The Guideline for Translators

• In case if you have an intention to become a translator, you should know that first of all it’s crucial to be a good reader. And though there are plenty of reasons why you should choose the profession of the translator, there is a particular one, uniting each translator, and this is affection for Literature. 

• Enthusiasm plays an important role in the profession of the translator. You should know that before reaching its reader the translated literature has a long way to go through. Note that each book has rights holders: the author, author’s heir/heiress, publisher or the literary agent. Very often areas for buying/selling the rights are International Book Fairs, among which Frankfurt Book Fair is the most prominent one. 

• Translators should have a mutual cooperation with the rights managers/publishers of the Publishing Houses and also with the literary agents, as in many cases the author and/or the publisher make the literary agent eligible to present the rights, as the aim of any literary agent is to sell the rights abroad.

• In case if you’ve decided to have a success in the profession of translator, Georgian National Book Center is offering various programs and projects, such as: Translation Programs (Georgian Literature in Translations; Foreign Literature in Georgian Translations; Program for Sample Translations) and Professional Programs for translators.

Several useful advices for translators from the Georgian National Book Center:

• Making a research by looking for the information on the authors and displayed books on the different Publishing House’s and Literary Agency’s web-pages before starting translating each particular book is a must. The translator should be familiar with existing reviews, as well the articles published in the local or international press, critical texts or the results of awards and any kind of feedback, on the literature which is been chosen to be translated.
• If you are seeking information whether or not the text chosen for translating has already been translated into the target language, it is recommended to contact the author or the publisher, or the Georgian National Book Center and the National Library.
• It is strongly recommended to create and permanently update the translator’s portfolio by providing the latest information regarding the related academic background, professional experience, already implemented projects and any related additional activities.
• Before starting any collaboration with the publisher and beginning to work on the translation, please note:

a) Get familiar with the Terms and Conditions of the Contract;
b) Make sure that the Contract includes the rights and obligations of both parties;
c) Make sure that the honorarium for the translator and the deadlines of implementing the translation is clearly indicated in the Contract;
d) It is recommended to mention that after editing the translation made by the translator, the text should be agreed with the translator before the publishing;
e) Pay attention to the paragraph mentioning the period (years) and conditions which allows the publisher to have the right on publishing;
f) Make sure that the Contract is provided in two copies, signed and sealed by both parties;
g) Make sure that the Certificate of Acceptance is provided in two copies, signed and sealed by both parties, right after the implementing translation.