These jobs can be performed in an "in-house," salaried framework or on a freelance basis - except that translating is only very rarely in-house. This has a lot of implications for us as professional translators. I was recently discussing this with a person interested in my course, who was also considering studying technical writing.
"A translator leads a fundamentally different lifestyle than a technical writer," I told her, pointing to such factors a regular work hours, having a boss, working as part of a team and commuting to an office. When I point these factors out to potential students it's always interesting to see how one person views some or all of the above factors as major pros, while another sees them as major cons.
"It's Not a Job, It's a Business," I told her.
As soon as those words left my mouth, I was struck by the truth in them.
If you're looking for a major dose of translators' common sense, I recommend Corrine McKay's book How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator
."Most translators enter the field because they love languages and writing, not because they love marketing and bookkeeping, but many translators' businesses fail because they lack basic business skills," writes McKay, a US-based French-English translator.
McKay's book is full of tips and resources for the business side of the translation game, most of which she learned the hard way. We have this in common, as well as a belief that if trainee translators are given guidance in this area at the beginning, they will avoid many common pitfalls and will be more likely to succeed.
Translators have to stop thinking of themselves as "working from home," and starting recognizing themselves for what they truly are - small business owners.
We are businessmen and businesswomen, no less than those corporate jet setters steering their compact luggage units straight to the business-class counter at the airport. We are business people, constantly networking and searching for new opportunities and markets. We have to sell, negotiate, and close that deal. We seek to increase efficiency and cut costs, and, of course, see our profits rising annually.
But what about translating... didn't we get into this game in order to translate. Well, yes, it's very important to translate and do it very well. But if you recall my post about The Big Three, that is only one factor in your success.
Like any business, translation is a game with an element of risk. If that excites you, welcome to the club. If that scares you silly... well I know better than to write anyone off... just keep reading.
