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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 originally appeared on the blog In My Own Terms and it is republished with permission. The following list is a result of collaboration by participants of Lancaster’s recent MOOC on Corpus Linguistics. This is a selection of the links that I considered more relevant for those who might want to start exploring this field. If you want to…
This year’s Buddies Welcome Newbies features not only a new format but also a new experience. Read on to learn more about how to make the most of ATA’s 61st Annual Conference and how to prepare for our kick-off event. Event details: Wednesday, October 21 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm EDT We’re already loving that we don’t have to study…
This post originally appeared on sciword and it is republished with permission. I was reading one of Kevin Lossner’s blog posts from 2010, titled “No Monkeys!”. He gives 12 pieces of advice—a twelve-step program, as he calls it—for those getting started in the translation business. All of it is great advice and I think everyone should follow it, newbie or…
One of the main reasons we encourage students to join ATA is to take advantage of the wellspring of knowledge surrounding best practices—the kind that make working for yourself a smooth ride rather than one riddled with potholes. Over the years, I have assembled a collection of ATA materials that I share with students and mentees alike. Because when we…
Three Lessons: Humility, Collaboration, Perseverance
This post originally appeared on Word Prisms and it is republished with permission. All three – in that order – hold the key to becoming a world-class translator. An interviewer, who was also a writer, once asked me how many words I’d translated before I published my first translated book for the American Institute of Physics. I imagined he expected an…
International Translation Day: It Wouldn’t be Possible without Translators and Interpreters!
2020 has been a year of changes and “new normals” but one thing hasn’t changed: translators and interpreters still power the world’s communications. ATA wants to celebrate International Translation Day this year by reminding the world just how critical translators and interpreters really are. Have you ever wondered how your smartphone went from an idea in an engineer’s mind to…
This post originally appeared on Just Translate It and it is republished with permission. Searching for a balance between creativity and routine As an old school Star Wars fan, I can safely say now: “All is well that ends.” The 42-year legendary saga ended in phews and negative remarks. For me, it’s a reminder that we should not try to…
Freelance Finance: Setting Rates
Here at The Savvy Newcomer we understand that it can be intimidating to talk about money. It’s often a sticky subject, but we feel it couldn’t be more important to address as small business owners. One major component of succeeding as a freelance translator or interpreter is managing your finances well. If you don’t master your money, your translation career…
This post originally appeared on Gaucha Translations and it is republished with permission. Interpreting is a professional field. What was once done by whoever was bilingual now has an established certification process. There are less and less reasons to work with unvetted providers. This timeline tells the story on the West Coast, where I live. I am from Oregon, where…
During my undergraduate degree in translation, I felt like I was very prepared for a career in translation. I excelled in my language classes and the translation classes prepared me to thoroughly read a translation brief and identify tone, audience, and purpose so that I could carefully craft a beautiful translation. What more is there to know? Oh, how unprepared…