Freelance Business Advice Archives

My Five Do’s and Don’ts of Game Translation

I attend a small coffee group of local translators and this month’s topic of conversation was “your five do’s and don’ts of localization.” Of course I had too many, so I decided to focus on specifically game translation. Do… Read,

How to Take Feedback in the Translation Industry

Feedback is incredibly important in the translation industry. It helps people improve their skills and increase the overall quality of their work. Giving feedback should be more common than it currently is but how you receive the feedback is just

How to Give Feedback in the Translation Industry

Feedback is incredibly important in the translation industry. It helps people improve their skills and brings up the overall quality of work. Whether you’re a translator, editor, proofreader, or project manager, if you work in the translation industry you’ll have

Balancing Japanese-English Translation

I recently mused about the career path of an aspiring entertainment translator and the tendency to move from direct word-for-word translation to a creative translation before settling somewhere in the middle. Gauging this “somewhere in the middle” can be tricky

The Common Career Path of Media Translators

sakura blossoms Career Path of Media Translators

I was chatting about how to get good at game translation with an aspiring translator the other day when I noticed there is a common pattern in how successful translators approach their work throughout their careers. Beginner translators stick incredibly

How to Establish Work Life Balance as a Freelance Translator

There were times when I was a freelance translator when (I think) I had a healthy work/life balance. And there were times when I definitely did not. It’s never static, especially when, as freelancers, we have the issue of feast

My Dream Translation Course

When I’m in my 50s and game localization is too much for me, I want to become a lecturer in translation studies. I would love to create a post-graduate equivalent translation course that teaches aspiring translators effective and useful translation

Financing for Freelance Translators

Lots of people want to be freelance translators, but they often don’t consider the business side of things—specifically the finance. This article will go over some things you need to consider when setting yourself up as a freelance translator, including

Top Tips for Language Students Interested in Translation

If you’re studying a language (whether that’s in school or on your own) you might be thinking about a career in translation. Whatever the language and whatever field you’re interested in, there are a few things you can do to

Finding Your Translation Specialization

Often times, when getting into translation, you’re told to “specialize.” But what does that mean? How do you “specialize”? Does that mean you need another degree? How do you develop the skills for a specialization? Will it help you get

Everything You Need to Know About Mentoring for Translators

There is a distinct lack of education and support for aspiring entertainment translators. Most translation related degrees and university courses cater towards more lucrative fields or offer very generalized courses to appeal to as wide a variety of prospective students

Dazzling Dialogue for Translators — Book Review

How to Write Dazzling Dialogue: The Fastest Way to Improve Any Manuscript by James Scott Bell How to Write Dazzling Dialogue is a book written for English writers looking to improve their novel/screen play/comic, etc. by improving the dialogue. But

What is the Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy (JVTA)?

There is a lack of comprehensive educational programs for Japanese to English translators. The vast majority of programs available are post-graduate degrees or evening classes for professionals. Which is all well and good if you already live in the city

What Skills Do I Need to be A Game Translator? (Part 2: Soft Skills)

Video game translators don’t just need to be good at translating, they need to be good at communication, empathy, curiosity, and so much more to be able to have long-term successful careers. While part 1 of What Skills Do I

The Hustle and The Guilt

There’s a heavy cloud of guilt that comes with freelancing. An oppressive mist that hovers behind you throughout your day. The cloud doesn’t say anything but you can feel its eyes boring into the back of your skull. You need

FAQ for Aspiring Japanese to English Media Translators

Happy International Translation Day! Just like any career, a career in translation can be rewarding and exhausting. You have your highs and your lows. Your days when you feel like you’ve created the best piece ever, and the days when

Time Management Tips for Freelance Japanese Media Translators

There are so many articles out there on time management and productivity, even a great number for freelance translators! And although this article will highly likely overlap with those, it’s a combination of my studies and experience from when I

Awesome Game Localization Blogs You Should Read

The world of video game development is astronomical. Video game localization is just a small part of a much larger process, but it’s often a lot larger and more complicated than you might think. One way you can learn more

Smart Habits for Translators – Podcast Review

I love podcasts, but I’m also really picky about them. Working full time, I only have so many hours in the day so I don’t want to waste said time on podcasts I don’t enjoy. There are a few podcasts

Can You Learn Translation from “The Routledge Course in Japanese Translation”?

The Routledge Course in Japanese Translation is based on a decade of Yoko Hasegawa’s experience teaching translation theory and practice at a University level in the US. It’s designed to be a complete guide for aspiring Japanese-English translators, but is

A Summary of “The Routledge Course in Japanese Translation”

This is a breakdown summary of The Routledge Course in Japanese Translation. If you would like a review into how useful this is for translators please read Can You Learn Translation from “The Routledge Course in Japanese Translation”? The

How To Get into Video Game Localization – JAT PROJECT 2020

On September 13th 2020 I held a talk for the Japan Association of Translators (JAT) online conference PROJECT. Each talk focused on a different sub-genre of Japanese English translation. Literary, medical, legal, interpreting, how to use CAT tools, and entertainment.

Freelance Entertainment Translators: Finding Clients, Writing Cover e-mails, Resumes

This article is a summary of a webinar I held on 5th July, 2020. The webinar was for freelance Japanese to English (and FIGS+) translators in the entertainment industry, but could apply to editors, letterers, etc., as well as to

Understanding Source Texts – How to Improve Your Translations Skills

Understanding Source Text - How to Improve Your Translations Skills

Translation is a highly skilled career, yet the majority of translators are self-taught. Perhaps a class at college or a seminar here and there, but the majority of translators don’t tend to go to school for formal training. Even those

What Went Wrong with Netflix’s Neon Genesis Evangelion Translation?

The first thing I heard about the Netflix’s re-release of the 1996 cult-classic anime Neon Genesis Evangelion was: “WTF? They’ve removed Fly Me To The Moon.” Shortly after my Twitter was full of angry and confused people talking about the new

How To Turn Down a Translation Job

Earlier this year a friend said something along the lines of; “I’m too busy to take this translation job, but I don’t want to say “no” in case they never want to hire me again.” Obviously this friend is amazing

Articles for Localizers – Translation Link Roundup [Winter 2019 Part 2]

The following is a collection of interesting articles I found. These are not necessarily recent articles, some are a few years old. But they’re ones I’ve read recently. It’s been a little while since I’ve gathered my bookmarks of interesting

8 Exercises To Teach Yourself Japanese-English Translation

Novice and aspiring translators are often hit with this seemingly impassable wall when they start. You may think Japanese-English translation is doable as long as you know Japanese, but it’s not that simple… Translation is a skill separate from Japanese

Japanese – English Translation Competitions 2019

[Updated: 14-Oct-2019] Japanese – English translation competitions are a great way to improve your translation skills and get your name out there. They can be particularly great for people new to the industry for putting on resumes. If you win

What Qualifications Do I Need to Become a Translator?

Spoiler Alert: NONE! But read on if you’re interested in why… Do I Need a Degree? A Brief History in Translation Studies Translation as a field of academic study seemed to emerge in colleges and universities around the 1950s. Initially

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