How Much Does It Cost to Translate an Ebook?
Quick Answer: Full human translation costs $0.08 to $0.25 per word, depending on the language pair and the translator's experience. A 30,000-word ebook runs $2,400 to $7,500. Machine translation with human post-editing (MTPE) costs $0.05 to $0.15 per word, cutting the total to $1,500 to $4,500. Raw machine translation costs under $0.01 per word but is not publishable quality.
Translation is priced per source word. The source language (usually English) word count is what the translator quotes on.
Cost by Language Pair
| Target language | Human translation per word | 30,000-word ebook total |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | $0.08 to $0.15 | $2,400 to $4,500 |
| German | $0.10 to $0.20 | $3,000 to $6,000 |
| French | $0.10 to $0.18 | $3,000 to $5,400 |
| Portuguese (Brazilian) | $0.08 to $0.15 | $2,400 to $4,500 |
| Japanese | $0.15 to $0.30 | $4,500 to $9,000 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | $0.12 to $0.25 | $3,600 to $7,500 |
| Arabic | $0.12 to $0.25 | $3,600 to $7,500 |
These are 2026 ranges for experienced book translators. General business translators may charge less, but their output often reads stiffly in book-length prose.
What Drives the Price
Language pair. Common pairs (English to Spanish, English to French) cost less because the translator pool is larger. Rarer pairs (English to Finnish, English to Korean) cost more.
Content complexity. Fiction, particularly literary fiction, costs more to translate well than straightforward non-fiction because it requires preserving voice, tone, and stylistic choices.
Review and editing. A second native speaker reviewing the translation adds $0.02 to $0.05 per word but significantly improves quality. Budget for it.
Bottom Line
For a publishable translation, budget $0.08 to $0.25 per word for full human translation or $0.05 to $0.15 per word for machine translation with post-editing. MTPE works for clear, simple non-fiction. Fiction and voice-driven content need full human translation. Always get a sample translation before committing. For more, see Ebook Translation Services: What to Know Before You Start.
Q: Is machine translation good enough for an ebook? A: Raw machine translation is not. Machine translation with human post-editing (MTPE) produces acceptable results for straightforward non-fiction at 30 to 50 percent less than full human translation. Fiction, memoir, and voice-driven content still need full human translation.
Q: What is the cheapest language to translate an ebook into? A: Spanish and Portuguese (Brazilian) tend to be the most affordable among high-demand languages, typically $0.08 to $0.15 per word. The large pool of qualified translators keeps rates competitive.