Working with a translator: what to expect and how to prepare

If you want your book to reach readers in another language, you need more than a dictionary. A good translator rebuilds the book so that it feels natural in the new language.

What a translator does

A translator carries over meaning, tone and rhythm. They decide how to treat humour, idioms, names, and cultural references. A joke that works in Hindi may need a completely different shape in English. A sentence that is short and sharp in one language may need to be longer in another.

This is why two good translators will produce two different books from the same text.

Finding one

• Look for someone who is a strong writer in the target language, not just fluent. A literal but clumsy translation is a poor result.
• Ask for samples of their published work, or a short test translation of a page or two from your book.
• Read the sample in the new language, preferably with a second reader who does not know the original. Does it read well by itself?
• Check that they have experience with your kind of text. Poetry, fiction and technical writing need different skills.

What to agree before you start

Write down:

• The scope: the whole book, or certain chapters.
• The timeline, with check points along the way.
• How credit will appear. Translators are normally named on the cover or the title page.
• How questions will be handled during the work.
• Who holds the rights to the translated text. This should be clear in writing, and you should get advice on the legal side.

Prepare your text

Before sending it, finish the book. Translating a manuscript that is still changing leads to confusion. Mark any places where you used wordplay, slang or local references, and explain what you intended.

Give the translator background: who the readers are, what the tone should be, and whether you want the translation to stay close to the original or adapt more freely.

During the work

Be available to answer questions. A good translator will ask many. Do not take it as a sign of trouble. It means they care.

Avoid trying to translate over their shoulder. If you speak both languages, you may want to change small things. Raise concerns politely and discuss, and keep in mind that the aim is for the book to work in the new language, not to mirror every word.

Review

Have the translated text read by an editor in the target language. They will catch things both you and the translator have stopped seeing. And do a full proofread before printing, as with any book.

Names, places and words that stay

Decide early what to keep. Some words are better left in the original with a short note, or understood from context. Others need replacing. Agree on a style and make a list so it stays consistent.

Be patient and generous

Translation takes longer than many people expect. Pay attention to the translator's ideas, and give them room. The best translations come from respect on both sides.