McKay Corinne. How to succeed as a Freelance Translator

Two Rat Press, 2006. — 141 p. — ISBN 978-1-4116-9520-7.The book is mainly directed at bilingual people who either live in the U.S. or want to work for clients in the U.S. , but it is useful for anyone who is exploring a full-time or part-time career in translation. Since many translators in the U.S. , including the majority of members of the American Translators Association, are self-employed independent contractors working primarily over the Internet, freelance translation is an excellent part-time career option for foreign language teachers, graduate students, at-home parents and semi-retired people. The web-based nature of most translation work also makes translation an excellent portable career; with a few exceptions, most translators can work from anywhere they can get reliable Internet access.
For experienced translators, the book includes useful information such as sample invoices, collection letters and a billable hours sheet, a Resources section with contact information for translator training programs and translators' associations, and information on how to set up your translation business for efficiency and profit.An overview of the translation business
What is a translator?
What does it take to become a translator?
Improving your language skills
A translator's working environment
What kinds of work do translators do?
Software Localization
Who do translators work for?
Working for translation agencies
Working for direct clients
A bit about interpreting
How do translators set their rates?
Professional Associations
American Translators Association
National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators
Translators and Interpreters Guild
American Literary Translators Association
Federation Internationale des Traducteurs
International Association of Conference Interpreters
Certification for Translators
American Translators Association
Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination Program
State Court Interpreter Certification
Starting and Growing your Business
Preparing for your job search
The basics of writing a translation resume
A new résumé for a new career
The structure of your résumé
Your name
Your summary of qualifications
The body of the résumé
What about a cover letter?
Finding your first clients
Building up your business
Starting a part-time translation business
Business skills you'll need
Setting up your office and your business
Maximizing productivity
For working parents
Home office setup
Preparing for your home office
The ups and downs of working from home
Necessary office equipment
Organizing your business
Translation home office technology
Non-Western character sets
Speech recognition software
Translation memory software
Trados
SDLX
Déjà Vu
Wordfast
Heartsome
OmegaT
WordFisher
across
Choosing a computer system
Rates, contracts and terms of service
Setting your translation rates
Rate sheets
Contracts or work for hire agreements
Terms of service
Researching your potential clients
Standard payment terms and methods
Setting the stage for payment
When things don't go as planned
Arbitration and dispute resolution
Cash flow issues
Setting up your business for growth
Incorporating and planning for taxes
Corporate Entities
Tax planning
Key Questions Before the Project Starts
How to Raise Your Rates
Ten ways to please a translation client