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Translators and Narrators: Translating and Narrating

Translating and narrating books for a living
Translating and narrating books for a living

Working For Royalty Share (part one)

Why work for commission only?

(intro) (part one) (part two) (part three) (part four)

Translating and narrating is a viable way of making money from home. The purpose of this article is to better inform those translators and narrators, who are considering collaborating with authors through services, such as Tektime, Babelcube, Audible or any of the others that are sprouting up.

Many participants automatically assume that everyone is translating and narrating for the same reason as they are, but this deserves closer scrutiny. 

Reasons for Translating and Narrating

I am a Welsh author who writes in English. I have written 175 books, and they have been translated and narrated, in both English and those translations, by about 800 international colleagues, to produce more than 1,200 publications.

It would be ludicrous to think that not everybody wanted to make some money. However, reasons that I have been given for taking part, in no particular order, are:

1. To enhance their CV

2. As part of an exam

3. For the experience

4. For extra income

5. For a bet

6. In order to improve their English

7. In order to learn how a book should be formatted

8. For a money-making hobby

9. As a retirement interest

10. As a pension and legacy

This article is aimed at those who want to make some money, but it will be useful to the others too.

Making Money From Books

In all reality, you will meed to use the Internet to make any money, since, if you work with me, our books will be sold predominantly online, on websites such as Amazon, Tektime, and my website, Megan Publishing Services, plus hundreds of others ranging from GooglePlay and Apple iTunes to small regional country-wide (online) shops.

If you do not have, or do not want, a website, you can promote our books via so-called deep links. In other words, you find the URL of your book on the website of your choice and promote that (Option 1). This method is adaptable to promotion via Social Media or email. However, you could also set up a page on Megan Publishing Services featuring all your books (Option 2), or create a blog/website and take it a stage further (Option 3).

Blog to Sell Books

Option 3 is the most flexible, and expensive for you. So, now, you have at least one URL to promote. Let’s say that you have several books to promote. If each URL links to one book or series, which it will if you link to Amazon, then you will have a lot of links to promote. However, if you design your own webpage, you can put as many hyperlinks on there as you like, and only have to advertise one link.

Such is the benefit of having your own blog, or a page on my blog (this website).

It is a question of commitment, and willingness to learn. After all, by taking on a translation or narration, what you have actually done is buy a franchise (with your time) to have the almost unique right to sell the book that you worked on. Your royalty share is up to 75% of the revenue until total sales reach about $2,000. (It differs from company to company, so don’t hold me to that – read the contract offered you).

We will continue in part two. The resources below are those that I find most useful for selling books.

Please leave your comments and questions on using translating and narrating to make money online below.

Translators and Narrators Resources

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