Proposals for translating and editing primary sources of scholarly value from all regions and cultures are welcome.

The “Publishing Director’s List of Texts“ contains a list of high-value primary-source texts for which there is no need to draft a proposal. 

In general, for each selected primary-source text, the goal would be to publish, in book form, the text’s English translation alongside an edition of the text in its original script(s) as well as in transliteration and/or transcription (if applicable according to the conventions of the relevant academic subfield). Given the time-intensive nature of such work, translators and editors may commit to just short and medium-length works, such as an approx. 5000-word text (in its original language) to be published as a booklet.

Lengthy primary-source texts are of course welcome (publication as multiple books, i.e., volumes, is possible). Anthologies of short but closely related primary-source text(s) are also welcome.

Each translation and edition of a primary-source text, plus other book components such as “Introduction,” “Bibliography,” etc., would be completed by a team of at least 1 translator and 1 editor.  

Contract and Royalties:

As an important part of the basic contract it offers in the year 2021, in exchange for full and exclusive copyright of a book, Academic Publisher for Primary Sources, LLC would agree to give the translator(s) of a book 40%−60% of net profit per copy it sells, and agree to give the editor(s) of a book 10%−30% of net profit per copy it sells, depending on the specific share of tasks taken on by the translator and the editor, all as determined by contract. For the purposes of the basic contract, “net profit” will be determined by deducting from the net revenue only the costs of (1) printing and binding; (2) fees collected by a financial institution or marketplace owner (e.g., credit card transaction fees; Amazon Seller fees, etc.); (3) sales tax(es) and tariff(s), if not paid separately by buyer; (4) package, shipping, and handling, if not paid separately by buyer; (5) advertisement(s) in which the book is the sole merchandise advertised (advertisement plan and spending limits may be negotiated). 

Academic Publisher for Primary Sources, LLC will never ask a translator, editor, or author to pay it any money, or to buy any of its products/books, as a condition for publishing, printing, or binding his/her work, or for making his/her work available for sale. Academic Publisher for Primary Sources, LLC seeks to successfully sell books so that both it and the translator(s), editor(s), and author(s) with whom it contracted can earn income from sales. 

Breakdown of Tasks and Royalties for the Translator and the Editor (in a 2-person team):

Tasks exclusive to the translator (40% of net profit per copy):

(1) Annotated amplified English translation of entire designated primary-source text, with high accuracy and minimal spelling or grammatical error: 39% of net profit per copy

(2) A Table of Transliteration and/or Transcription (if applicable); a Bibliography according to the Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition); a 50 to 100-word professional biography of the translator: 1% of net profit per copy

Task exclusive to the editor (10% of net profit per copy):

(1) Careful copyediting of each draft, partial or full, of the book, to the effect of having no spelling or grammatical error; and a 50 to 100-word professional biography of the editor: 10% of net profit per copy

Tasks that may be done either by the translator or the editor, or be shared between them (20% of net profit per copy):

Please Note: Each of the following tasks falls upon the translator by default, but may be given to the editor if the translator, the editor, and the Publisher agrees.

(1) Typing up an edition of the original text, and a transliteration and/or transcription of the text if applicable: 15% of net profit per copy (If translator completes or takes part in this task, translator will additionally be credited as an editor.)

(2) An English-language introduction to the primary-source text (minimum 3,000 words): 3% of net profit per copy

(3) Table of Contents (and possibly other preliminary pages); Index of People, Place Names, and other terms of importance: 2% of net profit per copy

Regarding “Annotated Amplified Translation”

“Annotated” means having footnotes or endnotes to further explain meaning(s) of words or passages in the original text that the translation is unable to (fully) provide, as well as to note additional relevant information that may be of value to a reader.

“Amplified translation” means a translation that attempts to maximally give both the literal and the idiomatic meaning of the original text. To be maximally literal, the translation should reflect all the words and grammar of the original text unless impossible due to the limitations of English. When limitation in English results in loss of meaning in translation, it should be explained in footnote or endnote. Words in translation that do not literally correspond to any word in the original text but are necessary for or conducive to giving the idiomatic meaning would be written within brackets. Words or passages in the original text that are ambiguous in meaning would require providing different translations showing all the possible interpretations, along with necessary explanatory notes. Potential ambiguity in translation due to the particularities of the English language should also be addressed/explained. 

To apply to become a translator and/or editor, please send an e-mail to

shuntu.kuang2@gmail.com

with the requested information below.

(Scholars are welcome to form their own teams in advance and apply together, but this is not required.)

Prospective Translators:

(1) Please indicate in your e-mail the primary-source text(s) that you would like to translate for Academic Publisher for Primary Sources, LLC to publish.

If you are proposing a text not on the “Publishing Director’s List of Texts,” please provide an attached document with the following information about the proposed text:

(1) title (if existent),

(2) author(s) (if known),

(3) era and place of origin,

(4) language(s) in which it was written,

(5) genre,

(6) approximate length,

(7) a 150 to 300-English word description of its contents,

(8) a bibliography listing the text’s manuscript(s) and existing modern editions (if any) that you will consult, and any existing English translation(s). Note: Priority is given to primary-source texts without full English translation to date, but a proposal to translate a text with existing English translation(s) may be accepted, especially if the publishing director or the editor-in-chief deems that a new translation of significantly superior quality to the existing one(s) can be done by the prospective translator.

(2) Please attach your academic CV, with information about your language abilities.

(3) Please translate, as a sample, a passage from the primary-source text that you have chosen.

Translation length: approximately 400 English words (not counting annotations).

Translation type: annotated and amplified, as applicable

Please place your translation sample alongside the original text in one MS Word or PDF document, and include as an e-mail attachment. 

Prospective Editors:

(1) Please indicate in your e-mail the primary-source text(s) in which you are interested. Or, feel free to just indicate the subfield(s)/genre of texts in which you are interested, and you may be contacted when a suitable translator could form a team with you. 

(2) Please attach your academic CV, with information about your language abilities, especially your ability to copyedit English translation of the relevant primary-source text(s). 

Application Process:

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.  

A member of Academic Publishers for Primary Sources, LLC or its designee might contact prospective translator or editor to request online video chat, during which project details and terms for a potential contract may be discussed.

Notes and Disclaimer for Information on this Webpage:

I. For a team larger than two (2) people, division of tasks and royalties will be negotiated and determined on a case-by-case basis. 

II. “Net profit” means net profit actually and effectively gained by Academic Publisher for Primary Sources, LLC.

III. “Copy” means physical or electronic copy. 

IV. The information on this webpage reflects the good-faith vision and hopes of Academic Publisher for Primary Sources, LLC. No information on this webpage constitutes agreement or contract. Academic Publisher for Primary Sources, LLC only considers the terms and conditions of contracts to which it is party (signatory) to be binding.