Post

John Scalzi
@scalzi.com

Because if they're not in compliance with them they are in breach of contract and I get my rights back and they have nothing (or have a stack of books they can no longer sell). I had a foreign publisher who once tried to get around the terms of our contract. It didn't end well for them.

CarpeNoctem1200@carpenoctem1200.bsky.social

Honest question: how do you ensure their compliance with these clauses? Just taking their word for it seems not enough to me...

9 reposts512 likes

CarpeNoctem1200
@carpenoctem1200.bsky.social

Thank you. Yes I get that point. I was just wondering how one would notice if someone used AI, say for translation. I mean you can only bring a law suit if you are convinced or at least suspicious enough of a breach of contract (should have made my point clearer in my first question)...

John Scalzi
@scalzi.com

Translators have names, and, usually, work histories (and paychecks). I can, generally speaking, vet them if necessary. That said, for many of my foreign editions I have worked with the same translator for years. I would know if they were suddenly swapped out.

CarpeNoctem1200
@carpenoctem1200.bsky.social

Oh yeah, that makes sense. Come to think about it, we also have such a trusted translator we use for decades for our technical trade marketing at work. And yes, we would also note if someone else than her did the job. Her remarks from translation also help us with improving the original text!