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Guideline for Contributors​

All contributors are asked to take note and follow the Renditions house style as far as possible. Please note that currently we no longer accept submissions for the Renditions journal, while book-length translations intended to be published as a Renditions Book or Renditions Paperback are still welcome.

Publishing schedule
Requirements
House style
English usage

I. Publishing schedule

  1. The translator sends 1) the source text, 2) the translation (comprising at least 40% of the proposed book), and 3) a book proposal with a tentative table of contents, a short introduction to the author, the translator, and the work itself, in soft or hard copy, to the editorial team.
    Email: renditions@cuhk.edu.hk
    Address: Room 105, Research Centre for Translation, Leung Kau Kui Building, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong
    Note: It is house policy not to publish works that already have satisfactory translations.

  2. The manuscript is refereed by anonymous academic reviewers with translation experience. It may be recommended for publication subject to revision. Note: average reporting time for unsolicited manuscripts is four months.

  3. The translator is advised of acceptance or rejection of the manuscript; if applicable, the translator sends a revised translation; if applicable, the translator will need to contact the copyright holder to secure the non-exclusive right to translate the work and publish the translation.

  4. After the publication schedule is confirmed, the editorial team starts editing and sends the edited manuscript to the translator. Note: average time from acceptance of translations, through editing to actual publication, is eighteen months.

  5. Translator considers suggestions from the editors and sends in a final version.

  6. Manuscript is typeset; the editorial team starts proofreading and sends page proofs with edits to the translator.

  7. Further minor changes from translator, if any.

II. Requirements

  1. Photographs and illustration material are welcome.

  2. In the case of some translations an introduction may be desirable in order to provide background information on the author etc. Such introductions ought to be brief, from one paragraph to a couple of pages.

  3. Chinese characters must be provided for all personal names and titles of works mentioned in the introduction and notes, as well as brief biographies of author and translator.

  4. Permissions for all copyrighted material should be dealt with by the translator at the earliest possible stage.

  5. References and wording of quotations should be checked to ensure accuracy.

  6. All the material published in Renditions is copyrighted by The Chinese University of Hong Kong. However, authors and translators are entitled to reprint the material in a book of his or her own provided the Research Centre for Translation is given prior notice.

III. House style

Renditions house style
The Renditions house style is based on New Hart’s Rules (2005), The Chicago Manual of Style (2017), and New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors (2005).

IV. English usage

No particular translation style is required in Renditions, but the translation must be accurate and, unless otherwise stated, complete. Attention should be paid to the use of correct grammar and punctuation unless for stylistic reasons a more colloquial or other non-standard register is appropriate.
Nationally distinctive idioms (US, Australian, Scottish, etc.) are acceptable if used consistently within the translation item, as long as the meaning is transparent.
Where the source text has specialized terms, especially in regard to aspects of Chinese culture, generally accepted English equivalents should be used. Many such terms are widely known and provide local colour, e.g. catty, wok, cadre, Politburo. Hong Kong and Asian English terms may be used where appropriate at the translator’s discretion, e.g. shroff, praya, tiffin, joss sticks.
Specialized terms that are excessively technical or stylistically inappropriate are best avoided. If a translator insists on their use, they should be explained in an introduction or a glossary.

Translators are urged to avoid notes to translated fiction, poetry, and drama. The preferred options are text expansion (if it can be done tactfully), introductions, or glossaries.