professional writers and translators

professional writers and translators

The Importance of Professional Writers and Translators

1. The Role of Professional Writers and Translators

Non-professionals often assume that writing is a flat art. One simply has to pick up a pen and go. In the case of the most undisciplined amateur, this is true. He can write a sentence after his fashion. He frequently blunders upon words and phrases of sound, if not unusual, wisdom. But it is a gamble, depending upon the favor of the gods. And with professional writers, writing is a complex and many-sided activity, to which one of the great values is clarity. An idea may be perfectly clear at the back of a man’s mind, he may be powerfully possessed by it, and yet when he tries to express it, the result may be confusion to his readers and himself. This is often due to habitual disorderly thinking. But to a large extent, it is for want of training in the technique of writing. Writing to many is little more than a method recording in an interminable shorthand typewriting what they already know. Yet what so often happens is that with the pen in his hand, the man makes discoveries. His half-formed jottings on setting down give birth to new and better ideas. He begins to think clearly only when he works out something practically on paper. This is perhaps equally true of poetry and of prose. But nowhere is it more manifest than in the art of translation.

2. Benefits of Hiring Professional Writers and Translators

The language supervisor is often asked whether the company really needs a professional writer or translator. If your company is faced with this question on a particular job, be it related to documentation, publication of brochures, etc., then it is important to consider what you would expect from the job. If you merely want to change the existing text with a better one, maybe you will get a result that is not so much different from the original, because in general the text writer or translator will only change the form. If indeed what you want is the correctness of the text compared with the original meaning, both in terms of content, grammar, and consistency in language use, then the writer / professional translator is required. This is where the difference between the writer / professional translator and someone who just graduated from language, because in addition to an understanding of any changes, he also has the expertise and creativity in working. Another case is with someone who just graduated from the understanding of new language to 4 years just been in theory and understanding in practice is different. A professional writer or translator has the ability to use the right terminology with expertise in the field when it will change the understanding of translation. A writer / professional translator also has a sharpness in writing so as to detect any inconsistency of the original text.

3. Factors to Consider When Choosing Professional Writers and Translators

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing professional writers and translators. Depending on the complexity, deadline, and budget for a certain project, it is important to select a writer or translator who has the necessary qualifications and experience to complete the task in a satisfactory manner. An individual with a university degree is likely to be better equipped for a specialized task in comparison to others without such qualifications. Although having a qualification does not always guarantee a good work ethic, it is still a good indicator of the translator’s ability and knowledge within a specific field. A new graduate may be more motivated and enthusiastic about a job than a more experienced person. If price is a major factor in the job, there are obviously cost benefits in hiring students or unqualified individuals for translation work. However, this is a gamble and there is a risk of receiving a sub-standard job.

4. How Professional Writers and Translators Enhance Communication

Professional writers provide a significant service to society and the enhancement of communicative potential is one of the most notable contributions. In a world that is constantly changing technologically, the written word is becoming increasingly more important as the primary form of communication. Regardless of political persuasion, everyone agrees that the quality and clarity of governmental documents are important. Often criticizing through a lack of content or sidestepping issues, the true problem with these documents is usually a lack of clarity. Hiring professional writers to either write these documents or to train government employees to write more effectively would go a long way towards remedying the problem. This would mean that crucial governmental information would be more accessible and understandable to the general public. Professional writers are also essential in enhancing the clarity and quality of educational texts. In collaboration with the educational institute and subject matter specialists, professional writers can help by creating teaching materials or by interpreting complex ideas in a simpler way that makes the information accessible to the target audience. This kind of work is crucial to the maintenance of an educated society.

5. Conclusion: Investing in Professional Writers and Translators

There is no doubt that the company would have spent more money on the professional writer, but the potential savings from less experienced employees misunderstanding the instructions could be substantial. It may be argued that it is cheaper for a multilingual employee to do the translation, or for a writer within the company to do the writing. But if their skills are not up to par with those of a professional writer or translator, then this will be a false economy. This becomes evident when the work is done, and it is realized that the quality of writing or translation is not suitable. It is quite possible that the employee could become personally offended if their work is then corrected or scrapped. This is a lose-lose situation, as the cost will either be in the wages of the employee to redo the work, or in the wages of a professional to fix the work. This would not have happened if the work was given to a professional in the first place. And so we come full circle to where we began, with the cost of hiring professional writers and translators. As is evident, this is an investment that will benefit a company both short and long term. High-quality writing and translation will enhance a company’s image, increase productivity, and save time and money. In the global market, it is sometimes the defining factor that separates successful companies from the unsuccessful.

At its simple level, writing is something that anyone with a reasonable command of a language can do. But writing to effectively communicate a message to a particular readership is more difficult. Professional writers have the skills and experience to craft a message that is not only grammatically correct, but tailor-made for a specific readership. This is not just intelligently worded advertising material, it can also be internal documentation used for corporate training. Surely a badly translated and poorly written set of instructions could lead to mass confusion. How much time would employees waste trying to understand the instructions, and how much money would the company lose in productivity? Now compare this to a well-written document that needs no further explanation.

While it is true that writers and translators, especially experienced ones, do cost a company a fair amount of money, it is also true that the cost is an investment in the company. They offer skills and expertise that other employees do not have, and this often requires a higher salary to reflect this. A company that is serious about its international business should be equally serious about investing in quality translations. When product names, slogans and marketing material need to be translated into foreign languages, it is imperative that the essence of the original message is retained. This is something that an inexperienced translator or an employee with language skills will not be able to achieve. The same can be said for writing.