Is payment 4 month after delivery normal? Autor de la hebra: Karin Maack
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Karin Maack 
Alemania
Local time: 20:25
inglés al alemán
Recently, I have been contacted (not via ProZ.com) by an American publishing house. They had a book project with about 60 000 words. Payment wouldn't have been good - but for books it is not anyway - the deadline tight. Actually I would have liked to do it but the terms of payment would have been as follows: 50 % after they receive the translation, 50 % four month later after the book would have been published, all by USD check. When I asked them to pay me 25 % in advance, they said they were so... See more Recently, I have been contacted (not via ProZ.com) by an American publishing house. They had a book project with about 60 000 words. Payment wouldn't have been good - but for books it is not anyway - the deadline tight. Actually I would have liked to do it but the terms of payment would have been as follows: 50 % after they receive the translation, 50 % four month later after the book would have been published, all by USD check. When I asked them to pay me 25 % in advance, they said they were sorry but payment terms were not negociable. I refused.
I am not certain I did the right thing though - actually I found a payment of half the sum 4 month after delivery a bit cheeky and suspected they might not be able to pay in the end. Yet their website looked quite respectable.
What do you think about this? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sabine Braun
Reino Unido
Local time: 19:25
inglés al alemán
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| Common practice for authors | Feb 11, 2009 |
Hi Karin,
I am not familiar with the translation of books, all I know is that authors for renowned publishers in Germany tend to get 50% in advance and 50% after the book has been published (which in my husband's case was after a year - and I think that this is normal practice). And... it is very, very badly paid. So, I would not be surprised if the situation for the translator is just as bleak...
Sabine
| | | | | What is normal? | Feb 11, 2009 |
The "standard" as far as I am concerned is 30 days net from date of invoice.
I am working with some agencies, who pay after 45 or 90 days - but these are reliable and I work with them since the beginning of my freelance career.
By the way: I obviously had the same contact as you and I refused, too.
Translating a book within a tight timeframe and then facing such payment terms doesn't make me feel good - that is enough reason to refuse ... See more The "standard" as far as I am concerned is 30 days net from date of invoice.
I am working with some agencies, who pay after 45 or 90 days - but these are reliable and I work with them since the beginning of my freelance career.
By the way: I obviously had the same contact as you and I refused, too.
Translating a book within a tight timeframe and then facing such payment terms doesn't make me feel good - that is enough reason to refuse ▲ Collapse
| | | | Karin Maack
Alemania
Local time: 20:25
inglés al alemán
PERSONA QUE INICIÓ LA HEBRA | My experience so far | Feb 11, 2009 |
My own experience with German publishing houses were 100% within 30 days after delivery or, in one case, even 50% in advance and 50% after delivery.
I thougth, maybe, different countries different customs.
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Lingua 5B
Bosnia y Herzegovina
Local time: 20:25
Miembro 2009
inglés al croata
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| sounds dodgy | Feb 11, 2009 |
If you ask me, four months later sounds dodgy.
Why are they waiting for four months, after the book has been published? Waiting to sell the translation copies, so they can collect the money to pay off the translator ?
No, you didn't make a mistake.
| | | | | 3x1/3 in France | Feb 11, 2009 |
In France, the standard for literary translation as stipulated in the model contract set out by the ATLF (lit trans association in France) is 1/3 upon signing the contract, 1/3 upon submission of the translation, and 1/3 upon acceptation of the translation, no later than 60 days from the date of submission.
I imagine the American lit trans association has a model contract on their web site you could use as a reference?
| | | | | My experience in Italy is the same | Feb 11, 2009 |
I've been working with 2 well-known publishing companies in Italy, and the payment terms are 30% or 50% upon submission (and acceptance) of translation, the rest after the book has been published, but not later than 120 days from delivery. This is quite a standard for literary translation in Italy, and the deadline is alway tight (about 100 pages/month) for translation+proofreading. Maybe my Italian collegues had different experiences. It would be interesting to hear more about this thread.
| | | | | Mexico City case | Feb 11, 2009 |
I'm translating a book right now and my contract states I get paid 14 days after delivery.
I would not have accepted such payment terms either. You made the right choice.
Regards,
Y
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Steven Capsuto
Estados Unidos
Local time: 14:25
español al inglés
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| I think you made the right decision | Feb 11, 2009 |
My policy for book-length projects is that I deliver the translation in thirds and they pay me in thirds.
In other words, they don't get the second part of the book from me till I've been paid for the first, and so on.
Payment for the final third is due within 30 days of my delivering part three.
| | | | Karin Maack
Alemania
Local time: 20:25
inglés al alemán
PERSONA QUE INICIÓ LA HEBRA
Thanks to all of you for sharing your opinion. I have been thinking I might be too choosy but your answers help me to feel better about my decision.
| | | | | Definitely the right decision | Feb 13, 2009 |
The publisher is the one to finance the endeavour, not you!
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