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ATA’s 67th Annual Conference takes place October 28-31, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, and those four days will fly by. The attendees who get the most out of the conference are rarely the ones with the best luck; they’re the ones who did a little homework before boarding the plane. Here are nine things you can do ahead of time so you arrive ready to learn, connect, and enjoy yourself. 1. Order paper business cards now Yes, still. Paper cards remain the fastest way to close a conversation gracefully in a noisy hallway. Order them early enough so…
This post is a reblog, originally published on Nikki Graham’s blog, My Words for a Change, and later published in the ATA Chronicle. It is reposted with permission from the author. From the outside looking in, most translators probably seem like lone wolves, happily working at their desks all day with hardly any social contact. In fact, many freelancers highlight…
This post originally appeared on New Statesman, and it is republished with permission. I once met a French translator of Shakespeare. My immediate reaction on being introduced to him was odd: I felt a stab of envy. This French translator, I felt, could get really close to Shakespeare; I myself, being neither an actor nor a producer, could only read…
The Savvy Newcomer team has been taking stock of the past year and finding that one key priority for many freelance translators and interpreters has been diversification. Offering multiple services in different sectors or to different clients can help steady us when storms come. Diversification can help us hedge against hard times. With this in mind, we’ve invited a series…
Most of us have heard it before: To be a good translator, you have to be a good writer. Today this maxim is truer than ever. Successful translators have always sought to provide high-quality copy to their clients as a way to add value and stand apart from the rest, but the increasing popularity of machine translation gives us even…
This post originally appeared on High Income Business Writing, and it is republished with permission. Many writers dread having discovery calls with new prospects. Discovery calls are those first conversations you have with prospects where you discuss their need, their specific project … and hopefully, your fee. Writers dread these conversations for two big reasons: First, they don’t know what…
Inclusive Language Resources
As professional translators, we are often called upon to produce content that transcends linguistic and cultural barriers. Clients may look to us as key resources in getting their products, messages, and ideas into new markets. Upsetting target audiences by using language that is offensive or perpetuates stereotypes can be very problematic in most contexts. Whether you’re a newcomer or veteran…
This post is a reblog, originally published in the Audiovisual Division Part of the American Translators Association’s Deep Focus Newsletter, Issue 7 in 2020. It is reposted with permission from the author. I haven’t typed my full name or email address in years. Instead, I type abbreviations that get expanded after I type a punctuation mark or press a trigger key,…
The hybrid format of this year’s Annual Conference brings with it new opportunities and challenges alike, for all attendees. Are you ready for the ins and outs of next week’s events, whether you are attending in person or virtually? Here are The Savvy Newcomer’s top ten tips for a successful hybrid conference: Attend Buddies Welcome Newbies Both the virtual and…
This is a summary post from Tess Whitty’s ebook Quick Start Guide: 10 Steps to an Optimized Website, published in 2019. Having a website is one of the best ways to maximize your online presence. Your website serves as the hub for all your marketing activities and is a good place to store information about your products and services. When…
This post is a reblog, originally published on the Austin Area Translators & Interpreters Association blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. If you’d walk into a major bookstore today, one of the first books you see on display will have Malcolm Gladwell’s name on it. In one of his books, Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know…