Translation rates for poetry Thread poster: Anca Patrascu
|
|---|
Anca Patrascu
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:43
French to English
+ ...
Hello fellow translators,
I have been offered a project to translate a volume of poetry (88 poems of an average of 10 lines) from Romanian into English.
As I am fairly new to this field, would you be able to advise on what rates I should ask for?
All the best
| | | | Kevin Fulton 
United States
Local time: 08:43
German to English
| Charge a multiple of your normal rate | May 14, 2017 |
Assuming that poetry can be translated at all, it takes a high degree of reflection and a great deal of aesthetic sensibility to create a translation that is anything but doggerel. That is, the effort involved is several magnitudes greater than, say, translating user instructions for an electric toothbrush.
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 14:43
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Hello Anca,
you can either charge your per word rate or agree with your client on a per line or per poem rate.
Translating poetry usually takes 2.5 - 3 times (or in some cases more) longer than translating regular text. You need to calculate how many poems you will be able to translate in 1 hour, allowing you some extra time, depending on whether your client wants you to keep the metrics and/or the rhyme. This should give you the per word, per line, per poem rates.
... See more Hello Anca,
you can either charge your per word rate or agree with your client on a per line or per poem rate.
Translating poetry usually takes 2.5 - 3 times (or in some cases more) longer than translating regular text. You need to calculate how many poems you will be able to translate in 1 hour, allowing you some extra time, depending on whether your client wants you to keep the metrics and/or the rhyme. This should give you the per word, per line, per poem rates.
Additionally you should negotiate the copyright agreement for these poems.
Good luck.
Best,
Thayenga
[Edited at 2017-05-15 06:09 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Do not do it for the money | May 15, 2017 |
Translating poetry never pays financially. I have translated a poem book in the past, and easily took me about 10 times more than my normal work. Maybe not writing time, but thinking time, as it occupied my mind for many hours every day.
Having written my bit myself, it was really enjoyable to translate the poems, and I was happy with the money I was paid, which was rather symbolic in proportion to my regular income for the time I spent.
| | |
|
|
|
| Try a sample first | May 15, 2017 |
Before even starting rate negotiations, I would first ask the client for their precise expectations regarding the translation. A poem is not like any content, it consists not only of the obvious meaning, it might have several layers of hidden meanings, it might have a certain rhythm in the language, a certain structure of the verses and the like, and if you are expected to convey all these aspects into the target language, this might take any amount of time or even be impossible. If you have mor... See more Before even starting rate negotiations, I would first ask the client for their precise expectations regarding the translation. A poem is not like any content, it consists not only of the obvious meaning, it might have several layers of hidden meanings, it might have a certain rhythm in the language, a certain structure of the verses and the like, and if you are expected to convey all these aspects into the target language, this might take any amount of time or even be impossible. If you have more freedom regarding the outcome, it might be easier and take less time.
If I were you, I would suggest to start with a small sample, like five of the 88 poems, do it for a fixed price, and find out how much time you need to do it and how the client likes the result, before negotiating the full project. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 14:43
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
Translating poetry never pays financially.
The depends on the client. 2 Euros per line of 5 - 7 words is quite a rewarding payment. But agreed, this might be a rare exception.
| | | | Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:43
Member (2006)
French to English
+ ...
| You cannot charge per word or line for poetry | Feb 26, 2020 |
In my experience, the shorter the line, the harder it is (by far) to find a decent rhyme.
I have yet to find a sensible way (anywhere, on any website) of quoting for poetry translation. The Society of Authors suggests a ridiculous rate - barely higher than for prose translation - which has remained unchanged for many years.
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Translation rates for poetry | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
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 » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
