Novel Translation

Overview

What does an English-language (ENG) novel translator do?

The ENG publishing industry operates in a unique and complicated way that often confuses Japanese publishing professionals and authors. In the West, it is often expected that novel translators will act as unofficial literary agents in the early stages of novel acquisition. Translators will identify potential publication markets for their client’s novel and “pitch” the novel to ENG publishers, often facilitating initial communications between the Japanese and ENG publishing houses.

Most Japanese novels translated into English have been randomly selected by freelance translators who happened to enjoy the novels in question. The translator reads an interesting book, contacts the Japanese publisher to confirm that translation rights are available, then embarks on the arduous and time-consuming process to create a “pitch pack” that they can send to ENG publishers. A “pitch pack” usually consists of a:

Pitch Letter (1-page persuasive letter which makes an argument for why this book would succeed in English translation)
Novel Summary (detailed summary of every major character and plot point)
Sample Translation (15- to 50-page sample translation of the book)

My Goals and Services

In the future, I hope that Japanese publishers will commission more literary translators to proactively pitch their bestselling novels in the ENG market. As such, I offer the following services:

Sample Translation
Pitch Pack
Full Novel Translation

1. Sample Translation

I am open to commissions from Japanese or ENG publishers to complete a Sample Translation. These usually range from 15 to 50 pages of the work. Most sample translations will consist of the first consecutive pages of a work, though this can vary in some cases (such as with short story collections or multiple POV narratives).

Reach out through my Contact page if you would like to request a rate quote. Please include a .PDF or .DOC of the novel sample.

2. Pitch Pack

I am open to commissions from Japanese or ENG publishers to complete a pitch pack. A pitch pack consists of a:

Pitch Letter (1-page persuasive letter which makes an argument for why this book would succeed in English translation.)
Novel Summary (detailed summary of every major character and plot point)
Sample Translation (15- to 50-page sample translation of the book)

In order to create a pitch pack, I will first need to read the entire novel. Then I will research background information on the novel’s author, its commercial success in Japan, and its potential niche in ENG publication.

Reach out through my Contact page if you would like to request a rate quote. Please include a .PDF or .DOC of the entire novel.

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3. Full Novel Translation

If you are an ENG publisher who has acquired the rights to translate a Japanese novel, or if you are a Japanese publishing press who publishes books in English translation, I am open to full novel translation commissions.

I do not currently accept full novel translation requests from Japanese-language publishers who do not have the capacity to publish books in English translation. If you have secured a publication contract with an ENG publisher and would like me to translate the novel, please have the ENG publisher reach out to me directly.

Reach out through my Contact page if you would like to request a rate quote. Please include a .PDF or .DOC of the entire novel.

****Please note that some novels are far more difficult to translate than others. This can be caused by complex subject matter that necessitates extensive research (such as a historical novel set in Edo-era Japan), stylistic writing (such as metaphoric or lyrical prose), or simply because that novel does not fit a translator’s personal strengths. My rate quotes will take all this into account—as such, I cannot provide a general cost-per-character translation rate.