Translating Books for Publication
Join us on Zoom for a conversation with Professor Susan Pickford, author of Translating Books for Publication, a new guide to the business, practice, and professional realities of translating books for the publishing industry.
While literary translation is often discussed primarily as a creative pursuit, Translating Books for Publication offers a fresh perspective, examining translation as a professional activity situated within the wider publishing ecosystem. Drawing on case studies, practical examples, and insights from across fiction, non-fiction, academic, and institutional publishing, the book explores what it means to build a career translating books in today's publishing marketplace.
In this free event, Susan Pickford will discuss the ideas behind the book, the changing landscape of translation and publishing, and the opportunities and challenges facing both aspiring and established translators. The conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A, giving attendees the opportunity to put their questions directly to the author.
Whether you are a student of translation, an early-career translator, a publishing professional, or simply interested in how translated books make their way into readers' hands, this event offers a unique opportunity to engage with one of the field's leading voices.
Translating Books for Publication offers readers an introductory guide to translating for the publishing sector, designed for aspiring translators and translation-adjacent professionals entering the field. It addresses the critical gap in understanding how translation operates within the broader publishing industry ecosystem. Taking a resolutely non-language-specific, business-focused approach, the book examines the practice of translating books across diverse sectors, including often overlooked areas such as academic and institutional publishing.
The book incorporates an array of real-world case studies and practical exercises from a wide range of published text types, inviting readers to explore, analyse, and engage with translation for publishing as a professional marketplace. Unlike other introductions to literary translation, it applies an avowedly professional lens to contemporary translation for publishing, construing the practice broadly to incorporate genre fiction, non-fiction, and institutional and academic publishing. The book reframes literary translation – traditionally viewed narrowly as fiction – within the contemporary publishing market, positioning it as a viable freelance business proposition. Through practical exercises and real-world insights, readers explore translation for publishing not merely as creative practice, but as professional labour within a competitive marketplace. The methodology incorporates innovative perspectives from workplace happiness research, cultural economics, and network theory, encouraging holistic thinking about translation as professional practice.
The text takes an innovative approach by framing literary translation as a commercial business practice within contemporary publishing markets, supported by a highly analytical, evidence-based examination of the translation sector. This indispensable textbook serves students and instructors of Translation Studies, translation professionals, newcomers seeking industry entry, and established professionals looking to optimise their translation careers within the evolving publishing landscape.
© Cécile Guiraud
Prof. Susan Pickford is head of the English unit at the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting, University of Geneva. She began translating in 2001 after a brief stint working in publishing in Paris, beginning with dozens of coffee-table books before joining the Louvre’s translation team and specialising in museum and academic texts. She was elected to the Association des traducteurs littéraires de France board from 2004 to 2014 and regularly acts as a translation quality assessor for various national funding bodies. Her academic research also focuses on translators: she is currently completing a book on early-career literary translators with co-author Burcu Kanidinç Kilinçarslan.