I Went With KDP Translate for My Novel

Everything I've read about AI book translation was essentially negative. AI "doesn't get the nuances". It can't capture unique character voices; it can create "dangerous mistranslations". I get it. And since I'm prone to writing dialogue using slang terms (because that's how people talk), Running From Herself is probably a bad candidate for AI translation.

The novel includes a Spanish-speaking secondary character who communicates mainly in English, but throws in a few Spanish phrases from time to time. While I "sort of" know Spanish from studying it for two years, that was a long time ago, so I used Google Translate when I wanted to get a Spanish phrase correct. I even double-checked the translations by converting them back into English. But those were occasional utterances, not an entire book. 

Still, it's been over a year since I published and nothing is happening anymore. I haven't even gotten any KU reads this month. So, what do I have to lose? My literary reputation? I have no reputation. 

It's not that I expect to sell any French, German, or Spanish copies and thus reap negative reviews. Taking advantage of the beta program just felt like I was doing something. It's the same principle as offering the book for free. The last time I did a KDP free book promotion, I got six downloads and no KU reads. But I did it because I wanted to feel productive, like I hadn't completely given up.

So, yes, the translations are most likely awful; I'll never know, but here's the finished product:

Huyendo de sí misma

Se fuir elle-même  (Isn't the French language pretty?)

Auf der Flucht vor sich selbst  (conversely...)

Instantly, I noticed that the Spanish language blurb has issues:

She fled to find herself, but ended up becoming someone she doesn’t recognize.

Leah Branch has had enough. After years of pursuing a faded dream, he welcomes the separation of his band as a way out to a quiet life. She doesn’t choose Chance, Wyoming; the small town seems to choose her. But not even in such a small place can he flee the rhythm of his own heart.

Working in the local lounge, Leah finds more than a fresh start: find Jared. He is a singer who understands his soul, but the passion they share becomes what separates them. When Jared walks away from the stage and the future of the room hangs in the balance, Leah makes a decision that changes everything: he gets back on stage.

Success comes like lightning when a Nashville record label offers the world. Leah accepts without hesitation, seeing him as the definitive escape of a shattered romance. But Nashville’s machinery has its own plans. They change the look, they change the songs, they even change the name.

Now, Leah is on the verge of stardom, but she is also a stranger to herself. You have to decide: stay and lose your soul or risk everything to run away once again.  

I guess if it wasn't for KDP switching the main character's gender, I could probably live with it. Although "you have to decide" makes it sound like an interactive story. And really, is Leah a male name in Spanish? I don't think so.

I can only imagine how the novel reads. But I don't think I want to know.

The first paragraph translates to:

"My eyes were burning like a bonfire. I had spent the last few hours alone in my car, with a radio host named George as my only company, who terrified me with stories of aliens that paralyzed my body while I slept to poke around and grope me at will."

That's not so bad. It gets the point across. I would probably get a kick out of the dialogue, but it's far too much work to type it into Google Translate. KDP's preview doesn't allow copying and pasting. 

The German book blurb is much better than the Spanish translation:

She ran away to find herself – only to become someone she does not recognize.

Leah Branch has enough. After years in which she chased a fading dream, she welcomes the breakup of her band as an escape route to a quiet life. She does not choose Chance, Wyoming; the small town seems to choose her. But even in such a small place, Leah cannot escape the rhythm of her own heart.

During her work in the local saloon, Leah finds more than just a new beginning – she finds Jared. He is a singer who understands her soul, but their shared passion becomes exactly that which drives them apart. As Jared turns his back on the stage and the future of the saloon hangs in the balance, Leah makes a decision that changes everything – she returns to the spotlight.

Success comes like a flash of lightning as a record label from Nashville offers her the world. Leah seizes the opportunity, seeing in it the ultimate escape route from a broken romance. But the machinery of the music city has its own plans. They change her appearance, they change her songs, they even change her name.

Now Leah stands shortly before the breakthrough, but she is also a stranger to herself. She must decide: stay and lose her soul, or risk everything to run away one last time. 

Only a few clinkers in there, but not enough to spoil the blurb. I'm not going to translate any pieces of the book---too much work, but I'm more optimistic about this one.

Lastly, French:

She fled to find herself, but became someone she no longer recognizes.

Leah Branch draws a line. After years of pursuing a dream that was fading, she welcomes the separation of her group as an exit door toward a quiet life. She does not choose Chance, in Wyoming; it is the small town that seems to choose her. But even in a place so small, Leah cannot escape the music that beats in her heart.

By working in the local saloon, Leah finds more than a new start: she meets Jared. He is a singer who understands her soul, but their shared passion becomes precisely what tears them apart. When Jared leaves the stage and the future of the saloon is at stake, Leah makes a choice that changes everything: she goes back on stage.

Success strikes like lightning when a record company from Nashville offers her the world. Leah seizes the opportunity, seeing in it the ultimate escapism from a broken romance. But the Nashville industry has its own plans. They change her appearance, they change her songs, they even change her name.

Now, Leah stands at the edge of stardom, but she has also become a stranger to herself. She must decide: stay and lose her soul, or risk everything to flee one last time.

Gotta love how The French (well, the French robot) adds words that it thinks are more refined: "precisely"--- Hey! Did I write "precisely"? 

"Leah Branch draws a line" probably sounds better than "Leah Branch is done", I guess. "Escapism", rather than "escape". Oh, you French robot snobs! I'm half French, and even I dislike the superciliousness. But maybe that's the kind of thing French readers go for. Fingers crossed!

I'm disappointed that of the three translations, the Spanish one is the worst. Spanish is the easiest language of the three! KDP couldn't even get the pronouns right! 

Overall, I'm okay with my decision to do this. The effect will be neutral, after all. In fact, I signed up for automatic future translations as more languages become available. When one has nothing going on, tinkering can be fun.

Have you done it? If so, what kind of feedback did you receive? I'd love to know.