Instructions for translators

If you want to help translate Chick tracts into other languages, congratulations! You are taking the first step toward helping other people learn about the greatest gift ever offered to anyone - salvation. Before you begin, it is important that you be very fluent in English. That is the only way you can accurately convey the meanings of the English Chick tracts into your language. To help us work together to make this translation a top quality presentation of God's love, we ask that you follow these steps.

1. Contact us first.
Before you begin translating, please contact us. It would be a shame for you to put a lot of effort into a translation, only to discover that we are already working on the same translation with someone else, and cannot use your work. Just email us at translate@chick.com and give us the following information:
  • The title and language you would like to translate
  • Tell us a little about your background as a Christian.
  • Describe any prior translation experience you may have had.
We will respond immediately to let you know if we will be able to do the project you propose.

2. Send a text sample in your font.
Some fonts use keyboard mappings that require special work for us to read. Please send us a sentence or two of text in your language, in the font you plan to use. Better yet, if your language doesn't have too many characters in its alphabet, send us a file with a sample of every character. We will convert it to a graphic like those used in Chick tracts, and return it to you by email to review. This is where we make sure that we will be able to read and use what you send us.

3. Tell us which Bible you plan to use.
We need to agree together on a Bible to use for the project. Not all Bibles are the same! Some are based upon corrupt texts, and even leave out important verses that are found in Chick tracts. We need to agree on a Bible before we begin.

4. Use our translation guide.
Select the title you wish to translate from our list of translation guides. In these guides, red numbers are assigned to each block of text in the tract. When you translate, just type the number, and then your text. In this way, we know where each paragraph of text goes in the artwork of the Chick tract.


5. Proofread.
We will compose your text into the artwork of the Chick tract, and then provide you with a web link that allows you to proofread the final text right online. You can email us any corrections needed.

Once this is complete, we need to have your translation reviewed by another Christian who speaks your language. We trust you will not be offended by this, but understand that we are all working together to make this the best presentation of the Gospel we can make, working as unto the Lord.

Important guidelines for translators

To avoid misunderstandings, we need to agree on certain principles for the translation. They are simple, and are listed below:

1. Keep it short.
Please translate with as few words as your language will allow. Mr. Chick spends a lot of time working to make the text in his tracts short. The tract will not be interesting to read if much of its artwork is covered up by text. Remember, Chick tracts are not supposed to be "wordy" tracts!

2. Keep it "faithful".
Please do not add to or take away from the message in the tract. We understand that sometimes it is impossible to translate directly into another language. And at other times, Mr. Chick uses an American idiom which would not make sense elsewhere. The key is to accurately translate the "meaning," but not to change or expand upon the meaning. Sometimes, translators wish to elaborate or further explain an idea that is in the tract. Please do not add things which Mr. Chick did not say! Remember, this is the message that God gave to him for the world, and it is important that we not add to it or take something away. Mr. Chick's name is on the tract, and it should say only what he said.

3. Use "faithful" Scriptures.
If you have read many of our publications, you know that we use the King James Bible in English for our tracts. This is because the King James Bible is based upon the pure text received by the early church, with nothing missing (unlike many newer Bibles). If you need more information on this subject, please explore the subject "Bible Versions" in the Information Center.

4. Choose appropriate names for the characters.
Names vary from language to language. We have chosen American sounding names for the English language Chick tracts. But when you translate the tracts into another language, please be sure to change the names to some which will be familiar in your language. One word of caution. If you are translating the Bible tracts, there are some characters who appear in more than one title. For those characters, if a name has already been chosen in another tract in your language, it is important to continue to use that same name in other titles where that person appears. To make this easy, when you select the translation guide, and choose your language for a Bible tract project, any names which have already been assigned will be displayed on the screen so you can use them in the title you are doing.

If there is a Bible in your language based upon the Textus Receptus, wonderful. If not, we may need to ask you to translate from the English King James Bible into your language.

We are not always able to actually print every new translation. Often, we simply post the translated tract on our website so that internet users worldwide may freely read the Gospel. Sometimes, a translated tract that has been posted on our website is chosen by some ministry later for us to print for their work. In either case, people who need Jesus will read the tract, and the Holy Spirit can speak to their hearts. Thank you for your help in making this possible.