I'm currently inexperienced in the translation field, and the only thing I know is how to translate, but I'm aware that there are other aspects of it. My two main questions are: If I wanted to release a new novel, what websites are best for finding new projects on? Sometimes, wouldn't the original author fret over copyright? Should I somehow contact them beforehand and ask for their consent to translate?
Qidian, 17k and Zongheng are the big ones. Lots of other sites too, like SFACG, ireader, kanshu, motie... Some site go for female audiences, not so familiar with those, xiang5 is one, as well as qdmm (female qidian). There are also BL exclusive sites. I suggest finding a novel you actually like and want to translate, otherwise it's very easy to burn out. Also if you want to be independent don't go for Qidian stuff. Usually the copyrights are sold to the sites the author writes on. You can certainly ask the author for permission but there's no guarantee their consent translates into legal translations if they don't own the rights.