Translator acknowledgement in book publishing
Thread poster: Mary Watson
Mary Watson
Mary Watson  Identity Verified
Local time: 06:34
German to English
+ ...
Apr 6, 2002

Hi,



I\'m fairly new to this. Two years ago I was given a project by a translation agency in Germany, to translate a book from German into English. The book was a series of studies by German doctors. I finished the job and was paid for it.



I recently saw that the book had been published and ordered a copy. I received the copy today. It notes that the book was translated from the German, but does not show my name.



Are there some so
... See more
Hi,



I\'m fairly new to this. Two years ago I was given a project by a translation agency in Germany, to translate a book from German into English. The book was a series of studies by German doctors. I finished the job and was paid for it.



I recently saw that the book had been published and ordered a copy. I received the copy today. It notes that the book was translated from the German, but does not show my name.



Are there some sort of rules for having your name credited with a book translation? If so, what are they? Or should the agency have handled this? Did I goof somehow in not making sure this was part of the deal? I\'d appreciate any input.



Thanks.
Collapse


 
Mary Worby
Mary Worby  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:34
German to English
+ ...
No credit if you work for an agency ... Apr 8, 2002

I\'m not exactly an expert here, but I would say that if the work was done for an agency, you can\'t expect to get any sort of credit for it.



The only book I\'ve done (actually half of one) has \'translated by XXX Translations Ltd\' in it. No mention of the actual translators who do the hard graft.



So I would say it\'s probably normal that your name wasn\'t mentioned, and if you translate a book for a client directly, you would then be in a position to n
... See more
I\'m not exactly an expert here, but I would say that if the work was done for an agency, you can\'t expect to get any sort of credit for it.



The only book I\'ve done (actually half of one) has \'translated by XXX Translations Ltd\' in it. No mention of the actual translators who do the hard graft.



So I would say it\'s probably normal that your name wasn\'t mentioned, and if you translate a book for a client directly, you would then be in a position to negotiate getting a credit.



Regards



Mary
Collapse


 
jccantrell
jccantrell  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 03:34
Member (2005)
German to English
That depends .... Apr 8, 2002

I have translated a few books on computer subjects and I got the job through an agency. When the book appeared, the publisher sent me a copy and it did have my name in it. (Then I went to a bookstore to look at my name on the shelves.)



I did the job thru and agency, was paid in full for my work and getting the credit was just the icing on the cake.

Of course, it turned out it was cheaper for the publisher to commission an American author to write books on the appro
... See more
I have translated a few books on computer subjects and I got the job through an agency. When the book appeared, the publisher sent me a copy and it did have my name in it. (Then I went to a bookstore to look at my name on the shelves.)



I did the job thru and agency, was paid in full for my work and getting the credit was just the icing on the cake.

Of course, it turned out it was cheaper for the publisher to commission an American author to write books on the appropriate subject than for me to translate German books, so I ended up losing the gig.



Was fun while it lasted, though.
Collapse


 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Translator acknowledgement in book publishing







Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »
Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »