Holy smokes: Dominique Dufour, a Paris-based freelancer par excellence, published my submission to his book Jesuisfreelance.com. We’re talking print here. Print!

Electronic versions are also available, but who cares, who cares, who cares—the book is available in actual paper made from actual trees.

And those papery pages (as opposed to virtual pages) automatically increase, by about tenfold, the quantity of glory in which even the smallest of contributors can bask.

When I heard about the upcoming launch of Jesuisfreelance.com, this went through my head:

I hope I did not get rejected.

I hope I did not get forgotten.

I hope I did not get deleted.

With these fears in mind, I silently praised the superiority of e-books over print books (hypocrite!) and hurriedly bought a Kindle version from amazon.fr so I could read it on my tablet within a matter of seconds.

My piece was included!

And so were articles from two or three fellow translators. More great contributions come from such a colourful world of freelancers—you can read how a shiatsu therapist, art teacher, creativity coach, and nutritionist use social media.

Do you want to buy it? Bonne lecture !

The book can be purchased on amazon.fr, fnac.com and pearson.fr. This is the description from amazon.fr:

Cet ouvrage est un guide pratique pour aider ces entrepreneurs à utiliser les médias sociaux pour communiquer autour de leur activité et la développer. Les réseaux sociaux sont d’extraordinaires accélérateurs pour le business : ils facilitent les contacts, les rencontres, ils permettent de communiquer à moindre frais, à veiller, à créer du contenu, à valoriser nos expertises. Mais quels outils utiliser, comment BIEN les utiliser quand on est entrepreneur solo ? Comment se sentir à l’aise sur les réseaux sociaux quand on n’aime pas trop se “mettre en avant” ? Comment ne pas y passer des heures sans aucun résultat ? Comment s’y faire repérer par des clients potentiels ? Comment y construire sa notoriété, créer du contenu et le diffuser au bon moment sur les bons canaux ?

How do you feel about seeing your work in print?

Now I just got two pages of my own writing published and I am one happy camper. Two pages.

I cannot imagine how literary translators must feel after their book-length translations get into print!

Lisa Carter’s blog Intralingo is a fascinating blog about literary translation. So when I heard that Lisa was giving an ATIO Style and Translation workshop in Toronto, I jumped at the opportunity.

During Saturday’s workshop, Lisa gave us much food for thought about examining source texts, as we took apart short passages and looked at various elements of style.

I thought about my own work and my French-speaking clients and left the workshop with questions such as:

1. Do I always have to respect stylistic conventions in English? (She showed us an example of an English-language text that had French-style punctuation; it bothered me.)
2. When can I chop up long, wordy sentences and when do I mirror them?
3. When can I change the passive voice into the active voice?
4. When can I change nouns into verbs?

It was great to discuss how we must deliberately make choices, sentence after sentence. The workshop was interactive, and I was happy to talk shop with her and my fellow attendees.

If you’re interested in Lisa’s online courses in Defining Writing Style, First Steps in Literary Translation, and Next Steps in Literary Translation, see the Courses page on Intralingo.

Any comments about analyzing style in source texts or evoking the writer’s style in target texts?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, a move back to Canada was in the works. I’m here now in chilly Toronto after living in France for 14 years.

A few random observations about Toronto:

1. Sidewalks are clean. Dog owners are such responsible citizens. Incidentally, dogs come in bigger sizes here compared with their Parisian peers.
2. People don’t seem to worry about theft. In my neighbourhood, people leave various belongings on their front porches: strollers, shovels, lounge chairs, toys and so on.
3. Business people use first names. My new banker calls me Catherine. I call her Dawn. In France, I am Madame Jan and nothing else.
4. Hundreds of colourful, cheerful crossing guards come out of the woodwork about an hour before school starts and once classes are dismissed.
5. Raccoons in real life are much fatter than the raccoons I’ve seen pictured in books. Raccoons are usually nocturnal, but the one I saw was strolling around in broad daylight.
6. “Self-employed” and “unemployed” are perfect synonyms in the eyes of all landlords.

Signing off for now…

Do clients care about endorsements?

On being selective about endorsements

People had kindly endorsed me for about 10 different skills. THANK YOU. This is what I did with these endorsements:

1. I kept only 3 of them: blogging, translation and social media.
2. I deleted their French equivalents (traduction and médias sociaux).
3. I removed endorsements for editing and proofreading (thanks anyways!) since I want my profile to be more focused on what I think I do best.
4. I added another skill called “Bilingual Communications” for which I have no endorsements. I added it because it’s relevant to the kind of work I’m pursuing.

Speaking for myself, I graciously receive endorsements. But I think recommendations are better for building credibility. And I’m not sure if endorsements clutter up our profiles.

What do you think about endorsements?

I was so happy to have Jennifer Bikkál Horne drop by for a visit during her last trip to Paris. Jen is an Atlanta-based French<>English translator and interpreter and an ATA and AAIT member. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Arts, a NYU Certificate in Simultaneous Interpreting, and she is pursuing a certificate in translation. Her website is at Translations by Jen.

Catherine: You’re a translator and an interpreter. What kind of work do you do most?

Jen: Right now, I do more interpreting than translating. It’s probably because I have completed my interpreting certificate but have not yet completed my translation certificate.

Catherine: How do clients find you?

Jen: Clients and agencies generally contact me for interpretation because I’m listed in the ATA directory as well as my local translator’s association directory (AAIT). So when an agency or client needs an interpreter for an event, and they consult these directories I will pop up on that list. I’ve also been lucky enough to be hired directly by translators and agencies that I know. Otherwise, I sometimes get some referrals for jobs from colleagues.

Catherine: What are your biggest challenges?

Jen: Confidence is one of my biggest challenges. Being new in the industry I lack confidence sometimes but I have learned that it is necessary to “fake it till you make it” especially in interpreting. Having hesitations can happen to anyone but the key is to keep going and not let it bring you down.

Catherine: What kind of marketing efforts have paid off for you?

Jen: Without a doubt: networking! I joined the local ATA association which means that people in my area know me as the local French translator/interpreter so they send me jobs if they hear of any. I also created a blog and Facebook page, but those have not yet paid off for me in terms of business.

Catherine: What do you like most about our profession?

Jen: I love working from home, being able to have my own hours, work in my yoga pants :-) but I also love traveling and meeting people. Interpreting enables me to travel, and translation lets me work from home… It’s really the perfect balance!

Catherine: How do you see your business developing in the future?

Jen: In the future I see myself doing more translations and less interpreting. My husband and I want to start a family, so in the future I’d like to travel less, and work more from home.

I’ve got something against misspelled brand names.

It’s a pet peeve of mine. Writers and translators cannot just rename brands at will: iPads are not Ipads.

Brand names that have capital letters inside them often get screwed up (especially by one of my clients), so I thought I’d bring your attention to how some brands need to be spelled.

Look closely at how these brand names use internal capitals:

eBay

iPad

BlackBerry

LinkedIn

YouTube

WordPress

FedEx

So how do you begin sentences with brands that start with small letters?

Which sentence is correct?

iPods are useful.

IPods are useful.

The Chicago of Manual of Style 16 says this on its website:

Brand names that begin with a lowercase letter followed by a capital letter now retain the lowercase letter even at the beginning of a sentence or a heading.

The CMOS print version gives this example:

eBay posted strong earnings.

Yahoo!, on the other hand, says that we should capitalize brand names at the beginning of sentences. They provide this sentence as an example:

IPod sales soar.

Looks weird, doesn’t it?

Johanne Benoit-Gallagher is a Quebec-based freelance translator. In addition to translating, she provides cultural adaptation services to clients who wish to communicate effectively with Canadian francophones. Through Prima Translation, she is able to combine her English-French language skills with her sound knowledge in life sciences, education and corporate communications.

I have recently been approached by translators who are starting their careers or who are making a shift to freelance work. Their first question usually goes like this, “If I want to work from home, where and how do I find clients?”

There are, of course, many possible answers. In this post, I’d like to discuss how ProZ can be a useful tool as part of a translator’s marketing mix. For the record, this information is based on my personal experience as a paying member. I do not represent ProZ in any way.

How I used ProZ in the beginning

In 2005, I had just completed my translation degree and did not have any professional experience. I had a few local clients who provided me with occasional work. I really wanted to gain experience and work full-time. I was actively looking for a point of entry into the translation industry.

After using a few different online translator databases with little success, I stumbled upon ProZ. What initially attracted me was its many features and ease of use. I built a profile and tried to make it as complete as possible by following the guidelines. In a nutshell, this is what I did:

• I submitted an initial profile that was at least 80% complete and revised it regularly.
• I initially chose to participate in site activities such as answering translation questions.
• I submitted a portfolio to receive the Certified PRO status and I adhered to their professional guidelines.
• I made it easy for clients to reach me and I described my services clearly.
• I soon started to ask clients to submit a review of my services (a feature called WWA).

In the first six months after becoming a paying member, I sent one application a day to an agency or other contact I wanted to work with. I found many of those contacts on ProZ. I did this every day, one week per month. Many people did not respond, but some did and became regular clients.

I soon realized that I no longer needed to look for clients because they were now finding me through ProZ. This made it possible for me to focus on translating. I was selective from the start, choosing to work with clients who met my criteria. It took me about two years to achieve my objective of working full-time. During that time, I sometimes looked for clients, I improved my online presence and I sharpened my translation skills. Ever since then, I have been improving my client base, letting go of some clients and taking on new clients that better fit my career objectives.

It is important to understand that ProZ, as valuable as it can be, becomes a more powerful tool when it is linked to other online platforms such as LinkedIn and a professional website. While it is possible to use ProZ exclusively, that would limit the types of clients you attract. I would caution you against putting your all your eggs in one basket.

How I use ProZ today

At the moment, I have a full slate of reputable international (mostly) and local clients, some of which are agencies. I now use ProZ in the following way:

• I update my profile a few times a year as needed.
• I check a potential client’s rating on the Blue Board, read the comments, and only work for clients who consistently get a perfect or almost perfect score.
• I regularly mark my availability on the calendar; some clients refer to it to see how busy I am.
• I ask regular clients for WWA.
• I refer to various forum topics for help (technical mostly) or contribute to them.

ProZ still plays a significant role in my marketing efforts. In fact, most of my clients first find me on ProZ, before going to my website. I see ProZ as a tool among others. Tools are designed for a specific purpose and cannot meet every need.

ProZ may be for you if…

• You want to enter the global marketplace.
• You like the idea of networking online with peers, creating or using content (through forums and answering questions) or connecting for social purposes.
• You are looking for a way to gain experience as a translator and to learn about the translation industry.
• You would like to work for agencies in particular.
• You want to be visible online and do not yet have your own website.

ProZ may not be for you if…

• You are looking for direct and local clients exclusively.
• You have no interest in investing some time in building an online profile.

What I learned from ProZ

Over the years, I have seen the “ProZ” and cons of the translation workplace. I sometimes cringe at the way translators present themselves or at how they answer translation questions, but overall, I can say that ProZ has been very useful.

By answering translation questions, I’ve learned how to justify my point of view and discovered reputable sources used by experienced translators. This skill has proven to be invaluable in my work because some of the projects I am involved in require in-depth language analysis. When potential clients view my profile and the answers I have provided, I am confident that this is a positive factor in their choice of a translator.

I have also gained an appreciation for what not to do as professional translator. It shows when someone answers a translation question poorly, asks several easy questions or when a profile is incomplete. Every online interaction can add to, or diminish, the quality of your online presence.

I have been able to solve technical issues and to learn about the translation industry by consulting the forums. For someone who works with a CAT tool, the technical forums are very helpful. They have helped me save time and money on several occasions.

On bidding

I have not used and still do not use ProZ to bid on projects. These jobs typically offer very low rates and this is not the type of client I am looking for.

Is ProZ for you?

It is important to maximize your time and networking efforts. In this respect, ProZ can be a good investment. Like other profiles or sites you may have online, it will tirelessly represent you around the clock.

You get to choose which tools work best for you. After all, like me, I am sure you’d rather be translating.

Johanne’s ProZ profile: Prima Translation – Johanne Benoit-Gallagher

*

Thanks for this comprehensive guest post on ProZ, Johanne. We’d love to hear from other translators about their thoughts on ProZ. Over to you!

After more than a decade of living in Paris (in the 11th district, the 4th district, and a nearby suburb), I’ll be making a move back to snowy Canada.

This transition has been in the works for several months now, which partly explains why this blog has fallen by the wayside.

I’ll be leaving in about month. I’m busy packing, seeing people, and eating galettes des rois.

Happy New Year

May your 2013 be filled with fun projects, fresh air, and great company!

Arnaud Montebourg, what do you do?

*

Thanks to an interactive Facebook discussion with fellow translators, I came up with a list of possible translations of Ministre du Redressement productif.

Ministre du Redressement productif could be translated into English as:

1. Minister of Industrial Renewal
2. Minister for Re-industrialisation/Re-industrialization
3. Minister of Industrial Modernization/Modernisation
4. Minister for Industrial Recovery
5. Minister for Economic Regeneration
6. Minister for Industry and Growth

What do you think?

Which translation do you prefer? Tell me in the comments–or add your own translation!

My biggest email pet peeve used to be the empty subject line.

That’s changed.

This is more annoying: Subject lines that do not speak the truth.

I sometimes fall victim to three types of email subject line lies:

1. Company pretends to send a tailored, personalized message.

Example: “A confidential message for Catherine”

I clicked on this “confidential message” from this B2B company and just got the monthly newsletter. No secrets. It was about certain items on sale.

Proposed truthful subject line: “Product ABC on sale this month”

2. Translation agency pretends to offer translation assignment.

Example: “Job Offer”

I clicked right away to see what kind of work is being offered. No work, silly me. It was a request for administrative documents.

Proposed truthful subject line: “request for paperwork”

3. Members of translation-related email discussion group/listserv go off on tangents and do not change the original subject line.

Example: [Source Language] > [Target Language] “[insert term here]”

I clicked on this message expecting to see how this word could be translated. The word is nowhere in sight.

The discussion has metamorphized into a new life form and is now a debate on rates/scams/agencies/beginner translators.

Debate is fine—even welcome. But why not change the subject line? Why waste our time? Why add to our collective email overload by misleading us into clicking on something we’re not interested in?

Proposed truthful subject line: “[term]” + [debate topic]

*

Thanks, I feel better now.