jump to navigation

T minus one and counting… Tax Day is almost here April 13, 2009

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings.
2 comments

I have had my taxes finished for about a month and a half now, but I choose to wait to mail in my returns until April 15th since – like most freelancers – I always owe the government instead of getting a refund like everyone else in the world. I’ve known this day was coming and have had the money set aside (unfortunately I had to dip into my “house down payment” savings account to cover the bigger-than-expected federal tax bill and my accountant’s fee), but it still hurts to write all those checks to the U.S. Treasury, State of Ohio and local city tax office – plus my first quarter estimates. The returns are signed, the checks are written, and the envelopes have been stuffed and sealed. I’ll be mailing them out on the 15th.

I was surprised to see that business really wasn’t as bad as I thought it was in the first quarter. My revenue compared to the first quarter of 2008 is down only $200, but I think my second quarter revenue is going to be down quite a bit compared to 2008.  It’s already down about $7000 compared to this time last year. This overworked translator misses being overworked!

Writing for a global audience April 8, 2009

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings, Translation Sites.
3 comments

As the world grows smaller, the Plain English movement is becoming more and more popular. The Plain English Campaign, which is based in the UK, has been in existence since 1979, but it is really starting to gain in popularity due to globalization and the Internet. Whether it’s called Plain English or Plain Language, the idea behind it is the same. In a nutshell, Plain English ensures that readers all over the world will understand a text by teaching authors to avoid stilted jargon and complex sentence constructions. Plain English advocates the use of “plain English” in public communications and tries to avoid the use of “gobbledygook, jargon and misleading public information” in government departments and official organizations, but it isn’t a bad idea for multinational companies or companies who want to do business overseas to learn about it either.

The Northeast Ohio Translators Association is planning a presentation on Plain English on May 30th. We are also inviting the local tech writer group, Northeast Ohio STC. I am very excited about this presentation, because I think it will give translators insight into the minds of the authors of our texts and will illustrate how Plain English might make our jobs easier.

WikiHow has a featured article called “How to Write for a Global Audience.” As it explains:

If you’re advertising or writing about a carbonated beverage, what do you call it? Soda? Pop? Fizzy drink? Mineral? All of these terms are “correct” depending on where your readers are. Today, there is a greater chance of your work being read by someone on a different continent, especially if you write online. It’s predicted that by 2011, there will be 1.5 billion people with Internet access, with most new users coming from Brazil, Russia, India and China.

Problems can also arise within the same language depending on which country the text is targeted (as we all know, Brazilian Portuguese is not the same as Portuguese in Portugal, Spain and Mexico have very different languages, etc.). One cited example in the WikiHow article is the use of rubber: “asking to borrow a ‘rubber’ in the U.K. will get you what in the U.S. is called an ‘eraser,’ whereas the same request in the U.S. is likely to be interpreted as a slang word for ‘condom’.” Authors need to be aware of all possible cultural quagmires – as should translators.

As translators, it is (hopefully) ingrained in us to use the proper terminology based on the target audience and know when to best use passive and active voice in a text. We are also instantly cognizant of cultural differences that may present a problem and know how to best convey ideas that might not have a cultural equivalence in the target language. I was also taught to mirror the author’s register (meaning if the author uses informal language the translation should as well and vice versa) and to avoid using colloquisms and contractions whenever possible. But the article also includes tips that you might not realize.

Ah, if only the authors of the texts we need to translate would learn more about Plain English…

As an aside, although they don’t focus on Plain English per se… if you are interested in learning more about globalization and global marketing I can recommend two good books: Business without Borders: A Strategic Guide to Global Marketing by Donald A. DePalma and The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman. Both books are suggested reading for Kent State University’s Localization class.

Knowing your limitations April 7, 2009

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Translation Sites.
8 comments

I want to expand on my most recent post, You are only as good as your last translation. I believe one of the things that separates a professional translator from a “not so professional” translator is the ability to know your limitations and turn down work you are not qualified to translate.

Case in point: yesterday I was offered a 4-page translation on the non-destructive testing of fusion-welded seams (sounds like fun, right?). Business has been slow in the past few weeks, and I was very tempting to accept the job. I probably could have done a passable job, but it would have taken me forever to translate and I wouldn’t have slept very well worrying about whether I used the proper terminology.

In the end I turned it down and recommended one of my colleagues who specializes in technical translations and who I am sure will do a wonderful job. She was grateful for the recommendation, and I was grateful that I didn’t accept the job and possibly lose the client by delivering a sub-par translation.

Accepting any and all translation jobs you are offered is a rookie mistake. Hey, we’ve all done it. The key is learning from that mistake and not repeating it. If you have a text that you read and don’t understand during the first read-through, do yourself and your client a favor and turn it down. If you know someone who would do a great job, recommend them to your client. Your client will appreciate your honesty and will remember your professionalism – and most likely will call you again in the future for a text that is right up your alley. And your grateful colleague will hopefully one day return the favor and possibly introduce you to a future favorite client.

You are only as good as your last translation April 7, 2009

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings, Translation Sites.
3 comments

Everyone has bad days. Days when you are simply unmotivated. Days when you can’t put a decent sentence together to save your life. Days when all you want to do is crawl back to bed and pull the covers over your head to escape the world. We’ve all been there. However, unfortunately in our field you are only as good as your last translation. Most clients are not forgiving when you send them a sloppy translation, as is their right because they have to ensure their client is happy. It doesn’t matter how many outstanding translations you have delivered to them in the past; if you screw up a translation you will most likely never hear from them again.

So how can you combat this? Consider hiring a fellow translator to proofread your translations and catch your (hopefully rare) boneheaded mistakes. Try to negotiate a longer deadline to ensure you can read over the translation when you have ruminated on it for a bit. I am always amazed how things that made no sense yesterday are suddenly crystal clear today.

If you ensure every translation you deliver is good quality and delivered on schedule you can be assured that you will have happy repeat customers. And that’s money in the bank…

Establishing a work-life balance and overcoming loneliness April 1, 2009

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings.
5 comments

“I could never work from home like you do. I’d miss being around people too much.” How many times have you heard this statement? When you are a freelance translator working from home it is easy to fall into the trap of becoming socially isolated. There are many reasons for this. If you have a huge deadline you may have to work 12 to 14 hours a day to meet your deadline. Since our jobs allow us to be so flexible, you might have moved to a new location for your spouse’s job, and you may not know anyone in your new location. There is also a Catch-22 in the fact that since many of us work from home, we don’t often get the opportunity to make friends locally. You may even be introverted to begin with, and translation allows you to hide behind your desk. Human beings are not programmed to be socially isolated. Even the biggest introvert feels better when socializing with others, albeit in a comfortable situation.

Freelance Folder had a great blog post today on Overcoming Loneliness: How To Develop a Flesh-And-Blood Support Group. As the article states, “[w]hile it is great having virtual friends and colleagues from all walks of life and all over the world, there comes a time when most of us want to be around real people.” This is especially true for freelance translators. We know lots of people all over the world and rely on the Internet and other virtual methods to keep in touch. I know many of my fellow German/English translators constantly rave about the collegial interactions on the ATA’s German Language Division listserv or the Germany-based PT list. It is our virtual watercooler, where we post terminology questions, offer business advice, share amusing language-related articles, and occasionally warn others of possible scams. But virtual interaction is not the same as face-to-face.

It is so important to establish a work-life balance. Here are some of my suggestions to make sure you are balancing a social life with your career:

  1. Set up a work schedule and stick to it as closely as possible. Consider turning off the computer so you don’t have the temptation of quickly checking e-mail before bed and then spending an hour answering e-mail and reading blogs, tweets, websites, etc.
  2. If you find you are working over the weekend more than during the week consider blocking off two of your slower days during the week for a “weekend” and do fun things like treat yourself to lunch or go to your local museum or botanical garden. I am looking forward to the Case Western Reserve University Used Book Sale at the end of May. I pick up some great books and treat myself to lunch in Little Italy
  3. Meet friends and/or colleagues for coffee, lunch, or dinner as often as you can. You might think about setting a goal for yourself of two get-togethers a month or even one a week to ensure you actually do it.
  4. Treat yourself to a meal in a favorite restaurant in the middle of the day – just you and a good book or the newspaper – even if you have work. The little break will do you good.
  5. Take a break and take a walk to clear your head and recharge.
  6. Grab a book and sit in the park. I love reading fiction (especially mysteries), because it allows me to focus on something other than stent implantations and risk reports.
  7. Join the local recreation center or a good gym and attend an exercise class or chat with folks in the gym’s social areas. My class of choice is water aerobics, but I have also attended yoga and zumba classes there. This also has the added benefit of making you move and keeping you sane and healthy (see also #5).
  8. Take a class. Does your city offer Community Education classes? Check with your local college to see if they offer any non-degree courses for working adults. Take a pottery class, learn how to play the guitar or how to sell things on eBay, take a decorating class, take a cake decorating class, learn how to do home repairs, learn medical transcription. The sky’s the limit. Is there something you have always wanted to learn but have never found the time? Just do it. By taking a class you are among like-minded people and may make a life-long friend.
  9. Keep in touch with former contacts (schoolmates, friends or coworkers). Not only is it nice to catch up with old friends (I have been regularly meeting with old schoolmates from 20 years ago with whom I’ve recently reconnected on Facebook), keeping in touch with people has the added benefit of network building. I have several friends in various fields who I can contact if I have a translation question. A former boyfriend is a Diplom-Biochemiker, and he has helped me several times. Another friend is a cardiothoracic surgeon, and he has proofread a particularly tricky cardiac-related translation as well as presented at the ATA Medical Division conference last year.
  10. Join your local translators’ group or a professional group in your field. Also, most groups have trouble finding volunteers. The more you put into the group, the more you’ll get out of it. Consider helping the board or joining the programming committee.
  11. Check out Meetup.com. Find out which groups in your area might interest you, and join a couple. It’s free to join. If they don’t have a group for one of your interests, start one. It costs about $11-12 a month to start your own group. I write it off as an advertising expense. I love Meetup.com. I found out about it through the GLD List. I went there to find a German group but there wasn’t one. I joined a Dining Out group and had so much fun that night that I went home and started a German group. We now have 115 members, and many of them have become really good friends. We go to dinner at German restaurants and hit all the beer festivals and Oktoberfests. We even took a road trip to Cincinnati for their Oktoberfest. I am usually out two or three nights a week at a Meetup or hanging out with friends I’ve met through Meetup. My friends tell me they are jealous of my social life because I’m “never home.”
  12. One of my friends regularly organizes “Tweetups” or “jellies,” which offer participants in various online social networking sites the opportunity to meet offline. I was a member of a coworking group through Meetup.com for a while until the organizer disbanded it because he stopped working from home and joined a co-op office.
  13. Join a co-op office. If you hate working alone, a co-op might be the right choice for you. Or you might do well working at your local coffeeshop. Once you’ve been there long enough you will start recognizing your fellow patrons and will naturally start chatting.
  14. Volunteer. I really enjoy getting out of my apartment to deliver Meals on Wheels – and it makes me appreciate what I have. Become an usher at the local theater. Become a literacy advocate and teach people to read. Work as an election monitor. Volunteer at the local food or furniture bank and help those less fortunate.
  15. Get a pet. I lived in my apartment for two years and never knew my neighbors. Once I got my dog and walked her outside, I struck up several good friendships – and met one very close friend who had also lived practically next door to me for two years. Because she worked full-time at a local college she too went to work and then went straight into the house. We now go out to dinner at least twice a month (if not more) and go to water aerobics together.
  16. If you can’t afford a big vacation, go on a mini-vacation. Take a two-day trip to someplace close by that you have always wanted to visit. Go camping and/or hiking. Visit a Civil War battleground. Treat yourself to a weekend at a spa. Visit a quaint little town about an hour or two away. Visit a friend within driving distance. Just remember: no laptop allowed!

So, those are my suggestions. What are some of yours?

Everyone’s talking about rates these days March 18, 2009

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Random musings.
7 comments

Corinne’s post Lowering your translation rates: why/why not has taken the translation industry by storm (or maybe just the people I follow on Twitter 🙂 ). I’ve been talking to a lot of fellow translators about this, and everyone has an agency that has tried to get them to lower their rates. It seems the Big Two are particularly guilty of this. One agency in Massachusetts allegedly refuses to pay more than 10 cents for into English translation, while a perfect agency in New York has been trying scare tactics and a big hammer to get their translators to lower their rates. Now, mind you, this particular agency is known for sending job requests after 6 PM that are due the next day or contacting translators on Sunday – both practices that should require weekend or rush rates. The translators I have spoken with who have been asked to do this have stuck to their guns and not agreed to lower their rates – and received job requests the next day at their usual rates!

I have to admit that I was probably Corinne’s inspiration for this post. I mused on Facebook that I was thinking of lowering my rates when I was in the midst of a fairly long dry spell a week or so ago. I was then asked by my favorite client to offer a 10% discount on a very large job (20,000 words) with a tight deadline. I’m glad I didn’t give in to either temptation. Instead of offering a volume discount (which makes no sense from an economic standpoint – working harder for less money???) I am working with the client to keep the word count low (only translating multiple responses once, using contractions whenever I can, allowing them to pretranslate some of the more simple responses, etc.). They are hopefully happy with the compromise. I also have a new client who is willing to pay me my highest rate ever and has sent me four jobs in as many days.

So stick to your guns. We have bills to pay too! For $22 an hour I can work as a secretary or clean houses (both jobs with markedly lower stress levels). There are not that many qualified translators out there as it is. If the agencies keep trying to depress rates more and more they will soon find there will be even fewer qualified translators. The economy is sure to improve any day now. Just remember, this too shall pass!

Yeah, good luck with that… March 9, 2009

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Translation Sites.
4 comments

I just wanted to share two translation requests I received tonight. Enjoy!

Dear Sir or Madam;

Medical Translation from German into English

We are in a need of German to English Medical translators.

We might need at times to translate an average of 380 pages of medical transcriptions. The work will be performed for at least a year. We prefer that these service we deliver to us already proofread, edited and reviewed for final delivery. We expect zero errors and omissions.  We might have penalties for any return document(s) by client with more then 1% of error and or omissions.
You also need to agree to sign a confidentiality agreement, take training as needed and get certified about HIPPA rules.
Translators must vast experience (at least 3 years) on medical transcription is a plus, medical education or combination of both.

If interested please provide an update resume and rates per word and page s well as the extended of the work (only translation vs translation, editing etc. no later then 3/11/09 12:00 PST USA

If questions please send them by email.

Gee, zero errors and penalties? Sounds like a dream job – not. No one is that perfect. They can’t even write an e-mail with zero errors. They also didn’t mention if the translators would be reimbursed for the training and certification. I’m guessing no. Sorry, but I’d rather clean houses or be a secretary somewhere than be on tenterhooks for the next year working for this agency and wondering if the client was going to complain.

And this next one was just unbelievably ridiculous. Not surprisingly, it came through ProZ:

We are looking for German to US English freelance translators for a potential big project in the medical field.

The details are as follows:

Source format: .PDF and .doc files
Target format: .doc files
CAT tool: Trados
Proposed rate: 0.03 EUR/target word (I know it is a bit low, but the project is about 2000 pages and the client cannot offer higher rates)

If you are interested in this project and accept the proposed rate, could you please send me an updated copy of your CV in Word format? Your CV will be sent to the client (hiding your contact details) and, after the client’s approval, Silvia will contact you sending a short unpaid translation test, which will be reviewed by the client.

Should you have any question, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

A bit low? That’s downright insulting. Just a little under $0.04 a word for MEDICAL!!!! My delete button got quite a workout tonight!

Call me crazy, but I have a feeling both these agencies are bidding on the same job since the requests came in within an hour of each other. What do you think?

E-mail marketing tips March 9, 2009

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Marketing ideas.
9 comments

As a follow up to my guest post at Naked Translations, here are some dos and don’ts for an e-mail marketing campaign. I got inspired by reading Tips for applying to a job from Craigslist this morning (another tweet from someone I follow on Twitter). As the author says, it doesn’t take much to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack. This is also true for the translation field. There are certain dos and don’ts when applying as a freelance translator with a translation agency. Take them to heart to ensure your e-mail doesn’t end up in the Trash folder.

1. Don’t have any spelling errors or typos in your e-mail. Seriously, just don’t!!! You are applying for a job as a translator, which requires good grammar and spelling. You need to make sure your e-mail is flawless. Read the e-mail through a couple times before sending it to make sure you catch every spelling error or typo. You might even want to start at the bottom and work your way up so you don’t miss anything.

2. Indicate your language pair in the subject line or the first sentence. The person reading your e-mail shouldn’t have to dig through your letter to find out what language(s) you translate.

3. Use the body of the e-mail as your cover letter. Don’t attach a cover letter and a resume. No one is going to take the time to look at two files. One – maybe, two – no way.

4. Try to write a unique but catchy cover letter. Let your personality shine through. In this day and age, no one wants to read a stuffy letter that has obviously been sent to 300 other agencies or could have been written by 300 other translators.

5. Focus on what makes you special and what makes you stand out. What makes you the best choice compared to the other prospective translators sending their resumes to the agency? Do you have an M.A. in translation, are a Diplom-Übersetzer, used to work as a medical doctor or researcher, or have a law degree? Have you lived in the target country for several years? Did you grow up in a bilingual household and are equally comfortable in both languages? Be sure to mention it in one of your first sentences.

6. Make sure the agency works in your language pair. If the agency specializes exclusively in Japanese and English translations, don’t send them an e-mail unless they specifically say on their website that they are looking to branch out to include other languages.

7. Check their website out before applying and follow their directions to the letter. If they say they only accept submissions through their website, don’t bother sending them an e-mail. It will only be deleted, because it shows you can’t follow directions.

8. Tailor your e-mail to the agency. Show them you did some research and looked at the website to find out if your fields of specialization mesh with theirs. Find out who you should address the e-mail to and try to avoid sending an e-mail to “To whom it may concern:” if the website specifies a contact.

9. Make sure the person you are sending the e-mail to is in fact a translation agency and not another freelance translator. I can’t tell you how many times I have received unwanted resumes from prospective translators. All you have to do is look at my website to see that I am a one-woman show. That said, if you have a website that talks about “we” instead of “I” you are making yourself a target for unwanted resumes.

10. Localize your resume for your target audience. If you are applying to a German agency, it helps to send them a resume that is in German and conforms with other German resumes. Also, make sure your resume is proofread by a native speaker.

11. Think carefully about how you write your name. Choose one name and spelling and stick with it. This will generate name recognition. For example, I use the name “Jill R. Sommer” on my resume, on my business cards, on my website, in the ATA directory, for presentations at conferences, and anywhere else I have a presence (the exception to this being my blog). Also, if your name is somewhat exotic for your target audience be sure to clarify your gender. For example, sign the e-mail as (Ms.) Jill R. Sommer or (Mr.) Chiang Kai-shek. That takes the pressure off the person who might want to respond to you, but doesn’t know how to address you.

12. Use a professional e-mail address. It simply makes a good impression. If you have your own domain name, you give the impression that you have invested in your profession. Free e-mail services like yahoo.com don’t make a good impression. The only exception to this is Gmail, because it is a more serious provider and has outstanding online file storage capacity. There is some debate on the professionalism of aol.com addresses. Some of those who profess to be against aol.com accounts believe that since AOL started off as an entertainment site it is not as serious as other e-mail providers. Just a little food for thought… E-mail with your own domain name ensures no one has any prejudices when they see your e-mail address. And it should go without saying that e-mail addresses like “ cutiecat23@juno.net” or “BigBigGirl@yahoo.com” simply don’t convey the professionalism you need to convey.

13. Consider naming your resume “Last name first name_resume.” If your resume is called “resume,” it is simply going to get amended with resume1.doc, resume2.doc, etc. by the client’s e-mail program. Make sure the client knows what the file is at a glance and can allocate it to your application.

14. Include a Summary of Qualifications instead of an Objective. You don’t need an Objective on resumes to a translation agency. It should be apparent from your e-mail cover letter that your objective is to start working with them.

15. Keep your resume brief. Try to keep it to 1-2 pages. I send a brief resume and refer potential clients to my website, where my resume is a lot more extensive (I also include a list of all the dictionaries and reference materials I own to show I have invested heavily in my profession). If the client is interested in working with me, the information is available, but they don’t have to wade through it if they aren’t.

So, those are my top tips. Does anyone have any other deal-breaking tips? Insights from agency owners or project managers are especially welcome.

Ten Characteristics of a Good Client (Freelance Folder) March 9, 2009

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices.
add a comment

I’ve really been enjoying Twitter since I installed TwitterFox. One of the translators I follow mentioned a blog post on Freelance Folder, so I checked it out and subscribed to the blog. The blog is targeted to entrepreneurs and freelancers in general. Today’s blog post, Ten Characteristics of a Good Client, is very applicable to freelance translators and their clients. Be sure to check it out , and I hope that your clients meet all ten of these characteristics.

Tightening the belt February 26, 2009

Posted by Jill (@bonnjill) in Business practices, Marketing ideas.
4 comments

tighten

It’s hard not to escape the fact that our global economy is in serious trouble. We are bombarded with bad news every day, both in the media and in professional forums. Even Microsoft is laying off employees. And yet we are also hearing about all the corporate and government waste that is going on even while times are supposedly tough. Every day I read a new report in the newspaper about how a bank that received bailout funds spent millions on a corporate event, this corporation gave its CEO several billion dollars in bonuses despite having laid off a ton of workers, or how FEMA has a $2 billion surplus that it isn’t distributing to those who need it.

Many translators have also been increasingly getting e-mails from clients asking us to reduce our already low prices. I have been doing this for at least 15 years and am amazed that the average word price really hasn’t increased with inflation. Freelance translators are constantly asked to reduce their rates “for this job” or “for this client” “because the margin is tight” – this was happening even BEFORE the economy tanked! I realize agencies have to make a profit, and one of the ways is to pay less for the translations they are selling to the end clients, but it’s hard to get blood out of an already anemic stone.

One way to combat this is to stop working with low-paying agencies and concentrate on finding more direct clients. I love working with translation agencies, because it allows me to not have to do all the hand-holding and hoop-jumping working with direct clients entails. However, if one more agency sends me an e-mail asking me to lower my rates “because of the economy” I’m going to scream. They aren’t doing it because of the economy; they are doing it because it makes fiscal sense to take advantage of the bad economy.

Translations cost money, and good translators cost money. Having seen the results of translations by lower-paid “translators” I realize they get what they pay for. Most of the translators I know are no longer willing to proofread, because agencies are also trying to save money by farming the translation to a machine or a cheap translator and then hiring a more expensive translator to try to save the translation through proofreading (at $0.02 or $0.03 a word). This practice is useless, because it is often easier to retranslate the document than try to correct all the errors and still have a halfway decent translation in the end. And those accepting a per-word rate for proofreading certainly don’t earn a decent wage from the hours of hair pulling proofreading a bad translation entails. This is why an hourly proofreading rate is always advisable. I went to school and got a Master’s degree, which obviously doesn’t mean beans to less reputable translation agencies, and have invested thousands of dollars in dictionaries and equipment over the years. Doing your job well costs money. I wish some agencies would stand up to their clients and do a little client education and explain why paying peanuts is not necessarily a good thing.

In the meantime, we need to follow Adam@Home’s lead and tighten our belts. If you haven’t read Corinne’s post on freelance frugality I suggest you head over there right now and check it out. We may be earning less for a little while until the economy improves again, so it pays to practice frugality and perhaps tap into the cushion you hopefully have been setting aside for times like these.

I’m sticking to my rates and if the agency doesn’t like it they can find someone else and I will do the same. Despite all the doom and gloom out there right now, there still are plenty of good agencies that value their independent contractors out there. You just need to look for them.