Hi Amy @amyemcmahon , I’m Lisie and I oversee tour translations at VoiceMap, so I can help answer your questions.
Are non-English VoiceMap tours popular? Yes, many of our non-English tours are popular on VoiceMap. German translations have performed best consistently, followed by Spanish and French. Translation performance varies by language.
There are two strands to our translation work: 1) publisher-led requests that we support by providing translation and/or voiceover services for a small fee, and 2) specific tours that we believe will perform well based on location, language and existing popularity. In these cases, we run the project in exchange for a portion of the royalties.
We’re currently focused on expanding our catalogue of tours in the 17 priority languages we already offer on the app.
If you have any more questions or would like to discuss translating any of your tours, you’re welcome to send me an email at lisie@voicemap.me.
Hi Lisie!
Thanks for responding. I’m sorry for my delayed reply…I had thought I’d receive a notification when the post was added to so I was waiting for that, LOL!
I actually have the ability to manage my own translations and narrations in Spanish, Chinese and Polish, through native speakers. So my question was aiming to determine if the primary need to take on translations was related to that kind of support being available from VoiceMap, or if I would be allowed to do that myself. The bulk of my tours are for locations within the U.S., and in Washington DC…a city that until politics recently took such a radical turn, used to attract a high number of non-English speaking tourists. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the country, and Chinese is the most stable international traveler demographic to that city. So in the hope and anticipation that non-English speakers will at some point start feeling safe visiting that city again, I’d like to start the work involved. But want to first be sure of the platform’s capacity for supporting such tours. That’s where my question is coming from.
Hi @monomatapa379 Thanks a lot for providing that context. Most of my tours are based in cities that historically draw large numbers of international travelers, which is why I’m considering ways to take advantage of that. I have professional guide colleagues who translate and present in a variety of languages and they’ve been eager to direct their guests to my tours, but have that language barrier to deal with. I’m still in research mode: determining the amount of time/effort involved in creating, estimating the financial value, weighing the benefits of increased accessibility for underserved travelers. There’s lots to consider… I really appreciate your shared numbers and sense of scale.
Hi @clive,
I am a native French speaker so I speak fluent French. If you wish, I would be happy to discuss with you the possibility of having your guided tours translated.
Best,
Elodie
Hi @lahelgen,
I am a native French speaker so I speak fluent French. If you wish, I would be happy to discuss with you the possibility of having your guided tours translated.
Best,
Elodie
Hi @elodie.jourdin@lahelgen@amyemcmahon I’ve added you all to the Publisher Collaborations group. This is a private space to collaborate with fellow publishers – offer and request services, support each other’s tours, and build connections that make your work better.
Need a French translator? Looking for a voice actor with a Dublin accent? Want honest feedback on a new tour before you publish? Traveling somewhere and looking for a VoiceMap tour to experience? Offering your proofreading skills or local expertise?