Let's Talk About Translation

Have you ever been offered a translation job with a given deadline and, whether because you have other projects to deliver on that same date or due to any other reason whatsoever, you had to ask for a deadline extension? I am sure that you already have been through this more than once… Me too. And when the client answers that he/she really needs it for that specific date and will even pay more to make us change our minds? Well, in some cases, I believe that probably you will end up accepting it – I could do the same, but… …most of the times, I don’t. You may ask why. In fact, is really simple:  it’s not a matter of money, it’s a matter of time ! Usually, when I ask for a deadline extension, I have no intention of charging an urgency fee to be able to make the translation within the original deadline. The thing is that I really don’t have the time to make the translation within that deadline, with high quality standards. Whether it is because I have already other projects in hands, ...

Is it worth doing Pro Bono translations? Or is it a waist of time? Translating can be very time consuming, and sometimes it is already difficult to manage the jobs we do for our paying clients, let alone doing Pro Bono translations. However, doing Pro Bono translations is very useful. There are a lot of organizations that do a fantastic job in terms of voluntary work, and if we can help with some translations and/or revisions, why not doing it? We are contributing for a better world, we are establishing the communication with people who need it most. And we don’t need to have a lot of experience in translation to contribute. Who is starting in translation can also help. It’s important to understand this: it doesn’t matter if these translations are not paid, the commitment and the quality still need to be in it. We need to have the same sense of responsability for Pro Bono translations as we have to our paying clients. For us to be able to help, we can contact local associations...

When you decide to be a freelance translator it is probably because you feel that you translate well, you have a good language knowledge and expertise on one or more working areas. But when projects start arriving faster than anticipated you immediately think: “How can I manage all this and also do I really perform a good job?” The first thing is to relax and take a deep breath. After that we reach the very first stage: initiating. For a translator this means a request for quote from a client, hopefully a new client, checking all the conditions and elaborating the quote. The second stage is the most important of all: planning. In this stage the translator will collect reference material, prepare the text and translation memories, if needed, and plan the time he/she will need to do the translation, taking into account that unpleasant surprises may occur.  “Those who fail to plan plan to fail.” – Churchill The third stage – executing – is doing the translation, with or without a CAT ...