next-level-background-7

Are you an established translator or interpreter looking to take your business to the next level? You’re the reason we’re here!

Next Level supports translators and interpreters with five or more years of experience as they seek to achieve their business goals. We provide information for both freelancers and company owners to use in all aspects of their careers, from improving their privacy protections to planning for retirement.

Have a question or want to suggest an author or pitch an article? Drop us a note at atabizpractices@atanet.org!

The Case Against Raising Your Translation Rates In 2024 (and why it doesn’t hold water)

By Next Level | April 3, 2024
Raising translation rates in 2024

This post is an updated version of article that originally appeared on the LION Translation Academy blog. It is published here with permission of the author. In the ever-evolving landscape of professional language services, new technologies such as neural machine translation (NMT) and generative AI (genAI) have inevitably sparked debates about how we should be pricing our services. Many freelancers and service providers have hesitated to raise their rates out of a deep-seated fear of losing clients. However, it’s crucial to take the time to dissect these arguments and understand why they may not hold up in the context of…

Read More

ATA63 Conference Preview: Business Practices Education at ATA63

By Next Level | October 6, 2022
ATA 63rd Annual Conference

About a week from the time this post appears, the ATA 63rd Annual Conference will be in full swing. Like always, attendees will have opportunities to network with colleagues and potential clients, browse in the Exhibit Hall, exchange dictionaries, exercise, meet candidates for the Board of Directors, and of course, learn as much as they can in just three days.…

Read More

3 Ways to Use Testimonials When You Have NDAs

By Next Level | September 21, 2022
3 Ways to Use Testimonials if You Have NDAs

This post is a reblog, originally published on Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo’s blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Testimonials are a great way to enrich your online marketing. Customers often read product reviews and testimonials before they make an important purchase. I heard someone say recently that other people’s words are 15 times more valuable than our own when…

Read More

Courting the Sandman

By Next Level | August 31, 2022
Courting the Sandman

MIRELLA lay still in her bed, though she felt every muscle twitching. She had tried tossing but could not get comfortable. Lying on her back, she scooted up to rest her head on the pillow. She had read somewhere that in colonial times, they used to sleep almost sitting up. The standby light on the computer stared at her accusingly.…

Read More

Protect Your Career by Protecting Your Eyes

By Next Level | August 10, 2022
Protect Your Career by Protecting Your Eyes

How much time do you spend each day looking at some type of screen? Do you work on a computer, use a tablet to look up terms while interpreting, or spend long amounts of time staring at your phone? Have you ever noticed a headache coming on while you work, or have your eyes started to feel dry and irritated?…

Read More

“I’ve Always Done It That Way!” – Breaking Out of Old Habits

By Next Level | July 20, 2022
I've Always Done It That Way! Breaking Out of Bad Habits

This post is a reblog, originally published in the Tool Box Journal Newsletter, Issue 22-6-338 on June 15, 2022. It is reposted with permission from the author. Our brains are wired to resort to tried-and-true recipes in times of uncertainty, but old approaches are not always the most productive choice. The work of Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman has helped us understand…

Read More

Mental Health in Freelance Translation: Setting Boundaries

By Next Level | June 22, 2022
Mental Health in Freelance Translation: Setting Boundaries

This post is a reblog, originally published by Zingword on November 5, 2020. It is reposted with permission from the author. I recently had a brief discussion on mental health with an acquaintance who also works as a freelance translator, and they said something that really stuck with me: “No one ever taught me that you can say no to…

Read More

Increasing Rates for Your Existing Clients

By Next Level | June 8, 2022
Increasing Rates for Your Existing Clients

Wherever you live and wherever you do business in the world, you will have noticed a major uptick in inflation in 2021 and especially in the recent months of 2022. In an industry with very high added value and with limited direct costs like translation and interpreting, it is not immediately self-evident that some of us may need or want…

Read More

7 Ways to Grow Your Freelance Business With Client Referrals

By Next Level | May 25, 2022
7 Ways to Grow Your Freelance Business with Client Referrals

This post is a reblog, originally published on Marketing Tips for Translators. It is reposted with permission from the author. Do you know what the easiest way to grow your business exponentially is? Yes, you guessed it, through referrals. Think about how you shop for services yourself. If you are looking for a new hairdresser, for example, many of us…

Read More

Next Level Interviews: Jost Zetzsche

By Next Level | May 11, 2022
Next Level Interviews Jost Zetzsche

In December 2021, Next Level had the opportunity to interview English to German translator Jost Zetzsche. Jost is known in the industry for his expertise with technology, but he spoke with us about his thoughts on the business side of being a translator. Please leave a comment with your thoughts on our discussion and ideas for other translators you would…

Read More

Bilingual Review Files: A Productivity Aid or a Waste of Time?

By Next Level | April 27, 2022
Bilingual review files: a productivity aid or a waste of time?

This post is a reblog, originally published on Andrew Bell’s blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Bilingual review files come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common, and that is that they’re meant to facilitate the revision stage of a translation project. As you can see in the image above, the…

Read More