The Bottom Line

 
Practical tips for practicing translators.
 
 

Q:

Dear Fire Ant & Worker Bee,

What do you do if you reply (with a positive attitude) to an offer to quote for a job and then subsequently find out the buyer is a risky credit proposition? Of course, you decline to take the job, but how do you say that "nicely"?


A:

Dear Nice,

Simply say that the window for your offer has closed. So sorry, too late, another grateful client has snapped up your available time. And you can always quote much higher the next time to discourage further queries.

That said, we do wonder why you would want to be particularly nice in this situation. It might even be a useful wake-up call for your contact to hear someone say—pleasantly, if you like—"I've checked your credit rating and I'm sorry, I simply can't take the risk."

FA & WB

Q:

Dear Fire Ant & Worker Bee,

Helter Skelter

A:

Dear Skelter,

Yes: take the phone off the hook, disconnect your computer and sit back. Just stop moving for an hour or two. Your freefall has set our heads spinning in the time it took to read your letter, which makes us a bit concerned about yours.

Don't get us wrong: it's good to keep busy and most successful translators are happy to do some multi-tasking, but you do seem to going in too many directions at once. The book gambit? Why not, but this one is off to a bad start.

Let's take it point by point:

• Book: are you locked in by a contract? If not, cut your losses. Just Say No. Life is too short, and an uninteresting book unlikely to make any kind of splash—that is, moreover, paid very little and requires you to learn an entire new software package—hey, that makes no sense at all.
• What is your aim: earn money or work in a field you enjoy? Ideally you'll do both, of course, but it might be worth thinking a bit longer and harder about the text types you are really good at and the clients you are targeting.
• Speaking of which, what fields are you trying to break into or consolidate existing knowledge in? Artificial intelligence, radar systems, legal texts, academic journals... we can't connect up the dots, and wonder if you can either.
• How old are you? A male person heading into his fifties with this sort of schedule is asking for a heart attack.

But you asked for advice. We suggest sports (daily), early bedtime, lay off the high fructose corn syrup, and sign up for some time management and marketing classes at the first opportunity.

FA & WB

Q:

Dear Fire Ant & Worker Bee,

Alice

A:

Dear Alice,

Thanks for this opportunity to remind all our readers that the term "language service provider" (LSP) applies to everyone from individual freelance translators to giant corporations. We've seen some serious slippage lately, with large translation companies, language researchers and even professional associations referring to "LSPs and freelancers." (Google it yourself.)

People, that is simply wrong—and especially surprising if you tout yourself as a word person/language specialist. (Fruit and apples, anyone? Or perhaps some dairy products and yogurt?)

On to Saga LS: we visited your site and like it. Great graphics, nice, clear, readable and to-the-point text that lets visitors know what you are all about. (Very effective, too, the way you highlight your specializations.)

As premium clients know—many having learned the hard way through swish logos and exalted claims, followed by crash and burn due to layer upon layer of subcontracting—what buyers want in a premium language services supplier is someone who knows what they're doing, is pleasant to work with, and who states clearly that the buck stops here. Who also knows when to say no and does.

So good for you for highlighting Alice and her strengths (although you might also consider saying "I"), and good too, to be considering all the related services you might want to provide. Go for it!

FA & WB

Q:

Dear Fire Ant & Worker Bee,

Me, Returning

A:

Dear Return,

The market is overwhelmingly freelance these days, with translators working either for agencies or direct clients—consult back issues of this column for advice on both options.

Here are some points to consider:

• In part thanks to technology, there are many more opportunities for networking than in the early 90s. At the same time, we see waves of semi-skilled labor dipping in and out of the market; be sure to distinguish yourself from them if you want to do this for real.
• If you're an excellent translator, it shouldn't take that long to get your language skills back up to speed. Technology for translation proper? By all means look into the benefits it brings, but no need to go whole hog; never forget that it is a lot easier to master technology than the language skills a good translator brings to the job.
• You can start by signing up for a few webinars—training from the comfort of your home (thanks, technology!)—and move on to passive & active participation in translator forums, plus participation in events sponsored by your local professional association.
• Networking is the key to it all: get back in touch with translation colleagues from the old days. Pick their brains on prospects in your language combination, and see if they might have some work to put your way.

Actually, the most worrying point in your letter is not your nervousness about technology or globalization, but the fact that you stopped twenty years ago because you were not earning enough. That's a bad sign: to make a go of it, both newcomers and workers returning to the wordface need outstanding translation skills and a very firm grasp of marketing. Not to mention a cash buffer as they find their feet. Somehow we doubt that has changed must in the past two decades.

FA & WB

Q:

Dear Fire Ant & Worker Bee,

Unemployed

A:

Dear Unemployed,

Forget the classmates and their eye-rolling. Nothing against oldies, but we are convinced that the best time to get out and see the world is when you're young. If you have no obligations, and no other job prospects in sight, what is stopping you?

Get your working papers in order first, of course, but take the initiative and experience first-hand, from the inside, how project management really works in one of the world's fastest growing economies. You might be surprised. True, you won't earn much by western standards, but the cost of living isn't that high either. Look at the benefits: you'll have a chance to experience a totally different culture, learn one or more new languages, and gain experience that will look great on a CV (and distinguish you from many of your peers) when you return. In fact, the only downside we see for someone in your situation is that you won't be able to build up a nest egg for your return.

FA & WB