Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of translation-related material from fellow translators out there who actively engage in the social media, and write very interesting blogs. I thought I’d compile some of these resources for the newest generation of translators. You’ve probably been reading many books by major theoreticians like Venuti, Munday, Bassnett or Baker. Although they were enlightening and great, none of them really tackled the everyday life of today’s translators.
Being self-employed means you have to be extremely versatile. Translating is only one of the many activities you’ll have to undertake. Prepare yourself to deal with accounting, marketing, community management, among many other functions. Daunting, you say? Luckily, after having a closer look at all these resources, you’ll feel a lot more confident in your choice of career and chances are you’ll find the answers to your many questions.
To begin with, I suggest reading these free e-books by Nicole Y. Adams. You might want to start with « The Bright Side of Translation », it offers very positive insights and informative feedback from a lot of different practitioners worldwide.
There are many, many books on Amazon to choose from. Here’s a non-exhaustive list you might want to consider:
How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator by Corinne McKay (an ATA board member).
Balance Your Words: Stepping in the Translation Industry by Sara Colombo.
The Prosperous Translator by Chris Durban.
These self-help books should help you consider your independent activity with serenity. Also, do engage in the social media, there is a huge community of translators on Twitter and many of them share interesting blogs and info. Important note for all newbies on Twitter: don’t forget to use the appropriate hashtags to connect with your colleagues -> #xl8 and #t9n for translation, #1nt for interpreting, #l10n for localisation. You can follow me @LinguaAustralis.
Caroline Crépu : Traductrice juridique et commerciale / Business & Legal Translator 