| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Selling a dictionary to a customer Thread poster: Roy OConnor (X)
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Roy OConnor (X)
Local time: 16:09
German to English
Hi, Everyone,
A customer would like to acquire my self-made dictionary which I use for translating his documents. The dictionary in question is Multiterm with over 1300 technology specific terms in it. I feel reluctant to hand it over, but don't really know what to charge the customer.
There is also the question of copyright - what if the customer uses the entries to publish a dictionary under his own name?
Any thoughts?
Thanks a lot.
... See more Hi, Everyone,
A customer would like to acquire my self-made dictionary which I use for translating his documents. The dictionary in question is Multiterm with over 1300 technology specific terms in it. I feel reluctant to hand it over, but don't really know what to charge the customer.
There is also the question of copyright - what if the customer uses the entries to publish a dictionary under his own name?
Any thoughts?
Thanks a lot.
BFN
Roy ▲ Collapse
| | | | | How many hours did it take you to make it? | Mar 11, 2010 |
I see several options here:
Option 1: Calculate the time spent researching and maintaining the entries and sell the list for the amount equivalent to those hours at your usual price.
Option 2: Offer the customer to make a contract by which you sell the dictionary to them for their own use only and that you will receive 50% (or whatever you feel right) of the rights of publication or 10% (or whatever you feel right) of the sell price of an eventual dictionary.
... See more I see several options here:
Option 1: Calculate the time spent researching and maintaining the entries and sell the list for the amount equivalent to those hours at your usual price.
Option 2: Offer the customer to make a contract by which you sell the dictionary to them for their own use only and that you will receive 50% (or whatever you feel right) of the rights of publication or 10% (or whatever you feel right) of the sell price of an eventual dictionary.
Option 3: Not sell it at all and explain to the customer that you would prefer to keep this hard-worked information. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | On a second thought | Mar 11, 2010 |
I have also spent plenty of time researching and recording a lot of terminology I use in my work and right now my termbase contains some 8,000 carefully researched terms. I have cherished the idea of publishing a dictionary at the end of my career (i.e. in some 20 years time).
About your termbase, is it really very specific about some area, and do you feel it would be an interesting assets for other translators when you decide to stop translating? Maybe you could consider the possib... See more I have also spent plenty of time researching and recording a lot of terminology I use in my work and right now my termbase contains some 8,000 carefully researched terms. I have cherished the idea of publishing a dictionary at the end of my career (i.e. in some 20 years time).
About your termbase, is it really very specific about some area, and do you feel it would be an interesting assets for other translators when you decide to stop translating? Maybe you could consider the possibility of publishing your own dictionary in the long run, and that possibility would be probably jeopardised if you sell your terms to other people. Personally I would not sell my termbase unless I was paid a thick wad of 500-Euro bills. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Imho, it is a double-edged knife and a very sharp one... | Mar 11, 2010 |
Roy OConnor wrote:
Hi, Everyone,
A customer would like to acquire my self-made dictionary which I use for translating his documents. The dictionary in question is Multiterm with over 1300 technology specific terms in it. I feel reluctant to hand it over, but don't really know what to charge the customer.
There is also the question of copyright - what if the customer uses the entries to publish a dictionary under his own name?
Any thoughts?
Thanks a lot.
BFN
Roy
If you selll your dictionaries, the client may and will use them for itself and may be you lose the client for future jobs. You neither have the meanings to check if it will resell them. If you do not selll your dictionaries, the client can bother and not give you work any more.
From my point of view, the most probable thing is that in an economy that contracts as the current one, the enterprises try to cut his costs down to do all the possible internally. But even this way, I would never sell my own dictionaries as they are the result of more than fifteen years of work and I consider this unpayable.
If I were in such situation, probably I would ask for a ludicrous high price so I am quite sure the client will not be able or won't to have to pay it. Or in last case, if I am confident enough, I would use the third point exposed by Tomás.
[Editado a las 2010-03-11 10:54 GMT]
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| What is the dictionary about in the first place? | Mar 11, 2010 |
Can you tell us? What languages and what specialisation? I am just curious.
| | | | Roy OConnor (X)
Local time: 16:09
German to English
TOPIC STARTER
It's a dictionary with about 1300 terms DEEN on painting technology, building renovation and restoration. The terms are quite specific, some being manufacturer-specific.
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I see. Hm... I am not really sure about this.
I would agree with Pablo if this was a wider dictionary which you could sell to a reasonably high number of other translators or if we were discussing a whole termbase you have been building for most of your career.
Given that there is probably very few people out there who would pay for this, I would consider selling it to the customer, although at a price you feel right and that matches the time spent researching this, plu... See more I see. Hm... I am not really sure about this.
I would agree with Pablo if this was a wider dictionary which you could sell to a reasonably high number of other translators or if we were discussing a whole termbase you have been building for most of your career.
Given that there is probably very few people out there who would pay for this, I would consider selling it to the customer, although at a price you feel right and that matches the time spent researching this, plus a surcharge that would allow you to indulge yourself with a couple of cases of reasonably good Spätlese.
I would give good thought to the other considerations from Pablo. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | On a third tought too | Mar 11, 2010 |
Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:
I have also spent plenty of time researching and recording a lot of terminology I use in my work and right now my termbase contains some 8,000 carefully researched terms. I have cherished the idea of publishing a dictionary at the end of my career (i.e. in some 20 years time).
About your termbase, is it really very specific about some area, and do you feel it would be an interesting assets for other translators when you decide to stop translating? Maybe you could consider the possibility of publishing your own dictionary in the long run, and that possibility would be probably jeopardised if you sell your terms to other people. Personally I would not sell my termbase unless I was paid a thick wad of 500-Euro bills.
Why no to upload the dictionary to a secure sql-server, create a simple web-interfase to look at it and ask for a monthly or yearly rent?
This way, copyrights are protected trough an access key to the web interface (only search results will be given at the webpage), the owner cash for his effort when it is used, it may have more clients interested in and nobody lose. 
And YES, as Tomás said in the meantime, your dictionary ist not quite large and will neither have a large clients base interested in. I own selfmade dictionaries with around 14.000 ~ 15.000 (SAP) terms.
[Editado a las 2010-03-11 12:02 GMT]
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... if the price is right. I have no idea what I would consider a right price myself.
It obviously depends a lot on how unique and specialized the glossary is. Obviously, the terms are all in your translations, which they already have. In principle, they could just align them and use concordance search, which would be of course a lot more cumbersome to use than a simple glossary, but it would also provide hits on terms you never bothered to record in the termbase. Luckily for you,... See more ... if the price is right. I have no idea what I would consider a right price myself.
It obviously depends a lot on how unique and specialized the glossary is. Obviously, the terms are all in your translations, which they already have. In principle, they could just align them and use concordance search, which would be of course a lot more cumbersome to use than a simple glossary, but it would also provide hits on terms you never bothered to record in the termbase. Luckily for you, they probably never heard about TMs and aligning texts. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Roy OConnor (X)
Local time: 16:09
German to English
TOPIC STARTER | Is it a gift to the competition though? | Mar 11, 2010 |
One of my main concerns is that it would be relatively easy for my customer to have translations done elsewhere on the cheap by providing the translator with my researched terms. We all know that 90 percent of a translation may be dead easy, but it is the few special terms and phrases that take up such a lot of time.
| | | | | Selling a dictionary to a customer" | Mar 11, 2010 |
FarkasAndras wrote:
... if the price is right. I have no idea what I would consider a right price myself.
It obviously depends a lot on how unique and specialized the glossary is. Obviously, the terms are all in your translations, which they already have. In principle, they could just align them and use concordance search, which would be of course a lot more cumbersome to use than a simple glossary, but it would also provide hits on terms you never bothered to record in the termbase. Luckily for you, they probably never heard about TMs and aligning texts.
You w'd sell something even if you do not know at all wich is the right price?
Interesting tought...
[Editado a las 2010-03-11 12:40 GMT]
| | | | | Then don't sell | Mar 11, 2010 |
Roy OConnor wrote:
One of my main concerns is that it would be relatively easy for my customer to have translations done elsewhere on the cheap by providing the translator with my researched terms. We all know that 90 percent of a translation may be dead easy, but it is the few special terms and phrases that take up such a lot of time.
Yes, I understand your feeling.
All in all, maybe it is not a good idea to sell if you think you will regret in the long run. Better safe than sorry. I think the customer will understand... if they are sensible people who value your work.
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| Selling a dictionary... | Mar 11, 2010 |
How long have you been working with them? Why are they now asking for the dictionary?
Teresa
| | | | Roy OConnor (X)
Local time: 16:09
German to English
TOPIC STARTER
About 10 years. Apparently they would like a dictionary to help with communication with customers at exhibitions, etc. Maybe in letters, etc.
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Hi,
You can sell the right of the internal use(within the company) of the terms to your customer and at the same time you keep the copyrights. You need to drawa contract describing the above.
Michael Xynos
Roy OConnor wrote:
Hi, Everyone,
A customer would like to acquire my self-made dictionary which I use for translating his documents. The dictionary in question is Multiterm with over 1300 technology specific terms in it. I feel reluctant to hand it over, but don't really know what to charge the customer.
There is also the question of copyright - what if the customer uses the entries to publish a dictionary under his own name?
Any thoughts?
Thanks a lot.
BFN
Roy
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