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Corinne McKay’s new book,Though ts on Transla tion, is a wonderful addition to the freelance translator’s library. The book, which includes 100 articles from her blog by the same name ,covers a variety of topics of interest to freelancers and others who work in the translation industry. As an avid reader of McKay’s blog, I expected to find information I had already seen before.
To my pleasant surprise, the articles had been revised and updated for their publication in book form. Also, when reading the book, it struck me that even though I had seen many of the articles in blog post form before, there were times when I had not had a chance to read the articles carefully enough in order to digest and savor the helpful advice and gems of wisdom buried within them. In hard copy form, I found that I was able to enjoy the articles more thoroughly,underlining passages and flagging pages that I know I will want to return to again. Even though I often read books in digital form, I find that there is no replacement for reading a real book, and that was certainly true in the case of McKay’s work.
Practical Advice for Newcomers and Seasoned Professionals Though ts on Transla tion is a treasure trove of helpful articles written for translators in a style that is clear,accessible, and straightforward.What I love both about the book and the blog is that the information presented always veers away from the theoretical and centers squarely on the practical. While translation theory has an important role, advice with practical applications is something that I find many translators really need,especially if they have recently graduated from an academic program or course and have limited preparation for the very real aspects of selfemployment and running a business.When it comes to these realities,many freelance translators do not know where to begin. That said,McKay’s book also includes countless tips that even veteran translators will find useful.
In the article “My Favorite Mis take,” McKay writes openly about her early days as a freelance translator and how her lack of knowledge of typical conventions nearly cost her a client.Not understanding that part of what a client pays for is the reformatting of a document to make it look as close as possible to the original, McKay once typed her translation into the body of an e-mail message instead of a Word document, thinking she was saving the client the time involved in opening an attachment. A rational thought process,right? But, as McKay observes when reflecting back on her mistake,“Knowing how to translate and knowing how to run a freelance business are completely different things; to succeed as a freelancer, you need to know both.” Indeed, in my discussions with language services providers and buyers over many years, I have also noticed that this is a top complaint among those who work with freelancers—that they do not always understand business basics, including customer service and the importance of timely and transparent invoicing.
Another piece in McKay’s book,“Some Thoughts on Test Trans lations,” refers specifically to unpaid tests. One thing I love about McKay’s writing style is that she never condescends or lectures her audience, but simply shares her experience and the rationale behind her decisions,allowing readers to make their own decisions. In keeping with this style,she explains that she does not do unpaid tests solely for the purposes of being added to a translation agency’s roster of translators. However, she points out that she has also requested unpaid time from professionals—including a doctor and a financial planner, negotiating for free half-hour consultations prior to signing with them. Likewise, she shares that, for her, investing 30 minutes in a test that appears like it will lead to good opportunities seems to be worth the risk. However, she makes it clear that this is a personal decision that each translator must make individually
