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What we mean by that.
I have noticed recently that this blog, Megan Publishing Services (MPS) is beginning to receive lots of visits from people searching for foreign translations. So, I would like to clarify what kind of foreign translations they an expect to find when they click through to us.
Foreign Translations
There are three main variations of what I think this phrase can mean. So, let’s take a look at them.
Languages Translation Service
Basically, MPS does not provide a foreign languages translation service as such. However, there are many companies that allow you to type in a few words, some up to several thousand, and receive an automated translation in the language of any country instantly. Most of these are pretty good if you keep what you want translated short and simple. They work best if you want a fairly accurate translation within a language group.
By this I mean, German, Dutch and English is a group with a similar culture; so is Italian, French and Spanish. They work far less reliably if you are translating from say English into Yoruba, Thai or even Russian. In fact, you should never reply on these apps for more than a rough idea about the target language, because they make ludicrous mistakes very often. They translate words, not ideas.
Translate to Different Languages
This is pretty much the same as above, but I take it to mean not online, and not instantaneous. For example, you could submit a document to a human translator, who will give it the personal attention it deserves for a fee. We don’t provide this service either, although we, who are associated with this blog, speak eight different languages between us. Again, there are several companies that specialise in linking a professional to a private ‘gig’ for a small fee.
Foreign Language Services
Having said all that, there are two foreign language services that we can provide.
Authors
1] You will notice that Owen Jones has had many of his books translated in foreign languages. As I am writing this, the total is forty different foreign tongues. We use two companies to perform these tasks. Both will try to facilitate the finding of a translator in the language of your choice. However, it is not guaranteed, and things can and do go wrong. If you want your book translated, we can supervise the task. Or just help you find a translator, who will work for a set fee, or a percentage of the sales proceeds (60-75%). It can take from days to months to find someone suitable, although we can arrange that for you.
2] If you produce an online publication, or want to, you can choose from about 125 niche ebooks of about fifteen 500-word articles to use in it. This is useful if you want quick targeted content, say to start a blog, or to use while sick or on holiday. Some of these ebooks have been translated into several important international languages.
Readers
There are more than 800 publications in forty languages on this site. If you liked one of our books in say, English, and you want your Spanish friend to read it, this is very often possible. Just look up the title in the relevant section on the title bar.
I hope that this article has clarified what we at MPS mean by ‘Foreign Translations’, and, as always, if you think that we can help, just drop me an email or use the contact form above.
Chalita
Tiger Lily of Bangkok Series – When The Seeds of Wrath Blossom!
Daddy’s Hobby – The Story of Lek, A Bar Girl
Sister blog: The Amiable Dragon
