Actually, I can read Spanish better than I can speak it. Weird, huh? Must be something in the brain. Alas, I have lost so much.

And thanks for the encouragement - some days a kind word makes a huge difference.

WIN is writing while I have the time. During the pandemic and other crises.

The stress doesn't help, but I do block it as quickly as possible every day with a little program called Freedom.

I have the standard problem: it's hard getting started, so I try not to leave my work in a finished condition, but go ahead and start the next bit so when I come back it's easier to pick up.

I love that you notice this issue in school reading materials too! Lisa Lucas (National Book Foundation) always says, it doesn't matter what books you read, the important thing is that you are reading and developing a love for reading, so you can discover new things.

In terms of hiring a "near native" I would first make sure they LIKE translating, and that they can commit to doing a whole book. Then, vet their skills by seeing a sample of their work (with a page of your book), and ask how long it will take them complete the work.

You could also offer this opportunity to a beginning translator who may be looking to establish themselves, and might be more affordable. But you always want to look at their work and have a native speaker vouch for the translation to make sure it's legible.

So yes, going with a *near native* and having a SP editor look at it when it's done is a good strategy. Just go into knowing that it probably won't be perfect, and that it might need some work. And all that is normal and just part of the process.
Good luck!

Yes, these are also psychologically exhausting times. My mantra is having the WIN attitude: "What's Important Now" - we do what we can, and we do it well, and the rest will come when we are ready. 50 positive reviews? That's excellent!
Keep up that commitment to writing and completing your series. The translations can definitely come later! 🙂

I work with a small publisher that provides readers for classroom use and I see the importance of having a heritage language reader work on the manuscript. Online translators quickly lose your audience and read horribly. My students figure this out by year 2 when they start to trust their own language sense. They laugh at the weird stuff Google comes up with!

It would make sense for me to pursue an option like this will my current English YA sci-fi novel, as I understand the need for diverse stories in the classroom that encourage reading. It would also provide L1 support for our growing population of bi-lingual students who need to grow in 2 languages.

My question for you is what is your opinion on having a near native language person translate the work and vet it with a TL translator/editor after? *asking for a friend*

🙂
Kris

You have to have a fan base before you will make any progress with the crowd-funding sites - they are not in the business of finding you new fans. Getting those first several thousand fans is always the hard part.

I have so little energy, I have to focus on the writing first. Fortunately, after the publication of the first book in my mainstream trilogy, I've been able to accumulate almost 50 reviews, some of them stunningly detailed.

I'll get there - if I have any say. But I'm desperately slow - and that is one of the reasons I write what and how I do. I'll take the results, am unhappy with the speed.

That's great Denise! It does open ones mind, right? I bet you could still do it and pick it up quickly again. There are some great titles out there if you ever want a referral of something good/fun to read in Spanish.

What a great success story about the book being bought and translated into Mandarin!

That's true John! Every time I've gone to my local B&N to look for books in Spanish to buy for myself, my father or family members I'm disappointed at the limited collection there is. Mostly you find the classics or already established famous authors (Marquez, Cisneros, Allende), religious themes, or self help. (That is a whole other topic of who in the US reads in other languages and actually buys books - but that's not the market you and I are referring to above.) I have noticed that the kids selection is expanding a lot though - you can even find Diary of a Wimpy Kid in Spanish now in many B&N (it's called "Diario de Greg").

I love that story, John! And it is super intriguing to think that perhaps translators would work like audio book narrators.