The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2021 - 31

BP
estimated 15% to 40% of the

type of mini translation

you'll be compatible

total price.

slam) and compare notes.

working together.

Although it's certainly
easier if everyone in the team
uses the same software, it
shouldn't be a prerequisite.
Computer-assisted
translation tools are largely
compatible these days and
you can usually easily adapt
to other systems.

Finding Your Pack
It's probably best to be on the
lookout for potential partners

y	 Ask to see the translator's

Finding the right people
to team up with is trial
and error. And to make
it work, you all need
to know and trust each
other and be engaged
at the same level.

past work. And obviously be
wary of anyone who gives
you excuses not to do so.
y	 Avoid people who are
constantly on social
media. They're probably
not working on in-depth
projects if they have so
much free time.
y	 However, despite the
above, how someone
behaves on social media in

long before a large project
comes along. Finding the

similar to a RevClub

is trial and error. And to make

except each member

and trust each other and be
engaged at the same level.
The GTC attendees mentioned
several possible ways of
meeting and evaluating
future collaborators.
y	 Try mentoring. Although
as a mentor you're the
more seasoned translator,
you may find your
mentee has the skills
and mentality you're
looking for, especially
after receiving your input
for a few months. This is
another good reason to
give mentoring a try both
as a mentor and mentee.
y	 Set up a RevClub2 (mutual
revision group) with a few
other translators in your
language pair. I meet with
my fellow RevClubbers
twice a month. One week
we critique each other's
translations (an excerpt of
around 350 words) with a

posts could give you an
indication of what they
might be like to work with.

has a different language
pair. My Edit Club gets
together twice a month
(in the weeks when I
As there are four of us, we
review two translations

Even if you don't like
working with other people,
and many of the GTC
members attending this
hosted chat said they were
not keen on teaming up, you
can ultimately learn a lot
from working with someone
whose approach and skills
differ from yours. Although
you don't know in advance
how the teamwork will pan
out, vetting the translators
beforehand using some of
the ideas outlined here may
help you achieve a better
outcome than randomly
picking someone from an
online database.

NOTES
1	

To learn more about the GTC, read my post: " The Group
Translation Chats Story, " http://bit.ly/translation-chats.

2	

To learn more about the RevClub, read Simon Berrill's post:
" Working Together to Improve, " http://bit.ly/Rev-Club.

don't have the RevClub).

(only looking at the
target) every time we
meet. The feedback and
contributions in both
clubs are invaluable.
y	 Many master's degree
courses make you partner
up for some exercises.
This collaboration is not
only good teamwork
practice, but it could also
last beyond the MA as a
permanent partnership.

Nikki Graham is an editor and
Spanish>English translator and reviser
specializing in leisure, tourism, hospitality, journal
articles, and localization. She is a qualified
member of the Institute of Translation and
Interpreting (ITI), 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, and
ProCopywriters, a U.K. association for commercial writers.
You can find her blog, My Words for a Change, at
https://nikkigrahamtranix.com/blog. nikkigraham@cantab.net

y	 You may spot a future
collaborator during a
translation, editing, or
copywriting course or
workshop you either teach
or attend.
y	 Go to other in-person

view to improving them

events, such as

and providing general tips

conferences, whenever

we can apply in the future.

possible, as talking to

And another time we all

other attendees can give

translate the same text (a

you an idea about whether

www.ata-chronicle.online

their responses to others'

y	 Set up an Edit Club. It's

right people to team up with
it work, you all need to know

Summing Up

" Business Practices " will alternate in this space with
" The Entrepreneurial Linguist. " This column is not intended
to constitute legal, financial, or other business advice. Each
individual or company should make its own independent
business decisions and consult its own legal, financial, or other
advisors as appropriate. The views expressed here are not
necessarily those of ATA or its Board of Directors.

American Translators Association

31
http://www.bit.ly/translation-chats http://www.bit.ly/Rev-Club https://www.nikkigrahamtranix.com/blog http://www.ata-chronicle.online
The ATA Chronicle - May/June 2021

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