Why Editing and/or Proofreading are Critical to a Successful Translation

If you’ve ever come across a poorly written article or website, you understand how content with errors can impact your overall impression of a company or organization.

You know how vital it is that your English content be written with care and precision to avoid errors and mistakes in the content you publish.

The same can be said about the content you produce for your audiences that do not speak English.

The difference is that translated content has to be converted from one language to another, so there is yet another layer of work, which means even more room for error.

Translating your content is critical when it comes to engaging with your multilingual audiences, and you can rest assured there are ways to help prevent these types of issues in your translated content as well.

Since translation can help you reach new audiences you wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise, the importance of proofreading during this process cannot be understated.

More than just spell and grammar checking, a professional proofreader can help take your translation to the next level, and this step is vital to the translation process.

Who all is involved in the translation process?

At ATS, we take the quality of your translation seriously.

This is why you will have a Project Manager assigned to each translation request. They will oversee the entire project and will be your go-to person for all questions related to your translation request.

We’ll then assign your project to the most qualified translation team available to handle your project, utilizing a professional translator, editor and proofreader who can both work together to deliver the best possible translation.

From there, our quality assurance team will review the project, making sure the final product we deliver to you is complete, correct, and of the highest quality possible.

Why does a high-quality translation need to be edited and/or proofread?

We know how important it is to stick to your budget, and translation is no different.

With that said, you may wonder why a proofreading step is necessary if the translator and editor are professionals and do great work already.

So is it possible to deliver a high-quality translation without factoring in a proofreader to go over it?

While the translator may do great work (this is why we use them, after all!), we cannot recommend skipping an editing/proofreading step for any translation.

Just as you likely have a team of copywriters for your English content in order to create the best content for your English-speaking audience, translation is no different.

Any person, no matter their skill level, could make a mistake, or could translate a phrase that could be improved upon with a second (or third) set of eyes reviewing it.

In order to deliver the best possible translation, and feel confident that it is completely free from concerns, we always assign an editor and/or proofreader.

What are the elements of proofreading? Is spellcheck enough?

It is a common misconception that proofreading is just simply a grammar and spelling review.

The editing / proofreading process is much more than that!

While the main focus on proofreading is centered around grammatical, spelling, punctuation and syntax errors, editing improves the entire flow and structure of the translation, helping to ensure that the final translation is refined, and of the best possible quality.

Here are just a few things a professional editor/proofreader will look for in order to add value to the translation as they review:

• Is the punctuation, spelling and grammar all correct?

•  Are there are any typographical errors?

• Are any words translated incorrectly?

• Are the format and spacing consistent with the source?

• Are the chosen words appropriate for the target audience’s locale or are there better word choices based on the demographic?

• Is there consistency in terminology used?

• Do the sentences flow well, or should they be rewritten?

• Are all website links functional, or are any broken?

• Is there consistency in word usage and layout?

• Are the sentences structured correctly?

• If there are abbreviations or expansions, will they be correctly understood by the target audience?

The ways that an editor and/or proofreader can improve a text are nearly endless. A simple run through spellcheck wouldn’t be able to catch the nuances a professional could that would help take your translation to the next level.

Can any native speaker read through the translation for a quick edit/proofread?

If you have someone in-house who speaks the language you’re translating content into, you may be tempted to ask them to do a read-through of the translation to check for any errors.

However, as we’ve noted above, a skilled editor/proofreader will have not only the language skills to check for the smaller potential issues your friend or colleague may notice, but also the ability to really go through the translation, looking for ways to make the text more appealing and correct for your organization.

A professional is trained and has experience improving the quality of texts. You just simply will not get the same level of accuracy and faithfulness to the original text from a friend or colleague.

How can an editor or proofreader help move your business forward?

Content written without mistakes has a positive impact on your audience, giving your customers or clients more confidence in your company.

This is also true for translations free of mistakes.

Since a proofreader’s role is to improve the quality of the translation, your multilingual audience is more likely to connect with the content, increasing the likelihood of converting them into paying or long-term customers.

The positive impression that a high-quality translation can leave on your readers is well worth taking the time to have someone else review and improve the translation.

What are the risks associated with not having your translated content edited/proofread professionally?

Without a professional editor/proofreader, you run a higher risk of miscommunication or misunderstanding.

If your readers see a translation with any typos, grammatical errors, or strange or inaccurate wording, they may be confused.

This can lead to a lack of trust in your brand, which means you’ll lose these potential customers or clients before you have the chance to win them over further.

A translation with errors could also result in potential legal concerns if the content error causes negative results or issues for your customers/readers.

Your company’s reputation and the potential negative consequences are not worth the risk to skip the editing/proofreading step.

What happens after your translated content has been edited and/or proofread?

We believe that every quality translation is the result of a positive collaboration between translator, editor and/or proofreader.

The translation team assigned to your project work together closely to create the high-quality translation that we deliver to you.

Any suggestions or changes from the proofreader are sent back to the translator to review.

The team will work together until they achieve the best possible translation before it moves into the final quality assurance phase.

We know how important it is for your company’s branding and professionalism to come across correctly in all languages.

A professional editor and/or proofreader is part of the complete equation when it comes to delivering the best content to your multilingual audiences.

If you have any questions about how else ATS can help you achieve that, please reach out!