Dec 03
LaurentAsso and co
As I just joined the ATLF (after the AAE-ESIT, SFT, Sofia, Scam, briefly the CIoL and NETA and before joining the ATAA someday), let me relay the message from an other acronym organization, which is also making a great deal in advocating literary translators in Europe : the European Council of Literary Translators' Associations (CEATL). The Council indeed published an "Hexalogue", a code a good practice in six points for all literary translation actors (authors, translators, publishers, etc.). It is reproduced below, and you can also download it on their website. Oh and by the way, don't forget the Youth Book Fair this week-end in Paris.
Hexalogue
The Six Commandments of ‘fair-play’ in literary translation, adopted by CEATL’s General Assembly on 14 May, 2011.
1. Licensing of rights
The licensing of rights for the use of the translation shall be limited in time to a maximum of five years. It shall be subject to the restrictions and duration of the licensed rights of the original work. Each licensed right shall be mentioned in the contract.
2. Fees
The fee for the commissioned work shall be equitable, enabling the translator to make a decent living and to produce a translation of good literary quality.
3. Payment terms
On signature of the contract, the translator shall receive an advance payment of at least one third of the fee. The remainder shall be paid on delivery of the translation at the latest.
4. Obligation to publish
The publisher shall publish the translation within the period stipulated in the contract, and no later than two years after the delivery of the manuscript.
5. Share in profit
The translator shall receive a fair share of the profits from the exploitation of his/her work, in whatsoever form it may take, starting from the first copy.
6. Translator’s name
As author of the translation, the translator shall be named wherever the original author is named.
Nov 28
LaurentAsso and co
Reminder: this is only a recap of the French article. To read the full post, click on the French flag on the right.
The traditional "Matinale de la SFT" took place last saturday. This monthly breakfast gathers a bunch of translators over a coffee and a particular question. This month, it was all about audiovisual translation.
Animated by Isabelle Audinot and Sylvestre Meininger, vice-president of the ATAA (Audiovisual Translators and Adapters Association), we learned about the differences between subtitling, dubbing and voice-over, for TV or movies, as well as the "reality of a sector in crisis". So if you were thinking about translating movies, please read carefully their website (and blog).
As we were told, this is a hard-stricken sector in France: "it's like translators are chosen by the publishers", "rates dropped by 60% in 15 years", "only 20 translators make their living from movie translation" and "workforce increases by 10% each year".
Nevertheless, I have to say I'd be pretty proud if I heard George Clooney saying the words I wrote!
Nov 01
LaurentAsso and co, Blogs et traduction
Do you translate books? Do you also stroll in the Feng Shui or Youth departments of the local library just to feel that near-guilty satisfaction to see your name written in a public place? Well, you will be pleased to know that you are not alone and that it may also bring in some money!
Let me introduce you my dear friend Sofia. Here’s what you can on its website:
SOFIA (Societé Française des Intérêts des Authors de l’écrit) is the French society tasked with defending the interests of authors of the written word; it is a non-profit-making company for the collection and distribution of rights, administered equally by authors and publishers and exclusively concerned with the field of books.
As the only society approved by the Minister for Culture for the management of PLR arising from loans in libraries, SOFIA collects and distributes the remuneration arising from these PLR. It is also primarily responsible for the collection and distribution of that portion relating to books arising from remuneration in respect of private digital reproduction.
So what is this lending right?
Law n°2003-517 dated 18 June 2003 relating to remuneration in respect of lending from public libraries and enhanced social protection for authors, introduced an official licence for PLR payments and set up a mandatory system for collective management.[…] This law authorises the lending of books from libraries, with authors and publishers in return benefiting from a fair remuneration funded by a government contribution fixed by decree and by a levy of 6% of the pre-tax retail price of books sold to a lending library, this sum to be paid by the book seller.(Source)
Note that it also works with books translated for foreign French-speaking editors as well as for English books.
Fellow Translators, you now know what you have to do to receive money in your mailbox without even moving: Join Sofia! It will cost you once and for all €38 for your society share (or you can wait that it is deduced from your first payment).
Apr 22
LaurentAsso and co
Un avis rapide pour signaler que j'ai mis à jour la liste de liens (là, juste à côté, si si, à droite, un peu plus bas, voooiiilà). Mon Google Reader est plein à craquer de blogs sur la traduction, et c'est assez dur de tous les citer, mais j'ai ajouté quelques sites parmi mes préférés.
Dans le coin des francophones, voici donc :
- On En Est Là, le blog de Jérémy Manesse, traducteur de BD
- Ma Voisine Millionaire, le blog d'une traductrice/rédactrice sur la vie de freelance (avec plein de conseils pratiques)
- Mais aussi : Tiwanaku, La Parole Exportée, le Dico dans la Peau et Terduisache (le traducteur Chti)
Quelques blogs en italien :
- Diario di un Traduttore
- Non di sola Traduzione
- Traduttore, Irriducibili
- Ippe's Blog, le blog de la twitteuse @La_Ippe
Et enfin, du côté de Shakespeare :
- The Greener Word, le blog d'un traducteur vert
- Masked Translator, le traducteur masqué
- Oversetter, le blog de @nickrosenthal
- Musings from an Overworked Translator
- Translating is an Art, de @pikorua
Apr 03
LaurentAsso and co
Je vous parlais récemment des différentes associations de traducteurs. Et bien ça y est, je suis officiellement membre de l'une d'entre elles (en plus des Anciens étudiants de l'ESIT). Le comité du "Chartered Institute of Linguists" de Grande Bretagne a accepté ma candidature. Oh joie.
So what ? Mis à part un joli certificat que l'on nous propose même d'encadrer pour la (modique) somme de 35£ (hum), tous les membres du "CIoL" sont officiellement autorisés à apposer les initiales MCIL à côté de leur nom, que ce soit sur les CV, les signatures, les cartes de visites, etc. À quoi ça sert ? Montrer votre professionnalisme, donner plus de crédibilité, vous dira-t-on. Personnellement, je trouve que ça a un petit côté pédant (comme cette manie italienne de se donner le titre de Dottore dès qu'on a un Bac+3), mais si ça attire des clients...
Certes, si l'on s'en tient à cela, les avantages semblent maigres. Concrètement, le CIoL nous offre également la possibilité d'être inscrit dans la base de données Find-a-Linguist, accessible notamment à de potentiels donneurs d'ordres. Divers fora de discussions spécialisés nous sont également ouverts, ainsi que l'accès à différentes formations ou webinaires sur des thèmes tels que la formation continue ou le développement professionnel.
Enfin, le CIoL propose différentes publications. Tout d'abord, The Linguist, une jolie revue bimensuelle grauite sur papier couché qui traite d'articles sur... les langues (What else ?, dirait l'autre). Un Code de Conduite nous rappelle les droits et devoirs des traducteurs (rien de spécialement innovant pour qui a un minimum de conscience professionnelle), sans oublier les contrats types, les enquêtes sur les tarifs et autres documents informatifs.
Il va sans dire que je n'ai pas encore pu palper une réelle incrémentation de mon chiffre d'affaires, mais rien que le fait de participer aux discussions sur les forums (oups, fora) me rappelle les longues heures de pinaillage de mes études. Et ça, pour un linguiste, c'est un vrai plaisir !
