Check the text before asking a translator to read it

For a long TXT novel, prepare a readable, complete copy before you upload it. Open the beginning, a middle chapter and the ending; check character encoding, chapter boundaries and dialogue breaks. Work on a copy, keep the original, and stop if you cannot recover missing or unreadable text. Translation settings are not a repair method for a damaged source.

You do not need an elaborate production system. A source copy, a short chapter map and a list of naming decisions give you a practical starting point.

##### 1. Choose the source you can actually verify

Use material you are allowed to translate. If you have both a TXT file and an EPUB, compare a few passages before choosing. A readable TXT can be useful for continuous prose; an EPUB may contain chapter navigation, notes or illustrations that plain text does not carry. Converting a file to TXT does not preserve those features automatically.

Keep an untouched original and make a preparation copy with a clear name, such as `river-story-prepared-v1.txt`. Write down the edition or source date. If two copies disagree about a chapter, resolve the difference before translation rather than combining them by guesswork.

Check the current upload control. On 26 October 2026, the live configuration and browser control on SEKA’s production and test sites accept TXT, EPUB and PDF, with a **50 MB single-file limit**. Enabled formats can change; check the current control. Choose a format the entry you use actually accepts; changing a filename extension does not convert a document.

##### 2. Reopen the file and check its characters

Look for readable names, punctuation and accented or non-Latin characters. Boxes, repeated question marks, `�` or strings such as `café` can indicate a text-decoding problem, although the exact cause still needs checking.

If your editor offers a “reopen with encoding” option, try it on the preparation copy and compare with the known source. Once the text displays correctly, saving a separate UTF-8 copy is a practical preparation choice. Close it and reopen it to check that the saved copy still reads correctly. This is local file preparation, not a requirement or an encoding-repair promise from SEKA.

If the original bytes have already been replaced with question marks or replacement characters, saving again may not recover the missing text. Return to a reliable source. Do not ask the translation to invent unreadable names.

##### 3. Separate unwanted wrapping from meaningful breaks

A line break can be a wrapped sentence, a new speaker, a poem or a chapter heading. Do not delete all line breaks across the book.

Here is an original preparation example. The first panel deliberately contains an intrusive header and a wrapped sentence. Neither panel is SEKA output.

Before preparation:

```text
Chapter 12 — The ferry
RIVER STORY — 107
Elena set the lantern on the
rail. “Wait here,” she said.

“Until sunrise?” Tomas asked.

Chapter 13 — Home
```

Prepared copy, after checking against the original:

```text
Chapter 12 — The ferry

Elena set the lantern on the rail. “Wait here,” she said.

“Until sunrise?” Tomas asked.

Chapter 13 — Home
```

The page header is removed because it is not part of this story passage. The wrapped sentence is joined, while the second speaker and chapter boundary remain separate. In another book, a short standalone line could be intentional: compare before changing it. Apply a cleanup pattern to a small sample first, then inspect the result before using it more widely.

##### 4. Make a chapter map that detects omissions

A table of contents or a large file size does not establish that the text is complete. Record several recognizable passages:

| Location | What to record before upload | What would make you stop |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Chapter title and first complete sentence | The story starts mid-sentence or in a later chapter |
| Middle | A chapter boundary and the first line after it | Duplicate sections, missing dialogue or an abrupt unexplained jump |
| Ending | Final chapter title and final complete sentence | Truncation, a missing ending or a different edition |
| Notes / special passages | A note and the sentence it belongs to; poetry or unusual spacing | A missing note changes the meaning, or cleanup has merged distinct passages |

For a book with many chapters, also compare the chapter list with the source edition and investigate unexplained gaps. An intentional numbering gap is different from missing text. The table above is a useful sample, not a full completeness certificate.

##### 5. Prepare choices before starting the task

Write down the target language, the style you intend to use and recurring names or terms. Keep a dialogue scene and a narrative passage as review points. SEKA's [style guide](/user_guide#translate-style) explains that a task uses one style and that its style cannot be changed after translation starts. Choose before confirming, and review the quote for the actual settings.

If the file exceeds the current limit, first look for a complete supported source that fits. If you prepare separate volumes or natural chapter ranges, keep the order and naming decisions in your own record and configure each task deliberately. Do not assume separate tasks share context or merge back into a single book automatically. File size is not an estimate of translation time or required Credits.

##### Your go / fix / stop checklist

| Check | Go | Fix or stop |
|---|---|---|
| Permission and original | I can use this material and kept the original | Resolve permission or recover a reliable source |
| Characters | Names and punctuation survive saving and reopening | Fix decoding on a copy; stop if the text cannot be recovered |
| Paragraphs | Speakers, headings and special passages remain distinct | Undo broad cleanup and inspect a smaller sample |
| Completeness | Opening, middle and ending agree with the source | Investigate missing, repeated or truncated sections |
| Format and size | Current control accepts the file; it fits the limit | Prepare a supported source; do not rename the extension |
| Settings and review | Target language, style, terms and review locations are recorded | Resolve these choices before confirming a task |

##### Continue with the prepared file

[Open the book translation entry](#translation-setup). Select the supported source, review the detected details, choose the target language and style, and select the glossary intended for this task. Review the required Credits before confirming. Tasks consume Credits; this guide does not promise a free full-book translation or a fixed completion time.

After translation, compare the same locations in your chapter map with the source. Clear paragraphs in the preparation copy do not guarantee identical translated line breaks, complete note handling or an edition ready for publication. Review important passages before relying on them.

If your source is EPUB, use the [chapter and notes checklist](/epub-translator). For a fiction-specific comparison after translation, use the [dialogue and voice guide](/novel-translation).

##### Sources and example status

SEKA facts: [book guide](#source-guide), [translation entry](#translation-setup) and [style selection guide](/user_guide#translate-style), checked against public HTML and current Web source on 26 October 2026. [calibre's conversion documentation](https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/conversion.html#text) describes how incorrect character encoding can corrupt displayed characters; its [heuristic-processing section](https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/conversion.html#heuristic-processing) explains why automated cleanup needs care. The preparation sequence, example, chapter map and checklist above are original editorial guidance, not a claim that SEKA or calibre performed this workflow on a real book.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________