Question:
I am bilingual and have taken courses in creative writing. Does that qualify me as a transcreator?
Answer:
No, it does not.
Why not?
Because a transcreator needs deep expertise in translation and deep expertise in strategic copywriting. Expertise in both fields is indispensable.
Let’s look at the translation expertise:
Being fully bilingual, meaning you have native or near-native language skills in two languages, does not automatically mean you are a good translator. There is a reason why there are graduate programs in translation.
Regarding the copywriting expertise:
Having creative writing skills is not the same thing as copywriting. If you are a creative writer, you are skilled at using language to entertain, create suspense, and take your reader on a journey. This is certainly helpful for copywriting, but in addition you also need strong business and marketing skills. That’s because copywriting is about understanding how branding works, how to get, assemble, and implement a proper brief, how to engage and motivate target group readers and lots more. That requires a different skillset, as described in the book.
So essentially, being bilingual and having creative writing skills is merely a good basis for further training that would eventually qualify you as a transcreator.
Once you have that combined skillset, you will need to market it properly. To quote Jules Horne in her book How to Launch a Freelance Copywriting Business: “Creative writing qualifications are unlikely to impress anyone in the business world. You need to reframe your skills for the business context, with evidence that resonates with business people.” Jules Horne also recommends using “commercial writing” rather than “copywriting” especially when dealing with clients outside the creative industries.
And that applies all the more to transcreation. Hardly anyone outside the translation business knows what it means and entails. And even within the translation industry, there are still many language service providers who don’t know or fully understand what transcreation means and entails.
My book is intended to help with that.
The above question and answer is just one of many that you will find in Nina’s book “Get fit for the future of transcreation“.
