Translation Blog

When taking your company overseas, brand translations ensure your business name makes sense in international markets. Both literal translation and creative translation can be used for translating brand names and slogans, and both are offered as professional services. But what actually are literal and creative brand translations? And what is the best option for your company?

Choosing the type of translation that works best for your company is essential in ensuring your brand conveys its desired message to your target audience. This article looks at these two types of translations, their applications for translating brand names, and the best option for your business.

Creative Translation vs. Literal Translation

Literal translation is a straightforward and direct way of performing brand translations. It takes your brand name and slogan and translates them into another language word for word. It is the simplest form of translation, and it’s often integrated into machine translation.

Some benefits come with using literal translations, which include:

• Speeding up project turnaround as computers can perform these translations
• Making the content easy to understand when translated into other languages
• Ensuring no important pieces of information are excluded from the translation

Literal translations are good for some documents, such as step-by-step instructions and other impersonal content. It effectively gets the message across in different languages quickly and easily. However, it is not the best option for translating brand names and slogans. When applied to these types of content, it can lead to embarrassing errors.

On the other hand, creative translation – or transcreation – is a more human translation. It doesn’t just ensure that the phrase makes linguistic and grammatical sense; it also ensures that it works well in the context of communication and the culture of your new audience. Transcreation thus comes with its separate share of advantages, including:

• Considering the context of the message and making it more effective
• Properly translating idioms, sayings, and slang to avoid any embarrassing mistakes
• Taking the target audience into account and making the content culturally relevant.

In brand translations, this creative and culturally-aware translation process is highly beneficial. But while creative translation has advantages, only professional translators with great knowledge of the target audience’s culture can perform well. Therefore, it cannot be done by machines. It is also more expensive and time-consuming than a literal translation.

What is the Best Method for Brand Translations?

So, what is the best method for brand translations: creative or literal translation? When you compare the two, the choice is clear—creative translation is far superior. It is a more human translation that puts the brand name in context. It ensures that it will be understood across cultures and helps form positive brand associations with your new audience. Literal translation doesn’t have the same impact.

Another option for your brand name is to use phonetic translation. Phonetic translation or transliteration essentially keeps your brand name the same. However, the letters and symbols used to write your brand name are changed into the writing system spoken in your chosen market. The sounds and syllables are identical to the original, but the script changes.

Phonetic translations can be effective, but you must ensure your brand name doesn’t mean something else in your target language. The brand could be in trouble if the name has a negative connotation. And if the brand tries to correct the mistake, it will be a long and costly procedure. Therefore, creative brand translations are often thought of as the superior method to use.

Examples of Brand Translation Errors

Many companies have made brand translation errors. Coca-Cola is a prominent example – the company used a literal translation for its brand translations. Unfortunately, their chinese translated name meant something like “bite the wax tadpole”. The company has since integrated a creative translation approach, and the name now reads “tasty fun” in Chinese. Much better!

The Bing search engine learned from the mistakes of the brands that preceded them. When the Microsoft company used literal translation, they found that some of their characters had negative associations translating the name to “illness” and “disease”. But with creative translation, it worked well across a variety of international markets.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Brand Name

With embarrassing repercussions, brand translations are crucial to get it right! You can make things easier by carefully selecting your brand name to make it more easily translatable. Here are some factors to consider when developing a brand name that works well in global markets:

• Pronunciation & Spelling: A brand name that is simple to spell and pronounce will be easy for people of all dialects to recognise.
• No Negative Connotations: It is a good idea to run it through various machine translation applications. This helps to ensure it does not have negative connotations in the language spoken by the markets you want to enter.
• Trademark and Legislation: Check the brand name availability to ensure you don’t come across any trademark or legal issues. Using a brand name that already exists internationally could lead to considerable costs and hassles when expanding globally.

If you have already named your company or have a well-established business, don’t worry. Professional creative translation services can help adapt the name to suit whatever target market is in your vision. But steer clear of literal translation tools, or you risk making embarrassing translation mistakes.

Renaissance Translations’ Brand Translations

Getting your brand name right the first time is so important, so it’s advisable to take it to a professional translation services provider before making it public. If you already have a brand name, creative translation can help also you adapt it to suit new markets.

If you need brand translations, we can help. Renaissance Translations offers professional brand translations in any language. We provide literal translation where appropriate but generally perform transcreation or transliteration. Our services also cover a range of other industries, such as marketing, engineering, medical, financial, and many others, providing support elsewhere as your business expands.

Get in touch today for professional translation services you can rely on. We are members of the Association of Translation Comapnies in England and SDL LSP Partner programme. Brand translation is so important! Don’t trust it to just anyone—trust us.

With over 420 million people across 27 Arabic speaking countries, English to Arabic translation is more important than ever especially when a company’s website is involved. According to the Internet World Stats, Arabic is the fourth most used language online. An English to Arabic translation of your site can help you tap into this vast market and expand your reach dramatically.

This article looks more closely at why an English to Arabic website translation is crucial. We discuss the current data of the Arab market, how to hire an English to Arabic translator, and why working with a translation agency trumps online translator software.

Data on the Arabic-Speaking Market

Arabic is an ancient language with origins in pre-Islamic Arabia. However, it remains one of the most popular languages in the world today. It is the fifth most-spoken language worldwide and one of the official languages of the UN. As the world economy is becoming increasingly globalised, professional English to Arabic translation services have become a robust economic need.

The positioning of the Arabic language among internet users is particularly notable. In recent years, the Arabic language has grown by 9,348.0% online. This growth comes from the increased number of Arabic language speakers on the internet, primarily as internet access has become cheaper and the diversity of devices has increased. English to Arabic translator software has been flooded with translation requests to help all internet users communicate.

Moreover, the overwhelming growth of Arab internet users encouraged numerous companies to establish their foothold in the MENA region. Brands and companies have shown great interest in expanding their products and services to the region. In turn, this necessitates an English to Arabic translation for all their marketing materials, including their websites.

Importance of English to Arabic Website Translation

Establishing a business in a technology-driven climate means having a website. However, before you can launch your business or website, there is one question you need to answer: Do you speak your prospective customer’s language?

Generally, English is the lingua franca, dominating the internet in all aspects. While customers might be familiar with English, they prefer products and services in their language. For your business to succeed, you need to be able to speak your customer’s language. It follows that you need to communicate in Arabic to take advantage of the substantial number of Arabic-speaking internet users.

Interestingly, only around 3% of current online content is in Arabic. As a business, it is essential to leverage this opportunity and tap into this vast market before other companies realise the potential opportunity. This means enlisting the help of a professional English to Arabic translator. They can perform a precise English to Arabic translation that translator software cannot compete with.

Benefits of an Arabic Translation Agency

English to Arabic translation can increase Arabic language content online. In turn, this helps diversify the economy and improve regional opportunities. This opportunity has caused big organisations to prioritise Arabic translations. Indeed, Arabic website translation services have become crucial for businesses operating in the MENA region.

However, choosing to translate your website to Arabic is more than just words. It is more about creating a website that appeals to your target audience. Translator software can render the English text on your website into Arabic, but these tools do not consider cultural or regional aspects. For a high-quality English to Arabic translation, you must enlist a professional English to Arabic translator.

Here is a closer look at why working with a professional translation agency is vital for success:

1. Quality Matters

When translating to Arabic, you must always aim for quality. The language and professionalism of your website dramatically impact your visitors’ decisions—the higher quality of your site, the more likely that these visitors will convert into paying customers.

You cannot get a quality translation from standard translator software. To get quality, you must find a professional English to Arabic translator. This is best done through a language services provider that will assign a project manager to your project. This individual understands the requirements for your English to Arabic translation and uses this information to select the best translator for the job.

When deciding on a translation agency, always consider the professional Arabic translation services’ capability. You should also consider their experience with translation tools for an English-to-Arabic translation, and check that your translator has previously worked on websites in similar niches.

2. Always Account for Cultural Differences

When your website undergoes English to Arabic translation, cultural considerations are crucial. The last thing you want is to offend your target audience with any site content, which can easily happen when ignoring cultural differences. Instead, you need to create a translation that appeals to them and grabs their attention.

Online translator software can perform direct translations only, meaning these cultural considerations are ignored. Comparatively, an English to Arabic translator can masterfully acknowledge idiomatic expressions, cultural references, and jokes. They can maintain the same charisma as the original message when translating using an Arabic translation agency.

Furthermore, cultural correctness is a lot more than just words. It deals with every aspect of your website, from the colours and images to graphics, sounds, and more. This is something the providers of professional English to Arabic translation services understand.

3. Test Your Translated Website

Before launching your Arabic language website, you must conduct extensive quality assurance testing to ensure the functionality of the website. An English to Arabic translation on your website helps to push your brand’s global image, but a poorly-functioning website can quickly tear it down. Translator software cannot perform these quality control tests vital to a successful website launch.

This is yet another advantage of using professional services—a human English to Arabic translator can do this job. Typically, a professional translation company ensures that a checklist is followed during quality assurance online testing. This is in addition to hiring professional translation services to carry out the review and proofreading processes.

English to Arabic Translations You Can Trust

It is time for every business to localise its website into multiple languages. Doing so connects brands a wider audience, along with other benefits. With the growing number of Arabic-speaking internet users, English to Arabic translation is a wise investment for any business.

The key to an effective English to Arabic translation is to find professional Arabic translation services that offer full-scale localisation, rather than relying on translator software. This means helping to translate to Arabic without missing out on significant cultural nuances.

To ensure you find the best English to Arabic translator, look for the below features in any translation agency you consider working with:

• You should get an Arabic translation agency that leverages the experience of diligent project managers. It should also have proofreaders with subject-matter expertise and native Arabic translators who understand Arabic nuances.
• Website translation services also must utilise MSA or Modern Standard Arabic when conducting an English to Arabic translation. Check that the translation agency offers this before hiring their services.

Our company has vast experience in Arabic translation services. We have partnered with many companies and brands to provide accurate Arabic translation on time at the best translation rates. Your partnership with Renaissance Translations comes with professional memberships such as ATC and SDL LSP Partner Programme. If you want to discuss your Arabic translation project, please contact us today or request a translation quote online on our website.

As humans, we make mistakes! This is why an editing and proofreading service is essential to the writing process. Whether you’re writing a cover letter, article, or novel, you must edit and proofread your work before sharing it with an audience. But how we proofread content is changing – online proofreading via AI software is slowly taking over the role of humans. But are online proofreading tools effective? Or will your work be full of mistakes if you proofread online?

Several options are available to you in both human and artificial intelligence forms. All these proofreading and editing options have their benefits, depending on the mistakes you are looking to remedy. This article discusses the different ways you can acquire online proofreading services and which is best suited to your requirements.

AI Online Proofreading

The first type of editing and proofreading service that we are going to discuss is AI or artificial intelligence proofreading. AI tools provide online proofreading services using natural language processing (NLP). This allows the programme to proofread online content and identify mistakes in vocabulary, spelling, grammatical, and punctuation.

For those who have never used an AI online proofreading programme before, you should know that they are pretty simple. It is as easy as copying and pasting your copy into the programme and hitting a button. Within seconds, any errors in the text will be highlighted and ready for you to edit and proofread. Some even act as add-ons to your favourite word-processing software, allowing you to make edits in real-time. No need to copy and paste; every error gets highlighted as you write.

One of the criticisms of AI online proofreading services is that they fail to take in things like tone and context. When expressing humour, colloquialisms, and common phrases, we often need to communicate outside the rules of the written word. Where AI proofreading services software will pick up on all the grammatical and structural inaccuracies, it won’t understand the complexities of context, tone, and creative expression.

Examples of AI editing and proofreading programmes are Grammarly, Google Translate, and ProWritingAid. They all work to offer grammatically, structurally, and tonally accurate text. Here is a closer look at these three market-leading options:

1. Grammarly

Grammarly is a cloud-based online proofreading tool that reviews spelling, punctuation, grammar, and delivery mistakes. It uses AI to identify errors and search for suitable replacements. You can download the app, which connects easily to many platforms and word-processing software, or copy and paste your text directly into the website to edit and proofread online.

Grammarly offers a free editing and proofreading service that provides basic spelling and grammar editing. A paid subscription is available for more thorough edits that recommend sentence structure and flow changes. While the paid subscription can be costly, its versatility and ease of use make it worthwhile. Grammarly also allows you to choose what language to edit and proofread, and enables you to set a style and tone appropriate to your writing style and content.

2. Google Translate

Google Translate isn’t your typical online proofreading application – it is more commonly used for its machine translations than to proofread online. Nevertheless, the software is versatile, supporting over 109 languages. This is possible through its online database of linguistical information gathered from documents and transcripts of the European Parliament and the United Nations.

Google Translate can thus prove helpful as an editing and proofreading service when writing content in another language. It can translate spoken words, websites, documents, mobile apps, and images. Writing your source text into the AI software and Google Translate will spit out a rendered alternative in your target language within seconds.

Unfortunately, Google Translate has come under scrutiny for its inaccuracy and mistranslations. These errors arise because all text is first translated into English before being translated into its final linguistic form. The text is translated one sentence at a time, which can significantly affect context and tone. Therefore, you should still edit and proofread your translation before distribution.

3. ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is a user-friendly and versatile editing and proofreading service that allows you to proofread online in real-time. By connecting directly to your preferred word processing software, the AI tool offers suggestions to replace errors in your copy. The software also helps improve your writing skills by giving tips, quizzes, videos, and articles. As far as online proofreading tools go, this software is up there with the best!

Like Grammarly, you can choose from free and paid subscription options depending on your requirements. The main downside of ProWritingAis is that it has been blamed for lag time with larger documents. Thankfully, there is an easy solution: it is recommended that you edit and proofread anything over 500 words in increments to help speed up the processing time.

Human Proofreading Services

Online proofreading services relying on AI can identify and suggest corrections on grammar, style, and plagiarism. However, AI does not consider things like tone or creative expression when employing its editing and proofreading service to your content.

While tone and context might not be as important in an academic or professional document, they could drastically change how a lack of creative expression could impact a fictional story. Tone is also crucial in all branding and marketing content, reflecting your brand voice and influencing your connection with your audience.

To edit and proofread the more “human” aspects of your work, you need a human proofreader! You can find people to proofread online through freelancing platforms, websites, or agencies. Here we take a closer look at your options.

1. Online Proofreading by Freelancers 

A professional freelance proofreader is an independent person who can edit and proofread your work for spelling, grammar, and structure. In this way, they are much like online proofreading tools. However, freelance proofreaders have the human element to identify freedom of expression, tone, and context while still editing for grammar and spelling.

Another perk of sourcing an editing and proofreading service via the freelance route is that you can establish expectations directly with the individual rather than the company they work for. This gives you the freedom to bargain towards more mutually agreeable terms. Freelancers often take on a variety of clients and work independently.

In the past, it was challenging to work with freelancers. Knowing which freelancers could be trusted was difficult, and there wasn’t always a guaranteed sense of security for either party. Thankfully, the internet has made it a safer place to hire freelancers and find someone reliable to proofread online content. Here are some top tips on finding someone worth hiring:

• Establish the terms of the job, your expectations, and what you are willing to pay before contacting any freelancers. This makes it easier when approaching freelancers to weed out candidates who are not adequately qualified or experienced.
• Check out the websites and social media profiles of anyone that you’re interested in working with. Freelancers showcase their reviews, portfolios, rates, and more online. This gives you a good indication of their standard of work and expectations.
• Provide as many details about the job and your expectations as possible. One of the reasons people go freelance is because they get to decide whom they work with. The more they know about your project, the easier it is for them to determine if you’re an appropriate match.

2. Freelancing Platforms

If you’re unsure about working with freelancers directly, websites like Upwork and Freelancer.com are excellent options. Upwork is a freelancer platform that people worldwide use to hire for both long-term and short-term projects. You can use it to add permanent staff members to your team or hire someone to complete a single project for you.

Like Upwork, Freelancer is a platform that brings freelancer talent to potential jobs and makes it easy to find someone that can reliably proofread online content. Both websites work in similar ways:

1. You submit an advertisement for an editing and proofreading service job that you want to be done. The ad should illustrate the job requirements, expectations, and pay range.
2. Freelancers offering online proofreading can bid on your job via the freelancing website.
3. You review the bid, profiles, and qualifications of each applicant. Once you find someone you want to edit and proofread your content, send a contract to make the hiring official.
4. You then submit your payment for the project, which is held in escrow.
5. You receive and approve the work, and then agree to release the funds to the freelancer.

When hiring a freelance proofreader, there can be some initial uncertainty. However, hiring a freelancer can be a relatively inexpensive way to get a job completed to your standards.

3. Proofreading Services by Companies

Rather than hiring a freelancer to edit and proofread your content, you can hire companies offering professional editing and proofreading services. This is your best option when dealing with important content, such as legal documents. Unlike working with freelance proofreaders or those who proofread AI, the results will be guaranteed.

When acquiring online proofreading services, many companies are available. They will take your copy and pass it to one of their in-house professional proofreaders. These are professional linguists who represent that company. From this point, the company assumes all responsibility for the project until you are satisfied with the results.

The problem with using companies that provide online proofreading services is that they can be costly. Unlike freelance and AI options, there is more overhead involved with running a company. These extra operating costs are typically rolled into the costs of an online proofread. However, these additional fees are also what allows these companies to guarantee job satisfaction.

Human vs AI: What’s the Verdict?

Whether you choose AI software, a freelancer, or a proofreading company to edit and proofread your work, there is one thing that all three choices have in common: They all have the fundamentals of being able to proofread your content well. All three options can identify and offer replacements for spelling, grammar, structure, tone, and style errors.

Nevertheless, each has its benefits. Online proofreading tools have the edge in offering perfection. They can write without human error and stick to all language rules. On the other hand, the human element in freelance proofreaders and companies that offer an editing and proofreading service allows for tone and creative expression.

The best option for an accurate online proofread is thus a combination. By combining the efficacy of AI proofreading with the sense of artistic expression that a freelancer can ensure, you’re guaranteed the best results.

Professional Proofreading Services You Can Trust

When hiring someone to edit and proofread your work, the options are almost endless. All one needs to do is google “editing and proofreading service” to get twenty pages of results! Alternatively, you can go straight to the professionals at Renaissance Translations.

We have pooled the talents of native translators and thousands of professional linguists internationally to offer a reliable online proofreading service to global clients. One of our experienced proofreaders will ensure your manuscript is grammatically, structurally, and stylistically perfect. Add the reliability you get from hiring an accredited business, and our service is an even better option.

We offer impeccable proofreading services at reasonable prices. Contact us today to let us know how we can help proofread online content for your business, or you can simply request a quote online on our website.

You have written your book; that’s great! But what next? Have you considered the idea of translating books into other languages? When done correctly, translating books can help you reach broader audiences and share your words with the world. However, if you don’t know how to translate books professionally, the task can seem daunting.

This article looks more closely at book translation, helping you decide whether translating books is the right avenue for you. We also offer tips on getting the best book translation services possible and how to choose the right languages for your writing.

Why Get your Book Translated?

The benefits of book translation are clear: When you translate books into a new language, you increase the number of people who can read your book. This opens a new, broader international market for your book. It makes it possible to speak across generations and cultures, enriching people worldwide with your stories and ideas.

You can also broaden your fanbase by translating books. Your biggest audience might be in a language you don’t speak. With a skilled translator who is experienced in book translation, you can reach that audience and improve the success of your writing.

What Languages Should I Translate Books into?

One of the biggest problems preventing writers from translating books is not knowing how to choose a language for translation. Unfortunately, there is no concrete answer; there are lots of factors to consider, including the following elements:

• Genre Popularity: Where is your genre of book popular? For example, Swedish and Norwegian thrillers are incredibly popular in the United Kingdom. As such, translating a Scandinavian thriller into English is a good idea. Fiction is popular in Germany. Meanwhile, in France, non-fiction is popular.
• Market Size: Another thing to consider is the market size. In 2017, the USA made up 30% of the worldwide book market, while the UK accounted for 4%. English translation services are therefore a wise idea for books written in other languages. Across Europe, the largest book markets are Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. Translating books into any of these languages could equally be good for driving sales and revenue.
• Translation Budget: Your budget is also an important consideration. You can choose to translate books into one or many foreign languages. If your budget is modest, start with one language, and translate into more languages over time. Translating into commonly spoken languages is cheaper than rendering texts into more niche languages.

How Does Book Translation Work?

Now that you have chosen your language(s) for your book, the next step is the translation itself. We always recommend hiring qualified translators when translating books. Professional translators typically follow a three-step process called TEP (translating, editing, proofreading). This ensures that your translation is accurate and that the message is retained.

Professional translation services are also done with the true meaning of the book in mind. This practice involves contextualisation and localisation, and goes further than a word-for-word translation. A word-for-word translation can lose sense and clarity, which could confuse or frustrate readers. On the converse, retaining context when you translate books keeps your readers engaged and happy.

How Much Does Translating Books Cost?

The cost of translation can vary significantly depending on several factors. Most professional translators quote projects based on their length. Therefore, the length of the book is the primary consideration; a short novella will cost less to translate than a 400-page novel.

The language pairing also affects how much it costs to translate books. The language pair is the language the original content and the language you want to translate into. More unusual combinations of language pairs are often more expensive. This is because translating books into rare languages is a specialist skill with few linguists able to take on the project.

Deadlines can also affect the cost of book translation services. A short deadline will push up the cost of your book translation, whereas having a longer timetable will help keep the cost of translating your book down. If you want to a cost-effective book translation service, ensure you give as much time as possible to your language partner.

Can you Translate Books without Permissions?

You do not need permission to translate a book for personal use. However, if you intend to sell or distribute a translation of a book, you will need written permission from the copyright holder. There are a few exceptions to this in which you can translate books without copyright permission:

• If you are the author or the copyright holder
• If the copyright has expired and entered the public domain
• If the book was published before copyright laws were created

Before translating books, you may need to research copyright laws and current copyright holders. You can find information about when a book was first published on the first few pages of the book. It will also name the publisher and author. The author is usually the copyright holder. However, sometimes the publisher can be the copyright holder.

There are websites for book catalogues that you can also use to find the copyright status of a book. If the book was first published in America, the Library of Congress and the U.S. Copyright Office have information about its copyright status. Websites like Project Gutenberg also hold collections of public-domain books that can be translated freely without permission.

Trust our Professional Book Translation Services

Renaissance Translations maintains a network of over 5,000 professional translators and offers high-quality translations in over 120 languages. This makes us the one-stop shop for translating books of all lengths and genres. Whether you need a translation into one language or ten, we are here to help your reach your full audience.

Our company is member of the Association of Translation Companies in England as well as SDL LSP Partner Programme. We have helped hundreds of clients with their needs and are sure we can provide book translation services you’ll love. Click here and tell us more about your book translation project, or request a quote through our website.