A Word On What I'm Doing
I've had several people ask me now the same questions...and I guess I've been assuming that everyone I know has similar knowledge as I do about publishing and the online-world, and that's wrong. So, let me clear up some of the confusion about Aerandria, scanlators, and my work.
A "scanlation" group is the literary equivalent of fansubbing. It means that fans--people who are not formally trained, don't have degrees in these fields, etc--take an untranslated Japanese anime (fansub) or manga (scanlation) and translate it for other fans to read. "Scanlation" is a combination word of "scanning" and "translation." It means that the manga is scanned, the pages translated (I'll post an example), the Japanese is taken out and cleaned up, the translation inserted, and the whole thing put up where fans can access it. It is as complicated as "the real thing." That is, these fans are doing what professionals do, only without any monetary gain.
Aerandria is a group probably fairly well-known in the scanlation circles. They have a ridiculously high "completion rate" (this means that they rarely have to drop a project for one reason or another) and produce consistently high quality work. Me even being a trainee is a fantastic thing--I'll have people who really know what they're doing looking over my work and helping me to better provide an accurate translation.
NOW. A word on money--if a scanlation group CHARGES MONEY for these releases it is HIGHLY ILLEGAL. Donations are allowed...because it's just people giving other people money. But, I cannot technically "make" money from anything I do. Even without money, this is a dubious legal issue. On the one hand, publishers like us scanlation groups because we give them a feel for how well a series is going to be received in a realistic way. On the OTHER hand...having free manga available makes people less likely to buy a physical copy. Which is why all groups have a statement on their scanlations saying, 'when this is licensed, discontinue distribution of this.' The idea is that once there's an official translation in the country, and its licensed, the group will stop.
What I'm doing right now is working for the side that someday I will probably be "fighting against" in some ways. XD Someday I may end up translating for real manga--the legal, paid way. And in that case, how successful I am will depend on how many people are willing to forsake free manga to support the mangaka, the translator, and the publisher.
However. The opportunity to work with translating, getting experience providing translations based on scans is invaluable for someone like me, who has no formal training in this. It will help me to familiarize myself with "slang Japanese" that is often featured in modern manga, as well as "old, formal Japanese" when I work with historical manga...etc. Since I someday hope to translate novels (both 'manga' like ones, and fiction/non-fiction ones), this is a step in that direction that I can take here and now.
I won't get paid in money. I will get 'paid' in experience. Right now, though I need money, I need experience more than anything. I need to better my Japanese to a point that is on-par with those who studied it in college, and not just in their free time. =D
To see what I mean go to http://www.onemanga.com and check out the first page. "Akagami no Shiruyukihime" is by Aerandria. I'd recommended actually reading it, since asahina is working on it, and she's a very good translator. The story itself is an interesing twist on the mythology of 'Snow White.' =D
A "scanlation" group is the literary equivalent of fansubbing. It means that fans--people who are not formally trained, don't have degrees in these fields, etc--take an untranslated Japanese anime (fansub) or manga (scanlation) and translate it for other fans to read. "Scanlation" is a combination word of "scanning" and "translation." It means that the manga is scanned, the pages translated (I'll post an example), the Japanese is taken out and cleaned up, the translation inserted, and the whole thing put up where fans can access it. It is as complicated as "the real thing." That is, these fans are doing what professionals do, only without any monetary gain.
Aerandria is a group probably fairly well-known in the scanlation circles. They have a ridiculously high "completion rate" (this means that they rarely have to drop a project for one reason or another) and produce consistently high quality work. Me even being a trainee is a fantastic thing--I'll have people who really know what they're doing looking over my work and helping me to better provide an accurate translation.
NOW. A word on money--if a scanlation group CHARGES MONEY for these releases it is HIGHLY ILLEGAL. Donations are allowed...because it's just people giving other people money. But, I cannot technically "make" money from anything I do. Even without money, this is a dubious legal issue. On the one hand, publishers like us scanlation groups because we give them a feel for how well a series is going to be received in a realistic way. On the OTHER hand...having free manga available makes people less likely to buy a physical copy. Which is why all groups have a statement on their scanlations saying, 'when this is licensed, discontinue distribution of this.' The idea is that once there's an official translation in the country, and its licensed, the group will stop.
What I'm doing right now is working for the side that someday I will probably be "fighting against" in some ways. XD Someday I may end up translating for real manga--the legal, paid way. And in that case, how successful I am will depend on how many people are willing to forsake free manga to support the mangaka, the translator, and the publisher.
However. The opportunity to work with translating, getting experience providing translations based on scans is invaluable for someone like me, who has no formal training in this. It will help me to familiarize myself with "slang Japanese" that is often featured in modern manga, as well as "old, formal Japanese" when I work with historical manga...etc. Since I someday hope to translate novels (both 'manga' like ones, and fiction/non-fiction ones), this is a step in that direction that I can take here and now.
I won't get paid in money. I will get 'paid' in experience. Right now, though I need money, I need experience more than anything. I need to better my Japanese to a point that is on-par with those who studied it in college, and not just in their free time. =D
To see what I mean go to http://www.onemanga.com and check out the first page. "Akagami no Shiruyukihime" is by Aerandria. I'd recommended actually reading it, since asahina is working on it, and she's a very good translator. The story itself is an interesing twist on the mythology of 'Snow White.' =D