Literary translators rewrite books in another language — novels, short stories, poetry, plays. It is one of the most creative jobs in translation, and one of the hardest to break into. Here is how most literary translators actually get started.

1. Translate into your native language

Almost every professional translates into their first language. Your source language must be excellent, but your target-language writing must be publishable. Read widely in the genre you want to translate — romance, fantasy, crime — so you know its conventions in both languages.

2. Get training (formal or informal)

A degree helps but isn't required. Useful routes include translation MAs, summer schools, workshops, and mentorship schemes for emerging translators run by organisations such as the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) and the UK's National Centre for Writing.

3. Build a portfolio of samples

Publishers buy books based on samples. Choose a book you love whose translation rights are available, translate 20–30 pages, and write a short reader's report: summary, why it matters, how it fits the target market. This package is how translators pitch books to editors.

4. Find work: publishers and indie authors

  • Traditional publishers commission translations after buying rights, often at book fairs like Frankfurt and Bologna.
  • Self-published authors increasingly hire translators directly — especially in romance, where German, Italian, French and Spanish readerships are large. These projects can be a fast way to build a backlist.
  • Small and genre presses may be more open to pitches from new translators than large houses.

5. Understand contracts

Key points: the fee (often per 1,000 words or a flat fee), payment schedule, royalties, credit (your name on the cover or title page), copyright in the translation, and what happens if the publisher doesn't publish. Associations publish model contracts and guidance — use them.

Translation cost calculatorEstimate a quote by language, word count, subject and deadline.

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6. Join the community

Professional bodies offer directories, events, contract advice and mentoring: ALTA and the ATA in the US, the Translators Association (part of the Society of Authors), CIOL and ITI in the UK, and national associations across Europe. Translator Twitter/Bluesky, Mastodon and newsletters are where many collaborations start.