| STiNA | SWEDISH TRANSLATORS in NORTH AMERICA |
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Reviews are one of the best ways to bring your translation to the attention of readers. STiNA member Lars Nordström has compiled a list of journals and organizations which might review or distribute published translations. Please submit your ideas to add to this list.
Adaptation of a recent conference paper by Secretary/Treasurer Laura Wideburg.
In this column, STiNA some common questions about translation
Many STiNA members, who have just begun working as translators, have asked questions about how to get their careers off the ground. My first column will answer some of those Frequently Asked Questions, and hopefully help you get your career to a flying start.
Q: How do I get started?
A: You start! Seriously! Pick something that you love and start translating it. I did this with Niklas Rådström’s poetry. As I worked on it, I found that I enjoyed translating, and others encouraged me to submit it. I contacted Niklas and received his permission to publish, and just kept going from there.
Q: How do I know what to charge?
A: The Writer’s Market, which is published and updated every year, lists standard asking prices for various kinds of translation work. I suggest strongly that you look at the translation rates there and keep them in mind when negotiating your fee.
PEN has a sample translation contract for literary translators. I suggest that you download that and read it carefully.
ALTA (American Literary Translators Association) has published a “Guide to Literary Translation”, which you can buy from them. Try to see if there is a local translation group that you can join, such as NOTIS in the Northwest, and go to the events. Word of mouth is a great resource. Unfortunately, recommendation of rates by an organization such as STiNA is forbidden by law.
Q: Will publishers contact me or do I need to go to them?
A: In the beginning of your career, you will need to do a lot of legwork yourself. This includes getting permission to publish your translation, as well as submitting it to publishers. (The big houses tend not to look at works unless they have been submitted by agents.) Again, the Writer’s Market is a good resource.
In most cases, you will need to seek permission from the author, rather than the publisher.
Q: Can I quit my day job?
A: Probably not. Sorry! Translation, especially literary translation, is woefully underpaid. However, there are people can live from their translation work. These people have often trained, either through classes or workshops, in specialty fields, such as medicine or law. If you want to consider other translation work in addition to literary work, I suggest you contact the American Translators Association (ATA). The head of the Nordic Division is Thor Truelsson.
Q: How can I get to Sweden to work on my translations?
A: The Swedish Institute is a great resource for finding support for a study trip to Sweden. They can help with travel and other expenses for the Baltic Institute on Gotland. They also have a room at the Writer's Institute on Drottninggatan, which can be made available to translators
The Swedish Institute also offers support in the form of dictionaries and contacts, and they often arrange seminars for translators throughout the world. Daniel Gustafsson would welcome your CV in order to keep you up-to-date on recent developments in Sweden. Information on the types of support that the Swedish Institute makes available can be found on their website.
See also our Resources page and List of Publications accepting translations.