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The Book of Standing Out: Travels through the Inner World of Freelance Translation
Take ten competent translators with two years’ experience, in the same city, all in the face of a single national economic climate.
Give them all 15,000 euros, a brand new laptop, access to the Internet, a menagerie of CAT tools, business cards and a smart website.
Shower them with books on improving their marketing and their rates and every tip and trick in the translexicon.
Then leave them to get on with things for a year.
Some will barely survive while others will thrive. But why?
The collected musings that make up Standing Out are an attempt to explore this question. They suggest that much of our success in freelance life is down to what goes on inside our heads: our sense of personal and professional autonomy, our awareness of the unique contributions we all have to make and the attitudes we cultivate.
It’s a message of optimism and hope, but also one that involves hard work and challenge. It hints at the possibilities all around us, reveals how much is within our control if we open our eyes, and encourages us to go out and seize it with both hands.
Give them all 15,000 euros, a brand new laptop, access to the Internet, a menagerie of CAT tools, business cards and a smart website.
Shower them with books on improving their marketing and their rates and every tip and trick in the translexicon.
Then leave them to get on with things for a year.
Some will barely survive while others will thrive. But why?
The collected musings that make up Standing Out are an attempt to explore this question. They suggest that much of our success in freelance life is down to what goes on inside our heads: our sense of personal and professional autonomy, our awareness of the unique contributions we all have to make and the attitudes we cultivate.
It’s a message of optimism and hope, but also one that involves hard work and challenge. It hints at the possibilities all around us, reveals how much is within our control if we open our eyes, and encourages us to go out and seize it with both hands.
174 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 29, 2014
3 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 16, 2015
This was a fun and easy read full of motivational ideas for the freelance translator. It was a good reminder of the great freedom that comes with our job and all the options we actually have – something that can be easy to lose sight of. One thing that really spoke to me personally was the sculptor story at the beginning of Chapter 4 and the importance of focusing on texts/subjects that you can truly enjoy working on. The same day that I read that part, I happened to spend some time translating a document on a topic that held a lot of interest for me (healing through artistic creation). When I got up to make some tea, I noticed two interesting things: first, that three whole hours had flown by without my realizing it, and second, that I nevertheless felt energized after this work rather than depleted as I would have if the text had been about something dreary (to me). It was a good reminder that every text you accept represents a choice and that you're the only one who can control the kinds of subjects you spend your time with. As you progressively weed out clients and subjects that aren't a good match for you, and target the ones that are, in the author's words, "what should emerge is a working life that resembles you and your deepest motivations in every way – a perfect likeness of you."
February 6, 2015
This book has somehow managed to leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling, which is a good thing, I believe. I also believe that while The Book of Standing Out might not be for every freelance translator out there, it is still a breeze of fresh air and wit that will uplift and energize its readers, at least most of the time.
Bear in mind that this is not a how-to book (there are plenty of those in the market already); it is more like being inside a community of colleagues who try to stay away from the negativity and doom that often plagues the translation industry, and do it with style and a glass of wine. And olives. Oh, and puns. And it managed to open my eyes and mind to possibilities I haven't considered before. It also led me to the actual community of colleagues that I just mentioned. How cool is that?
Anyway, if you are a freelance translator who could use a little hope and optimism, read this book.
Bear in mind that this is not a how-to book (there are plenty of those in the market already); it is more like being inside a community of colleagues who try to stay away from the negativity and doom that often plagues the translation industry, and do it with style and a glass of wine. And olives. Oh, and puns. And it managed to open my eyes and mind to possibilities I haven't considered before. It also led me to the actual community of colleagues that I just mentioned. How cool is that?
Anyway, if you are a freelance translator who could use a little hope and optimism, read this book.
March 21, 2015
This is "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne for translators. Too much wishful thinking and not down to earth. I read about 1/3-1/2 and deleted it from my Kindle. Spare your money and your time if you're not into New Age ideas. If you want to get clients, work hard, get knowledge about marketing, how markets work (demand and supply) and yes, have faith in what you're doing and be positive or at least avoid being a negative person. Any business needs time to get going and if you're competent you'll get your clients too.
July 31, 2016
Great to read about the life of translators
As an undergraduate in languages translation is also something I do on a regular basis however its fun to see where my degree could take me.
As an undergraduate in languages translation is also something I do on a regular basis however its fun to see where my degree could take me.
June 10, 2015
Good, motivating read that complements the "how-to" translation books very well.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews