Thursday, September 12, 2013

Jen Minkman: Self-translation & Self-publishing

Jen Minkman (*1978) has self-translated her novel Shadow Time from Dutch into English.:
"[T]he chances of being translated into English as a Dutch writer are very, very slim. So I decided to translate my books myself so I could reach a wider audience of readers worldwide. Since most of the Anglophone publishing world works with agents, I chose to self-publish because that would be a quicker way to get my book on the market." (Word Vagabond 2013)
Self-translation has been a good experience for her and she especially appreciates the possibility to improve her novel while translating it:
"I am planning to translate each and every book I write from now on. Not only is it a good way to get known across the border, it is also a very good method to revise your own manuscripts. When you’re translating a story, sometimes you suddenly realize that certain dialogues or scenes just don’t work, so you cut them out or change them."  (Word Vagabond 2013)
To read the full interview with Jen Minkman on World Vagabond, please click here.

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