Freelance Translator or Agency, or AI: Who Will Translate Your Book?
There are three main ways to get your book translated: a freelance translator or agency, or a service that translates with artificial intelligence. A freelance translator fits when a direct connection with the person writing the book in the new language matters to you. An agency fits when there are several languages or when you don't have time to manage. An AI service fits when time is short or when you want to test the book in another language before a big investment. Many authors combine routes.
Freelance translator or agency: what's the difference
A freelance translator is one person. You find them, talk to them, send them the book, and they send back a translation. If there's a question about a sentence in chapter seven, they ask you directly.
A translation agency is a company. You send the book to it, and it finds a translator, sometimes an editor and proofreader too, and manages the work. You talk to a project manager, not the translator.
An AI-based translation service is a website or company that translates the book using artificial intelligence models, sometimes with a check by people. You upload a file and get a file back. What exactly happens in between varies a lot from service to service, and it's worth asking.
We explained the differences between the translation methods themselves in a short glossary of translation methods. Here the question is who does the work and how you work with them.
A quick comparison
| Freelance translator | Translation agency | AI service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who you talk to | The translator | A project manager | Mostly the website |
| How many languages at once | Usually one | Several | Several |
| Time for a whole book | Months | Months, sometimes less | Days |
| Editing and proofreading | Sometimes, at extra cost | Sometimes included | Depends on the service |
| Main risk | Depending on one person | You don't know who translated | Mistakes nobody read |
The table is general. Some freelance translators work as a team with an editor, and some agencies use AI tools. Ask each one specifically.
When a freelance translator fits
When your book is built on voice. A novel, a memoir, a book where humor or a particular way of speaking is part of it. A good literary translator is almost a partner, and the direct connection with them is worth a lot.
Also when you have time. A human translator works slowly, and that's fine, but you need to plan for it. We explained roughly how long a book translation takes in how long does book translation take.
How to find one:
- Books similar to yours. The translator's name usually appears on the book. If there's a book you love that was translated from Hebrew into English, you can look up the translator.
- Recommendations. Other authors who have already been through it.
- Association directories. For example, the American Translators Association's directory lets you search by language, field and location.
Either way, ask to see a book they've already translated, and ask for a translation of a few pages of your book before you sign.
When an agency fits
When you're translating into several languages. Three translators, three contracts, three schedules and three lists of questions. An agency gathers all of that in one place.
Also when you don't have the energy to manage. Someone has to follow up, send reminders, check that the editor got the right file. If you don't want to be that person, an agency does it.
What to ask an agency before you sign: who the actual translator is, whether they've translated books before and not just documents, whether they're a native speaker of the target language, and what happens if you're not happy with the first chapter. And for the contract itself, what needs to be spelled out is in the translation contract checklist.
When an AI service fits
When time matters. A book translated in days rather than months lets you put out a new edition while the book is still relevant, or test the market's response before investing in more languages.
Also when you want to see the book in another language before the big decision. Even if you end up choosing a human translator, a fast translation gives you something to read and to show.
And some books simply suit it better: nonfiction, guides, books where what matters is what's said and not how. There are several services like this, Targum is one of them, and they're very different from one another. Ask for a sample from your book before you order.
So how do you choose
Ask yourself three questions:
- What matters most in my book, the content or the voice? The more the voice matters, the more it's worth having a person you talk to directly.
- How many languages, and how much time? One language, no pressure: a freelancer. Several languages: an agency or a service. Fast: a service.
- Who will read the result? With any of the routes, someone who reads the target language needs to go over the book before it comes out. We wrote about that in how to review a translation you can't read.
And if you're still unsure, choosing a translation route by book type goes over the same decision from the side of the book itself.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a freelance translator and a translation agency?
A freelance translator is one person who works directly with you. An agency is a company that takes the order, finds a translator, and sometimes an editor and proofreader too, and manages the work. With a freelancer you talk to the person writing the book. With an agency you talk to a project manager.
Is a translation agency more expensive?
Usually yes, because it adds management and sometimes another editing stage. The question is whether you need that management. For one book in one language, many authors manage fine with a freelance translator. For several languages at once, an agency saves a lot of coordination.
Where do I find a freelance book translator?
Through recommendations from other authors, through the names of translators that appear on books similar to yours, and through translator association directories, like the American Translators Association's directory. Always ask to see a book they've already translated.
When does an AI-based translation service fit?
When time matters, when you want to see the book in another language before investing more, or when the book is nonfiction and what matters in it is the content. As with any route, it's worth having someone who reads the target language go over the result.