? Connect with Ayelen and Carolina!

Additionally, we would also love to engage more with Spanish-speaking readers, through platforms like Goodreads and StoryGraph. So, one of our goals for 2025 is to develop our social media concept to create engagement with our readers and help authors promote Spanish titles.

Our Goals

Ayelen’s Personal & Professional Goals:

This year, I want to improve my Italian, a language I have been learning for a couple of years, and become more confident in my use and knowledge of Danish. Last year, I chose a recently published book to practice translation from Danish to English and Spanish. I would like to finish this personal project, and if I am happy with the result, I’d love to have the courage to send a translation proposal to a publishing house. Honestly, I’m not expecting much from it, but the simple act of just doing it might give me some sense of completion; I’ve wanted to do that for some time, and what better time than now?

On an academic front, I’m considering doing a Master’s in Literature, and maybe this is the year I apply. It’s an idea I have been analysing for several years now, and every time, I feel a bit unsure for various reasons, but I always end up coming back to it. Back in 2023, I did a postgraduate course on Specialised Translation into English, which helped me feel more confident in my English production and ignited the spark to continue studying after its completion.

Regarding my reading goals, I am always a bit ambitious, so I aim to read 50 books (I managed to do that twice, in 2021 and 2022). However, in 2023 and 2024, I only managed to read 26 books on both occasions (though I have 16 books in my current reads on StoryGraph — books I started in 2023 and 2024 but didn’t have the opportunity to finish for one reason or another). This year, in my StoryGraph Reading Goal, I set once again 50 books. I always try to read an even selection of fiction and non-fiction – I do not discriminate, my reads can be prose, graphic novels, and poetry. We shall see if this is the year I come back to achieve it.

Carolina’s Personal & Professional Goals:

Personally, one of the things I would love to do most in 2025 is to read more books: books in Spanish, books in English, fiction books, reference books, romance books, fantasy books, books by new authors… you name it. I would also like to be more active on Goodreads and engage more with Spanish readers, as I used to love doing this and discovered a lot of great authors by reading other people’s reviews, but I somehow lost the habit in the last few years.

On a professional note, I would like to focus on developing techniques for better optimising my time. In order to achieve this, I have downloaded an app with the Pomodoro method, which I will be putting to the test relentlessly in the coming weeks.

Whereas 2024 has been an incredible year for me with the blog, the ebook, and two series translated and released (Al tiempo del vikingo and Duques y secretos, with a total of nine full-length novels and one novella), I haven´t gotten enough rest. So, one of my goals for 2025 is to be more careful with my time off, to avoid unnecessary stress with tight deadlines, and to take the time I need to rest and spend quality time with my friends and family.

Last but not least, I have always been a big traveller at heart, so, for me, 2025 is a year where I need to travel more and make up for the little I travelled in 2024. Some destinations on my bucket list are Scotland, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, the Galapagos, the Czech Republic, Canada, Greenland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Final Thoughts

We are very excited to kick off 2025! It is thrilling for us to continue working together and growing professionally, developing our collaboration and helping self-published authors reach new markets and succeed internationally. Moreover, we are also excited to explore new ventures in terms of social media, new clients and projects, and new audiences.

Even though we love taking one day at a time, we are also thrilled for when the time comes to analyse 2025 and figure out how many goals we have reached! But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves yet. For now, let’s just enjoy the exciting year spreading before us!

This post may contain affiliate links

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

Ayelen Lapettina Benito

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

SBT’s Goals for 2025 Read More »

2024 Recap

Leave a Comment / Success Story, Translation World / SBT / 17/12/2024

The 2024 Recap of an Incredible Year for SBT

As we look back on this 2024 recap of an incredible year, we’re filled with gratitude and pride for all we’ve accomplished as book translators and editors. From diving into captivating stories to helping self-published books reach new audiences, it’s been a journey filled with growth, learning, and creativity. This year saw us working on some of the most exciting projects yet, refining our craft, pushing our productivity limits, celebrating the successes of the authors who continue to trust us with their literary dreams. Moreover, we grew our blog and launched our free ebook on literary translation for self-published authors.

Join us as we recap our highlights, the challenges we have overcome and the milestones that have defined our year—each project is a testament to our passion for bridging cultures and bringing stories to life for Spanish-speaking readers around the world.

The ebook we launched: Translating your Books into Spanish—A Comprehensive Guide to the Spanish Market

In November 2024, after years in the making, we finally launched our ultimate free resource for authors looking to translate their books into a foreign language ethically and smartly while looking after their author brand:

Would you like to reach a new, untapped audience and take your self-published books and author career to the next level? Translating Your Books into Spanish: A Comprehensive Guide to the Spanish Market is your go-to resource for expanding your readership into the Spanish-speaking world. This thorough guide provides authors with everything they need to know to succeed in one of the largest growing book markets.

Packed with meticulously researched information and reliable sources, as well as expert tips and actionable insights, this book covers essential topics like:

•Analysing the Spanish Market

•Monetising Foreign Rights

•Working with Translators

•Addressing Copyrights and Royalties

•Marketing Translated Books

This Guide is a Must-Have for Self-published Authors.

With millions of potential readers in over 20 countries, translating your book into Spanish offers unparalleled opportunities to grow your readership and increase your earnings.

Find out all you need to know to exploit your foreign rights to unlock the gateway to a large, thriving, and unsaturated literary market and multiply your sources of income while protecting your author brand and doing it the right way.

Are you ready to expand your horizons and grow your readership? Start your journey to becoming a translated author today!

You still haven’t got your copy? Get it for FREE now!

Projects we have worked on:

We are proud to have increased our productivity this year and have seen the release of ten books in two different series. Not only that, but we are thrilled that every single title made it to #1 bestseller on Amazon for their genre.

Series “Duques y secretos”

Series “Al tiempo del vikingo”

Posts we have shared (in case you missed any):

Just Finished Translating my First Series

Learn about Carolina’s journey of translating a best-selling book series, Mariah Stone’s time-travel romance series: Al tiempo del highlander. In this insightful article, she tells all about the challenges she faced and the lessons learned while bringing a hit series to an international audience. Read the article here.

What’s Behind a Professional Translator’s Fee?

Ever wonder what makes some translators’ fees seem so high in comparison to other “linguists” services? Join us as we explore the skills, training, and specialisation professional translators acquire in order to perform their jobs, as well as the equipment they require, the expenses they incur, and so much more! Read the article here.

Know Thy Author: A Translator's Guide to Working with Self-published Authors

In this article, Carolina shares her new approach to working with the right authors for her (something she learnt from working with several different authors). Find out what a literary translator might want to know about you and your author brand before embarking on any projects! Read the article here.

How to Promote a Translated Title and Conquer a Foreign Market

We put together a comprehensive guide covering everything you need to do to successfully market your foreign editions — from pre-launch to launch week and post-launch strategies to promote your translated title! Read the article here.

Help! My Translation Is Not Performing. What Should I do?

Have you already released some titles in a foreign market, and they are not performing? We invite you to read this article and figure out what might be wrong with your manuscript or marketing strategies and find possible solutions to address different issues. Read the article here.

7 Tips to Find the Right Literary Translator for Your Self-published Books

Finding the right literary translator will not only save you tons of headaches, but it is crucial for ensuring that the essence and quality of your books are preserved in the target language. So, we set you in the right direction to help you find the perfect translator for your projects, covering everything from training to experience and professionalism! Read the article here.

Thoughts on Inspiration and 10 Quotes to Inspire the Writer Within You

Have you ever found yourself lacking the inspiration to write or stuck in one of those annoying creativity blocks? We shed some light on the importance inspiration plays in our lives. The wise words of fellow writers who have experienced and faced the same struggles as you will help you feel you are not alone on your writing journey. Read the article here.

Book Recommendation: Translating Myself and Others, by Jhumpa Lahiri

Ayelen shares one of her favourite reads of 2024, a book by a fellow writer and literary translator who shares her experiences translating her own works. In an insightful analysis, Ayelen highlights Lahiri’s struggles and challenges as she self-translates and navigates the topics of identity and language. Read the article here.

AI for Book Translations & What Nobody Is Really Talking About

Being an author, you are probably up-to-date with the use of AI in the literary world. Chances are you have read long debates in author forums or groups regarding the ethical aspects of using AI for creating literary works (or translations). In this article, we explore the potential damage this approach might have on a well-established author’s brand and why you should avoid AI for literary translations at all costs. Read the article here.

Pros and Cons of Working with Beta Readers for Translated Books

One of the biggest concerns authors face when assessing the quality and readability of a foreign edition of their work is: how to trust their translated book carries the same meaning and produces the same emotions in the foreign audience as it does in their home market. Luckily, working with beta readers can help! However, in this article, we analyse not only the perks of having these fans on board but also what authors should be wary of. Read the article here.

7 Reasons Why Translators Should Receive Royalties

“Why are authors expected to pay royalties to their literary translators after paying them a fair fee for their services?” This somewhat controversial issue within publishing, especially among indie authors, is quite popular on the Internet; there are multiple stances but no consensus. Touch wood, this article contributes positively to the conversation. Read the article here.

Launching Our Free Ebook

We invite you to check our newly released ebook. Here, we explain in more detail what the contents of the ebook are and what you can expect to find on its pages. Hopefully, you take something useful from reading it! Read the article here.

Final Thoughts

The whole spanishbooktranslations.com project, including the blog and ebook, has been developing since March 2021 with the main goal of shedding light on a creative craft that no machine or AI can perform. Both with our book and blog, we wanted to equip self-published authors with the necessary tools, information, and knowledge to help them make informed decisions when it comes to exploiting their foreign rights (in any language) while protecting their author brand.

Now, as this year reaches its end, it gives us great joy and pride to see how far we have come.

And we are ever so excited for everything 2025 wants to bring our way!

This post may contain affiliate links

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

Ayelen Lapettina Benito

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

2024 Recap Read More »

Launching Our Free Ebook

Leave a Comment / Translation World, Writer's Life / SBT / 28/11/2024

Launching Our Free Ebook

Launching our free ebook, Translating Your Books into Spanish, has been on our minds for a while, but now it is available for you to read. Without further ado, let us introduce it to you:

Unlock the gateway to a massive untapped literary market with Translating Your Books into Spanish: A Comprehensive Guide to the Spanish Market. Whether you’re a self-published author or a seasoned writer looking to expand your reach, this guide is a valuable resource to help you thrive in the Spanish-speaking market. With millions of potential readers in over 20 countries, translating your books into Spanish offers unparalleled opportunities to grow your readership and increase your earnings.

Discover the Power of the Spanish-Speaking Market

The Spanish-speaking literary market is vast yet surprisingly underexplored by English-language authors. With over 500 million Spanish speakers worldwide, there’s a great demand for quality translated content. But the real question is: How can you make the most of this market and ensure your book becomes a success? This guide will show you how to navigate this exciting terrain, monetise your foreign rights, and boost your book sales.

Working with Translators and Editors: The Key to Success

Translating your book is not just about converting words from one language to another — it’s about translating cultures and adapting your story to resonate with an entirely new audience. Thus, finding the right translator is crucial to retaining the essence of your work and ensuring it resonates with Spanish-speaking readers. This comprehensive guide covers:

•How to find and vet professional literary translators who understand your book’s tone, genre, and audience.

•The importance of a sample translation or background check to ensure the translator’s style matches your author-voice.

•How to collaborate effectively with your translator and build a successful, long-lasting partnership.

•Tips to avoid common pitfalls or rookie mistakes when dealing with translation projects.

Copyrights and Intellectual Property

Navigating copyright laws when translating your book into Spanish can be tricky, especially when dealing with different countries. This guide offers a clear overview of:

•How copyright laws work in the Spanish-speaking world and how they apply to your translated work.

•What you need to know about contracts to protect your intellectual property and avoid legal complications.

Thriving in an Unsaturated Market

Many authors are unaware of how much opportunity exists within the Spanish-speaking market. In this guide, you’ll explore why the market remains relatively unsaturated despite its enormous potential. More importantly, you’ll discover how to position yourself as a leading author within this space by:

•Understanding reader preferences and trends in the Spanish-speaking literary world.

•Building relationships with Spanish-language readers, reviewers, and bloggers who can help spread the word about your book.

•Learning about how other English-speaking authors have navigated this market.

This Guide is a Must-Have for Self-published Authors

If you’re a self-published author, this guide is your roadmap to taking your career to the next level by reaching a whole new audience. With more authors choosing to self-publish than ever before, the competition in the English-speaking market is fierce. However, the Spanish-speaking world offers a fresh opportunity to stand out, connect with new readers, and boost your income.

Don’t miss some expert advice from translators with broad experience working with self-published authors and comprehensive knowledge of the self-publishing business.

This guide is also packed with practical tips you can implement immediately to start building your brand and selling more books. A comprehensive approach that covers everything from translation to promotion, ensuring you leave no stone unturned in your quest for success.

Ready to expand your horizons and grow your readership? Start your journey to becoming a translated author today!

Would you like to read it?

We invite you to check our free ebook and start your translation project with a head-start!

Get the ebook

This post may contain affiliate links

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

Ayelen Lapettina Benito

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

Launching Our Free Ebook Read More »

7 Reasons Why Literary Translators Should Receive Royalties

Leave a Comment / Translation Tips for Self-published Authors, Translation World / SBT / 22/11/2024

7 Reasons Why Literary Translators Should Receive Royalties

Not so long ago, we analysed literary translators’ fees and what is behind them. Today, we would like to discuss a rather controversial topic: Why are authors expected to pay royalties to their literary translators after paying a fair fee for their services?

However, before we discuss royalties, there is one rather complex fact to keep in mind. When it comes to literary translations, it is important for authors to understand: who owns the copyrights to the translated titles, who is entitled to exploit said rights, and what international and national laws protect their rights as an author and their translator’s rights as the author of their translated title.

More often than not, authors are misled to believe that having a translator sign a contract quitting their rights to royalties or additional payments for derivative products from their translations (such as audiobooks, ebooks, etc.) is not only fair but also legal. The truth is that this is far from being an honest or legal practice. Rather than taking advice from these self-styled mentors or experts, authors would be wise to research international treaties, such as the Berne Convention, or dig into the national laws applying to the countries where they are considering selling their foreign editions.

It is also wise to understand that good, professional, trained and skilled literary translators (a.k.a., the professionals you want to be involved in the translation of your book) are often part of translator’s associations protecting their rights and fighting for better fees, more recognition, and visibility for literary translators. A sad fact of the profession is that few literary translators make a living solely from their craft. This is mainly due to the conditions the industry tries to impose on them. Another discouraging fact? At the end of the day, many talented literary translators who would love to make a living by translating books abandon this dream to pursue other types of translation or other professions altogether in order to make ends meet.

Therefore, literary translators receive royalties as a standard industry practice – a practice which has even become enacted in law in many countries. This is simply a form of fair compensation for their significant contribution to a book’s creation and success.

Having said that, we would like to dig deeper into some of the reasons why literary translators should receive royalties:

1. Creative contribution:

Literary translators do more than just convert text from one language to another; they interpret the author’s style, as well as the tone and nuances in a text, in order to create a faithful yet culturally appropriate version in the target language. A professional literary translator translates a culture, not just words or sentences on a page. This process requires a high degree of creativity and skill, making the translator’s work an original contribution, which is precisely why translations are protected by copyright laws. With extensive research, intuition, and collaboration, a skilled translator brings the essence of a story to life, allowing readers in a new market to experience its beauty, insight, and universal appeal.

2. Work and effort:

Translating a book is a labour-intensive process that involves deep comprehension of both the source and target languages, meticulous attention to detail, and, more often than not, extensive research. Thus, the effort and time invested by the translator deserve recognition and fair compensation. In addition to a fair fee, royalties recognise that translation work has long-term value, and it’s not just a one-time service. Translators’ contributions continue to generate revenue over time and can also result in a wide variety of derivative products (such as audiobooks, book bundles, movies, TV shows, etc), especially as books gain momentum in new markets, and translators should benefit from this sustained success.

3. Enhancing marketability:

A well-translated book significantly enhances its appeal and accessibility in a new market. This may lead to increased sales and greater success in the translated language, benefiting both the author and the publisher.

This is particularly true for self-published authors working with a single translator, who becomes their voice in the foreign market. You don’t believe me? Read all about this success story.

Additionally, when translators are financially connected to the book’s success, they will engage in its promotion and share it within their networks, leading to potentially higher sales and visibility. Translators who care about the book’s performance become valuable advocates, which is especially important in niche or language-specific markets.

4. Professional standard:

In the literary world, in addition to a fair fee, it is a common professional standard to compensate translators with royalties.

Paying royalties to literary translators has become a recognised professional standard because it reflects their significant contribution to a book’s success. A literary translator’s work goes beyond mere translation or direct conversion from one language to another; they interpret an author’s voice, narrative style, and cultural nuances, making the book accessible, relatable, and enjoyable to a new audience. This depth of creative involvement warrants recognition, especially since a successful translation can expand a book’s readership and revenue in global markets.

Moreover, royalties incentivise high-quality translations, as translators become invested in the book’s ongoing success. Paying royalties acknowledges that the translator’s contribution is an integral, lasting part of the book’s value, promoting fair compensation and fostering a mutually beneficial relationship between authors, publishers, and translators.

5. Ongoing income:

Like many authors, literary translators often work freelance and may not have a stable income. Royalties provide a form of ongoing income that can support translators in the long term, especially if the book becomes a bestseller or when their translation is used for derivative works (such as audiobooks), thus multiplying their source of income.

6. Legal and ethical considerations:

A literary translator’s work is intellectual property because the translation is not just a direct transfer of words but a creative re-expression of the original work. A skilled literary translator brings personal expertise, cultural insight, and stylistic choices to ensure that the tone, nuances, and voice of the original text resonate with readers in the new language. In many jurisdictions, this creative contribution is considered co-authorship, granting the translator intellectual property rights.

In many countries, copyright law and publishing contracts guarantee translators’ rights to royalties due to this co-authorship status. Ethically, acknowledging the translator’s role through royalties is a way of respecting their intellectual property and contribution.

7. Shared success:

When a book is successful, it is often a collaborative effort. Just as authors and publishers benefit from this success, so should translators, as their work is integral to reaching and resonating with a new audience.

When a book gains popularity or achieves bestseller status abroad, the translator’s role is key to that international success. This ongoing financial recognition through royalties highlights the shared achievement between the author and translator in expanding the book’s global reach.

Final Thoughts

Paying royalties to literary translators is both ethical and essential. Doing so shows recognition for the creative process of bringing a story (along with all its complexities, emotions, and nuances) to a new audience. This endeavour requires considerable skill, intuition, and dedication, effectively making the translator a co-creator of the book. Royalties honour this co-authorship by ensuring that translators are compensated fairly as the book continues to succeed, recognising their ongoing contribution to its appeal and readership.

In addition, royalties for translators incentivise high-quality work by valuing the skill and artistry they bring to the project, which ultimately enhances the book’s reach and success in new regions. Fair royalties help create a more inclusive, respectful industry that acknowledges every creative effort behind the scenes, fostering partnerships that contribute meaningfully to literary culture on a global scale.

Lastly, in order to avoid any legal issues that might result from following misleading advice or taking shortcuts, authors who want to protect their author brand and have found the right literary translator for their projects will strike a fair deal for the translator’s contribution.

At the end of the day, respecting translators’ education, experience, and knowledge, as well as acknowledging their profession, is not only ethical but also a solid investment for self-published authors aiming to conquer new markets.

This post may contain affiliate links

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

7 Reasons Why Literary Translators Should Receive Royalties Read More »

Pros and Cons of Working with Beta Readers for Translated Books

Leave a Comment / Translation Tips for Self-published Authors, Translation World / SBT / 21/10/2024

Pros and Cons of Working with Beta Readers for Translated Books

Working with beta readers for translated books has the potential to help self-published authors assess the quality of a translation into a language they don’t speak. Previously, we have offered different solutions to ease authors’ minds, too, like these expert tips to find the right literary translator.

However, not all literary translators might have a huge portfolio or online presence. And this does not mean they are not a good fit for you or your projects. It is true, though, that when this happens, it becomes harder for indie authors to assess quality.

Luckily, though, this is where your beta readers come in! You can find them on the subreddit r/BetaReaders on Reddit or on Beta Reader Group on Goodreads, for example. If you are an established author with a good online presence and a good number of newsletter subscribers and are translating your title to a widely spoken language (which would make sense), chances are you already have a few native speakers among your audience.

This is great, right? Well, yes… but also, no. The truth of the matter is working with beta readers is actually not that straight-forward. Are beta readers really an author’s ace up the sleeve when it comes to reading and judging a translation, or are they a double-edged sword? Are they really to be blindly trusted, or should authors proceed with caution?

In this article, we set up to analyse all the pros and cons self-published authors have when it comes to working with native speakers and relying on their (un)biased opinion about a translated book. The truth of the matter is that working with beta readers to assess the quality of translated books offers both advantages and potential challenges for indie authors.

Pros

Cultural Feedback

Beta readers can provide valuable insights into whether the translation captures cultural nuances, idioms, and local expressions accurately, ensuring the story resonates with the target audience.

They can assess whether the way certain aspects of the setting, historical references, or local customs are presented makes sense in the context of the target culture. If any details are misunderstood or irrelevant in the new cultural context, beta readers will flag them for the translator to work further on.

Language Fluency Check

Beta readers who are native speakers can identify awkward phrases, unclear language, or grammatical mistakes that may have slipped through the translation process. Additionally, they can identify if certain idiomatic expressions, slang, or colloquialisms in the translation feel unnatural or out of place. For instance, they can point out if a phrase used in the translation might be inappropriate or confusing for native speakers of the target language, thus helping the translator make a more appropriate choice.

Beta readers also tend to examine if the characters’ behaviour, dialogue, and interactions feel culturally authentic to ensure the book and its plot remain consistent.

Reader Engagement

They help gauge how well the translated book connects with the intended audience. If something feels off or doesn’t engage, beta readers can point it out early on. By focusing on clarity, flow, emotional impact, character connection, engagement with the storyline, readability, and overall engagement, they provide vital feedback on the effect the translated book has on a foreign audience while helping authors understand how the translation resonates with the intended audience.

Cost-effective Feedback

Beta readers often provide feedback voluntarily or for a low fee, making it a budget-friendly way to test the quality of the translation before going to market.

Early Buzz

Having beta readers involved can generate early buzz for your translated book, as they typically share their excitement or insights on their social media (with other native speakers sharing their interests) and by spreading the word about your work. Additionally, they can review your work on release day, provide praise blurbs for authors to use on covers or for marketing purposes, and share teasers on social media.

Cons

Inconsistent Feedback

Beta readers don’t usually have a professional background in translation or editing, leading to subjective or inconsistent feedback that could be based on personal preference rather than technical accuracy. As translators and editors, we have often received feedback about some readers preferring a specific translation for certain words in a novel because “it was more natural”. Authors should always pay attention to the subjectivity of beta readers’ feedback and discuss that feedback with their translators.

Limited Expertise

Beta readers may miss deeper linguistic or cultural issues that a professional editor or translator would catch, especially in complex literary translations. Sometimes, they tend to expect word-by-word translators, believing this is as loyal as a translation can get to the source text, unaware of all the literary devices translators resort to both to keep the text fluent and to make its narration natural and engaging for the foreign audience.

Time-consuming

Coordinating with multiple beta readers and going through rounds of feedback can delay the publishing timeline, especially if feedback conflicts or requires extensive revisions. A good way to avoid delays in the project while assessing a translator’s quality is to assess only a few chapters or a novella/reader magnet, which tends to be a shorter project.

Potential Language Barriers

If the author doesn’t speak the language of the translated version, it may be difficult to fully understand and act upon beta reader feedback without further input from a translator or editor. It is always advised to discuss all feedback provided by beta readers with translators in order to assess their skills and knowledge.

Marketing Services

Though not always the case, some beta readers will take the opportunity to bring the translation down only to offer their own linguistic services. Funnily enough, this actually happened to Carolina once, with a beta reader providing feedback with tons of grammar mistakes in the source language and providing feedback lacking any grammatical or editorial grounds.

What Should You Do Then?

Even though working with foreign beta readers can prove tricky sometimes, it is our firm opinion it is an enriching experience for all parties involved; one as translators, we welcome it warmly!

What we suggest authors do when working with beta readers is to establish a series of guidelines or questions on what exactly they are looking for. The best to do would be to provide beta readers with a short survey to assess the quality of the translation based on:

Narration

Grammar

Typos

Engagement

Authors should ask beta readers the right questions in order to help beta readers help them. Some good question examples are:

Did the story captivate you?
Did you find any issues in the translation? Were there any specific parts that were difficult to understand or confusing?
Did the translator struggle with something?
Who was your favourite character, and why?
What was your favourite part and why?
Did anything pull you out of the story?
Did you find any typos?
Is there anything specific you’d recommend being improved?
What general rating would you give the translation?

It is also a good idea to let them express their general feelings and emotions about the translated material.

You should always forward all the feedback provided by beta readers to your translator. They will certainly find numerous insightful comments and provide proper explanations for the issues wrongly pointed out, or humbly accept and correct any mistakes or typos they might have missed.

Final Thoughts

Beta readers can be a useful resource not only in assessing the quality of a translated book and a translator’s skills, but also in fine-tuning the final edition and helping you spread the word about your work among their contacts. Offering fresh perspectives and audience-driven feedback, they can contribute greatly to an author’s success in a foreign market — after all, it all begins with the right linguistic team. However, it’s important to balance beta readers’ input and trust your professional team of translator and editor in order to ensure the highest quality for international readers.

This post may contain affiliate links

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

Pros and Cons of Working with Beta Readers for Translated Books Read More »

AI for Book Translations & What Nobody is Really Talking about

Leave a Comment / Translation Tips for Self-published Authors, Translation World / SBT / 14/10/2024

AI for Book Translations & What Nobody is Really Talking about

Undoubtedly, 2024 has seen an unprecedented rise in the use of AI for multiple purposes: writing, designing, translation, video creation… you name it.

Like everything, when used correctly, AI can help improve our lives and save tons of time on tasks that used to take us longer, such as the automatization of repetitive tasks. It also has increased notoriety for its lack of creativity and understanding of complex human emotions and nuances of language – strawberries, anyone?

So, is AI the best choice for authors when it comes to book translations? Or does its use risk an author’s brand and reputation in multiple markets?

A few days ago, we came across a post in one of our favourite Facebook Group for Writers: a romance author asked how legitimate it was to use AI to translate her books into German and hire someone to “vet” the translation for accuracy. The post gained 85 comments from other writers and generated a heated debate, leading the author community to express their thoughts on the matter. Some were in favour, and some stood strongly against this practice:

Today we won’t address thoroughly the argument that translation is, in fact, an act of creation, and hence no creative should endorse this practice. However, we would like to focus on some misinformation that is out there about AI:

Perks of AI Book Translations:

No copyrights for the translator
It is a well-known fact that under international laws, especially in Europe, the rightful owners of a translated book are, in fact, the translators. For some reason, indie authors tend to be wary of this, missing the point that a translator wishes the translation to succeed as much as the author paying for their services.

Translating into multiple languages
Translation is just the first step into a market. However, in order to succeed, authors need to ensure reviews, ads, engagement with all foreign audiences, etc are appropriately set up for the market. This is a huge time investment that, if done incorrectly, will only result in your translations failing to achieve their full potential.

Fast release
Authors can release books as fast as they can produce the translation and the book cover, and maybe hire someone to make sure the AI translation “reads smoothly”. However, readers can become wary of books that are released too quickly, especially if they have poor quality writing or plot issues, and end up favouring authors who invest more time and money in creating quality titles.

No investment
There are no upfront costs, except, of course, for the poor linguist (sometimes called editor and sometimes called proofreader) whose job is to ensure the translation is relatively okay for the market. In many instances, authors simply resort to “a native speaker”, which further compounds the issues introduced by the AI, as these amateur linguists lack the skills and experience of a professional.

What Authors Fail to See:

♦ Professional linguists will not accept editing an AI translation for the simple fact that it would practically take as much time to edit as it would translate it. It is well-known that AI tends to translate text literally, focusing on individual words or phrases rather than the overall meaning or emotion behind a sentence, resulting in technically correct translations that are often awkward, clunky, or lacking in fluidity from a literary perspective.

♦ Heavily edited translations are subject to copyright claims by the editor/translator. If a professional linguist does, in fact, take the edition or proofreading project, they would then become creators of the translation, and therefore have a claim to its copyright. This claim is based on the degree of rewriting needed for the AI-generated translation for the sake of accuracy, fluidity and emotional impact (a.k.a., for the success of the book in the foreign market). Moreover, there are very real issues with transparency regarding the most popular large language models and the data they are trained on – the AI-generated material may actually infringe on another author’s copyright, due to the way in which the model generates responses.

♦ Foreign audiences might notice authors releasing poor-quality books and feel scammed or tricked into buying a lower-quality product. This could seriously backfire against authors’ brands and reputations – nobody likes to feel like an afterthought. Your new audience deserves the same respect you show to your existing fans.

♦ While Amazon allows AI-generated content, it’s recommended to disclose the use of AI, especially if it created the majority of the book or significant parts of it. Readers may want transparency about how the content was created, and this disclosure can help manage expectations. Bear in mind that some readers may take an ethical stance on the use of AI in the content they consume.

♦ The use of AI is brand new, and the rules and laws around it are still unclear. If some country rules in favour of copyrighted AI content, then authors might be seriously affected and end up facing multiple legal headaches that could have easily been avoided by teaming up with a professional literary translator and respecting their rights.

Understandably…

Self-published authors tend to be protective of their work and business (which they built on their own from scratch). It might shock some to learn that, under international laws, translators own the copyrights to the translations and grant exploitation rights to authors.

Consequently any literary translator wants the translation to sell and succeed as much as authors do. In this partnership, a translator’s success is an author’s success and vice versa!

The aim for both parties should be the author’s brand, the translator’s brand, and audience growth.

Consequently, any literary translator wants the translation to sell and succeed as much as authors do. In this partnership, a translator’s success is an author’s success and vice versa!

The aim for both parties should be the author’s brand, the translator’s brand, and audience growth.

Please remember that hiring the right professional literary translator can be a game changer!

Hiring a professional literary translator offers numerous benefits, especially for authors looking to expand their reach into foreign markets while maintaining the quality and integrity of their work (the kind of authors we love to work with!). Here are some key advantages:

Accuracy and Faithfulness to the Original Text

Professional literary translators are skilled in ensuring the translation is accurate and stays true to the source text. They preserve the author’s voice, tone, style, and nuances, crucial in literary works where subtle meaning and wordplay are often present.

Cultural Sensitivity and Localisation

A professional literary translator understands the target culture and adapts the text accordingly, ensuring that idioms, references, and expressions relate to the new audience. This cultural sensitivity helps the book resonate with readers from different linguistic backgrounds.

Literary Quality

Literary translators know how to preserve the literary style, rhythm, and flow of the original work. Whether it’s a poetic passage, dialogue, or descriptive scene, they ensure the translation reads smoothly and maintains the artistic qualities of the original text.

Consistency across Translations

For series or complex works, consistency is key. A professional translator ensures that terminology, character voices, and narrative style remain consistent across multiple books, editions, or chapters, creating a seamless reading experience for the audience.

Professional Editing and Quality Control

Professional translators often collaborate with editors and proofreaders to refine their work. This additional layer of review ensures that the final translation is polished and error-free, enhancing the overall quality of the published text.

Broadening Audience Reach

With a professionally translated book, authors can access international markets and reach a broader audience. A quality translation helps build credibility with foreign readers, increasing the chances of gaining new fans and expanding an author’s readership globally.

Boosting Credibility and Sales

Books with high-quality translations are more likely to receive positive reviews, word-of-mouth recommendations, and boost sales. Poor translations, on the other hand, can lead to negative feedback and harm an author’s reputation.

Knowledge of the Publishing Process

Professional literary translators are often familiar with the self-publishing or traditional publishing process, which can be beneficial for authors. They may offer advice on navigating international markets, provide marketing tips that work on the foreign market, suggest the right keywords that resonate with the audience, or help handle legal aspects like copyright and contracts.

Language Expertise

Literary translators are experts in both the source and target languages, with a deep understanding of grammar, syntax, and idiomatic expressions. This expertise allows them to craft translations that sound natural and engaging to readers in the target language.

Collaborative Creative Partner

Professional translators often work closely with authors to ensure the translation aligns with their vision. This collaboration ensures that the final product is as close as possible to the author’s intent, even when adapting the text to a different language.

Final Thoughts

AI is still under development and constantly changing. It might even sound like an attractive option for authors to resort to in order to enter new markets and diversify their sources of income — regardless of the quality AI can achieve when it comes to literary texts.

Authors should be aware that this might result in foreign markets getting crowded with translations that lack the emotional depth needed to connect with audiences. This influx of potentially unsaleable titles might spam vendors, who might choose to take extra measures to ensure the quality of the products sold on their platforms. At the end of the day, a platform like Amazon will not risk losing clients over an invasion of poor-quality books. And, while Amazon does currently allow the publication of AI-generated works, authors should be mindful of quality, originality, and potential legal concerns (including plagiarism, as AI technologies “feed on” existing texts and books).

Furthermore, if the rules should change, if, all of a sudden, AI-generated material were under copyright of the model owner, or if audiences reacted badly to the translated books created with the use of AI, an author’s brand could end up suffering serious consequences — including but not limited to online shaming by entire international communities.

Teaming up with a translator and an editor, on the other hand, still continues to be the safest course of action. At the end of the day, once the clauses are clear and all the parties involved agree on terms, fees, royalties, delivery dates, etc., all there is to do is work towards creating a professional product audiences will love and want to buy.

Hiring a professional literary translator ensures that books maintain their quality and emotional impact while reaching a broader audience. It also enhances marketability, builds credibility, and preserves the artistic integrity of the original work across different languages. And it is this, and not a low-quality, fast-release approach, that will, ultimately, help authors conquer foreign audiences in the long term.

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Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

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7 Tips to Find the Right Literary Translator for Your Self-published Books

Leave a Comment / Translation Tips for Self-published Authors, Translation World / SBT / 23/09/2024

7 Tips to Find the Right Literary Translator for Your Self-published Books

Now that we have shared what a literary translator is, what background, training, and skills they possess and why they charge seemingly high fees, if you are still with us, it is time to take the next step in your journey to a new market: finding the right literary translator.

No matter what language you are considering translating your titles into, there are some things you simply need to get right from the beginning. Whether or not you hire the right professionals (at least one translator and one editor) to develop your products for a foreign market will end up playing a major role in your success. Finding the right literary translator will not only save you tons of headaches, but it is crucial for ensuring that the essence and quality of your books are preserved in the target language.

Luckily, to help you avoid disaster, here are some tips that will set you on the right path and help you determine if you’ve found the right linguists.

Tip#1: Review Their Qualifications and Experience

There are a few things to bear in mind when it comes to assessing a linguist’s qualifications and experience. Strange as it may sound, not all great literary translators have a translation degree and not all literary translators with a university degree make great professionals, and indie authors must dig deeper than simply examining the linguist’s credentials.

Fortunately, living in a globalised world where almost everyone has easy access to the Internet makes matters easier for authors. A good starting point is checking if the translator has formal education or training in translation, literature, or languages. Next comes the experience.

Yes, easier said than done. But don’t panic! We are here to walk you through the process and even provide examples.

Thanks to platforms like LinkedIn, Amazon Author Central, Goodreads, Translators Professional Associations, such as CEATL or The American Literary Translator’s Association (to name a few), and Translator’s Communities such as Proz.com or Translator’s café, translation experience can be easily verified. Try to check your translator’s profile on some of the most relevant platforms, paying especially close attention to reviews of their work from paying customers, volunteer projects they were involved in and readers.

On professional platforms like LinkedIn, customers can write recommendations for the freelancers they hire. To access these recommendations, click on the translator’s profile, scroll down and find out what other authors’ experience was working with this linguist. Here is an example of my profile (Psst! Feel free to connect with me):

Unfortunately, when it comes to literary translators and self-published authors, not many authors are on LinkedIn, so in reality these sorts of recommendations, though not impossible to find, are not that common either. Nevertheless, it is worth checking.

Other platforms such as Goodreads and Amazon allow authors to have their own profile, bio, website, blog, etc. Make sure to check your translator’s portfolio (if available on a website), their translated titles, and, above all, reader’s reviews (remember these are your potential customers, so you want to make sure they trust your translator).

As a translator, I rely a lot on Amazon.com for reviews of my own work. Like many authors out there, when a book I translated is launching, I anxiously keep track of reviews for the first couple of weeks (sometimes even months) to make sure readers are connecting with the story and are having the same feelings the readers got reading the original manuscript (or the source text), and that there are no big issues, such as typos or inconsistencies in the story. I do this even though I have an amazing translation editor who works alongside me on every project and has a keen eye for details (and you can connect with her, too).

Ultimately, my Amazon translator profile allows readers who love the books and genres I translate to follow me and get notifications whenever a new book launches. For example, as of September 13^th, 2024, I have 427 followers.

For an author, this is especially important if you have translated books for several markets; readers from one market may be put off by notifications about releases they cannot read. This may mean they are not following you, but if they follow your translator, they will be notified of the book launches they are most likely to buy.

While you check up on a translator’s experience, you should also consider their specialisation. Make sure to hire a linguist who specialises in your book’s genre, subgenre, and even your niche if possible. As a writer, you know that each genre comes with an audience of fans. Each audience has specific expectations of the books they love, and even in the same genre, books can be widely different, which is why niches are so important.

An experienced translator in your genre, subgenre and niche knows your target foreign audience as well as you know your home audience. As such, they know what words, expressions, tone, and literary devices to use in order to deliver the product your audience wants.

Tip#2: Examining Their Portfolio

Did you find someone promising? Do their credentials check out? It is time to look into their portfolio!

What previous works have they done? If you request a sample of their work and the translator cannot provide it, bear in mind that they might be complying with NDAs and other contracts they might have signed with other authors (which speaks well of their professionalism, but we will get there later on).

Most professional literary translators have a website or a professional platform (like LinkedIn) where they list some (if not all) of the projects they worked with and relevant links to online vendors or review platforms. You can check out our Portfolio page for an example.

Published translations can be a good indicator of a literary translator’s credibility and skill. Check their work with different vendors, research reviews in the target language and find out what the target audience thinks of the translated titles they have released so far.

Tip to assess translation quality: If readers are talking about the plot, the characters, the settings, the unexpected turns, the swoon-worthy hero, the tension-packed scenes, etc., chances are you found a great translator!

Readers will only mention translations if:

They are bad, poorly edited, full of typos, hard to follow, too literal or foreign-feeling to them.
They are translated to a language variant they don’t prefer (think American English vs British English; Latin-American Spanish vs Castilian Spanish). This doesn’t necessarily mean there is something wrong with the linguist or the translation, but rather that the reader prefers a different language variant. If reviews are generally good, I would keep this linguist in mind.

Tip#3: Asking for References

Some literary translators will have a Recommendation section on their LinkedIn profile or maybe a Testimonial on their website, such as this one in our Home page:

Ask your linguist for references and contact previous clients to get an idea of their working style and reliability, availability to meet deadlines, and professionalism.

Tip#4: Assessing Their Language Skills

Even though it sounds hard for an author to assess the source and target language proficiency of a translator without speaking a foreign language, you should at least make sure that:

Your translator is a native speaker of the target language.
Your translator has a high proficiency in the source language (this should be evident in the way you communicate with each other via email, chat or videocall). If your translator is not good at communicating in your mother tongue (source language), do not waste your time.
Your translator should have a deep cultural understanding of both cultures to translate idioms, humour and cultural references effectively. Additionally, your translator should understand what to translate and what not to translate.
A good example of this is my decision not to translate the word “Highlander” in the series by international best-seller author Mariah Stone “Al tiempo del highlander”. Several aspects led me to this decision (keywords and marketing reasons, for instance), but the biggest factor was my knowledge of the target audience and the fact that I didn’t want to underestimate the Spanish readers who pick up a historical romance book set in the Scottish Highlands and understand perfectly well the kind of romantic hero they are getting/craving.
After all, a Highlander is a native of the Scottish Highlands, though, in this particular context, they are a very special kind of hero or heroine—they are steadfast warriors devoted to their family. They are fair, loyal, and honourable, and they fight for a cause they believe in deeply, for their country, for independence, for love, and for their family. They are brave and stubborn.
Translating this instead as “montañés” or “montañesa” (“mountain man” or “mountain woman”) or “guerrero/a” (“warrior”), which are some typical translations for this word in Spanish, would have deprived the text, and the whole plot actually, of key meaning. It would have let down audiences – and worse, it would have talked down to them. On the other hand, translating it descriptively, “habitante de las Tierras Altas de Escocia” (inhabitant of the Scottish Highlands, or “Highlander”) would have sounded foreign, overly long and strange, and it would have kept interrupting readers’ engagement with the story, especially because of its length.

Tip#5: Testing Their Work

Let’s be honest. Starting any new relationship can be hard, and trusting a complete stranger can be difficult, too. And a professional relationship is no exception to this.

Luckily, if all the previous steps led you here, there is something else you can do before signing any contracts and spending any money on having your books translated into a foreign market.

Request a sample translation of a chapter (if short) or a few pages of your book. If you know someone bilingual, ask them to compare it to the original to see how well they capture the language nuances. If you know someone who is a native speaker of that foreign language, ask them to read the sample text and ask them relevant questions about the story so far and how they are responding to it.

Tip: A free sample translation should be 300–500 words at most. A blurb translation should suffice to assess a translator’s skill.

Tip: If you don’t consider the blurb a long enough sample, you can always consider paying for a sample translation of a longer portion of the text to assess your linguist’s skills. Do not expect a professional linguist to translate a few chapters for free (and be cautious if they agree to do it).

Tip#6: Communicating and Collaborating

Good literary translators communicate effectively and respond quickly to your questions and concerns. Additionally, experienced literary translators can provide authors with information, tips, or other services they might not have considered yet (defining SEO-keywords in the target market, assisting with marketing campaigns, or setting up a special Newsletter for the foreign audience, for instance).

Professional literary translators should be willing to collaborate and consult with you to understand your vision and expectations, and to clarify ambiguities related to the text. For instance, if you write in a series and there are some unresolved issues, cliffhangers, or plot twists that need further clarification in order for your translator to make the best translation decision for the next instalments in the series to make sense. After all, when it comes down to it, translating is a decision-making process.

Tip#7: Showing Professionalism

A literary translator’s professionalism can be measured in a variety of ways. Without any doubt, first impressions and the way they communicate with you as an author are the best way to assess their professional behaviour, but it doesn’t end there:

Deadlines: When you ask for references, you can ask other authors the linguist worked for how good they were at meeting deadlines
Contracts: As established by Article 2 of the Berne Convention, your literary translator is the copyright holder of your translation as they are the author behind the translation. As such, both parties have the responsibility to draw up a fair contract and provide clear terms regarding:

Payment.
Timelines.
Rights, exploitation rights, and any limitations on their use.
Royalty share: In addition to a flat fee, literary translators are entitled to a royalty share to be agreed upon between both parties.

Final Thoughts:

If you are still here, you might have learnt that finding a professional translator who possesses both the necessary qualifications and skills to translate your books for a foreign market is no easy task. In fact, the more research authors do when hiring a literary translator, the better chances they have to find the one they should be working with.

Literary translation is not only a matter of skill and experience, but similarly to the writing business, it is a matter of niche and specialisation. It is a matter of developing storytelling techniques to conquer foreign audiences, meet their genre-specific expectations and deliver the book your foreign readers want to read.

The process might be long and excruciating. It will definitely require a lot of patience and devotion from your side, but once you find the right literary translator for your catalogue, you will want to hold on to them: this can, in fact, be the start of a very fruitful professional relationship.

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Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

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How to Promote a Translated Title and Conquer a Foreign Market

Leave a Comment / Marketing Tips for Translated Books, Translation World / SBT / 09/09/2024

How to Promote a Translated Title and Conquer a Foreign Market

A comprehensive guide covering everything —
from pre-launch to launch week and post-launch strategies to promote your translated title!

Promoting a translated title in a foreign market involves a multifaceted approach to reach the target audience effectively. As overwhelming as this might sound, you should not lose focus on one important detail: if you succeeded in your home market and are ready to move on to foreign ones, you have all the skills required to succeed again!

Today, we are going to analyse a lot of different ways to help you successfully promote your translated books. You don’t have to do them all at once. In fact, planning ahead is key. You want to get the word out about your translations as soon as you decide to take the first steps and build buzz all the way to launch week, where you will focus on other ways of promotion. And after that? There is always something you can do to keep promoting your books. So, let’s start, shall we?

NB: Even though this article is mainly focused on Spanish audiences, you will find most of the advice here relevant for other markets, so whereas you have translated titles to German, Italian, French or any other language, you’re going to find it useful!

Pre-Launch Phase:

This is the phase that starts right after you find the perfect translator that aligns with your genre and requirements. You have crossed the Ts and dotted the Is, the contract has been signed, and the manuscript has been sent for translation.

Now is the time to sit back and relax for a few weeks or months until your translation is ready to be released, right? Well, actually, no. This is the time to focus on one thing: generate buzz about your coming book among foreign readers and start building your audience.

“But how can I do this when I don’t even speak that language?” you might be wondering… Well, it is actually not that hard. In fact, all you need is a little help from an expert. And guess what? You just hired a translator! So, who better to do this for you? (Remember to stipulate marketing materials in your translation contract or to ask your translator to keep count of all additional material and add it to your invoice.)

Here is a list of things you can do in the following weeks to start building momentum:

Get your website translated from the get-go (this is where your foreign audience will find official information about you and your future releases). You do not have to spend a fortune here, and you definitely don’t need to translate every single blog article you might have posted for your home audience. Please, keep it simple, but let your new audience know who you are and what you are up to. Make sure to mention any other translations you may have on the works (are you planning an entire series? Let your readers know right away!)
Set up a Newsletter for your foreign audience. This will be key to gathering all those precious email addresses from potential buyers.
Announce your new venture into the foreign market. Send out a Newsletter to your current audience in search of those loyal fans who are also speakers of the language you are translating into. Get them on board ASAP; they will be your sidekicks! Ask them to join your foreign Newsletter so you only send your news to those who want to receive it, and don’t risk overwhelming your existing audience.
Remember the Newsletter announcing your exciting news? Ask all your readers to help you by leaving a comment on your best-performing social media platform to generate engagement and reach more people! (They are your fans and will be thrilled to contribute to your success, even if they won’t buy your foreign books.)
When you have your professionally designed book cover for the translated title… Share a cover reveal on social media and in the Newsletter! What’s more, ask your readers their opinions. Or get them to vote between two different cover options! Or even ask them to sign up as your first reviewers!
Now that your audience is visually hooked, it is time to captivate their hearts with your words (or, in this case, your translator’s). Share your blurb and let them know what to expect from your first release!
When the translation is well underway, ask your translator to send you a few chapters carefully edited (if possible, by the book editor as well) and share a first chapter in your Newsletter!
Share some catchy taglines and calls to action on social media. Work with your translator and designer. This is not the time to scare your readers away with poorly edited content.
Invite your fans to join your launch team.
Set up your translated novel on pre-sale(*) and make sure your fans add it to their “Want to Read” lists on Goodreads and StoryGraph. (Remember, these are readers who have friends who share reading interests and probably enjoy books in your genre, so this is as close to “word of mouth” as you can get before even releasing your title.)
(*) Make sure you choose a release date that far exceeds your translator’s deadline (especially if this is your first international release). Life happens, deadlines are missed, you are still getting to know one another professionally, and you do not want to put out readers and Amazon by not having your title available on the promised date.
Have a reader magnet ready. This can be a prequel, a novella, a few sample chapters of your next release or a lot of other creative ideas. Check out this website for more lead magnet ideas.
Get your ARCs ready for your launch team.
Start planning your promotions for launch week. Plan ahead. If using promo sites (**), book your dates. Choose where you will advertise and design your ad campaigns with plenty of time (again, ask your translator and designer to help you with this).
Contact bloggers regarding blog tours and review opportunities (you might need your translator’s assistance to get the message right).

(**)Some paid promotion sites for Spanish titles include:

Ebrolis: According to some, this website is “the Spanish Bookbub”, and their website is translated into English.

Qué libro leo: Even though they don’t offer much information upfront, this popular website among Spanish-speaking readers offers promotional opportunities for authors.

Lecturalia: On their website (only available in Spanish), they mention that you can email them regarding promotion opportunities (get your translator to help!)

Many Books: You’ve probably heard of this one, or maybe even used it to promote titles in your home market. But did you know they also promote Spanish titles?

Launch Week:

This is probably the most anxious time you’ll have when it comes to this venture of entering a whole new market. Hard as it might be, try to avoid just refreshing your sales board and focus on other more important and productive endeavours:

Now that your book is live, reach out to your ARC readers and ask them to post their reviews on online retailers, social media and Goodreads or StoryGraph.
Participate in interviews and features with bloggers, vloggers and influencers.
Take the time to thank bloggers, vloggers and influencers in a comment on their posts or social media related to your launch. Share their stories and their content!
Set up a giveaway! Who doesn’t love a giveaway? Extra Tip: If you are translating into Spanish and wish to reach a broader audience, make sure to contact lecturalia.com/contacto regarding giveaways and promotional opportunities!
Create targeted social media campaigns on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.
Create Amazon ads/ads for your foreign title.
Send out a Newsletter to your foreign audience announcing your new release!
Consider Promotions and Discounts: Run promotions, discounts, and limited-time offers to attract new readers.

Post-Launch Marketing Strategies:

Now that your book is out there, we can focus on other strategies that will help you get the word out and get new subscribers into your mailing list:

Encourage readers to leave reviews on local review sites and platforms like Amazon, Goodreads, and local equivalents.
Translate more books: If you have been at the writing game for a while now, you know that a writer’s long-term career is built on sell-through, or in other words, on readers loving your books and coming back for more (either your backlist or your next series). Releasing constant new books on a foreign market will keep your audiences hooked and help you develop your author brand overseas.
Promote in your books: Once your audience has finished reading your book, there are some key pages you don’t want to leave out:

Call to action: Direct your new readers to your NL or website.
Call to review: Ask them to leave an honest review of your book.
Reader magnet page: Collect other materials you've written and share them, or maybe add some teasers for your upcoming releases!
Thank you: Let them know how much you appreciate them for choosing your book
Teaser: Do you have more translations in the process? Make sure to let your new audience know! Include the cover and blurb of your next release, as well as a link to a pre-order. If available, add a few sample chapters of your next book.

Research local success stories: Look at local authors and how they have successfully marketed their books, and learn from their approaches.
Promote on Goodreads and on StoryGraph. Read this interesting article on all the resources Goodreads offers in the most subtle ways.
Promote on Babelio.

Final Thoughts:

By now, we have covered quite a lot of marketing ideas to get you started on the right foot in a foreign market. By employing these strategies, you can effectively promote your translated book in a foreign market, ensuring it reaches and resonates with your target audience.

However, you should always remember no venture is without risk, and there is no amount of marketing or the right formula that can 100% guarantee the success or failure of a book.

What is for sure, though? Without marketing, your translated book is set up to get lost in the sea of releases that hit the shelves every day, every hour, every minute, and you have little to no chance of a successful launch.

Bonus: Where to Find Foreign Book Buyers?

Did you know that Spanish book readers do not always rely on the vendors that are popular in your home market, such as Amazon and Apple Books?

For Spanish readers looking to purchase books, several retailers offer extensive selections of books in Spanish, ranging from physical stores to online platforms. Here are some of the best book retailers catering to Spanish readers; make sure your books are available to purchase on:

Online Retailers

Amazon:
Amazon.com (for USA Hispanic readers), Amazon.mx (for Latin-American readers) and Amazon.es (for European Spanish readers)
- - Offers a vast selection of Spanish books, including bestsellers, classics, and new releases. Amazon’s Kindle store also has numerous Spanish e-books.
Casa del Libro:
- - One of the largest online bookshops in Spain, offering a wide range of books in Spanish across various genres. They ship internationally.
Librería Gandhi:
- - A popular bookshop in Mexico with an extensive online catalogue of books in Spanish. They provide shipping options to many countries.

Fnac:
- - A well-known European retailer with a strong presence in Spain and France. They offer a wide selection of books in Spanish, both online and in physical stores.
Barnes & Noble:
- - While primarily an English-language retailer, Barnes & Noble has a good selection of Spanish books, especially for learners and bilingual editions.
Librería Porrúa:
- - A historic Mexican bookshop chain that offers a wide selection of Spanish books online.
La Casa Azul Bookstore:
- An independent bookshop based in New York that specialises in books by and about Latinos, offering a good selection of Spanish books.

Digital Platforms

Google Play Books:
- - Offers a wide range of e-books in Spanish, including bestsellers and classics.
Kobo:
- - Another excellent source for Spanish e-books, with an extensive catalogue available for various e-readers.
Storytel:
- An audiobook and e-book subscription service with a significant collection of Spanish titles.

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Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

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Know Thy Author: A Translator’s Guide to Working with Self-published Authors

Leave a Comment / Tips for Translators / SBT / 02/09/2024

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.

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Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

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Know Thy Author: A Translator’s Guide to Working with Self-published Authors Read More »

What’s Behind a Professional Translator’s Fee?

Leave a Comment / Translator's Life / SBT / 14/08/2024

What's Behind a Professional Translator's Fee?

Even though a lot has been said regarding how much a translator should charge per word on a project, the reality is that this is a far more complex matter than it appears on the surface.

So, today’s goal is to dig deeper into this controversial subject in the hopes of shedding some light on the matter.

While researching for this article, I came across a lot of misleading information in different articles and ebooks. And more often than not, those writing about this matter don’t take into account key elements that make up a professional translator’s fee. Instead, they seem eager to reproduce ideas like “how to get the cheapest translation service”, without knowing or addressing the problems and headaches this sort of mindset can end up costing authors.

While some authors choose to follow this path, others, who are more prudent, will continue to read this article and, hopefully, research even further afterwards.

To begin with, pricing a freelance service is a rather intricate matter. When a literary translator gives an author a quote for a project, they are not simply charging for the time it will take them to replicate a certain number of words into their native language.

In fact, there are many factors a freelancer must consider when setting up their fees.

A professional translator’s fee consists of:

Education

In my opinion, one of the most horrifying myths is the belief that any bilingual speaker is qualified to make a living as a translator.

The truth is that a professional translator usually has a degree in Translation or Translation Studies, meaning a person who spent at least three to four years of their life training, learning and studying the complexities of their language pairs (the language they translate from and into.) A professional translator can also have a degree or equivalent knowledge and experience in Languages or Literature – particularly the grammar of both languages!

Additionally, literary translators develop their narration skills in order to tell your story to your foreign audience in an engaging and captivating way. This sometimes means resorting to different literary devices, changing structures and altering word order so that the reading flows in the most natural way and your foreign audience experiences the same feelings your original readers did when reading your book. Regardless of how many changes they make, professional literary translators will be loyal to the author, the tone, the plot, the settings, and the characters.

Specialisation

After getting a degree in Translation Studies, many professionals continue to specialise in a specific area of translation: Medicine, Law, Literature, IT, Finance, Tourism, among others. Just like authors write in niches, translators who specialise become experts in their “niche” specialisation, gaining tools that allow them to perform better jobs and deliver higher-quality translations readers will undoubtedly love.

Experience

As literary translators gain experience in a specific genre or niche, they become masters of their craft. They know which words speak to specific audiences.

In the globalised world we currently live in, there’s no reason why translators should be invisible figures, often left out of the credits or almost ignored. Most self-published authors can find a great ally in their translator by understanding they have followers on social media or on their Amazon Translator or Goodreads translator profiles. These followers, who are readers that love the genres these translators specialise in, tend to trust the quality of their work.

Let me share my literary translator experience using my Amazon Author Central Profile (thanks to being credited as a translator in most of the books I translated). This useful tool not only allows me to add all of my translated books to my portfolio (or Amazon page), but it also allows readers to discover other authors I have worked with by accessing my profile and maybe clue them in to their next big read!

Additionally, Amazon Author Central allows me to keep track of my followers (yay!). These readers, in turn, get a notification every time one of my translations is released to the Spanish market, making it a great sales tool for new and old authors working with me.

To this day, I have 385 followers on Amazon and counting!

Office (Home-office)

People tend to believe freelancers save tons of money by not commuting or eating out because they work from home.

However, working from home has its pros and cons, as well as its own costs. In order for a freelancer to be able to work from home, they’ll need to pay rent or a mortgage, then set up an office, buy the proper equipment, and pay the bills (Internet, heating, electricity, water). Freelancers can’t take advantage of the economy of scale like larger agencies, and these expenses can quickly add up.

Equipment + software

Depending on their specialisation, a translator will need different things. A literary translator requires, at the very least, a laptop, a proper desk, a good internet connection, an ergonomic chair, and some word-processing software. Some might even use extra software for quality checks. Others go on to take new courses to continue to develop and update their skills. All of these things cost time and money.

Taxes

As any freelancer, a literary translator needs to keep a tidy economy. This means paying taxes, social security, holidays, retirement, sick days, etc. This entails a lot of time spent on careful administration – no one wants a surprise visit from the tax department! So, naturally, any person making an income from this profession will need to take these things into account when it comes to quoting a project.

Final Thoughts

No professional translator can do without these key elements that make them a competent professional, who is constantly developing their skills and improving the quality of their work. Each project, course, device, or software acquired adds value to the final quality of their translations.

So, next time you get a suspiciously low quote for a translation project, it might be worth asking yourself if the person who offered you said quote is a fully qualified and equipped linguist trained to deliver a quality translation that speaks to your audience. The alternative is wasting money on a translation readers won’t want to read and risking your chance to make a good first impression with an entirely new foreign audience.

As a matter of fact, professional translators tend to avoid customers looking for cheap quotes: no matter how good a quality product they deliver, they know without a doubt that sooner or later, they will be dumped for a linguist offering lower prices. And no self-respecting literary translator will want their name associated with a low-quality book.

Now you know where your investment is going when you choose to work with a professional translator. Hopefully, you feel confident in choosing the right professional to bring your story to fresh readers and can protect yourself from the pitfalls of working with bargain-basement amateurs.

This post may contain affiliate links

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

What’s Behind a Professional Translator’s Fee? Read More »

10 Things I Love about My Translations Editor

Leave a Comment / Translation World / SBT / 08/09/2023

10 Things I Love about My Translations Editor

For those of you who have been following our work and this blog for a while now, this article will surely come as no surprise. After all, you’ve already read me preaching about the importance of translation editors on several occasions. Like when I discussed whether you should hire several translators for your series or my life as a literary translator. My favourite, though, is the last article, a success story that would likely not have happened without my amazing editor’s skills.

You might be here because you’re curious about the translation world, or you’re an indie author wondering whether it’s time to navigate a new market. Alternatively, you could be a translator (or a translation student) who’d love to make a living translating books. Regardless of the situation, read on to learn more!

In this article, I’d like to speak from my personal experience working with my peer and colleague Ayelen Lapettina, whom I met at university more than a decade ago and who has been editing my translated books for the last two years.

No doubt, the experience of working together on the translations and editing of a best-selling time-travel author who’s killing it in the Spanish market has been enriching for both of us. But far from talking about that experience, today, I’d like to focus only on her: my quality-seeking translations editor. Her work might go unnoticed to the average reader, but without her fantastic feedback and careful notes my translated books wouldn’t be half as good.

Without further ado, let’s go over the ten things I love most about my translations’ editor, Ayelen:

1. Her communication skills

As with most things, the way Ayelen and I work has changed and evolved naturally over the course of the last two years. The one thing that remained constant? The fact that we’ve always had great communication from the very beginning. Upon receiving a project, she would read the whole translated manuscript and come back with notes and questions for me to answer. Once she gets these answers – they help avoid assumptions and mistranslating – she goes over the translation twice more and continues with her editing process.

2. Her ever-so-curious mind

If you ask me, this is a skill any translation editor should have: the need to question and research even the things you think you know.

3. Her comments always full of information and explanations

Every time I get a manuscript back from my editor, it’s a delight to find out just how detail-oriented and precise she’s been. She doesn’t just point out corrections, but she also makes suggestions on ways to improve the quality of the translated book, and whenever necessary, she adds relevant links in her comments to sources of valuable information.

4. Her way of challenging me to research further, learn more or refresh old lessons

Following point 3, it’s through this meticulous feedback that I find myself learning new things or revisiting old lessons from university. And it’s largely due to this I feel my work as a literary translator has improved significantly.

5. Her language knowledge and available resources

My editor not only possesses great knowledge, which she’s been cultivating since a young age, but she also has a well-equipped library with lots of academic textbooks, and she knows where to go to research different topics.

6. Her sharp eye

In addition to all that, Ayelen is amazing at spotting repetitions (which pose a big problem for Spanish readers), borrowed words or phrases from the original text (something even most trained translators can sometimes struggle with), making the right adjustments to give the translated text a natural flow and (my personal favourite) she’s excellent at spotting inconsistencies either in a book or in a series. Did I mention the importance of working with a translators team in a previous article? Read all about it here!

7. The fact I can fully trust her knowledge and criteria

Since I met my translations editor in college and we spent five years studying together, taking the same classes, sitting for the same exams, and exchanging notes and knowledge, I’ve known for quite some time what kind of person she is. So, qualities such as her curiosity, her thirst for knowledge, and her detail-oriented eye never came as a surprise to me. But it wasn’t until we started working together that I realised just how reliable she is and how lucky I am to be working with such a devoted professional.

8. She’s down-to-earth

Sometimes, it’s very easy for a translator to get lost in the text and to lose sight of certain things. This is when a down-to-earth translations editor comes in handy. Being more detached from the source text allows editors to provide accurate and objective feedback, which Ayelen simply excels at.

9. She loves her profession and is always up to date with the latest debates and happenings in the academic world

Living in different countries, Ayelen and I do regular video calls to catch up, discuss our projects and obstacles we might be dealing with, share things we’d like to achieve in the short and long term, the books we’re currently working on, and life in general. Being well-read, an avid researcher and always on top of the latest news, she rarely fails to mention what’s happening in the academic world, which topics are being discussed, and what her opinion is on the matter. As I usually get caught up in whatever book I’m translating and life itself, I truly love this about her.

10. She’s a huge nerd and loves to learn about whatever topic we’re translating

My translations editor doesn’t just focus on the correct grammar of the translated text and its natural flow for the native Spanish readers, but also on the veracity and consistency of its contents, something even the authors I’m translating for appreciate.

To sum up:

To be honest, and in case you haven’t noticed by now, I could probably go on and on about how amazing my translations editor is. However, I’d like to know what you, as an author or as a translator, love the most about your editors. Is there anything particularly outstanding about the professionals you’re working with? Don’t be shy and praise them in the comments!

This post may contain affiliate links

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

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10 Things I Love about My Translations Editor Read More »

6 Effective Ways for Professional Literary Translators to Find New Projects and Customers

Leave a Comment / Tips for Translators / SBT / 02/08/2023

6 Effective Ways for Professional Literary Translators to Find New Projects and Customers

Regardless of their situation — whether they have just graduated and are taking their first steps in the professional market or just finished a project and have some time without work, and whether they translate for publishing houses or work with self-published authors — almost all freelance literary translators face the reality of being on the constant lookout for new projects.

In our upcoming ebook, we have a chapter where we focus on where authors can find professional and trained literary translators for their books. But today we’d like to bring some light on the subject from the translator’s perspective. This article will hopefully help authors understand how translators network (in case they’re ever approached by one). It will also provide insight on how to differentiate professional translators from scams, as well as help literary translators or translation students wanting to specialise in literature find new customers.

These are, in my opinion, a few things all translators should do:

1. Update your CV, portfolio, website, blog, and professional profiles: LinkedIn, Proz, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Be visible and professional on the Internet.

In the world we currently live in, I honestly cannot stress enough the importance of becoming visible on the Internet and staying in touch with the translators’ community and with current events.

Naturally, you don’t have to master all social media. After all, how much time will you have left for projects, if you’re spending all your time sharing content on your social profiles? Choose the ones you’re most comfortable with and stick to those.

2. Learn, learn, learn.

Whereas having no projects on the horizon is definitely worrisome for most freelance translators, few of them take advantage of these times to continue to develop their skills.

This is the perfect time to catch up with your reading, stay up to date with the latest book launches in your field and be in the loop with professional discussions.

This is also a great time to learn new skills. Are there any CAT tools other professionals are using that you haven’t had the chance to learn yet? Is there any software you could be using to improve the quality of your work, such as quality check tools? Have you given any thought to learning more about digital marketing? After all, social media presence is a must-have skill in the world we live in. Are there any specialization workshops starting soon? Could they help you improve your CV in any way?

3. Network.

Attend translation events, network with other professionals, attend book fairs, and introduce yourself to publishing houses representatives and authors. It is the testimony of far too many translators out there that they got a lot of projects thanks to mouth-to-mouth recommendations and people they met attending relevant events.

Build relationships with your colleagues, meet professionals based in different countries, share your points of view on different topics, and engage in conversations and exchanges of ideas. In other words, start networking.

You never know where your next customer might come from… Will it be an editor who’s been following you on social media and agreed with your opinions on a certain topic? Or perhaps a self-published author who enjoyed an insightful article you wrote? Maybe a colleague who likes your previous work and is swamped with projects at the moment? One thing’s for sure: nothing ever happens unless you make it happen.

4. Approach self-published authors either via email or (if possible) in person.

Don’t just sit at home sending out a million impersonal emails a day. Take the time to do some proper research. Contact those authors whose books you’ve genuinely read and enjoyed and explain why their stories would be a perfect match for the foreign market (what similar books or authors have succeeded in that market?). Have they had other books translated into your language? Have they had any books or series translated into other languages? How are those titles performing in foreign markets? How could foreign readers benefit from having their books translated into your language?

DO provide professional links to your website, Amazon Translator Profile, LinkedIn, social media, and the portfolio of books you’ve translated. Provide translation samples of your previous works, too.

DO approach authors at events and introduce yourself in person. Give your business card if they might be interested in your services (or some other authors they know are).

DON’T stalk authors.

DON’T send an unrequested translation sample of the author’s work.

DON’T send a whole manuscript of another author’s book you’ve translated in the past.

5. Offer to do a translation sample (300 to 500 words).

In the translation world, most translation agencies don’t really care about a professional’s degree or training. Instead, when a translator approaches an agency in order to collaborate or develop a professional relationship, it is standard practice for the agency to ask the translator to do a sample or a test. Samples are usually based on the translator’s areas of expertise and do not exceed 500 words. This is enough for an agency to evaluate the translator’s skills and determine whether they are a good fit or not.

6. Research and approach publishing houses.

Working for a renowned publishing house is, perhaps, every literary translator’s dream (though, as I have already confessed here, not necessarily mine).

The reality is that working for a publishing house takes a lot of networking and research. First of all, before any sort of contact is made, a translator needs to become familiar with the kinds of works each publishing house is interested in (what genres, books, and authors do they publish?). Then, they need to find out who is the person in charge of translations (it is never a good idea to send a general email, as it could easily get lost and never reach the proper recipient). It’s also important to bear in mind that publishing houses receive tons of CVs a day, so translators need to stand out from the crowd. LinkedIn is a good social media to get in touch with editors, authors, and fellow translators.

Some translators have been successful when sending their CV stating their formal education, their language pair, their experience in the field, the seminars they’ve attended and further courses they’ve completed after getting their degrees. In addition, they included their catalogue (book title, author, publishing house, year, and ISBN), and they showed interest in the publishing house.

Others also like to propose the translation of a book and attach a thorough report with:

Book information: title, genre, wordcount, audience, ISBN, whether it is a standalone or part of a series, etc.
Literary aspects: blurb, plot, structure, tone, narration, themes, characters, etc.
Legal aspects: Is the suggested title up for translation in the language pair? (Sometimes it’s hard to find out this information for traditionally published authors, but self-published authors interested in having their books translated can be approached with these kinds of questions.)
Reviews and recommendations: number of reviews and readers’ ratings, social media presence of the author and other books
Commercial information: number of copies sold in the home market, followers on social media.

Any other relevant information on why the suggested title would be a good fit for the publishing house and the foreign market: Does the story take place in a country where your pair-language is spoken? Does the author have a special connection with a that country?

Final thoughts

As a Literary Translator that’s solely interested in translating books and has rejected many other projects, I have, of course, faced times when my workload was diminished.

In the beginning, I used to stress and worry a lot about this and I have done most of the things I suggest on this post. I have contacted indie authors whose books I truly enjoyed (and most of them to no avail, but you never know…). I have updated all of my social media profiles to make it as easy as possible for authors to find me, trust my work, and connect with me. Likewise, I have also read many books, articles, and blogs to stay up to date with current events in the field.

I don’t really know why I have never attempted to approach a publishing house, though I guess my path was linked to the indie world from the very beginning. I always felt curious about writers and wanted to work closely with them.

Thus, being so interested in the self-published world, I have naturally read every blog I came upon, participated in writer forums and Facebook groups, and grabbed practically every book for writers ever recommended. Knowing my potential customers and their most frequent struggles always seemed key for me to be able to develop as a literary translator for indie authors.

That is how this website came to be. And nowadays, whenever I’m facing moments when I might have no projects on the horizon, I always turn to blogging. Because writing meaningful content that might help and inspire authors not only adds value to my work, but also feels good. It is something I truly enjoy and not something I get to do when I’m swamped.

It is also my hope that through these articles, I’m bringing value to my profession, informing my audience, tearing down misconceptions about the translators’ role, and last but not least, helping all my fellow translators out there become inspired to follow their dreams. No matter how hard it might be to get started.

So be patient. Nothing happens overnight. But if you turn the stress of the slow times into little actions every day, you’ll be working towards building your brand. And in time, customers will start to contact you.

This post may contain affiliate links

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Contact me

6 Effective Ways for Professional Literary Translators to Find New Projects and Customers Read More »

Translation World

5 Lesser-known Facts about Literary Translations

5 Facts about Literary Translation:

1. Translators Are Co-Authors, Not Just Interpreters

2. Some Words and Concepts Are Untranslatable

3. Cultural Context Can Make or Break a Translation

4. Translators Are Often Invisible

5. Literal Translations Can Be Disastrous

Final Thoughts

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Epic AI Fails in the Book Industry: The Pumpkin Spice Café Spanish Translation

HarperCollins’ approach to using AI for the Spanish translation of Laurie Gilmore’s The Pumpkin Spice Café: Café con aroma a calabaza

But why did the translation fall short if the novel was so successful and widely popular in its home market?

Quality Concerns:

Reader Backlash:

A New Normal?

Author's Silence

Financial Implications:

The Irreplaceable Value of Human Translators in Literary Translation

Further reading:

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Choosing the Right Translator and How to Work with Them

Where to find professional literary translators?

Some things to be aware of:

How do I know if I found the right translator for my books?

But are they really the right translator?

Beta readers? Why not!

Conclusion

Disclosure:

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Ayelen Lapettina Benito

English > Spanish Literary Translator

SBT's Goals for 2025

Translate, Edit & Release

New Authors

Ebook

Blog

Social Media

Our Goals

Ayelen’s Personal & Professional Goals:

Carolina’s Personal & Professional Goals:

Final Thoughts

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Ayelen Lapettina Benito

English > Spanish Literary Translator

The 2024 Recap of an Incredible Year for SBT

The ebook we launched: Translating your Books into Spanish—A Comprehensive Guide to the Spanish Market

Projects we have worked on:

Posts we have shared (in case you missed any):

Just Finished Translating my First Series

What’s Behind a Professional Translator’s Fee?

Know Thy Author: A Translator's Guide to Working with Self-published Authors

How to Promote a Translated Title and Conquer a Foreign Market

Help! My Translation Is Not Performing. What Should I do?

7 Tips to Find the Right Literary Translator for Your Self-published Books

Thoughts on Inspiration and 10 Quotes to Inspire the Writer Within You

Book Recommendation: Translating Myself and Others, by Jhumpa Lahiri

AI for Book Translations & What Nobody Is Really Talking About

Pros and Cons of Working with Beta Readers for Translated Books

7 Reasons Why Translators Should Receive Royalties

Launching Our Free Ebook

Final Thoughts

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Ayelen Lapettina Benito

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Launching Our Free Ebook

Discover the Power of the Spanish-Speaking Market

Working with Translators and Editors: The Key to Success

Copyrights and Intellectual Property

Thriving in an Unsaturated Market

Would you like to read it?

Carolina García Stroschein

English > Spanish Literary Translator

Ayelen Lapettina Benito

English > Spanish Literary Translator