TRANSLATION DATABASE FAQ
What titles are included in the Translation Database?
All works of fiction, poetry, children’s books, and nonfiction translated into English and published in the U.S. after January 2008.
Does the database include books published in the UK?
Only if the titles are distributed through traditional means here in the United States. If a title is published both by a UK and a U.S. press, only the U.S. version is recorded. Translated titles that are only available for sale in the UK are not included.
Does the database include genre fiction?
Yes! All translations are included in the database regardless of content. Romance, science fiction, crime, historical fiction—all are included.
How do the books get entered into the database?
Two ways: A significant number are added by hand based on publishers’ catalogs, review copies received, and Publishers Weekly reviews. But there are also a significant number that are added by translators, authors, publicists, and knowledgeable readers via this form.
How soon after filling out that form, will the book appear in the Translation Database?
Unfortunately, this process isn’t instantaneous. All titles entered via this form are reviewed for accuracy before being approved and added to the database. There isn’t a specific time frame, but these records are being reviewed on a daily basis.
What if I find an error on a listing?
Use that same form and click “Correction to titles in database” at the bottom.
How can I search the Translation Database?
On the main search page you can search for translations using any number of criteria. Title, Author, Translator, Language, Author’s Country of Origin, Publisher, Author/Translator Gender, and more. These criteria can be combined to narrow your search. For example, by choosing “Spanish” and “Author Gender: Female,” you’ll get a list of all books written by women translated from Spanish.
My search only shows a few of the categories—how can I get access to the full records?
This is correct. When you click on a book title, you will see the basic information (ISBN, Title, Author, Publisher, Language, Country, Genre, Pub Year, Author and Translator Gender), but not the Publication Month, Ebook ISBN, or Price. You can access this though by clicking “tab delimited format” at the top of the search results page. This will display all of the recorded information for all the titles found by your particular search. This is also how you can transfer the data into Excel so that you can better analyze it.
How would I transfer the information into Excel?
From the “tab delimited” results page, highlight all the records, copy them, and then, using “paste special: text,” paste them into Excel.
What advantages are there to having the records in Excel?
Once the data is in Excel, you can sort by whatever criteria you desire, allowing you to analyze the findings and uncover publishing trends.
What if I have more specific questions?
Feel free to email Chad W. Post—the Translation Database’s curator—at chad.post@rochester.edu and he can help you out.
