I am a Japanese studies major who specialises in literary translation. I am best known for my translation of volumes 2-4 of Oregairu. See here for a list of things I’ve translated online.
If you’d like me to translate something from Japanese into English for you, I charge a small fee for private translation commissions. Don’t worry, it’s not much – just 1 Australian cent per Japanese character. For reference, most professional translators charge at least twice as much for the same amount.
Here’s how it works: you send me a link or a copy of whatever you want translated. I’ll send you a Paypal link with the asking price and get to work as soon as I’ve received the money.
For further inquiries, you can contact me via email (frogkun @ live dot com) or via the contact form at the end of this post. You will get a response within one working day.
I also accept article commissions. Commissions cost 50 AUD per article. I will accept requests to review anime, manga, light novels, visual novels, etc. I also accept requests to write editorials.
See the full post for terms, conditions and an FAQ.
TRANSLATIONS: PRICE LIST
FOR ALL FORMS OF TEXT AVAILABLE ONLINE: 1 AU cent per Japanese character (ji).
FOR MANGA: If you just want me to translate the words on the page, then I charge 1 AU cent per Japanese character. If you want me to do the typesetting as well, then I will charge $5 per page. I will not do cleaning or redrawing.
FOR BOOKS: $15,000-$20,000 per volume (tankobon), depending on the size and length of the book. If you think that this is too expensive, consider asking for a summary instead, which is priced at only $60 per volume.
FOR PRINTED MAGAZINES: $50 per article; $500 to translate the entire magazine.
FOR AUDIOVISUAL SUBTITLING (television and radio shows, etc.): $3 per minute of footage.
Other forms of translation vary on the product and how much work it involves. I will generally stick to the 1 cent per character rule in cases of doubt.
ARTICLE COMMISSIONS: PRICES AND TERMS/CONDITIONS
You can commission to me write a review/editorial about anything, as long as it’s related to Japanese pop culture in some way. The price is $50 whatever the topic. (Note that this is a tentative price, which may change depending on how many commissions I receive.)
Whether or not I accept a commission is entirely dependent on me. In these cases, common sense will apply. If you request that I review anything that takes longer than 300 minutes (or one anime cour) to consume, I will either refuse the commission or negotiate a price with you that fits the amount of time I will spend on the work. I also won’t write about anything I think is offensive.
While you can request an article, you can’t dictate my opinion on the subject. You also won’t get any refunds. So if you don’t like the opinions I express, you’ll have to live with it. I do however guarantee that I will express my opinions as honestly and as fairly as I can.
You are under no obligation to send me a review copy. If I am having difficulties obtaining a copy of the product you want me to write about, then I’ll let you know and that will factor into the commission price.
I will try to complete requests within 2-4 weeks of receiving them, but this really depends on the scope of the article requested. I will let you know from the outset how long I think the article will take to write. Note that I will only start writing after I have received the commission fee.
I do listen to non-paid requests for articles, but since I consume media on a “when I feel like it” basis, I may never get around to it. So if you want to guarantee that I’ll write about a particular topic, please consider sending me a commission.
Finally, feel free to republish any articles you have commissioned from me on your own website. I only ask that you credit me and include a link to this blog.
PAYMENT AND FEES INFORMATION
All transactions will be done over Paypal. If you don’t have a Paypal account, make one. It’s free. I can also use Skrill if you don’t live in a country that permits Paypal.
The minimum payment that I am willing to receive via Paypal/Skrill is $5, so any commission price that works out lower than this number will be rounded up to $5.
When I provide a quota, I round up to the nearest dollar.
If you are asking me to translate something, you will need to provide me with a link or copy of what you want translated. If you can’t do this, then the costs of obtaining the materials will be added to the translation fee.
Note that the Australian dollar is currently worth less than the US dollar, so the prices may be even cheaper than you think. See here for the current exchange rate in your currency.
Nevertheless, if you have trouble paying a lump sum, then I will accept payments in installments, but we have to work out an agreement beforehand. Please understand that I will only begin work after I have received at least some form of payment.
If you are dissatisfied with my translation or notice a glaring inaccuracy, you may ask for a partial refund (up to 50%). If you are asking for a refund, you must provide detailed feedback; otherwise, your request will be politely ignored. You may also cancel your order, but I will charge a cancellation fee of up to 25%, depending on how much time I have spent on the translation.
Article commissions will not be refunded.
FAQ
Q. What about copyright?
From the terms and conditions (see below for the full agreement):
All translations are intended for personal, private use. If you are not a copyright holder of the original material, you do not hold the legal right to publish my translations. In practice, this means that you can publish my translations if you like, but you are solely responsible for defending any claims by third parties relating over copyright infringement and other commercial intellectual property rights. Under this agreement, I waive any claim of legal ownership over my translations.
Q. Will you still fan translate things?
Yes. However, I will only accept payments for private commissions. If I want to translate something and post it on my blog, then I will do it without asking for payment. The translation group I work with does not accept donations, so please do not send me unsolicited money.
I devised this commission system because various people were asking me to translate things on top of the translation I was doing as a hobby. I simply do not have the time to satisfy everyone’s requests without compensation. This way, everyone can be happy.
Q. What will you prioritise? The commissions or fan translations?
The commissions. I will work on them as soon as I receive them.
Q. How long will it take you to translate my commission?
If you don’t specify a time frame you’d like to receive the translation by, then I will aim to complete the translation within 1-2 weeks, depending on how long it is. Note that if you ask for a long translation to be completed within a very short time frame, I may charge extra.
Q. Do you translate English-to-Japanese?
No. Sorry!
Q. What would you most prefer to translate?
Songs, articles, essays, news reports, interviews, etc. Anything published online is ideal.
Of course, printed media is fine as well as long as I can get my hands on it.
I would recommend that you do not ask me to translate official or legal documents. My translations are not certified.
Q. Will you make a Patreon?
No. If you want to give me money, please ask for a service.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR TRANSLATION COMMISSIONS
Before you pay me (or anyone else to translate for you, for that matter), please read and understand these terms. I’ve tried to make them as clear as possible, but if you have any further questions, feel free to ask.
FEES AND PAYMENTS: All fees and and payments are to be privately negotiated between the translator and client (i.e. you). Unless otherwise stated, the fee will be based on the length and text type of the material to be translated. I will not charge interest or any form of consumption tax fee. I only accept payments via Paypal, so please make an account before you start doing business with me. Also, I will only begin translating after receiving payment. This is non-negotiable.
THE CLIENT’S DUTY: You are obliged to provide me with a freely accessible link or copy to the material you wish for me to translate. If you cannot do so, then the extra costs of obtaining the materials will be added to the fee.
PRIVACY AGREEMENT: I will maintain confidentiality regarding any of your personal information, except under cases when I am legally obliged to disclose that information.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: All translations are intended for personal, private use. If you are not a copyright holder of the original material, you do not hold the legal right to publish my translations. In practice, this means that you can publish my translations if you like, but you are solely responsible for defending any claims by third parties relating over copyright infringement and other commercial intellectual property rights. Under this agreement, I waive any claim of legal ownership over my translations.
In the event where you hold full publishing rights over the material to be translated, I ask that I claim a share of the intellectual property rights. This will require us to draw up a separate contract regarding the translator’s credit, royalties and advance payments (if necessary). You must also agree that you will not make unapproved changes to my work. Furthermore, you grant me the right to store and use the original materials for the duration of our contract.
TRANSLATION OF OFFICIAL AND LEGAL DOCUMENTS: Any translations of a legal or official document will not be considered valid by a government agency. I can only offer an informal translation in these cases. You are better off paying the extra price for a certified translation.
REFUNDS AND CANCELLATIONS: If you are dissatisfied with my translation or notice a glaring inaccuracy, you may ask for a partial refund (up to 50%). If you are asking for a refund, you must provide detailed feedback; otherwise, your request will be politely ignored. You may also cancel your order, but I will charge a cancellation fee of up to 25%, depending on how much time I have spent on the translation. Again, all transactions will take place via Paypal.
GOVERNING LAWS AND JURISDICTION: In the case of any dispute or claim, this contract will be judged in accordance to the Australian federal law.
If you agree to all the terms and conditions, then you may submit a translation/article request. You may ask me over email or the contact form below:
[contact-form]
