Book Publisher

A section to discuss matters not related to Chess in particular.
soheil_hooshdaran
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Re: Book Publisher

Post by soheil_hooshdaran » Mon Jul 04, 2016 4:02 am

John McKenna wrote:Can I just ask when and how you began the translation work?


Or did you translate a chapter and send it to the author, GM Seirawan, so that he could approach Everyman about continuing the translation with a view to selling the translated work in Iran?
I first contacted GM Seirawan. in late Marh 2010 (I first contacted Chessbase and got the email of GM Seirawan from them)
, and he directed me to contact Everyman chess.
then I stopped the translation when I came to the phrase 'light is right' as it was almost impossible to translate literally. I then made up a poem.
Another problem was the costy payment they demanded from me. I then asked them (after the advice of a user) to lower the fee and take from me a percentage of the retail price. After they agreed to it, I resumed the translation.
Was it always meant to be a business venture in conjunction with Everyman?
Yes, I wrote to them that I think of earning a living from translating chess books....

John McKenna

Re: Book Publisher

Post by John McKenna » Mon Jul 04, 2016 10:30 am

Thanks for your answers. (I will reply to your PMs in due course.)

The problem you had translating "light is right" is understandable. It occurs early in the book as follows -

"The rule for chess players and dieters is: Light is right."

The book is not an easy one translate into a language such as Farsi. It is quite long and littered with Americanisms.

Perhaps you should have started with a shorter simpler chess book to establish yourself as a translator.

At some point Seirawan must have sold the rights to Play Winning Chess to Everyman, which is another problem for you.

A chess publisher will have many books to deal with and therefore will not have time to enter into protracted negotiations with a translator about a single book.

You have learned that the hard way to your cost. Your business relationship with Everyman seems to be irrecoverable, I'm afraid.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Book Publisher

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Jul 04, 2016 11:02 am

John McKenna wrote:
The problem you had translating "light is right" is understandable. It occurs early in the book as follows -

"The rule for chess players and dieters is: Light is right."
I'm not sure what Seirawan is going on about as far as chess is concerned.

If it was worded as

The rule for dieters is : Light (as meaning not heavy) is right

That makes a certain about of sense, although using the alliteration between "light" and "right" still makes translation difficult.

Michael Flatt
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Location: Hertfordshire

Re: Book Publisher

Post by Michael Flatt » Mon Jul 04, 2016 11:17 am

Soheil, it does seem that the problems that you have encountered arise from your inexperience in dealing with publishers and lack of a track record. There are no doubt many others in the same position as yourself.

If you haven't done so already I would suggest that you search out experienced professionals who are willing to provide you with advice[1]. Freelance workers of necessity need to create or join a network of useful contacts.

I've come across a useful document,Translation in Practice: A Symposium[2], which seems to contain much good advice:
- Introduction: The Aim of a Good Translation
- Chapter One: How Editors Choose Translators
- Chapter Two: Translation Contracts
- Chapter Three: Establishing Boundaries
- Chapter Four: Translation Problems and Solutions
- Chapter Five: The Editing Process
- Chapter Six: Ongoing Relationships
- In Conclusion ...

[1] The Society of Authors: http://www.societyofauthors.org/
[2] Translation in Practice: A Symposium: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz6-na ... sp=sharing

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Book Publisher

Post by Roger de Coverly » Mon Jul 04, 2016 12:38 pm

Roger de Coverly wrote: I'm not sure what Seirawan is going on about as far as chess is concerned.
I've been informed by Private Message that it was a double meaning relating to the orientation of a chess board.

Light (as in light/white square) is right (as on the right hand side of the board). Perhaps that's what should be translated leaving out Seirawan's references to slimming diets.

soheil_hooshdaran
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Re: Book Publisher

Post by soheil_hooshdaran » Fri Jul 08, 2016 10:49 am

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Roger de Coverly wrote: I'm not sure what Seirawan is going on about as far as chess is concerned.
I've been informed by Private Message that it was a double meaning relating to the orientation of a chess board.

Light (as in light/white square) is right (as on the right hand side of the board). Perhaps that's what should be translated leaving out Seirawan's references to slimming diets.
I wrote, light has always been associated with right in literature. and made up a small poem.

Absolutely nothing's wrong with the translation. The few peaple who had objections objected about the used of graphic diagrams as opposed to the textual ones, pigination, cover, paper, and the like.
They were chess experts/retailers who were not the primary target of the book.

soheil_hooshdaran
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Re: Book Publisher

Post by soheil_hooshdaran » Sun Jul 10, 2016 2:05 pm

Do you think I continue to print&sell the books? Maybe they think that I have not been successful in selling the books, while I have not yet tried

soheil_hooshdaran
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Re: Book Publisher

Post by soheil_hooshdaran » Sun Jul 10, 2016 6:33 pm

John McKenna wrote:Thanks for your answers. (I will reply to your PMs in due course.)

The problem you had translating "light is right" is understandable. It occurs early in the book as follows -

"The rule for chess players and dieters is: Light is right."

The book is not an easy one translate into a language such as Farsi. It is quite long and littered with Americanisms.

Perhaps you should have started with a shorter simpler chess book to establish yourself as a translator.
It is better to say the book WAS not an easy one to translate. Fortunately, I translated it well, with the help of some friends and forum members (ecforum, englishforums, and wordreference), and the translation is approximately the same length as its Enlish version (252 pp in small size).
I am rather established, as most active players in Iran know me (male and female players) and know my English is (quite) good.

soheil_hooshdaran
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Re: Book Publisher

Post by soheil_hooshdaran » Sun Jul 10, 2016 6:42 pm

Do you think it help that customers of this book email Everymanchess, asking them to let me re-print the books?

soheil_hooshdaran
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Re: Book Publisher

Post by soheil_hooshdaran » Sun Aug 07, 2016 9:59 am

Roger de Coverly wrote:
Roger de Coverly wrote: I'm not sure what Seirawan is going on about as far as chess is concerned.
I've been informed by Private Message that it was a double meaning relating to the orientation of a chess board.

Light (as in light/white square) is right (as on the right hand side of the board). Perhaps that's what should be translated leaving out Seirawan's references to slimming diets.
Yes, he meant to say h1 and a8 , which are on right, must be White. Polgar says it the other way around: a1 is dark. A trainer in my city says :"The odd-numbered in cage are dark", so everyone can quickly say, for example, that c4 is White, since its file is in 'cage' but its rank is even.
Anyway, after contcting GM Seirawan, he affirmed my impression that he just wanted to etch it in the brains and since I read that poems cause something to be etched into the brain of someone, I composed these two poems:

Having on right a light color
is a must on putting army in order

or

You should have the light color on the right
When you are going to begin to fight

soheil_hooshdaran
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Re: Book Publisher

Post by soheil_hooshdaran » Sun Aug 07, 2016 10:08 am

John McKenna wrote: Your business relationship with Everyman seems to be irrecoverable, I'm afraid.
Why?
I am paying them the royalties and have seemingly done nothing wrong.

Maybe they just don't want to spend more time negotiating and are content with what I did, right?

I remember some user has posted that Batsford publication was to do something to Fisher's work and when they got no answer for a while, they proceeded anyway.

soheil_hooshdaran
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Re: Book Publisher

Post by soheil_hooshdaran » Mon Aug 08, 2016 9:16 am

I am still unsure as to whether or not it is that they are waiting to see if the book sells well or if they don't want to me to print & sell copies of the book. What do you think guys?
Don't you think printing and selling the book copies is the only way forward?

soheil_hooshdaran
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pulishing a book

Post by soheil_hooshdaran » Tue Aug 09, 2016 7:45 am

Hi.
I have done a book translation (with the help from chess players/trainers/masters on this forum and elsewhere) of Play Winning Chess by GM Yasser Seirawan.
Now my question is, does my prublication of the translation take a portion of market away from Everyman chess, the publisher of the original English text?

soheil_hooshdaran
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Re: pulishing a book

Post by soheil_hooshdaran » Mon Aug 15, 2016 12:32 pm

soheil_hooshdaran wrote:Hi.
I have done a book translation (with the help from chess players/trainers/masters on this forum and elsewhere) of Play Winning Chess by GM Yasser Seirawan.
Now my question is, does my prublication of the translation take a portion of market away from Everyman chess, the publisher of the original English text?
Anyone answers?

Alistair Campbell
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Re: pulishing a book

Post by Alistair Campbell » Thu Aug 18, 2016 10:38 pm

soheil_hooshdaran wrote:
soheil_hooshdaran wrote:Hi.
I have done a book translation (with the help from chess players/trainers/masters on this forum and elsewhere) of Play Winning Chess by GM Yasser Seirawan.
Now my question is, does my prublication of the translation take a portion of market away from Everyman chess, the publisher of the original English text?
Anyone answers?
I think it may be a good idea to try to answer your own questions.

(I think there may be some elementary economic theory at play here, something to do with substitute goods and complementary goods).

To answer your question, I would have though it highly likely that your publication (sic) of the translation takes away a portion of Everyman's potential market. I imagine Everyman thinks this as well, if they have demanded some compensation for the publication rights.

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