The Translators Association (TA) provides a source of expert advice for individual literary translators and is also a collective voice representing the profession as a whole.
Translators automatically become a member of the TA on joining the SoA.
The TA programmes events throughout the year, including panel discussions and conversations with translators about their translations practice and routine, and is a partner in the Literary Translation Centre at the London Book Fair (11-13 March 2025).
The TA is run by a committee of 7 members and coordinated by Catherine Fuller and Ambre Morvan. Catherine and Ambre are also members of the SoA Contracts Advisory team
Read Co-Chairs Ian Giles and Vineet Lal’s report to the AGM.
Sign in to read the summary of our latest committee meeting, held on 12 February 2025.
The TA is committed to the need for more openness and opportunities in publishing, more visibility of translators of colour and more proactive intervention to help dismantle the institutional barriers faced by early career translators. Read our call for change.
Current campaigns include #TranslatorsOnTheCover and advocating for greater accessibility within the profession. The TA recently joined the SoA and CEATL in condemning the Hungarian government’s crackdown on LGBT rights, The committee also has a working group looking at theatre translation and is working towards publishing a new guide on translating for the theatre in summer 2023.
Reasons to Join the TA
The last two years have been difficult for many and I have felt humbled and grateful to see the TA committee come together to take action to try to address some of the challenges our association, our profession and wider society have faced.
TA member
- Contract vetting: individual advice on your publishing contracts.
- Advice and support on professional issues.
- Access to the free TA email discussion group for members only.
- Events
- A regular TA e-newsletter with news, events and opportunities.
- Free guides and articles on a range of topics of interest to all writers, including Copyright and Permissions, Fee-Based Assignments and Publishing Contracts.
- Free Guide to Translator/Publisher Contracts contains a basic agreement and is also available to non-members for £12.
- Free Guide to Author-Commissioned Translations. This guide is available to non-members for £2.
- Free Guide to Relay Translation. Updated December 2022. This guide is available to non-members for £6
- Free Guide to Negotiating Payment for Translations. Revised March 2023. Free to non-members,
Rates
Remuneration is a matter for negotiation between the translator and publisher. In our experience, translators and publishers negotiate fees starting in the region of £100 per thousand words [updated March 2022]. This fee may be considerably higher, depending on various factors including the translator’s experience, the timescale for the translation, the difficulty of the prose, the amount of research required and the availability of translation funding. The word count can apply to either the source or target language.
The agreed sum may come as a flat fee, an advance against royalties, or a fee plus royalties from the first copy sold. For poetry we have observed payment in the region of £1.10 per line with a minimum of £35 per poem.
When negotiating a contract you and the publisher will want to consider a number of factors. How long will it take you to complete the translation? As well as the word count consider your experience, the complexity of the translation and if any additional research is required. Does the publisher need the translation by a very tight deadline? Is there grant funding available to support the costs of your translation? Will you get a royalty on sales?
You can also find further information and guidance on our Rates and Fees pages.
Don’t forget that TA members are always entitled to unlimited advice and vetting of individual contracts from the SoA advisory team.
For further advice Ask an Advisor or contact TA coordinators Catherine Fuller and Ambre Morvan.
Related links
CEATL (Conseil Européen des Associations de Traducteurs Littéraires)
The TA is represented on this international network of European literary translators’ associations working to improve the status and conditions of literary translators
CEATL’s Hexalogue
Six commandments for ‘fair play’ in literary translation.
Counterpoint
Read the latest issue of CEATL’s e-zine for everyone interested in literary translation.
Emerging Translators Network (ETN)
A discussion forum and support network for early-career literary translators to share information and offer professional support.
How to review translations
A series of posts by critics and translators at Words Without Borders.
PEN America – Negotiating Contracts
Negotiating Contracts: A checklist for translators produced by the PEN America Translation Committee in association with the TA and the Literary Translators Association of Canada.
Translation in Practice
An attempt to establish ‘best practice’ for translation, edited by Gill Paul, from the Dalkey Archive Press website.
Translation Pay Survey
Authors Guild report on translation pay and work conditions.
Translation Prizes
The SoA administers prizes for published translations from Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Swedish and for a first published translation.