On traduit à Québec 2017: Interview with Conference Organizer Grant Hamilton

In a previous post, I wrote about how professional translators hone their skills. It is a rare and precious opportunity to be about to do everything in that post in a single day, much less over several days. For French and English translators, the On traduit à/Translate In conferences present such an opportunity. Grant Hamilton, …

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Proz, Translators Café, and Other Freelance Translation Sites: Are They Worth It?

Many freelance translators, particularly when they are just starting out, opt to create accounts on sites like Proz, Translators Café, and others. When I first started freelancing, I also opened Proz and Translators Café accounts. While some translators report success using these platforms, I have not once received a legitimate job offer through either of …

Tax Matters for Freelance Translators

Happy Tax Day, fellow US freelancers! Despite being a day that most people do not look forward to, Tax Day is one that none of us can ignore. Paying taxes can be stressful, time consuming, and generally not that fun (who enjoys parting with their hard-earned money?). What’s more, freelancers have special considerations that they …

Who to Follow on Twitter for French-English Translators

Who would have thought that Twitter would become a great tool for improving your language skills? No matter your language pairs, there are dozens of accounts you can follow to help strengthen your vocabulary, grammar, and translation abilities. If you translate to/from English or French and aren’t following these accounts, you’re missing out! Here are …

The Benefits of Mentoring

This week, I was informed that I have been selected as one of 30 mentees for the 2017-2018 class of the American Translators Association mentoring program. I am delighted to have been chosen for this opportunity and look forward to the chance to learn from an industry veteran. The ATA Mentoring Program has been around for …

Honing Your Translation Skills

  Translators do not wake up one day capable of translating any and every text. Like any other skill, translation requires motivation, cultivation, and time to perfect. What’s more, translation relies heavily on tacit knowledge, or knowledge that cannot simply be transferred to someone else by verbalizing it or writing it down. If translation simply …

Interview with Judy Jenner, The Entrepreneurial Linguist

My interview with Judy Jenner, translator, interpreter, and author of The Entrepreneurial Linguist.

The Lonely Translator – Getting Out of Your Home Office

Coping with working from home as a freelancer.

The Best Accounts to Follow for Translators New to Twitter

Social media is playing an increasingly important role in how everyone, from translators to truck drivers, access industry information, market their skills, and find potential customers. This is especially true for those of us who are self-employed. One tool that many independent professionals have been leveraging for years is Twitter. I only joined Twitter a …

Make Working with Agencies Work for You

Photo Credit: PexelsTwo great blog posts this past week, one by Corinne McKay over at Thoughts on Translation called Accepting the constraints of the market(s) you’re in and one on the ATA’s Savvy Newcomer blog entitled Tips on Getting and Keeping Agency Clients, inspired me to share my experiences working at and with translation agencies. …