That's why I said that people should meet in the middle.

I've given on the Djenny Floro group the process of making a book (I've made it "easy" so people would understand and oriented it example-based). The fact is that a book requires at least 5 to 6 checks in his natural tongue then about 4 to 5 checks in its target tongue. Alongside, it requires the writer to understand the target language at least and a little of the basic culture of the country.

Of course not all writers do so and the most known ones prefers to leave to translators the entire process. That's how you come with a book who has different whereabouts in differents countries. For my part, my books are the same and look the same whatever the language you read them so everyone can see the same story. It requires great time and efforts... all this of course isn't free. The translators I worked with on the past mainly deceived me so now I overlook all the process...

Because of this I've decided to go to Translia for the jobs so I can easily follow-up the translations, ask questions and work together with my collaborators. Yet, just for the first book, I'm already at 1 check in french, 1 check in english and they both needs a second and afterwards a third round of check. I guess I'll issue second round on a free basis then third round on a paid basis...

Some works requires more investments than others, that was the meaning of it. Working with some clients, with the new wave of clients means sometimes to get some risks that's true for everyone. I cannot guarantee the success of my book regardless on how many books I've already wrote. Readers are very picky nowadays and won't buy before having read the book and enjoyed it, there's also illegal downloading who costed me 13 000 euros of my last years earnings according the dammage estimation. Thus, issuing one check in paid, the other in free mode, I can manage to get a book with great quality that will seel, even if a little. The middle part of the translator is accepting that since the 4 to 5 checks are done whitin two months, they can be sure the work is steady and that the incomes will come together with both jobs. Usually, the percentages of the book's earnings is to cover for the free checks done.

I see your point, I don't see anything contradictory with what I said. The fact is that I meant to say that if the number of steady, firmly paid jobs is a reality, the translators should see that alongside, now that the bridge of banks has collapsed, they should unsure works with more risk but a sure-to-come-back client. Writers and webmaster need consistency, thus they won't go elsewhere if you do a proper job on their site / Book. It's all the more true when speaking about a book...

A little evolution is needed on the translator's job for litteracy by including a part where the translator become a bridge to cross frontiers. It would cut off the actual spreaders of books who are ripping off the authors of their rights, give more money to the translators / Authors and help greatly to the increase of the translators rate.

I do not mean that the translator should be taking on the role of distribution, I mean he should become a partner that can get the knowledge one needs on his target country. For example, someone the author can ask to gather (and translate into something the author can understand, informations such as contacts for distribution.

It might get time-eating the first time but such informations won't change unless a law change it, thus it's something he can sell along his translations that will greatly help the author (who is also the client) and thus unsure the author won't go looking for anyone else if there is needs of negociation, contacts and all. Working on the book will have granted him all the others translations that are paid immediately.

Litteracy isn't a simple word, just like translator one. Which is why the "free work" that is paid off later by wages on the sells, is also greatly compensated by all the additionals works that comes around the book.

You said you didn't see anyone successful as a translator paid on the percentage of sales, yes I do agree. However, on my part and after asking my fellow authors about it, we have yet so see a translator who accepted the entire process. We have to look for a translator who translate the book, one who accept to gather / translate the datas and even do half of this job, one who does the contracts and such...

It's both a waste of time and money on all parts. Literacy contracts only change on the numbers like the percentage of the book given to the author, the author name and adress, his alias... aside this, they're all pretty much the same, it goes like this for the distribution contracts as well. That is why translating them isn't the biggest part, so once done for an author, you'll come into your earnings by putting a price package including book, contacts, percentage of sale and information gathering (nowadays, it requires about one phone call to the country's accurate misnistry in charge of culture) and once your network in place, you won't have as much jobs as you think to do, while still being able to make profits out of it.

Djenny Floro / Ukyuu.

That is exactly where apprenticeship should come in handy. For you it would benefit by giving you jobs and teach you how to make a network, for the translator, while it may take more time at first, once you're good enough to release your translation without being looked after, then the workload would be greatly decreased.

A correct apprenticeship is of 5 years, since I believe it is what it takes to understand the source language's culture which is what most translators miss / lack nowadays.

As for the litteracy, I'd say 6-7 because you need to build very specifics glossaries and terminology on the differents type of books you can encounter. A science-fiction glossary can't help in a fantasy book, same goes for investigation books and kitchen books... it should take longer so the apprentice can build correctly his glossaries.

Ukyuu / Djenny Floro.