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how much to charge for translation of poems?
Thread poster: nolensvolens
nolensvolens
nolensvolens
Russian to German
Nov 25, 2008

i have agreed to translate several poems from german to english. of course, i would like to get paid for the work, but i have no idea how much to charge. does one really charge by word/sign count? has anyone here experience with this type of translations?
 
Giles Watson
Giles Watson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 05:01
Italian to English
In memoriam
How long is a piece of string? Nov 26, 2008

Hi there,

The UK Translators Association suggests 0.85 pounds sterling per line but to be honest, there's nothing wrong with charging a flat fee for the whole job once you know what's involved. Usually, there's little point in holding out for a royalty as the sales are likely to be minuscule.

The trouble with translating poetry is that it's far too interesting. If the poetry is even half-decent, the hours will fly past and you'll find you're working for next to nothing!... See more
Hi there,

The UK Translators Association suggests 0.85 pounds sterling per line but to be honest, there's nothing wrong with charging a flat fee for the whole job once you know what's involved. Usually, there's little point in holding out for a royalty as the sales are likely to be minuscule.

The trouble with translating poetry is that it's far too interesting. If the poetry is even half-decent, the hours will fly past and you'll find you're working for next to nothing! I'm afraid I have turned down poetry projects in the past for that reason.

Best,

Giles ▲ Collapse
 
Ignacio Mainz
Ignacio Mainz  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 05:01
English to Spanish
poetry Nov 26, 2008

I studied a lot of English poetry (British and American) for five terms during the university years at the US (Double BA), but have never translated it professionally. Also, I had to deal a lot with poetry in Spanish during my school days.

I can not talk about standards here though I can and will say that you may not talk about pricings until you have read and gone through a good part of it.

You must be able to identify the use of metaphors, metrics, irony, assonant a... See more
I studied a lot of English poetry (British and American) for five terms during the university years at the US (Double BA), but have never translated it professionally. Also, I had to deal a lot with poetry in Spanish during my school days.

I can not talk about standards here though I can and will say that you may not talk about pricings until you have read and gone through a good part of it.

You must be able to identify the use of metaphors, metrics, irony, assonant and consonant rhythms….. . Whether they just want to “read” over it, it is OK. Otherwise, and above all, I do truly believe that a poem CAN´T be transformed or adapted, and is untranslatable, as for its mere ends and principles.

 ▲ Collapse
 


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how much to charge for translation of poems?







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