For those readers who are past the startup phase of their freelance businesses, I’m presenting my Beyond the Basics of Freelancing webinar this Wednesday (October 12) at 10 AM Mountain Time (and everyone who registers will receive a full recording!). This is a one-hour session and the cost is $40; we’ll be discussing how to work profitably with agencies and market your services to direct clients, use social media to increase your name recognition, improve your writing skills and expand your services beyond translation. My preconference seminar on this topic sold out at the Denver ATA conference so we’re looking forward to a nice crowd for this webinar! To read the full description or to purchase a spot, see the Speaking of Translation website.
Posted in Announcements, Professional development | 1 Comment »
No matter how meticulous you are about a) your translations and b) your business practices, you can’t work as a freelancer without dealing with disgruntled clients from time to time. First, let’s say this: unless you love interpersonal conflict, dealing with unhappy clients is awful. Running your own business means caring very deeply about your work and putting your reputation behind every translation that you do, and it can be a truly horrible experience to have a client question your competence, integrity, whatever. But since this situation is bound to occur, let’s look at what you can/should do after you receive that angry phone call or e-mail from a client.
For the purposes of this post, let’s assume that the client’s complaint has at least some basis in fact. Maybe you don’t see the problem as being as serious as the client does, but you agree that there’s some shred of an issue to be dealt with. Baseless client complaints are another issue altogether, and one that I’ll save for another post (or better yet, another translation blogger can take that one on!). I think that resolving legitimate disputes boils down to three basic steps:
- Admit to the mistake;
- Apologize;
- Try to make it better.
Admittedly, I’m a pretty conflict-averse person, and I’m also very committed to maintaining a good reputation in the translation industry. Therefore, I probably go a little further with these steps than some translators do. For example, if I make a legitimate error, I nearly always offer the client some sort of compensation: I once e-mailed a client the wrong file for a (thankfully) very small project the night before I was leaving for a vacation. When I returned from vacation and realized what had happened, I told the client that of course I didn’t expect to be paid for that project, but that I also wanted to do a small job for them for free in the future. I think that this type of gesture shows the client that I get it: that freelancing can be a “one strike and you’re out” type of business, and that I am very committed to client satisfaction.
A few other dispute resolution tips that I’ve gleaned over the years:
- When you receive an angry e-mail from a client, first, do nothing. Don’t respond when you are angry too. Wait until you’ve cooled off a bit, then compose your response. Or compose your response and let it sit for an hour, then read it over before you send it.
- Always ask for specific examples of quality issues. It’s really hard to know how to make it better with a client who says “The tone isn’t what we wanted,” “The terminology wasn’t right for our audience,” etc. Always ask for an edited version of your translation, or for a few specific examples of the kind of issues the client is talking about.
- Resist the urge to write a lengthy explanation in response to a client complaint. When you respond, be concise, be kind and admit what happened. “I really apologize for neglecting to fully comply with your style sheet; I agree with the changes that you made to the document and I want to assure you that I will be more meticulous about this in the future” is enough. Save the venting and ranting for your trusted circle of friends and colleagues!
- Don’t complain about the client’s requirements after the fact. If the client sends you a 12 page style guide for a 1,500 word project, or expects you to go through an arduous QA process with no increase in your rate, the time to lodge your objection is before the project starts.
- Don’t take it personally. Clearly, this is easy to say and very, very hard to do. But when you’re dealing with a business issue, try to keep it businesslike. Stay calm, stay polite and try to see things from the client’s point of view.
- After the complaint is resolved, decide whether this client is a good fit for you. Sometimes the client’s complaint reflects the fact that their work style and yours are not a good fit. And really, that’s OK. There is enough other work out there for you, and there are enough other translators out there for them.
Posted in Clients, Translation quality | 19 Comments »
Today is International Translation Day, and this year’s theme (as selected by FIT, the International Federation of Translators) is Translation: Bridging Cultures. Past ATA President Jiri Stejskal wrote a lovely text for the FIT website; here’s an excerpt:
The professional translators, interpreters and terminologists represented by FIT member associations build bridges between cultures and facilitate communication that creates prosperity and cultural enrichment. They are brokers of peace and mutual understanding. They open national literatures to the world. They make international assistance in disaster areas possible. They are the voice of politicians, religious and intellectual leaders, and all other people who influence our daily lives. They are gatekeepers of information. They are cultural ambassadors. They are absolutely indispensable
Beautiful, and true! Happy International Translation Day to everyone, however you plan to celebrate it!
Posted in Announcements | 8 Comments »
If you haven’t yet seen Alejandro Moreno-Ramos’ latest Mox cartoon on Obsessive-compulsive grammar disorder, do not miss it! Even funnier is Alejandro’s reply to the person who pointed out a spelling error in the cartoon. Last year, I wrote a post about my personal struggle with grammar and spelling perfectionism, and I think that nearly every translator can empathize!
Still, there are moments when I wonder if this battle is worth fighting, or just takes years off our lives. Even the mighty New York Times magazine lets typos slip through: witness “You can’t just take a statement and dress is [sic] up in a question’s clothes…” in the otherwise excellent, hilarious and spot-on article How to ask a proper question at a public event (the typo is corrected in the electronic version). Mox is already in therapy, but maybe the rest of us grammar/spelling hawks are soon to follow!
Posted in Humor | 3 Comments »
There’s something about the number 10. Not just the connotation of “perfect 10,” but the number has an undeniable appeal. This year’s American Translators Association Translation Company Division conference was focused on the number 10 (10 sessions that each featured 10 tips on a certain topic), and people really seemed to enjoy the manageable scale of the presentations.
In my non-translation life I spend a lot of time in the mountains, so I’ve long abided by the guideline of The Ten Essentials that everyone should take into the backcountry. Outdoor enthusiasts are advised to equip themselves with a map, compass, sun protection, food/water, extra clothes, headlamp, first aid kit, fire starter, matches and a knife. This got me thinking about The Ten Essentials as applied to other areas of life, specifically freelance translation. What 10 must-have items would you recommend that every freelance translator arm herself or himself with? I’ll go with (in no particular order):
- Business cards; the kind without a “Get your free business cards at…” imprint on the back
- A reliable computer
- A computer backup system and potentially a backup computer
- A good office chair, yoga ball or treadmill desk
- A separate business bank account to keep business and personal finances separate
- A membership in at least one association for professional translators
- A high-quality computer keyboard; it sounds like a minor thing, but it’s important when you’re tap-tap-tapping away at those keys for 30-50 hours a week!
- A few good dictionaries in various flavors; print, online, general, specialized, etc.
- A thesaurus; some days I use mine more than my French-English resources. For those times when you just need another way to say it!
- At least one trusted colleague. I realize these aren’t available at Office Max, but I do think it’s hard to reach your full freelance potential without a good network of colleagues.
Readers, over to you! What 10 items should go in every freelance translator’s survival kit?
Posted in Freelancing, Productivity, Working from home | 21 Comments »
Although I just posted a bunch of links yesterday, these are too good not to share! German to English translator Jill Sommer has presented the first-time attendees’ orientation at the ATA conference for many years, and she restyled that presentation into a webinar. It covers topics such as how to prepare for the conference, how to pick the sessions you want to attend, how to market and network effectively at the conference and much more. You can watch the webinar recording (it’s free!) and/or read Jill’s blog post with follow-up questions. This really is a wealth of information for newcomers to the profession; thanks to Jill for putting all of this together! See you in Boston!
Posted in Professional associations, Professional development, Webinar questions, Webinars | Leave a Comment »
If you’re looking for some coffee-break reading, here are a few suggestions:
- From Get Rich Slowly, Eight little-known facts about the Roth IRA. I consider myself reasonably financially literate and I have to say that many of these were news to me.
- From Spanish to English translator Lisa Carter on Milliver’s Travels, Becoming location independent. Lisa and her partner (both freelancers based in Ottawa, Canada) are experimenting with a three-month move to Costa Rica (insert sigh of jealousy here!). This post talks mostly about their technology setup, which is very interesting.
- From Duct Tape Marketing, 5 ways to use the Internet to drive people off the Internet, with some great observations about mixing in-person and online networking.
And finally, a reminder: if you’re planning to attend this year’s American Translators Association annual conference (October 26-29 in Boston), don’t miss the early bird deadline on September 23!
Posted in Links | Leave a Comment »
International Translation Day is coming up at the end of this month; this year’s theme is Translation: Bridging Cultures (I like it!). Karmically enough, ITD is also my (and my husband’s…is that karmic enough for you?) birthday, and this year it’s a big one. Although I don’t think I’m in mid-life crisis mode over turning 40, it has occurred to me that at least from a statistical point of view, I’m knocking on the door of the second half of life. And I do think that any big milestone is a good opportunity for reflection, so I’d like to solicit some input from readers who are past the halfway point themselves. Specifically, what changes have you made in your work life (or what changes would you like to make) now that you’re in mid-life? What have you re-evaluated and what have you kept the same? Here are some thoughts that have popped into my head so far:
- As I get older, I love translation more and more. Being a better translator is more important to me all the time. However, I find that I also get less tolerant of job stress; clients who needed the project yesterday are less and less appealing and rush work is more and more stressful.
- Translating stuff that hangs around for a while and that people actually read is more important to me. This is why I’ve always loved international development translation, and it’s why one of my goals for this year is to take a literary translation course.
- I find myself thinking more about my future work life. In part, this is because I had my daughter at what’s considered a relatively young age here in Boulder (30). As compared to some of my friends who are in their mid-40s and have preschoolers, I’ll be 48 when my daughter graduates from high school. That opens up lots of possibilities; teaching translation, getting an in-house job, going back to school, and so on. Right now I can’t say that I’m hankering for a radical departure from what I do now, but it’s interesting to think about.
Mature readers, any tips from you?
Posted in Freelancing, Professional development, Working from home | 15 Comments »
Thanks to Chris Durban for suggesting this post topic!
Let’s say that you want to hire a professional services provider: maybe a business accountant, a copyright attorney, a web designer or a marketing consultant. You’re clicking through that person’s website, and on their About page, you see a photograph. Great! It’s always helpful to get a visual image of the person you’re thinking of working with. But then you notice that the person’s photograph is clearly from 20+ years ago, or was obviously taken in a drugstore photo booth, or features them and their pet ferret, or you can’t really tell what the person looks like because they’re facing away from the camera and their hair is in their eyes. Problem? Maybe! Let’s ponder the issue of professional photographs for a second.
I had never used a professional photograph until about a year ago. My previous head shot photos were decent (hair brushed, facing the camera, no ferrets) but clearly not taken by a professional. I told myself that a) it doesn’t really matter, I’m just a freelancer; b) a professional photo session is outside my budget and c) how different will the photo look anyway? Then, Judy Jenner gave our local translators’ association the idea of hiring a professional photographer to do head shots of a bunch of our members during one session. Eve Bodeux organized this and it was a huge success. Our photographer did head shots of 12 people in two hours at a cost of $40 per person, and we were really pleased with the results. Since then I’ve been using the picture I had taken during that session, and I do think that it’s an asset to my marketing materials. So, why should you consider a professional photograph?
- It shows that you’re willing to invest in your business. I am very frugal. I don’t own a clothes dryer and I wash Ziploc bags. But when someone hands me a business card with “Get your free business cards at…” printed on the back, my immediate reaction is that this person is not even willing to invest $25 in their business in order to get real cards. Ditto with the professional photograph: it shows that you care.
- It conveys an impression of you as a person. Let’s face it: working with a freelancer is a very personal relationship. And if people don’t have a positive impression of you, they are less likely to work with you. A professional photograph can help establish you as approachable, personable, likable and other qualities that are desirable in a business associate.
- It’s what other people do. I hate to play the “everyone else is doing it” card, but there’s some truth to this. If you consider yourself on par with other consultant-type service providers, your marketing materials need to be at that level.
When you’re having your photo taken, it’s also worth thinking about the image that you want to convey to your potential clients. For example at our local photo session, at least one member was concerned that she looks too young (clients think she is inexperienced/don’t take her seriously) and at least one was concerned that she looks too old (clients think she is outdated). Our photographer had some good suggestions on how to stage and pose the photograph in order to counter those impressions. In addition, I think that professional photographers really are better at putting you at ease during the photo session. I dislike having my picture taken and I don’t think I’ve very photogenic, but I was very happy with the photos that I got from this session.
Any other thoughts on professional photos?
Posted in Marketing, Professional associations | 20 Comments »
I’m excited to announce that my guest post on Lisa Carter’s blog Intralingo is up! It’s about self-publishing options for translators, and draws on my experience publishing two editions of my book How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator through Lulu, a print-on-demand service. I’m flattered that Lisa asked me to write this post, and I love her blog too! Great tips for translators of all flavors, especially anyone interested in literary translation and good writing.
Posted in Guest posts | 1 Comment »
