A polished source text is the best possible starting point for a high-quality translation.
The clearer your original text, the better your translated message will resonate with your audience.
These eleven practical tips will help you get your source text translation-ready:
Give your text a clear, logical structure, with a title, subtitle, body copy and any other elements your readers need to find their way through the content easily.
Write with your readers firmly in mind — and don’t forget to tell us who they are! See tip No. 11. Your target audience shapes the style, format, wording and tone we choose for the translation.
Make sure your source text is clear, accurate and unambiguous. The fewer question marks in the original, the more confidently your message can be translated.
Check your punctuation! Are your question marks in the right place? Are there too many exclamation marks? And have you used commas, full stops and — why not? — the underrated semicolon to guide your reader smoothly through the text?
Look out for extra spaces that have crept in unnoticed. It may sound like a small detail, but one missing or misplaced space can sometimes create the most hilarious situations…
Read your text aloud. You will quickly hear where a sentence drags on, where the rhythm falters and where a well-placed comma could make all the difference.
Pay attention to compound nouns. Whether they are written as one word, hyphenated or spaced can depend on your house style, so consistency is key — and your company style guide is your best friend.
Let your spell checker take one last sweep through the text. Then read it again yourself. After all, spell checkers are helpful — but they don’t know your brand, your tone of voice or exactly what you want to say.
Ask a colleague to proofread your text before you send it to us. A fresh pair of eyes may catch a typo, ambiguity or logical jump that you can no longer see because you know the subject inside out.
Whenever possible, send us the final version of your text. That way, we can produce your translation efficiently and ensure your style and terminology remain consistent from start to finish.
Context makes all the difference. When you send us your source text, please share the background information we need to create a translation that is not only accurate, but also convincing, natural and fit for purpose.
