While literary translation has often been examined from a sociological perspective, its economic dimensions have been less widely studied. However, translators themselves have regularly engaged in activism relating to the issues at stake in terms of income, particularly those aiming to work in the field full time; working conditions and market power in relation to other stakeholders in the book trade have also been matter for debate within translator circles, including professional associations and cultural institutions, which have regularly published on such issues. The introduction to the special issue contributes to structuring the field of the socio-economics of literary translation by combining different methods of analysis and international observations. It explores some of the driving forces behind the general lack of financial and symbolic recognition granted to translators as well as the levers at their disposal to consolidate their market power and the economic structures that often deprive them of it. It concludes by pointing out the parallels between the trends observed in the literary translation sector and broader changes in the relationship to work in today’s economies.