I’d be cautious about specialization. It may seem attractive, but it carries similar dangers to relying too heavily on one client for work; also, the longer you specialize, the more difficult it is to readjust to another field if your source dries up. One other thing… I don’t know if anyone else will confirm this, but I find that keeping your brain alive is essential. Once you think you know it all and don’t need to research and proofread, carelessness creeps in and your quality goes down the tubes.

Best wishes, Dave

I really like your advises to translators who start their business, and I will refer to this post in my translation company’s blog. We often answer to young translators who wonder how to establish their activity, and they always under-estimate the time they will need before reaching their cruising speed.

Thanks again,

Guillaume
http://www.anyword.fr

I know some people who prefer to take work in a variety of fields because it’s more interesting that way, but I believe that this is usually at the expense of income (which may be an acceptable trade-off!).

Of course, it’s also important to specialize in a field with enough demand to keep you busy. As much as you might love ancient pottery-glazing techniques (and who doesn’t?), that might not generate enough translation work to supply your Starbucks habit.

There are other venues in which you can be a translator that do not require a year-long background check. Apply to non-governmental organizations or volunteer to generate visibility. I like the suggestion of doing tutoring. People are constantly contacting NOTA looking for tutors or private language teachers.

I myself worked at Borders for a couple years while I was reestablishing myself until I quit because it was no longer economically viable.

One of our friends does transcription work on the side and often says she would rather clean houses than translate some of the texts she has been asked to translate.