The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2018 - 28

BUSINESS PRACTICES continued
social media, having Twitter, LinkedIn,
Facebook, and WordPress (for my blog)
on my phone helps me stay in touch
with friends, colleagues, and keep
abreast of translation news.
Get a computer-assisted translation
(CAT) tool. I used the same CAT tool
for ages, but it became really slow once
I updated to the latest Windows and
Microsoft Office software, so I recently
switched to memoQ. Unfortunately, this
means I'll have to spend time I really
don't have learning how to use this CAT
properly, but I'm hoping future time gains
will more than compensate. Another
reason for changing my CAT is that I
want to try Slate Desktop (again, in the
hope that it will enable me to work more
efficiently), which doesn't work with my
old tool. Recent results with memoQ have
been promising so far.
Dictate your translations. I've been
using Dragon NaturallySpeaking (DNS)
for a while and it really does speed up
the translation process once you get over
that initial hurdle of feeling awkward
saying everything aloud. DNS used in
combination with Wordfast and the
new Office software constantly made
everything crash. I've not experienced
any of these annoying problems with
memoQ so far.
Choose your translation/revision jobs
wisely. This is easy to say, and I don't
always get my analysis stage right. When
you have limited time available to work
and you need to maximize your earnings,
you have to assess job offers carefully and
reject any that might pose complications
(e.g., formatting, terminology, difficulty
level, clunky style, etc.), or you could
miss your deadline.
Don't get too booked up. Caregiving can
be unpredictable and sometimes eats up
substantial amounts of the time you were
planning to allocate to work. If you leave
some room in your schedule, you can
catch up later. Being particular about the
jobs you accept and rejecting anything
with a tight deadline might mean you end
up saying "no" far more often than you
used to. Some days I reject everything I'm
offered and then have no work at all, but
this is preferable to letting a client down
28

The ATA Chronicle | January/February 2018

or putting myself in a pressurized situation
when home life is stressful enough.
Inform your client when things go
wrong. If you find that you cannot
make the deadline, you need to tell
your client as soon as possible. I've
been working with some of my clients
for well over a decade and I told them
about my situation when circumstances
beyond my control ate into my buffer
and I knew it was impossible to
complete the assignment on time.
Obviously, not everyone is going to
be so understanding, which is why it's
important to let your clients know as
soon as possible.

Being a caregiver takes large
chunks out of your available work
time, plus it often doesn't put
you in the frame of mind to focus
when you finally do manage to sit
down at your desk.

Work for the right clients. I'm not
actively seeking any direct clients at the
moment as I know I don't have time to take
care of all their requirements. I also steer
clear of agencies with tight turnarounds,
strict deadlines, and a tendency to dock
your pay if you deliver late.
Maximize concentration when
working. I often listen to music
especially put together to improve brain
power when I need to free my mind and
knuckle down. I'm currently paying for
Focus@Will, although you'll find lots of
playlists to aid concentration on Spotify
for free.
Learn to work in smaller chunks. I've
always preferred to translate for long
stretches at a time and felt it wasn't
worthwhile to settle down to work unless
I had at least an hour available. Now
I'm having to change that mindset to
make use of any chunk of time, even 15
minutes, just to power on and get things
done. This works for translating, but
is no good for revising/editing my own

and others' translations when I need a
much longer uninterrupted period to
concentrate properly.
Have a shorter to-do list. I got the
idea of a three-item to do-list from
Elisabeth Hippe-Heisler's Translation
and Minimalist blog.1 Just trying to
achieve three things per day rather than
writing a long list of tasks that I would
find impossible to achieve is far more
calming and satisfying when I manage
to tick them off.
Build a support network. Combining
caregiving with earning a living can
make it difficult to meet up with friends
and colleagues, as social and translation
events often clash with caring duties or
work. I'm always grateful when a family
member or friend offers to help because
I need breaks to recharge my batteries.
As freelancers, it's especially important
to take advantage of any opportunities
to stave off isolation. If I can't get out to
see people, I can always invite them to
visit me instead.
Look after yourself. This is probably
the tip I'm worst at, but I've been putting
in more of an effort recently. I dress in
clothes that make me feel good about
myself and always wear some jewelry and
perfume. I'm also trying to spend more
time exercising, relaxing, and eating more
healthily. I won't be any good to anyone if
I get sick and am unable to look after my
family or do any work.
NOTES
1
Translation and Minimalist blog,
http://hippe-heisler.blogspot.com.

Nikki Graham is a proof-editor
and Spanish>English translator
and reviser specializing in
leisure, tourism, hospitality,
journal articles, education, and
localization. She is a qualified
member of the Institute of Translation and
Interpreting (MITI), having passed the ITI exam in
the subject of leisure and tourism. She is also a
member of Mediterranean Editors and Translators,
an association of language professionals
who work mainly into or with English. You
can find her blog, My Words for a Change, at
https://nikkigrahamtranix.com/blog. Contact:
nikkigraham@cantab.net.
www.atanet.org
http://hippe-heisler.blogspot.com https://www.nikkigrahamtranix.com/blog http://www.atanet.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The ATA Chronicle - January/February 2018
