How To Find An Accurate Translation Service For Books?
Getting a book translated into multiple languages allows it to be sold more easily in international markets. Reaching a wider audience translates to more book sales and further revenues for your written materials. Unless you happen to be bilingual and fluent in both languages, translating an entire book can be a difficult hurdle to overcome. This becomes an even bigger hurdle when the desire is to translate into several new languages.
The good news is that there is help available, specifically, book translation services. There are many things that need to be considered when searching for book translation services. This is especially true if you are writing in a niche market, such as medical fields or Christian based literature. In these cases, you would want translators that are bilingual, fluent and fluent in medical or Christian translation. Read on to learn of some of the ways to find accurate book translation services for your writing.
Choose a Language
When you have decided to translate a book, choose one or at most two major languages to begin translation. This will give you the biggest audience or potential audience boost at once. Once you have decided on a prominent language for your book, start a search for book translation services that have the language available for translation.
Even after you have chosen a language and made a short list of available book translation services, do a bit of research before committing. Look for growing markets and markets that will have an interest in your specific topics. Putting money into translation services for a book that will have little to no audience is a waste at first. Though this may be a bit different for Christian translation, if money is an issue, put it where it will make the most difference.
Freelancers, Friends, and Professionals
Though it should be obvious that friends are not the best option, some may consider such a translator if a friend is bilingual. This is never a good option if you want to promote your book and keep your friend. Translation is a time intensive job and should be left to the professionals. Most translation agencies are based online, but some have a brick and mortar location as well.
If money is of concern, some are tempted to use freelancers for translation jobs. While this can be an effective method for translating smaller documents of papers, book translation services should be provided by professionals. This is doubly true for niche market books, such as Christian translation. Using a professional service means that you will likely pay a bit more, but have a better customer service experience and a built-in editor to review the accuracy of the translation. Make sure if you choose a service that the translators are using 100 percent human translation and not a simple program to translate and then editing. Human translation is better able to convey the right voice and underlying message throughout a book.
Prepare Ahead of Time
This last tip is used before ever choosing a translation service for your book. To move the process along faster and more accurately, simplify the book as much as possible without losing the message. Any phrases that may be culturally specific will need replaced or removed to make sense once translated. Allow for the book to be longer when printed in the new language. Due to grammar rules, translating to almost any language from English will result in additional pages. Also be prepared to change any illustrations or terminology that may not be culturally appropriate in the new language. Thee small preparations ahead of time can save time in the future.
Conclusion
Considering book translation services can be intimidating, but the more you know ahead of time, the better you can choose the service that will work best for you. Set your budget range, choose appropriate languages, and read service reviews to make sure you are getting the most accurate translation you can for your hard work.
