The Linguist

20 The Linguist Vol/63 No/1 thelinguist.uberflip.com FEATURES example, a fashion shoot set in a Parisian café may not resonate with Bulgarian consumers, appearing disconnected from their local reality and the lifestyle the brand hopes they will relate to. In such cases, it is necessary to communicate to the client that the image may not be appropriate for the Bulgarian market. Although these issues may appear minor, they can significantly influence how consumers perceive the product. Keywords and SEO are also key players. If we simply translate the original keywords, they may not attract much traffic or make much sense in the target country. Effective translation requires knowledge of the culture and excellent research skills. For example, in Bulgarian it is common to have several translations for the same word, so 'bomber jacket' can be авиаторско and 'пилотско' яке. The client might have a specific termbase, but if not, it is the translator's task to advise them which keywords to use based on their experience of the most commonly used terms in the target country. When in doubt, I look at established fashion websites and check which terms garner most search results. Translating product descriptions for fashion brands is not just a linguistic task but also a creative and cultural one. It requires knowledge of the brand, the product, its unique features and its benefits, as well as an in-depth understanding of the target audience, their preferences, their values and their aspirations. If you have not lived in the target country, you will not sufficiently understand the mentality of its consumers. When you put yourself in your client's shoes and address their frustrations, you can create copy that not only informs but also inspires. number of unsolicited proposals and new titles from returning authors. Monographs and short-form titles are published in series. All proposals are peer- reviewed and many are also reviewed by series editors. We endeavour to consult a range of readers from different countries and with diversity criteria firmly in mind. Readers are selected from those working in the relevant research area or, for textbooks, from those actively teaching courses. We find them through recommendations and online research but also welcome hearing from those keen to take on reading work. Readers are recompensed for their time, mainly through gratis copies of our titles, and given the option to be anonymous. Editors discuss the feedback with the authors, agreeing on any amendments or revisions before a contract is issued. If feedback is strongly negative, more reader feedback may be sought or editors may decide the proposal is not suitable for our programme. While expert reader feedback is critical to our decision to publish, editors build up specialist knowledge by attending conferences, meeting with academics on university campuses and online, doing extensive online research and using data tools in order to decide what to publish and what will be commercially viable. Editors cost projects and work out what will add value, consider pricing and manage costs to ensure How do language specialists select works to publish? Routledge senior publisher Louisa Semlyen explains P ublishing over 200 new titles in Linguistics, Translation Studies and Interpreting Studies every year, 1 the Routledge list continues to grow and the team seeks proposals in all areas of our publishing. We have grown from one Commissioning Editor and an assistant in the 1990s, to four full-time linguistics editors and publishers, signing books out of the UK and US supported by three Editorial Assistants. There are also editors in Singapore and Australia, commissioning across a range of subjects, and colleagues in China working on the translation of Chinese titles into English. A very active team sells translation rights across the globe. A growth area is in titles for professional translators and interpreters, and proposals are welcome to supplement the small existing range, including the Translation Practices Explained series. But how do we choose which topics to cover and which books to publish? Our titles are categorised into three main types: textbooks (for core or recommended reading on courses); reference books (such as the Routledge Handbooks in Applied Linguistics, Linguistics, and Translation and Interpreting Studies); and research titles (monographs or short-form Focus titles, which are under 50,000 words and published in hardback and ebook within three months of delivery). Most textbooks and reference works are solicited by inviting leading authors to submit a proposal. We also receive a high Making it to print SELLING IT Product details on H&M's Bulgarian site

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