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.
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 him. My reaction was, of course, perverse. Most people would think that, as a native speaker of English, I can understand Shakespeare more intimately than any foreigner. Nevertheless, I had some idea of how deeply this translator might have pondered…
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This post originally appeared on The ATA Chronicle and it is republished with permission. Companies are looking for someone who is more than just a great translator and writer. They’re looking for someone who can translate, provide cultural and background expertise, and who is in tune with the company’s vision. Finding and contacting potential direct clients can be perplexing for…
Read MoreSo, you’re interested in starting a career in translation… chances are you have a lot of questions! You might be wondering whether you need a website or blog, how to find potential clients and market your services, what kind of hardware and software you’ll use, and how to approach your business structure and finances. These questions can be daunting. We…
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This post originally appeared on Trados blog and it is republished with permission. Work plays a significant role in all our lives. We need it to keep the lights on, our stomachs full, money in the pot and a roof over our head. Whether you work as a freelance translator, as part of an agency, or within an in-house translation…
Read MoreHow can you use email and phone communication to make a good impression on your current and potential clients? This is one of the questions addressed at the Phone and Email Etiquette for Freelancers webinar presented on February 15, 2020, by Corinne McKay, a French to English translator and interpreter, seasoned trainer, and past ATA President. This presentation was part…
Read MoreThis post originally appeared on Diálogos Online Forum and it is republished with permission. When novice translators ask me how they should begin establishing a client base, cold emailing to potential clients is rarely one of the strategies that I suggest. As a general rule, unsolicited emails are much less effective than responding to job postings, attending conferences, establishing a solid…
Read MoreSavvy Diversification Series: Don’t Be Scared! How to Add Ghostwriting to Your Portfolio of Services
“It was a dark and stormy night. A strange figure appeared in the window of the haunted house on the hill as a bloodcurdling scream echoed in the distance…” Let me start with the bad news: today’s blog post is not about how to craft a spooky story to tell around the campfire. Instead, we are going to look at…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreThis post originally appeared on The ATA Chronicle and it is republished with permission. While the demand for translation services is at a record high, many freelancers say their inflation-adjusted earnings seem to be declining. Why is this and can anything be done to reverse what some have labelled an irreversible trend? Over the past few years globalization has brought…
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreThis post originally appeared on Translation Times and it is republished with permission. We oftentimes get questions about how to get started in the profession, and that’s a long answer. Actually, part of this blog is dedicated to answering precisely that question, and we have a long list of articles that we’ve marked for beginners. However, a dear friend of…
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