How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator [Paperback]

Corinne McKay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 20, 2006

freelance, translator, translation, home business, Business, Economics, Careers, Jobs

Editorial Reviews

Review

An excellent introductory text. ...gives the aspiring translator a comprehensive idea of what to expect and how to succeed... -- The Rat Race Rebellion, June 22, 2006

About the Author

Corinne McKay is an American Translators Association-certified French to English translator specializing in legal, financial and marketing translation. After earning a B.A. and an M.A. in French and teaching high school French for eight years, she launched her own freelance translation business and has never looked back! Based on her experiences "in the trenches" of starting a freelance business, Corinne developed and teaches the popular online course, "Getting Started as a Freelance Translator." She wrote "How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator" to help beginning and experienced translators find enjoyment and profitability in the legitimate work from home opportunity that the translation industry offers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 146 pages
• Publisher: LULU (May 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1411695208
• ISBN-13: 978-1411695207
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #228,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

About Corinne McKay: American Translators Association-certified French to English translator, specializing in legal, corporate communications and public health/international development translations.

After earning a B.A. in French and English from Geneseo College and the University of Grenoble, France, and an M.A. in French Literature and Culture from Boston College, I launched my freelance translation business (Translatewrite) in 2002 and have never looked back. Since then, I've become certified by the American Translators Association for French to English translation and have focused my business on legal, corporate communications and public health/international development translations. My translation of Gilbert Legay's Dictionnaire des Indiens de l'Amérique du Nord was published in December, 2007 by Barron's Educational Series as Dictionary of North American Indians and Other Indigenous Peoples.

In addition to working as a translator, I teach classes for people who want to become translators and published the book How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator in 2006. In early 2008, it was ranked as one of the top 100 all-time bestsellers on Lulu.com and one of the top 100 bestselling Job and Career Guides on Amazon.

What sets me apart from the many other qualified translators in the field? I think that my passion for excellent writing in English, my interest in translation technology and my ongoing involvement in the translation profession keep my clients coming back. From 2006-2008 I served as the Administrator of the ATA French Language Division, and in 2008 I was elected President of the Colorado Translators Association. I live with my husband and daughter in Boulder, Colorado and enjoy combining a fast-paced and technology-intensive career with the silence and solitude of skiing, hiking and biking in the Rocky Mountains. I am also an avid food gardener, distance runner and occasional competitor in sprint triathlons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent practical guide for beginning / aspiring translators, July 17, 2006

By 

Thomas D. Hedden (Carlisle, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator (Paperback)

It has long been very difficult to get information about careers in foreign languages: translation, interpreting, etc. Even at the college level, most foreign language departments are focused on purely academic subjects such as literature, grammar, etc., and few instructors can provide guidance to their students about what they can actually DO with their education once they complete it. This book does an excellent job of filling that need. I have been a full-time free-lance professional technical translator for over ten years, and I had a rocky road getting where I am today. I wish I had had a book like this to guide me when I was younger.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Introduction to the Business Side of Freelancing, June 13, 2007

By 

Nick (Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator (Paperback)

To make things clear right from the beginning, this book is not about teaching you how to translate, this book is about managing your business as a freelance translator.

I read it in one go and I found it very informative on a lot of very useful things. It's the basic knowledge any freelancer should know.

Well written and easy to read (complete with a glossary of jargon terms), "How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator" is a good first step in the business. I would definitely recommend it to anyone considering a career, or to anyone who happens to be bilingual.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any freelance translator, April 6, 2007

By 

Morgan 17 (Prince George VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator (Paperback)

The definition of a translator is a person who translates written messages from one language to another. Unfortunately, when you study to become one in college, you do not learn the business side of it. There is no textbook or class on that subject. It is just not part of the college cursus. They only teach you to become an in-house translator.You usually try to get some experience first before you start your freelance business.

So, when you are not prepared at all, you waste time, energy, and money in setting your business in doing so. By taking Corinne's class ( yes, she even offers an online class (6-weeks) to support her book) and reading her book: you avoid all that. As a new freelance translator, this is the PERFECT class to take before starting working. Gradually, Corinne will explain to you what to do and how to do it. One piece of advice though: ORGANIZATION. Without it, you will not go very far. I know... by experience.

Good Luck and Enjoy the book and ....the class.