Frequently Asked Questions

About the Translation

What should an author prepare before launching a translation?

Before starting a translation, authors should ensure that their manuscript is editorially final and technically clean. This includes consistent chapter structure, clear paragraphing, and proper use of styles rather than manual formatting. Clean formatting allows the translated text to preserve structure, rhythm, and readability across languages. A translation cannot correct structural or formatting issues in the source text; it can only reflect them.

How does Quoorum handle punctuation and local conventions?

Quoorum applies a high editorial standard for punctuation and typographic conventions. Punctuation, spacing, quotation marks, and dialogue formatting are adapted to the specific norms of the target language. These conventions vary significantly between languages and regions, and respecting them is essential for a translation to feel native. Our goal is not merely correctness, but naturalness within each linguistic context.

How will I know when my translation is complete?

You will receive an email notification once your translation has been completed and is ready for download. Delivery instructions will be provided at that time.

How long does a full translation take?

Delivery timelines depend on the length and complexity of the manuscript. Once a project has been confirmed and paid, most full translations are delivered within approximately five (5) working days. Timelines are indicative and may vary depending on the scope of the project.

Why doesn’t Quoorum promise speed?

Literary translation is not a race. Promising speed shifts the focus away from judgment and toward throughput. Quoorum prioritises editorial coherence and decision-making over artificial timelines. Delivery estimates exist, but quality is never subordinated to urgency.

What languages do you support?

Quoorum supports a deliberately limited set of language pairs, selected for editorial quality rather than volume. The currently available languages are listed on the website. Additional languages may be introduced over time.

What file formats are supported?

Quoorum accepts a range of editable text formats, including .doc, .docx, .epub, .odt, .rtf, and .txt. PDF files are not accepted, as they do not allow for reliable editorial processing.

Do I commit to a full translation when submitting a manuscript?

No. A sample translation is provided first to allow you to evaluate style, tone, and suitability. You may decide whether or not to proceed with the full translation before any payment is required.

When do I pay for the full translation?

Payment is made only after you have reviewed the sample translation and explicitly confirmed the full project.

Are refunds available after delivery?

Due to the bespoke and editorial nature of the service, completed translations are not refundable once work has commenced. The sample translation stage exists precisely to allow informed decision-making prior to confirmation.

How should I evaluate the quality of the translation?

A sample translation is provided prior to full project confirmation to allow you to assess style, tone, and overall suitability. Literary translation involves interpretation and stylistic choices, and quality should be evaluated in this context rather than as a purely technical metric.

Pricing

Why is a short book not priced proportionally lower than a longer one?

Page count alone does not determine the editorial effort required for a translation. A shorter manuscript may be more demanding in terms of style, density, or structural precision than a longer text. Pricing is therefore based on the overall scope and requirements of the project, not on a purely quantitative measure.

Legal & Confidentiality

Do you keep my manuscript after delivery?

No. By default, manuscripts and project files are retained only for a strictly limited period after delivery. Unless you request otherwise, all submitted content is securely deleted from our active production systems within seven (7) days after delivery. This short retention period exists solely to allow for post-delivery support or minor adjustments. Quoorum does not maintain long-term archives of client manuscripts.

Is my text used to train AI models?

No. Submitted texts are used exclusively for the execution of your specific translation project. Your content is not reused, shared, or exploited for any secondary purpose and is not used to train, improve, benchmark, or test any models or systems.

Who can access my manuscript?

Access to submitted content is strictly limited. Only Quoorum team members directly involved in the execution of your project, and where strictly necessary, trusted parties bound by equivalent confidentiality obligations, may access your manuscript. Access is granted solely for the purpose of delivering the agreed services.

How long do you retain files after delivery?

By default, files are retained for a maximum of seven (7) days after delivery, after which they are securely deleted from active production systems. Extended retention may occur only at your explicit request or where temporarily necessary to address post-delivery support or corrections. Our approach is based on minimisation and controlled retention, not accumulation.

What if content submitted to Quoorum infringes third-party rights?

Quoorum provides translation services on the basis that clients submit content they own or are authorised to use. If a rights holder believes that a work has been submitted to Quoorum without proper authorisation, they may contact us with sufficient information to identify the content and their rights. Upon verification, Quoorum will promptly take appropriate action, which may include suspending or terminating the relevant project and securely deleting the submitted materials. Quoorum does not publish, distribute, or make submitted content publicly available and does not claim any rights over client materials.