What i should know when making a translation group?

[lakshadvio]

Hello,

I am interested in managing/creating a fan translation group but I'm unsure where to start and what I should know. I'd appreciate some advice from fellow fuwanovel members! I'm not very fluent with my Japanese  https://19216801.onl/ https://routerlogin.uno/https://192168ll.link/ but I'd love to help in aspects such as illustration. I can make a mascot design for our group, Icons for the members, Logo, etc for the blog and social media. I'd like to make a group with a fun friendly atmosphere where we can build a bond with each other!

Edited April 20, 2020 by lakshadvio

[Clephas]

I could say a lot of things, but most of them would be negative, so I'll say good luck (not sarcastically).  

[Asonn]

I could say a lot of things, but most of them would be negative, so I'll say good luck (not sarcastically).  

[McDerpingheimer III]

Well, for starters, a basic grasp of grammar.

[Fiddle]

A translation group should be a means to an end, not an end unto itself. With that in mind, I recommend you start one only if you can play an indispensable role (e.g. translator) and need others to fill the other roles.

[kokoro]

You should learn how to time travel because fan tls are dead.

[tahu157]

If you're planning on doing a high profile title maybe keep it on the downlow until release day otherwise you run the risk of getting a C&D letter before you're even finished translating.

Ripping and repacking script files is pretty difficult. Especially the repacking part.

 

[ittaku]

Learn how to cope with disappointment.

[Clephas]

10 hours ago, ittaku said:

Learn how to cope with disappointment.

This?  Most translation groups fall apart inside the first two months, because members realize they don't have the skills and quietly give up or spend all their time chatting randomly on the Discord because they don't want to admit they don't have the willpower to learn as they go.  It's worse if there are members who can't contribute.

17 hours ago, Fiddle said:

A translation group should be a means to an end, not an end unto itself. With that in mind, I recommend you start one only if you can play an indispensable role (e.g. translator) and need others to fill the other roles.

Again this.  One doesn't start a fantranslation group just because they want to... they start it because there is something they want to translate, specifically.  This is why most fantranslation groups are started by a translator.  

[Stormwolf]

Here is the secret to success. Don't ever give examples of your translation quality. Do your best and at most show people your progress but keep your actual translation for yourself. People will trash your hide for simple grammatical errors and that does nothing good for your morale. Translate and release when done (if you get that far)

Edited April 15, 2020 by Stormwolf

[littleshogun]

It's very simple in that you need guts, friendship, and effort in order to make a fan translation group. Or in more serious manner pick what VN that you like, make sure that you have enough language skill to translate it, and find on what kind of translation style that would be good to you. Also don't ask for suggestion on what kind of VN that you would translate, because you'll end up received very well known VNs in which usually it'll be too long for the first project and you'll find yourself burned out with it. While I admit that I hope some translation project will picked up a well known VN, in the end it's depend on what the translator capable to translate.

By the way looking from your skill set, to be blunt I'll just say that it's not the appropriate skill that you should list if your goal is to make a translation project. The most important position should be a translator, because it's the primary position to get the VN to be understandable to non-Japanese reader. After that it would be TLC-er, editor, and finally the web illustrator at the bottom rank. So yeah don't ever dream to start the translation project if you can only offer illustration skill, because I'm sure that it's the least concern for the translation project (I may be wrong on this) doubly so if you didn't have Japanese skill. Also searching for the translator would be very hard, so yeah it should be better if you're the one who act as the translator if you really want translation group. One more thing that you should know is to have persistence, because without that the project would be stalled or even dead which sadly is not uncommon in fan translation project.

Lastly while I did say a lot of blunt things here I still hope that you can start your own translation project, so good luck on that. 

Edited April 16, 2020 by littleshogun

[The Dub Lover]

On 4/15/2020 at 7:56 AM, ittaku said:

Learn how to cope with disappointment.

You're right, I already learn from that experience. Better work solo rather hoping for someone to lend you a hand.

[The Dub Lover]

If you want to operate fan translation project by team work or solo like me. My advice is  "to stand up"  no matter what. Actually that quote from Miles Spiderman.

Edited March 26, 2022 by The Dub Lover
typo

[HataVNI]

Grab a bunch of friends and or talented people from other communities. Doing your translation projects completely alone is prone to failure, especially if you still get to sustain yourself in life. I would say you need like one translator, one editor, proofreaders, one programmer and one image editor to be making a team happen.