Your digital product is selling well in the English language and you’re ready to have it transformed for the foreign language market. Before handing the text over to the translator, however, consider these potential mistakes to avoid refund-inducing bloopers.

1)    Not pre-checking jargon. Jargon, those specific words which may accurately describe your product and/or its processes, can be difficult to translate correctly. Keep a list of yours in mind and be ready to explain them to a translator if necessary.

2)    Not pre-checking slang. Slang is words and phrases that may spice up your writing but almost always does not translate successfully into a foreign language. Even the best translators might not be in the know of the latest slang, so run through your text first to try to catch any slang that might be confusing, and be ready to supply simple explanations for them.

3)    Not pre-checking availability of topic-related materials. Does the reader need to buy things that might not be readily available in his part of the world? If your product requires buying and/or acquiring specific items, see if these are actually available in the target-language market. If they are not, consider including options in your text that are. (Some examples are foodstuffs, building materials, and nutritional supplements).

4)    Product costs. If the reader will need to buy physical products, find out if they are available in the target country. Having to order them internationally and pay not only shipping charges but also customs duties may be a deterrent for the reader, who may then request a refund for his purchase of your product. Make sure the approximate prices of such materials are reflected in your text.

5)    Text refers only to English-language cultures. When quoting studies, for example, try to include some that are from the target-language culture. This makes your material easier to identify with. If you only refer to, for example, studies done in the American market, depending on the subject, your reader may feel he is not being addressed and may be less likely to want to keep your product. This is a small psychological barrier that can be potentially dangerous for your sales.

6)    Linking only to English-language websites within the text. Be aware that many readers won’t be able to read and understand English-language sites, which is frustrating for them especially if your text promises the site to provide valuable information.

7)    Using photos or graphics that may be inappropriate. Check any photos or graphic materials in your product for culturally sensitive images, or ones that that don’t support your message in the target language culture. If your product is about building houses, for example, you might want to use pictures of houses from that culture. Portrayals of men and women in various stages of dress may not be acceptable to all cultures.

8)    Videos within a digital product. If you use videos, these will have to be transcribed and the video either dubbed or re-filmed, using a speaker with a dialect (=pronunciation) that is acceptable to the majority of the foreign language readers. Dubbing over is the easier process but consider, where necessary, what the background of the video is and if there is potential for conflict (see point #7).

9)    Conversion of measurements and monetary units. A good translator will do this but you need to make sure that those changes don’t affect your text/material in a way that you would have to re-calculate or re-write it.

Now you should be able to look at your digital product with fresh eyes. This will help you to adjust little things that you may never have thought of, in advance, before you even start to have it translated. The results will be well worth the extra effort because your foreign-language customers will feel much more “at home” with your product and much less likely to request a refund.

Hola! Here’s what Stefanie G., an Ebook:Decoded translator, has to share with us.

Where do you live?

I live about 50 km from Frankfurt in Germany and have a second residence near Barcelona, Spain.

What is your native language, and what language(s) do you translate into?

My native languages are German and Spanish as I was fortunate to be born to parents with different mother tongues. So I learned both languages starting when I was a baby. Professionally, I translate into both German and Spanish.

Why did you decide to become a translator?

Believe it or not, being bilingual wasn’t the deciding factor. I have always been interested in languages. I found out early that it was easy for me to learn, understand, and read them. When I got older, my passion for everything related to languages and linguistics grew constantly, and it was a logical decision.

How long have you been translating?

Privately, I started translating (and interpreting) at a very early age, doing small texts that friends in Germany or Spain couldn’t understand without a translation, such as recipes. Regarding professional translations, I started in 1995.

Do you specialize in any particular field?

I do a lot in IT, and I love translating texts that have to do with sports and fitness, biosciences (including medical and technical medical-technical issues, also environment and ecology, including renewable energies), as well as tourism. Although this may seem to be a broad range, many of these fields overlap so it is not too hard to stay up-to-date with all the terminology and latest findings.

What tips would you give an author who wants to have his/her digital product translated?

Be aware of your target audiences! I know from experience that audiences in Europe and the USA expect things from texts. So my advice would be to study the country or countries of the target audience in depth before writing your first line. This way you can avoid cultural gaps and problems from the beginning. If your ebook has already been written, make sure your translating team is well-versed in the cultural issues of the target language and country.

What do you like to do to relax?

It depends on my mood. Sometimes I do some sports like using my home step trainer or table tennis, and sometimes I watch TV. I also find reading very relaxing. Sitting down with a good cup of tea and an even better book or magazine clears my mind and de-stresses me.

Anything else you’d like to tell us?

My family and I live in a rural area, and we like traveling and meeting friends and new people. It is interesting to see how many things we have in common with people from other parts of the world, and comparing these differences. Being open-minded and polite is always a good basis to get to know a different culture.

Gracias, Stefanie!

Bon jour! Let’s have a talk with Ebook:Decoded’s translator Bruno R. and see what he has to share with ebook authors.

Where do you live?

I live in Kempen, a small town about 30 km from Düsseldorf, Germany – half way between the Rhine and the Maas rivers, which forms the border to the Netherlands.

What is your native language, and what language do you translate into?

My native language is French – I was born in the French-speaking part of Belgium. I translate from English and German into French.

Why did you decide to become a translator?

I wanted to learn foreign languages, so I went to a translator school. After graduating I got a job as a translator in a big company in Germany. Working as a translator is a very demanding, but also fascinating job.

How long have you been translating?

I have been translating for 15 years now.

Do you specialize in any particular field?

When I worked for four years as a translator in a big company for steel process lines, I specialized in that field. Afterwards I specialized in several other technical fields. From 2003 till 2008 I studied literary translation in Brussels.

This included novels, short novels, poetry, theater, but also any kind of books and media like publicity material (advertising), websites, press releases and so on – i.e. all texts that are going to be read by a great number of people – just like ebooks!

Some translations (technical specifications, private letters, e-mails) will be read by just one or two persons. The aim of these is usually to transmit some information. Translating texts such as ebooks – which can be read virtually by millions of people! – needs to consider many more aspects like style, cultural differences, and take into account the way the books are written in the target language.

A translation of an ebook should not “smell” like a translation (as we say in French and German) but should seem natural to the reader. This is not a job that just requires a good knowledge of the foreign language, it should be done by an experienced professional translator.

What tips would you give an author who wants to have his/her digital product translated?

Make sure the translator is familiar with the topic of your ebook and has good writing skills. You should only choose a native speaker. Make sure the final translation has been reviewed by a second person.

What do you like to do to relax?

Cycling, reading, playing the guitar and the piano (however not all at the same time!), spending time with my two children.

Merci, Bruno!

Guten Tag! We interviewed Ebook:Decoded’s Petra S. to find out what she has to say.

Where do you live?

I live in beautiful Weserbergland, in a small town in the border triangle of north Rhine-Westfalia, Hesse and Lower Saxony. I live and work in an old historical building – the castle of Herstelle, where Charlemagne lived a long time ago.

What is your native language, and what language(s) do you translate into?

My mother tongue is German, and my working languages are English, French and Spanish. Due to my subject area I usually translate documents from English.

Why did you decide to become a translator?

I love languages and to play around with words. Translating is kind of like solving a tricky case or a riddle. It motivates me to tackle new topics. Translation work is – at least in my subject area – as varied and diversified as a profession can be.

How long have you been translating?

I graduated from the University of Saarland (Germany) in 1985 with a degree in linguistics. Afterwards I worked for a few years as an editorial assistant for a newspaper for doctors, where I did my first medical translations. I was fortunate to interpret an interview with the virologist and HIV discoverer Prof. Luc Montagnier at the Pasteur Institute in Paris.

In those days, I translated my first book, a guidebook about asthma. After working for a newspaper for doctors, I worked two part-time jobs a day. I translated as a freelancer and worked at press agencies as well as for medical magazines.

In 1994 I started to work full-time as a freelancer.

Do you specialize in any particular field?

My main area is medicine, together with health and wellness. I translated numerous books in this field, including specialist books as well as popular scientific guidebooks. In the same field I also worked for medical agencies, pharmaceutical companies, etc. In recent years the field of fitness (for both body and soul) and life-management has grown increasingly. I am particularly interested in those areas and live my life according to many of their principles.

What tips would you give an author who wants to have his/her digital product translated?

In my opinion the most important thing is the country-specific adaptation for target readers.

What do you like to do to relax?

I love reading books! If there is no other option I will read late into the night. To make up for my sedentary occupation I do sports regularly. For a while I was quite involved in Wing Tsung and Escrima. Nowadays bodypump, weight training, and even a try at White Collar Boxing enrich my life.

One of my mainstays however is running. I usually run with my dog (now a Magyar Vizlar, and until last year an Irish Wolfhound), often with my husband, but also often alone, for 5 kilometers before starting work. If I have the time, I go even farther.

Herzlichen Dank, Petra!