Screen shots

Bear with me this month. My entire house is filled with petal cones, party poppers, place cards, menus and other props for my upcoming wedding. As soon as I’ve sorted out this mess, I’ll get back to my normal blogging routine (including videos, promise... just need to work on my editing skills!). After all, a messy house equals a messy mind.

Speaking of messy stuff, you should see my desktop. I have this weird hobby. I love reading the Daily Mail Online, especially the entertainment pages. No, I’m not a celebrity stalker (well, maybe just a little), but I do love spotting typos and saving them as screen shots. On my desktop. You’d think they have proofreaders at a major tabloid like this one. If they do, they need to invest in a good espresso machine and a dictionary. Check for yourself!

Am I the only one who does this? Maybe that's a superfluous question.

Do you have an unusual name?

I don’t. Not now at least. My name is Amy. Quite common here on the rock, but in the 80s, when I was still living in cold, grey Belgium, my name was considered quite unusual. Throughout primary and secondary school it was butchered into a series of horrible-sounding variants, both in spoken and written language. In Italy my friends found it virtually impossible to write and pronounce my name, so over there I’m still known as Emi. I even have a Facebook friend who writes to me using Emi. Does she realise my actual name is right there, above her message? At university – I went to a business school that attracted quite a few foreign students – things got a little better, but my name wasn’t spelled and pronounced 100% correctly until I moved to the rock. Amen.

When I translate texts I ALWAYS check and double-check names. To me the source text is not a holy-grail document that shouldn’t be altered. If there’s a mistake in it, I’ll correct it and let the client know. Isn’t that only logical? Unfortunately I’ve come to realise that’s not standard practice. In my six years as a proofreader I’ve rarely come across a text in which errors were corrected. I’ve worked with some of the best translators on the market, who can produce top-notch translations at the speed of light, but even they refuse to make that small effort and google proper names.

It’s a touchy subject for me, probably because it defined my childhood. I’ve always been so incredibly proud of my name. I love the fact that it’s international, short and sweet. It means “the beloved” – can it get any better than that? When I translate or proofread a text I always keep in mind that I would be horrified to see my name misspelled in an article or on a website. It would hurt my pride. It would strip me of my identity.

Next time you’re writing, translating or correcting a text please, please, please think of little Emi and put a smile back on her face!

The importance of language in marketing

I’m not a product development manager. I’m not a graphic designer. And I’m certainly not a marketing guru. Yet somehow my activities are very closely linked to theirs. As a translator, proofreader and copywriter, you’re behind the scenes, trying to make their work even better, trying to adapt it to the desired target audience. You feel responsible for launching their products and services, for turning their efforts into a great success.

Unfortunately sometimes things go wrong. Texts are not proofread by reputable translation agencies trying to cut costs. Marketing managers rewrite, rephrase and mutilate the copywriter’s texts without having them checked again. Graphic designers and printers don’t spellcheck ads to save time and money, or for fear of being criticised by their clients.

Companies big and small seem to think it’s more important to invest in form rather than in content. They couldn’t be more wrong. Imagine this scenario: you sell expensive crystal vases. Your aim is to position your business in the top-of-the-range end of the market. You write a 50-word ad yourself, because you refuse to fork out 50 euros for a copywriter to do it for you. But you do hire a professional photographer to shoot stunning photos of your vases. At a cost of a few hundred euros. The result: your ad looks exactly the way you wanted it to look – it exudes the air of luxury and elegance that you were after – but upon closer inspection there’s something not quite right about the actual text. A spelling error. Was it worth saving those 50 euros?

Not everyone will notice, that’s true. And not everyone will care. Maybe you’re not too bothered yourself. However, don’t forget that many – if not most – consumers will rely on your marketing material to forge an opinion on your business. Their (I mean our) reasoning: if they can’t even be bothered to proofread their own ads, what should I expect from their customer service?

In marketing the importance of language is often overlooked. Yet it’s one of the most fundamental aspects of this type of communication. Language bridges the gap between a business and its customers. It illustrates the company’s ability to convey its know-how. By language I mean spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, the whole lot. No need for nitpicking, but blatant errors should be avoided at all costs. And that’s where we come in!

Have fun trying to figure out what went wrong below!

A combination of English and German?

Buy a tool... and get a free motoring school? That's what I call a good deal! But there's more...

Arrogance & talent

I can’t stand arrogant people – you know, flaunting their skills (or lack thereof) in such a way that others feel belittled. Using a tone that leaves no scope for constructive criticism. I feel if you’re truly talented, you don’t feel the need to flaunt it. That doesn’t mean talent should go unrecognised. The key to success is allowing others to discover your talent. It is giving them the opportunity to assess your skills and decide whether or not you meet their expectations. It is also accepting defeat. Everyone has bad days. Everyone makes mistakes. Even the grammar and spelling police. But admitting you’re wrong doesn’t mean you have failed. It means there is room for improvement – there always is – and you’re willing to accept that.  

Why this rant? I often correct translation tests and I must say some translators, even when backed by decades of experience, can mess up pretty badly and react in a totally unacceptable manner when put on the spot. Luckily, I only correct the tests; I don’t write the feedback e-mails. That would be a really bad idea, because I’m left with zero communication skills (given my lack of social contacts), and subtle hints are not my forte.  

I understand it must be quite embarrassing to discover that you don’t meet the criteria to work with a certain agency. But does that make the agency “bad”? “Too strict”? “Too picky”? No, it simply means you’re not the right person for this particular employer. Maybe you really are a bad translator, maybe you weren’t feeling well or you were pressed for time when you did your test (next time think twice), maybe you misinterpreted the assignment… A test can go wrong for many reasons, but rest assured that if you heed the advice you’ve received, things can only go uphill. So put on those hiking shoes and start walking!