Yep~ if you need help you can also send me a message, my reading skills in chinese are only subpar, but I am at the least a veteran editor ;3
You, @sinyueliang and @SnowTime, and maybe put out a recruitment post on your website for translator and editor as well
@Ashley123 uh. First of all, we translators have a Discord. Please check PM one of the mods to send you an invite. As for translating, its not just a dictionary needed, you also have to research names and nouns on the english language as well, to get the proper meanings out. Also, start with a relatively easy novel. You'd know a complex novel when it starts chunking paragraphs together, for 15 pages. Aim for small paged chapter novels. If you're going to solo, translate as much as you can, and release them one by one until you have stock chapters. That way, if and when you get sick, there's 10 chapters just waiting to be released. Japanese? Chinese? Korean? Whatcha going to be translating from? o-o We're always in need of translators after all.
As a translator. My advice would be, just be confident. After all, translating JP or Chinese novel is all about reading the context.
I was summoned. Here are some things I've learned from becoming a translator. Keep in mind this is a work in progress (I only started ehh...around last year or so). Well, organization is definitely key, as well as basic formatting. One of the things I've always disliked as a reader is a lack of Table of Contents page and [previous chapter] [table of contents] [next chapter] links on the top and bottom of every chapter. I strongly suggest you put those there--it'll make it easy for the readers (and you) to find where their places and correct mistakes when needed. It's also nice to link to the original raws site (not pirate ones!) and give credit to the original author of the work somewhere on your table of contents page. You can look at mine for reference. A glossary isn't required, but helpful for you and your readers if you have a lot of foreign terms and/or novel lingo to remember (like cultivation ranks or noble titles, for example). It'll help you be consistent as you keep translating too--one of the most important things to keep a story clear. You don't want to call something "Divine Wind Art" in chapter 10 and change it to "Celestial Air Magic" in chapter 100 because you forgot your original name for thing, for example. In terms of the chapter themselves, try to get someone to look over them for mistakes/typos if you can. If you can't..take a break after you've translated a chapter and come back to check it again later when it's not so fresh in your mind. I usually change places to typo-check my chapters (i.e. translate on computer, read over on phone), if only because the different mediums makes me notice mistakes faster. Minor typos are eh, passable (and sometimes unavoidable), but if you have too many of them, it'll affect reading flow and overall translation quality. If this is your first project, I would recommend picking something relatively easy while you "feel" your way around the ropes. However, since you've already settled on a novel, I won't elaborate here. First projects are always a little awkward as you ease into them--but the experience you get from them is great. Another thing to keep in mind is release rates. Again, most people do this as a hobby so they don't have a strict release rate, but sticking to one will keep you organized and your readers happy. It might be 2x, 3x, 5x, or even every day of the week--whatever works for you. Readers will know when to expect chapters and find you then, while a regular release rate will ensure a steady amount of views for your work. On the other hand, having a pre-set schedule means you can predict and arrange your life around your translation hobby so there's no interference from either side. Spoiler Here's my release schedule: 5x a week, with a special mini-mass release of 5 chapters per month (unless specified). The green blocks represent days where I publish new PGC chapters while the purple stars represent a mini-mass release day. Readers of PGC know they can expect regular chapters every day of the week except Sundays and Tuesdays. I also like to keep a working stockpile so that I'm always at least 20 chapters ahead of already published content--this way, if you want to celebrate with a mini-mass release or get out a sponsored chapter, you and your editor can get it up in a flash. It might seem like more work, but it actually gives you more freedom to take translation-breaks whenever you want, because your chapter stockpile is there to back you up! (I actually took a 2-week vacation from translating PGC when my family came to visit, but it didn't affect release speeds since I'd had those chapters ready to go months in advance. Felt pretty sweet.) In regards to the actual translation process, that'll be up to you. Some people like to translate English directly below the raws text; others like to translate chapters as a chunk of English while referring to the raws source in a separate window/application. If you're going to work with others, I strongly recommend getting used to GoogleDocs because it allows editors to suggest changes to you before you accept them. It's a versatile application that works around the world and doubles as a backup for your chapters in case your site crashes or does strange things. I also recommend get a solid Chinese-English dictionary on hand and collecting a good number of references for Chinese/English terms. (I'm assuming you're translating a Chinese story for now, apologies if I'm mistaken.) I use Pleco on my phone--which doubles as a place to paste the raws since I can use its Clipboard Reader to get translations of terms with a single touch. And please, do join the translators' Discord--they've got all sorts of helpful links and translators willing to part with advice. (Naturally, I'm there too.) Hope that helps!
Yes it helped a lot! Thank you for all the words of wisdom The only thing I'm not sure about is my schedule and stock pile,I'm the type that translate and release the same day ,the spontaneous type. And I'm not sure to always have the motivation to translate each day,same date,same hour. I'm more like 'eh I'm in the mood to do it,so let's do it' so I'm not too sure
I started out like that too! Actually I used to translate multiple chapters and release them on the same day when I was inspired, before leaving for weeks at a time... After a while I settled into releasing once a day and translating whenever I felt like it. Eventually I had more chapters ready than chapters published, thus creating my first mini "stockpile." By the time my first series was winding down, I was already starting to translate PGC chapters so I had a nice 70ish or so chapter headstart when it released officially. Basically, do what works for you! Translation can be a lot of fun, but it's also tiring as well. I've found that balancing the fun with a bit of self-discipline (namely, requirements for where I want to be and goals to get there by a certain date) helps a lot. As long as you're enjoying what you're doing, that's a motivator too!
Oho~ Would you like to join me~ I can have you all set up with us! XD I provide TLC and editing~ XD My group is a no-set schedule type if you like. @sinyueliang Lel, can I ask if you wanna be an editor for me~ (Lacking BL editors rip)
@sinyueliang said that you wanted to do a teaser? I just started on the chapter 1 so I'm not very far but we could do that together.It would help me to have an experienced translator in the beginning as I'm still learning things. And you provide TLC? What does that mean? I'm not sure, my own website with my own freedom to design and do what I want VS with your group (I'm thinking that what you mean is that I post my translation on your site) with help,no need to go to all the trouble of creating a new site and plus there is a wider “audience" (readers)
TLC is for translation checker. I was just going to do a teaser and take it up after I finish cannon fodder if it was still untaken. If you go solo you can make your own site and stuff (some people don't wanna bother with it ) A wider audience I guess is part of my incentive... never really thought about it... But I usually help out my translators translate a couple of chapters if they ever go MIA or too busy to do any~ Because my goal is to finish everything I take! (Which, has already been defeated by Qidian when I had to drop 3 of my qidian novels...) But still, I'll finish it all kek Edit: Here's my site http://snowycodex.com Though I do admit if you want to make money it's best to try one of the bigger sites... we're more free in our schedule and all after all...
I advise having at least two alternate translation sites and two good dictionaries on hand. Having an editor or consultant who's way more guru than you also helps. XD
After you finish cannon folder? When is that? Haha joking aside I like making my own site,I remember the first time when I translated something and it had 7 likes (pathetic I know but still a lot for me) I was so happy that someone was reading it and commenting.So nah I think I prefer doing it all myself,it make me proud when I see something that I accomplished grow. If you don't mind,when I have problems or something that I don't understand could I ask you or just to chat in general?(I promise,I won't bother you too much...I think)
That is fine, best of luck to you! This means it is time for me to delete the pages I made for them~ (I really don't know if I should feel happy or sad as my stock pile of BL to translate is growing smaller... but not by my own hands xD)