: Re: Self-translating into English I am finishing writing my first book (in Slovak, SF) and will be looking for publishers soon. I was considering self-publishing but I don't think I can do more

@Pope4766717

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If you are looking to hire someone by yourself to do the translation for you, there are a couple of websites which are essentially 'directories' of freelance translators:
ProZ and
Translator's café

You can look for Slovak > English and see if you find someone suitable – this may be difficult, as skill levels in the industry can be patchy (I'm a full-time translator/proofreader myself, and I have seen the kind of unreliable quality that's out there). Above all, you'll need someone who writes well in English – ugly prose won't sell, regardless of how faithful the translation is to the original text.

If you write short stories too, it might be a good idea to 'test' a translator on a small scale with a short piece before committing to hiring them for a novel. I also know that English-language SF short story magazines welcome translations, and many specifically mention them in their submissions guidelines, e.g. Clarkesworld, so taking this route could get you a good publication credit too.

Commissioning a translation and then submitting it yourself might be a bit of a gamble (just as much as writing a novel in the first place!). You would also have to consider who gets the rights and make a deal with your Slovakian publisher in your contract; a good lawyer familiar with writer's contracts might be able to help.

Unfortunately I don't know enough about the business side of fiction to give any tips on what to do after having it translated; hopefully someone else on here will.

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