Words have power – never underestimate what a good translator can do for you

We have all been there. A small snippet of text needs to be translated and you simply pop it into one of the free available online translation systems. Nothing wrong with that and the results are okay-ish most of the time.

But what happens when, in a bid to save money, you translate complete websites with these online tools? Or even a book? Maybe your book is a best seller in your native language, you have brilliant reviews and now you want to discover other markets and languages. All of a sudden the reviews are anything but brilliant, the sales drop and you have no idea why. Until finally someone dares to tell you that the translation is horribly done and full of mistakes.

Oh, dear.

This was nothing you had expected. Unfortunately, it happens far more often we might know. Even if you tried one of these royalty-sharing platforms you are taking a risk. You might be lucky to find a translator who is really good, but you also might end up with a horrible translation and you will be stuck for it for the next years. This is really bad for business.

How to avoid frustration and bad translations?

It is actually quite simple: pay for a good translator. Do your research, get other native speakers to check on the translation if it is good or bad. Ask for a test translation, which should be a short paragraph or what you want to be translated.

And please, don’t expect anyone to work for peanuts.

A translation is not just scribbling down some words. One has to find the style and tone of the author, the flow and the atmosphere as well. The reader should have a great reading experience.