Is there a rule about the novel summary?

Discussion in 'Novel Updates Site Discussion' started by readerz, Apr 13, 2018.

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  1. Allchemic

    Allchemic Well-Known Member

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    Well, sometimes a new summary is better for the author too, that way his story can get more attention. Many times I didn't feel like reading a novel because the summary didn't tell me anything about it.

    Your words aren't wrong at all, reading reviews is often a way to know what the story is about. The problem is that there are people that love to give spoiler without any warning... :cry:
     
    Allchemic, Apr 13, 2018
    #21
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  2. LaDyViL

    LaDyViL New Member Staff Member

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    As you're the translator for it, you can put your version of the summary up at your ToC for that project along with the author's summary. Translator's summary is preferable ONLY if they're the sole translator. If we can't find the source for the new summary, then it'll be removed and reverted to previous summary.

    This might sound bad from reader's perspective, however there is a good reason for this. Mainly, preventing members from keep changing the Summary.

    Therefore, if a new summary is desperately needed due to the original being too ridiculous, please consult the translator for a summary and have them (translator) use it on their page first.
     
    LaDyViL, Apr 13, 2018
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  3. Darkwood

    Darkwood Well-Known Member

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    Isn't that because the titles are long enough that they are a summary in themselves?
     
    Darkwood, Apr 13, 2018
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  4. pirateking36

    pirateking36 [[-Worst King-]]

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    I remember reading a summary which was about a fish leaping through some gate and various kinds of animals howling and crying out.....thats it. It said nothing whatsoever about WTF i was going to read....
     
    pirateking36, Apr 13, 2018
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  5. Skoonting

    Skoonting Active Member

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    That's horseshit. Good translators actually try to adapt and make it fit for their intended market. Chinese descriptions are vague and
    'poetic' because that's how the chinese like it. It's a translators job to try and adapt it to the western market instead.
     
    Skoonting, Apr 13, 2018
    #25
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  6. oliver

    oliver Well-Known Member

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    it's basically a roundabout way to blow the mc's horn. fish leaping through the dragon gate is what chinese dragons have to do to actually become dragons, and many cultivators borrow that concept (don't quote me on that, i'm not chinese, it all comes from second hand knowledge from novels) and the animals crying is likely to show how the fish/dragon then becomes some kind of king and the animals show respect. confusing stuff indeed
     
    oliver, Apr 13, 2018
    #26
  7. Fluffums

    Fluffums 【R-18 Researcher】【Seeker of Moe】

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    Chinese summaries being BS is fine because that's usually the content of the novel anyway. I just use the summaries to figure out whether or not the translators know any English...
     
    Fluffums, Apr 13, 2018
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  8. asriu

    asriu fu~ fu~ fu~

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    summary?
    can I eat that?
    I give up on WN summary or on NU case novel description
    if you da translator I really ask you to consider kick author weird too vague full of riddle summary

    The phoenix dances; the dragon flies. One woman must find the answer to the riddle. The divine world is thrown into chaos. What is in store for the phoenix child?

    food? word play?
     
    asriu, Apr 13, 2018
    #28
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  9. SoulZer0

    SoulZer0 Heaven Refining

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    That's the entire reason for the long title
     
    SoulZer0, Apr 13, 2018
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  10. Astaroth

    Astaroth empty

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    Looks like you already beat me to say this, but it sounds a lot like @readerz should make a review on the novel.

    The problem is that unless it's made right away chances are that the review will be buried among the others. Or even if it's not, how many actually check the reviews? A lot of people intentionally avoid reading the reviews, and so they might unfortunately miss what the TL has to say about the novel. Which they might want to read.

    And this is where I come in and point to a suggestion/feature request thread I made a while back: Optional Translator Stickied Reviews
     
    Astaroth, Apr 13, 2018
    #30
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  11. Slayerwolfx2

    Slayerwolfx2 [Immortal Forever]

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    A particular one was the whole novel...
    literally, the title was the whole novel!
     
    Slayerwolfx2, Apr 13, 2018
    #31
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  12. noisypixy

    noisypixy Sacatunn que pen, que summum que tun.

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    More like they don't know how to make titles so they instead decide to put the summary there. I can totally see a JP novel with a title like "I'm gonna build a kingdom in a different world, but the Demon Lord attacked and somehow now it's my wife? Moreover she's a loli??!?!".

    Definitely not generic. Nope.
     
    noisypixy, Apr 13, 2018
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  13. readerz

    readerz Madam Jin

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    Well, it's not like CN titles are so much better, lol. So many of the top CN titles are like word salad.

    Adorable Treasured Fox: Divine Doctor Mother Overturning The Heavens!
    Ghost Emperor Wild Wife: Dandy Eldest Miss
    Poisoning the World: The Secret Service Mysterious Doctor is a Young Beastly Wife
     
    readerz, Apr 13, 2018
    #33
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  14. gggo

    gggo Well-Known Member

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    yep, it's funny how some CN authors would pick an artsyfartsy summary simply to entice the readers in, with no clear description. better to be safe, I guess.
     
    gggo, Apr 13, 2018
    #34
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  15. Ruyi

    Ruyi translator at CG

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    Yeah, that's what I did for PGC and UPX; the readers would have no idea what the story's about otherwise.
     
    Ruyi, Apr 13, 2018
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  16. readerz

    readerz Madam Jin

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    Thanks for all the replies. So, what I understand now is that there is no set rule and people should use common sense. (y)
     
    readerz, Apr 14, 2018
    #36
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  17. Yukkuri Oniisan

    Yukkuri Oniisan 『Procrastinator Archwizard Translator and Writer』

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    I for one will read that...
    I mean I am the one who will read a novel titled: 幼女と執事が異世界で
     
    Yukkuri Oniisan, Apr 14, 2018
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  18. Rumanshi

    Rumanshi 『Demon Lord』『ルマンし』

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    Iirc, Japanese light novels do it for an actual purpose. By having the title be the summary, it can all go on the spine of the novel. This way, when browsing, people will be able to see what they like from the spine alone.
     
    Rumanshi, Apr 21, 2018
    #38
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  19. AliceShiki

    AliceShiki 『Ms. Tree』『Magical Girl of Love and Justice』

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    Also very useful for WNs, because you don't have anything to judge a WN from when it's from an unknown author and has no cover, you need to attract someone's attention to make them read your synopsis, and a pseudo-synopsis title does the job well~
     
    AliceShiki, Apr 21, 2018
    #39
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