TGIF#74
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Nizze It's simple. Translators have to meet a certain speed as imposed by Webnovel. As a translator, I'd rather keep a massive stockpile to ensure I can meet that speed than to release more chapters for readers. I could mass release until all my stockpile is gone, and when I'm sick, I'll have to continue working just to meet the requirement. So why would I be releasing all that when I can keep a buffer and be at ease that I can take breaks?
For translator groups, they hire translators and also are required to meet even higher standards of release speeds. Their direct client is Webnovel, who pays them directly (but not necessarily by the SS earned directly), so keeping a stockpile is much more important. Translators and editors can quit at anytime and replacing them might take time. The stockpile is there to ensure that any transitions aren't disrupted. So as a translation group manager, I'll keep hundreds of chapters as a stockpile to ensure that I don't have to suffer pressure from halting releases because of this transition, both from readers AND Webnovel.
For instance, how long it takes to have a translator that reaches the standards and is agreeable to doing a particular work might take a few weeks. Then further negotiation with a translator for a book and signing them can take up to a week. And if the book is releasing as we speak, the stockpile is dwindling fast. 50 chapters for a female book runs out in less than 3 weeks. For a male book, less than 4 weeks. The workflow then needs to be set up, and slowly get into the groove of translating a new work. And that is IF a translator can be found. Different translators are suited for different kinds of stories, so you can't just move a translator over from another book either. And translators aren't just twiddling their thumbs sitting there waiting for books to do. If there's a spare translator, they will be assigned something. And even after they start work, they might not necessarily meet the speed requirements while possessing the quality standards as well. Then, perhaps another translator needs to be added, and the whole situation of finding another translator begins again. All this while releases maintain and the stockpile decreases.
If you actually check, Atlas Studios has raised quite a number of its female books from 14 to 21 chapters a week. And there are +3 chapters occasionally on TGIFs. Some of its male books are at 14 with occasional mass releases of +3. Some of the books that it has taken over from prior translators are eventually going to have their speeds raised to 14/week.
The determination of a mass release depends on how fast the translators/editors are doing, how big the stockpile is. If the translators hit exam period or real life issues and slow down, I'm going to be eating into that stockpile. If they are doing fast and everything is fine, I'll mass release. So it's ultimately still hard work on the translators' part to actually deliver a mass release. They need to go above and beyond what they are expected to do, and that deserves some gratefulness.
CKtalon Thanks for explaining a bit of the inner workings. Knowing those things and having more contact helps us to be more sympathetic with the translators.
Leaving an detailed note in a novel when something like that happens would be nice too. At least on the severe cases you pointed. Saying what happened to the translator (if possible) and till when the stockpile will last before there’s a hiatus and things like that. Every now and then we see a new post on the forum abou no updates or translators going mia, and that’s why I’m saying this about notes and all.
Is not like we are not grateful for mass releases and is not like we would stop reading a novel because we didn’t get it even after asking for it. And you made clear how the translators go an extra mile to have a stockpile of chapters for an emergency and how being in a group pressure you guys. We got it. Thanks again for clarifying things.
But this privilege system is really not helping with the translators and groups image. You just told us hor hard os to stockpile chapters and how important they are whenever there’s trouble and all and that don’t sit well with this system. It gave the impression of: look, is really hard to stockpile chapters and we need to keep them from being published in case of emergencies... but you can read them, of you are able to pay 10x what they would be charged for.
I’m not saying I don’t get why do this or blaming translators and groups for this system nor trying to boycott it. I’m not even complaining about it anymore. As someone said before, no one is forcing anyone to buy it. So let the whales spend on it. Only pointing why those complaints came to be, why it was associated with the mass releases amd why translators amd groups got the brunt of them. That in a reader’s pov.
As long as the release rates and mass releases on TGIFs are not affected I’ll have no complaint. Actually, nevermind the mass releases... I’m not getting lucky with them lately anyway... xD
Again, sorry if any of this made you feel offended, it was not the intention and is all misunderstandings and lack of knowledge of the inner workings that readers have. Thanks fot the hard work that we know you guys put in.
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Nizze No, we don't even want a break in releases to happen. Sometimes we don't know that the book has stopped posting because we are managing dozens of books. Atlas Studios manages about 90 books. And if we do, we try to inform, but that depends on group and individual.
If you notice, the books that get MIA-ed are the usually ones with individual translators, which is why Webnovel decided to move to a translator group system. Because there's now just one person to go to (the TL group manager) instead of finding that one translator who doesn't reply to any messages. Now, the burden goes on the TL group manager. If a TL goes MIA, it's the TL group manager's responsibility to replace. There's a lot of replacement behind the scenes and that's also why the stockpile is very important to us. I don't even feel safe letting a book with a 90 chapter stockpile enter Privilege, because that just cuts it close.
Therefore, releasing the stockpile for Privilege is actually making it harder for us to keep up our side of the bargain. In what we used to have maybe 1-2 months of leeway to do any replacements, we are now X chapters shorter, so everything needs to be done much faster. And since there's more pressure, the price will be a lot higher. Otherwise, it's just a normal mass release and nothing special.
Actually towards the book's end, when we are sure that the translators can finish the book safely, mass releases tend to happen more and in more generous ways. That's when the pressure is off.
WEBNOVEL_OFFICIAL What does a girl gotta do to get a response please? I have a novel I love so deeply yet has not been updated for almost 2mth. The beautiful time with you.
Can you tell us the situation? We need a feedback system that doesn’t get lost in the forum
WEBNOVEL_OFFICIAL What does a girl gotta do to get a response please? I have a novel I love so deeply yet has not been updated for almost 2mth. The beautiful time with you.
Can you tell us the situation? We need a feedback system that doesn’t get lost in the forum
CKtalon I do get you guys are a responsible group and are doing your best. But Atlas Studios as you said is in charge of 90 novels. And other groups/lone translators may or may not follow your example. In a nutshell: my concern is that some people will be overcome by greed with the possibility of charging 10x more and neglect current rate release. You can assure this won’t happen in the group you are responsible for, but not for the others. And now I also feel bad for you guys being dragged to the greedy label even if you guys have nothing to do with it and is bad for you guys to (since ir buils even more pressure).
Overall I think very few will be up to buying it and it will end up dropped as the membership was.
) I really respect translators that commit to 2-3 chapters a day and see to itBhy85 I've spoken to Starve in person when I met him 2 weeks ago.. He might get back to it...
Nizze We do get a fair share of the Privilege money, so in some sense, it's buying this 'buffer' I was talking about. And of course, if we make more, we can also hire translators more easily by paying more as well. (Money makes the world go round).
I find this is getting unreasonable. How come you guys create the privilege reader? Peeking for 5 chapters costs 300ss. Don't you think this is just like robbery? I think I'm gonna drop this apps and look for different apps. I've spent too much on this.
[unknown] you don't have to buy it if you don't want it. Self control is an amazing thing.
I also kinda don't understand why they thought high upfront costs to unlock a feature was preferable to simply quintupling (because you know they wouldn't stop at even triple) the cost for sneak-preview chapters. Maybe to discourage quantity for quality?
makude you don't have to buy it if you don't want it. Self control is an amazing thing.
I also kinda don't understand why they thought high upfront costs to unlock a feature was preferable to simply quintupling (because you know they wouldn't stop at even triple) the cost for sneak-preview chapters. Maybe to discourage quantity for quality?
makude i agree with you.... i hope they remove the privilege purchase
makude very very unreasonable
CKtalon How likely do you think it is that he'll get back to it?
And could you please explain how exactly the process of switching translators works? I've heard that the translator of The Bumpy Road of Marriage (Lunaelle) has sent in the request to take over that project. If Starve is for whatever reason no longer willing to continue that project, why not let Lunaelle take over?
WEBNOVEL_OFFICIAL I'm French I use and translator to read want novel except that you have to copy and paste them for that and now I see that I can't do it anymore how I do it now to read
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CKtalon Ok, but who actually decides if a novel is dropped or should be picked up by another translator? And can we get the assurance that this novel is not dropped and will be picked up again in the (hopefully near) future, by either Starve or someone else? Or do we just have to give up hope? 
