Bilingual Japanese Historical Novel Editor

Job Posting: Bilingual Japanese Editor for Cozy Mystery Novel (Post-AI Translation)

Seeking a native Japanese-speaking editor with strong English communication skills to polish a translated novel in the cozy mystery genre, initially written in English and set in 1920s England.

This is for a published mystery series with a loyal English-speaking readership. We are now preparing to launch in the Japanese market and are looking for a skilled editor to help refine the Japanese text, which has been machine-translated (via DeepL/GPT) and requires **naturalization, localization, and style editing** for Japanese readers.

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Project Details:

Genre: Cozy mystery, historical fiction
Setting: 1920s England (period detail and tone are important)
Word Count: Approx. 40,000 words per book
Volume: First book to start; potential for ongoing work across a series
Text Origin: AI-translated from English
Objective: Make the Japanese text read smoothly and naturally, preserving period-appropriate style and genre tone
Communication: English fluency required for clear collaboration
Deadline: Negotiable



Ideal Candidate:

* Native Japanese speaker with strong command of written style and tone
* Fluent in English (written and verbal)
* Experience editing fiction, especially **cozy mysteries, historical fiction, or period novels**
* Familiarity with 1920s British culture and language a strong asset
* Comfortable working with AI-translated texts and refining them for human readers
* Able to provide light cultural localization where necessary
* Detail-oriented, communicative, and respectful of authorial voice

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To Apply:

Please include the following:

* A short introduction and relevant experience
* Past projects, especially in fiction or cozy mystery/historical genres
* Your editing rate (per word, per page, or flat fee)
* Availability and turnaround time
* (Optional) A short sample edit — we can provide a 300–500 word excerpt
* Preferred payment method and country of residence


This is a long-term opportunity for the right collaborator. We look forward to finding a talented editor who understands not just the language, but also the tone, charm, and wit that cozy mystery readers adore.