Levels of translation remuneration in the Chinese webnovel scene.

The lines between fan, amateur and professional translation have become blurred. This is very much so in what has now become the webnovel industry.

First, we had fan translations. People with no real background in translation did this as a hobby, to keep language skills sharp, perhaps, or to practice a new language. The translator released chapters as and when time allowed, and expected no payment. The quality of their work range from barely comprehensible to gold. These translations have not been licensed and are liable for legal action.

The next level up, would be amateur translators. I feel this group has ‘come into being’ with the rise of commercialisation of what used to be a hobby, and this is where the Chinese webnovel scene is at right now. These translators expect monetary compensation for their efforts, and the quality of their work is much the same as a fan translator’s.

This is where the line is blurred between amateur and professional translation. Here, because money is involved, the reader now has expectations of the translator. While the quality produced would be much the same as it is with fan translation, the speed at which the translations are published is to some extent, not up to the translator to decide. The translator is obligated to conform to the rules imposed by the publisher, and these rules can keep changing.

As of this time in writing, the ‘industry ideal’ is to have 14 chapters a week published. The current model is also such that these 14 chapters are published for free, with most of the profit coming from those willing to pay to read ahead in the form of advance chapters.

Compensation for the translator comes in the form of:

1. a flat-rate per-chapter basis.
2. a profit share of the novel’s advertisement revenue on the publishing platform, with supplementary revenue generated by people who pay to read ahead of the ‘free’ releases (sponsors). This supplementary amount is untouched by the publisher. This model mostly applies to smaller publishers who just want their name out there.
3. a profit share of what sponsors pay towards the novel, where the publisher gets a cut of the profit.

In the case of the flat-rate payment model, there is a guarantee. You do this amount of work, and you get this amount of money.

The profit share models, on the other hand, are largely dependent on various factors which may be beyond the translator’s control, such as the highs and lows in the story where you may gain or lose a reader’s interest. Sponsors can also cancel their support at any time due to a variety of reasons. There has to be a high level of engagement to keep the sponsors coming, or the profit suffers.

Note that this is all the translator’s job, and the publishers mostly just take a cut of the profit simply because they own the right of publishing. A similar example of how the profit share percentages can be split is shown on this website, though this platform deals in complete books instead of serialised novels:

https://www.babelcube.com/faq/revenue-share

(The Chinese webnovel scene most closely resembles the first pillar in the diagram, and can be even lower.)

Now imagine if the translator is getting 2,000USD a month in sponsorship money before the profit share cuts are implemented. The translator would also be expected to produce an average of two chapters a day. Let’s assume each chapter has 3,000 source words, and there is an average of 30 days in a month, which brings the total to 180,000 words a month for USD 1,100.  This means the person is working for $0.006 a word and is severely dependent on the kindness of sponsors to even get this amount of money.

On the bright side, if, IF the hard work pays off and the translator accumulates enough of a fan base, his or her efforts would be rewarded handsomely. This struggle to be successful can be compared to how people aspire to make it big on Youtube. Let’s assume that a wildly successful translator makes USD 10,000 a month before the profit cuts, and is working on producing the same amount of 180,000 words a month. After the profit cuts are implemented, this comes to a total of USD 5,500. That would mean that this person is working for $0.03 a word.

The reality of the market, however, is such that only a small percentage is wildly successful and that most are in the USD1,100 take-home range.

Last but not least are the true professionals. These individuals have spent years honing their craft, studying languages and attaining certifications which affirm their skills as linguists. The professional translator focuses on specialising within certain industry fields, and may also act as consultants to companies seeking to bring their brand into a foreign market. These translators are part of professional associations, uphold standards of the industry, and generally possess a high level of quality.

A professional translator is largely out of the reach, and budget, of the Chinese webnovel scene, with rates which start in the margin of $0.10 a word. If this rate were to be applied to a webnovel, the publisher would have to cough out $18,000 a month, all on their own dime, for just one novel. This makes no business sense to them, and they would much prefer to fish in the fan/amateur market.

Before you take a dive into the Chinese webnovel industry, please, please, please, also do keep in mind that it is NOT the best way to get rich, and your success will be dependent on various factors outside of your control. Which factors? Well… I’ll write about them sometime.