Translators often do much more than translate: they propose books, discuss strategies, compare editions and make suggestions on titles, typography and illustrations. While these processes of negotiation and management of the translation task are invisible to the public, there may still be traces left of them hidden away in archives. Historical sources such as letters and contracts throw light on the working practices of translators and on publisher–translator interaction. This article presents results from a study on two different archives in Finland: an individual translator’s collection of documents and a publishing house archive, with materials from the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. The study also sheds light on the publishing scene in Finland and on differences between publishers concerning their negotiations with translators.