The Savvy Newcomer aims to serve newcomers to the translation and interpreting professions by publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed content on a weekly basis. We strive to provide you with the answers to the many questions you face as a new or aspiring translator or interpreter.
Starting your career as a freelance translator or interpreter is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Beyond your linguistic skills, you’re stepping into the world of independent contracting: contracts, marketing, professional development, taxes, technology, and more. It’s not always intuitive at first, but the good news is that you can build a successful business with a strong foundation. Here’s a guide from A to Z covering the essentials every new freelance translator and interpreter should know: A – Agreements Never begin work without a signed agreement. Contracts clarify deadlines, rates, payment terms, confidentiality, and expectations, and they protect both…
Read More
As many states and entities seek to define standards for the translation and interpreting profession, the State of Oregon serves as a great example of a robust set of standards. In order to prepare to meet these standards, many take translation courses. Such courses can serve as proof to clients who require proof of having taken translation training or as…
Read More
This post was originally published on the dba Plan B blog. It is reposted with permission. When you have a translation project ready to go, here are some of the questions you’ll likely be asked — certainly by me, but also by other translators. In most cases, translators need to see the documents before giving you a quote, but even with…
Read MoreCommon Errors Found in the English>Spanish Certification Exam
Reblogged from The ATA Chronicle, with permission ATA certification continues to be a sought-after credential. As a way to prepare for this demanding exam, ATA has been offering practice tests for many years, which are real exam passages that have been “retired.” In addition to the practice test, ATA has been offering exam preparation workshops taught by ATA exam graders…
Read MoreFreelance Translator Survey 2020
“Interesting & fun to complete”, “Most comprehensive and interesting survey so far”, “Loved it!”, “Very thorough and thought-provoking” are just a few of the comments left by people who completed this survey for translators, a survey that took two months to put together, a survey designed by translators for translators. The idea started to take shape a couple of months…
Read MoreFree Training: Getting Started as a Freelance Translator
A four-week online course for beginning translators in any language combination, who want to launch and run a successful freelance business. Also for “experienced beginners” whose primary goal is to find more work. Because a lot of people have a lot of time on their hands right now, I’m offering a free session of Getting Started as a Freelance Translator.…
Read MoreWhy You Should Never Offer a “Free Quote” On Your Website (Or Elsewhere)
This post was originally published on Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo’s blog. It is reposted with permission from the author. Whether you’re a seasoned professional translator or a newbie who’s just getting your feet wet, your website should be the place where clients go to find out more about your services and to find out how they can work with you. Not…
Read MoreTranslating for Pharma
What is a translation? A translation is, essentially, a new document for a new audience, since it is written to reflect the meaning of the source document as faithfully as possible in a new language. This new language could express things in different ways, which will be evident if a professional translates the material back to the original language without…
Read MoreWhat Makes a Good Agency?
This post was originally published in the July-August 2009 edition of the ITI Bulletin. It is reposted with permission from the author. Herbert Eppel offers advice for ensuring the relationship between freelance translator and client remains harmonious, productive and pleasant for both sides In the 15 years since I started diversifying into translation I have worked with around 100 different…
Read More
The American Translators Association (ATA) set up its current mentoring program in 2011, and since then an estimated 240 mentor/mentee pairs have worked together to jointly explore the business side of translation and interpreting. The program has been a big success, so much so that the Mentoring Committee, which is part of ATA’s Business Practices Education Committee, is working to…
Read MoreQuality Control in Translation: Must-Dos for Success as a Translator
This post was originally published on Translorial. It is reposted with permission from the author. If you are considering starting – or have just started – a career in the translation industry, this article may be for you. Here’s a challenge: if you had to choose a picture to describe the actual process taking place inside your brain when you…
Read More