The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2022 - 30

Useful Links
American Literary
Translators Association
ATA Literary Division
Resource Page
ATA's Model Job Contract
Pen America Contract for
Literary Translations
Upwork
were translating a chemical
patent or financial report?
No, probably not, but it
can still be worthwhile. I
always give writers two
pricing options. The first is
at my normal rate-not my
highest rate ever, but what
I would be happy to get for
any project-and with a
relatively short deadline. The
second is several cents lower
than my normal rate, but
with a much longer deadline.
Then the author can decide.
If they choose the shorter
deadline, their project will
be my priority, even if I have
to turn down other work
to finish it on time. If they
choose the longer deadline,
that will allow me to
continue to take on most of
my usual projects and focus
on the book translation when
higher paying work is slow.
If someone says I charge
too much, I just move along.
I am more expensive than
many translators they can
find online, and that's fine.
They'll find a cheaper option
and I'll find someone who's
willing to pay more.
If you connect with an
author who would like to
hire you, make sure you
get everything in writing
and approved by the author
before you start translating.
You can draw up an
agreement based on ATA's
Model Job Contract and/or
the Pen America Contract for
Literary Translations. Some
of the details you need to
spell out are:
Payment: How much are you
going to be paid and how
and when will you get it?
Depending on the project,
I request ½ or ⅓ of the
total fee at the beginning.
It would be great to be able
to ask for the total upfront,
but realistically I think most
people would hesitate to pay
thousands of dollars before
they've seen any work. And I
don't blame them!
Timeline: When is it due?
Make sure you're realistic
about how long it will take
and don't forget to leave time
for editing. Will you send the
author the entire finished
translation at the end, or will
you set up milestones along
the way (e.g., submitting
sections of a novel, or
sending short stories as you
complete them)?
Editing: Who is going to
edit your work? Will you use
your own editor and include
their fee in your own? Will
the author pay your editor
directly? Does the author
have an editor they want
to use? Will you have the
option to accept or reject the
suggested changes?
Credit: Will your name go
on the cover? On the title
page? Or are you expected to
be a silent partner with no
mention of your name on the
finished product?
Royalties: Will you receive
any royalties? If yes, you
need to agree on the terms
at the beginning. If not, you
should still mention it.
Copyright: Will you own the
copyright or is it a work-forhire
project?
You probably won't get
rich working with selfpublished
authors, but I've
found that it's a nice source
of extra income alongside
my usual marketing
translations. If you've
always wanted to translate a
novel, some short stories, or
even a nonfiction book, this
is a viable way for you to do
it and still make money. Why
not give it a try?
Beth Smith,
CT is an
ATA-certified
French>English
translator
specializing in advertising
and marketing (especially
cosmetics and luxury
goods), entertainment, and
literary translation. She has
translated two novels, a short
story collection, a memoir,
and a book about finance
and happiness. The 2020
recipient of ATA's Rising
Star Award, she is chair of
ATA's Honors and Awards
Committee, serves as the
assistant administrator of the
French Language Division,
and is a member of ATA's
Mentoring Committee.
bethsmith@itranslatefrench.net
30 The ATA Chronicle | July/August 2022
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The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2022

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