Published by the Meridian Press editorial desk · 6 min read
Lock the source text
Translate the final, proofread edition. Changes made to the original after translation begins have to be tracked and applied twice, which costs time and invites errors.
Write a one-page brief
Describe the tone in a few sentences, the intended reader, and anything that must not change: a recurring phrase, a poem, a character's way of speaking. Say where you are flexible too.
List names, invented words, places and technical terms, with a note on whether each should be kept, adapted or translated.
Decide on the target market
European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese, or Castilian and Latin American Spanish, read differently. Choose one market per edition so the translator can write for a real reader.
Ask for a sample first
A paid sample of ten to twenty pages shows whether the translator has the voice right. If you cannot read the language, have a native reader comment on flow and dialogue before the full project starts.