Ghostwriting from a Foreign Language

See the image above. It's a little blurry, right? I used it on purpose.

When you translate to or from a foreign language, words, metaphors, anecdotes, and similies become blurry. That's because our frame of reference differs from one language (read culture) to another, especially if the language group is not from your native stem branch.

Recently, I was hired to ghostwrite and edit a book published in Turkish. What do I mean by ghostwriting a book that has already been written? Hmm. That's a good question.

Let me explain.

Have you ever read a poorly translated piece of writing, whether an article, book, feature, or social media post? Some things do get lost in translation. Translating from one language to another requires more than just literal knowledge of the language.

Those of you on the cynical side might be prone to rush to DeepL or ChatGPT to do the work for you. But it won't! It will take each word at face value and then translate it, but it can't do it properly. Believe me, I know. I tried!

So, how do you manually ghostwrite a book originally published in another language?

Here are some tips:

Ghostwriting a book that has been poorly translated (whether by human hands or via generative AI) can be challenging but rewarding. Here's how to navigate the process and improve the text:

1. Understand the Original Intention

• Clarify the meaning as best you can. Reach out to the author (if possible) or refer to the original text to grasp the core meaning, themes, and tone. Poor translations often miss nuances, cultural references, or tone, so understanding the intent is key.

But what if the author doesn't speak your language and uses an AI translation program to communicate with you?

Well, that poses another issue—the same issue as translating the text in the first place. First, you will need to understand the culture of the original language. If you aren't familiar with that culture, your ghostwritten work will probably end up in the trash. Therefore,

• Cultural context: Ensure you understand the original culture and context to make culturally appropriate adjustments in your rewriting.

2. Recreate, Don't Just Translate

• Focus on ideas, not words: Avoid a literal translation. Instead, aim to recreate the essence of the book in the target language. This involves rewriting sentences and even entire sections if needed to ensure clarity and readability. And that points again to cultural context.
• Adapt idioms and expressions: Many expressions don't translate well, and if they do, they usually don't make sense. Replace them with ones that resonate with the target audience. I happen to speak Japanese and Dutch. When I first got to the Netherlands and was learning the language, many expressions made no sense to me. I couldn't wrap my head around the translated version. For example, "a tall tree catches a lot of wind." Huh?

The actual meaning of that expression was 'don't stand out, don't be too different.'

3. Simplify Structure and Language

• Break down complex sentences: Poor translations often result in overly complex or unclear sentences. Break them down into simpler, clearer structures without losing meaning.
• Improve flow: Ensure smooth transitions between ideas and paragraphs. Check if the translated text follows a logical progression and restructure where needed.

4. Stay True to the Author's Voice

• Preserve style: While improving clarity, retain the author's tone, whether it's formal, casual, humorous, or serious. If the translation feels flat, try to capture the energy and emotion from the original.
• Characterization and dialogue: Ensure that character voices remain consistent and that dialogue feels natural in the target language.

5. Read Aloud for Fluidity

• Check for readability: Reading sections aloud can help you identify awkward phrasing, unnatural word choices, or disjointed pacing.
• Consistency: Ensure the rewritten text is consistent in terms of style, voice, and terminology. Sometimes, an author uses a technique like switching from first person to third person in the same chapter. Understand when, where, and why they are doing that and stay consistent with their intention.

6. Cut Redundancies and Awkward Phrases

• Eliminate repetition: Poor translations often include redundant phrases or words. Clean up the text by removing unnecessary repetitions.
• Revise awkward phrasing: Rewrite clunky or awkward sentences that need to be clarified in the target language.

Sometimes, though, there is no way to rewrite the text because it makes no sense no matter what you do. In that case, remove it. Or you can bang your head against the wall till the kingdom comes, trying to find a fitting turn of phrase. I don't recommend that :)

7. Focus on Grammar and Syntax

• Correct grammar issues: Translations often lead to grammar errors due to differences between languages. Pay special attention to subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and punctuation.

For example, in the two languages I speak, verbs are used at the end of sentences, so a typical structure is subject-object-verb. But sometimes it changes into object-subject-verb.

• Natural syntax: Rearrange sentences to fit the natural flow of the target language.

8. Research and Fact-check

• Verify accuracy: If the book contains factual information, ensure that it's correctly translated and reflects accurate information in the new language.

9. Trust Your Creative Judgment

• Be flexible. Ghostwriting poorly translated books often requires creative decisions. Don't hesitate to rearrange content, rephrase ideas, or introduce minor new elements if doing so improves the flow, clarity, or engagement.

By trusting your creative judgment, you will have contributed to the author in ways that will make him/her/them thankful for the rest of their life. The Turkish title I'm working on was made more accessible since I know about Turkish cuisine (I love cooking it), watched some Turkish TV dramas on Netflix, and became familiar with the nation's history.