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The A to Z of Freelance Translation: Everything you need to know for your first year as a freelance translator and beyond – a self-paced online course for freelance translators
[The A to Z of Freelance Translation — An online course for freelance translators]
About this Course
Entering the translation stage can often be an overwhelming experience for new freelance translators. You may have just left university with a translation degree and feel confident in your translating abilities, but less so in your business skills. Or you may be looking back on a long and successful career as an in-house translator and planning to take your first steps on the freelance stage, but are unsure where to start. Or you may even have secured your first regular clients, but you don’t enjoy the types of texts you are working on or are not happy with your income and are struggling to raise your rates and find better clients.
The A to Z of Freelance Translation has been designed as a comprehensive online course that will equip you with all the information you need to kick-start your freelance translation business and to tackle the most common issues freelancers are faced with in their first years of operation. It is the first fully online course of its type for freelance translators and allows you to progress as fast or slow as you wish, with as much or as little interaction with the coach and other participants as you like. It is the only course you’ll need to get your business up and running and to develop it in your first year and beyond.
*** Click [here] to view answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions about the course! ***
[*** ONE-OFF COURSE FEE $200 – CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR INSTANT LIFETIME ACCESS ***]
Who should take the course?
Beginning freelancers in the process of establishing their translation business, or translators in their first couple of years of trading.
Format: fully online and self-paced
Registration: open now
Start date: no set start or end dates; sign up now and start whenever you like with unlimited access to all course materials
CPD points: Approved by ATA for 5 CE points. Members of AUSIT earn 20 CPD points for this course under section 5.3 in the PD logbook.
In other countries please check with your translators’ association how many PD points you can log for this course.
Cost: $200 USD
How is The A to Z of Freelance Translation different from other courses for new freelance translators?
The A to Z of Freelance Translation is more than just a business course. It is your complete one-stop manual with all the information you need to set up your freelance translation business, and with answers to all questions you may have in your first year and beyond. There is no need to log on at certain times. The course is entirely self-paced and you can start at any time throughout the year and still interact with other participants. You will get unlimited access to the course materials even after completion.
What does registration include?
• 15 comprehensive lessons
• 50,000+ words of course material
• 24/7 course access; self-paced format
• Exclusive forum for interaction with coach and other participants (optional)
• More than 10 templates (quotation, invoice, reminder, T&Cs, CV, price list and many more)
• Downloadable e-books and articles for each lesson
• Videos and podcasts
• Workbook and journal to complete
• Interactive self-assessments, tasks and assignments
• Exclusive access to a private Facebook group for participants and alumni
• Certificate of completion for your CPD record
[*** ONE-OFF COURSE FEE $200 – CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR INSTANT LIFETIME ACCESS ***]
Course outline:
Lesson 1: What do I need to get started? Prerequisites and essentials
1. Introduction
2. ASSESSMENT: Do you have what it takes right now to be self-employed?
3. Translation skills and/or degree
4. Dictionaries & resources
5. Home office
6. Recommendations
7. Awareness of tax requirements
8. Professional profile (“CV”)
9. Website
10. Specialist skills
11. Professional associations
12. Self-motivation
13. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 2: How do I get paid work?
1. Introduction
2. Translator platforms
3. Agencies
4. Direct clients
5. What do I do without any experience?
6. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 3: What do I charge? Price calculation models
1. Introduction
2. Determining your rates
3. Per word vs. per hour
4. Lines vs. pages vs. words
5. Agency vs. direct client
6. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 4: What do I do when I get an enquiry? Translation project management basics
1. Introduction
2. Business correspondence basics
3. Due diligence
4. How to quote
5. Delivery date, scope and format
6. Price negotiation
7. Payment terms and methods
8. Purchase order / order confirmation
9. NDA/contract
10. Type of translation
11. Follow-up
12. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 5: What does a professional translation involve? The translation process from start to finish
1. Introduction
2. Questions to ask the client
3. Terminology research
4. From first draft to target text review
5. Quality assurance (QA)
6. Review by proofreader or colleague and EN-15038
7. Final check and preparing the deliverables
8. Extras that will make you stand out
9. QUIZ
10. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 6: Do I need CAT tools?
1. Introduction
2. Definition and benefits
3. Facts and misconceptions
4. Popular CAT tools
5. QUIZ
6. Machine translation
7. Match discounts
8. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 7: How do I bill for my work? Invoicing from A to Z
1. Introduction
2. What information needs to be on an invoice?
3. When do I send my invoices?
4. Bank and PayPal charges
5. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 8: Do I need Terms & Conditions? The “legal stuff”
1. Introduction
2. What are Terms and Conditions?
3. What do Terms and Conditions need to contain?
4. How to deal with clients’ Terms and Conditions
5. Non-compete clause
6. Liability
7. Project cancellations
8. Copyright
9. Destruction of documents
10. Whose Terms and Conditions apply?
11. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 9: What if things go wrong? Typical issues and how to tackle them
1. Introduction
2. I didn’t get paid, now what?
3. The client didn’t like my translation, now what?
4. The client wants a free test translation, is that normal?
5. An enquiry sounds fishy; is it a scam?
6. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 10: How do I get repeat business from clients?
1. Introduction
2. Courteous and professional correspondence
3. Become a preferred supplier
4. Develop your USP
5. Gifts and cards
6. Conduct a customer satisfaction survey
7. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 11: How can I get more done and stay focused? Boost your productivity
1. Introduction
2. Methods
3. Software
4. QUIZ
5. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 12: How do I market myself to grow my business?
1. Introduction
2. ASSESSMENT: How well do you know and market to your ideal target market?
3. Marketing plan
4. Elevator pitch
5. Branding and logo
6. Position yourself as an expert
7. Enter awards
8. PR
9. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 13: Do I need social media?
1. Introduction
2. Social media marketing basics
3. Online reputation
4. SEO and visibility
5. Social media marketing tools
6. Platforms for language professionals
7. Measuring your results
8. Social media marketing plan
9. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 14: How do I stay healthy and motivated?
1. Introduction
2. Avoid the whinge trap
3. Make the most of dry spells
4. Avoid social isolation
5. Eat healthily and exercise
6. ASSIGNMENTS
Lesson 15: The next steps for my translation business: Diversification for freelance translators
1. Introduction
2. Linguistic diversification
3. Extra-linguistic diversification
4. Passive diversification
5. External diversification
6. Distinctive diversification
7. ASSIGNMENTS
[Sign Up for The A to Z of Freelance Translation: Everything you need to know for your first year as a freelance translator and beyond]
[*** ONE-OFF COURSE FEE $200 – CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR INSTANT LIFETIME ACCESS ***]
Testimonials:
“I found this to be a fantastic course covering a great range of essential topics. It really helped me develop better business skills and answered a lot of questions I have had about running my own translation business. I very much enjoyed the set-up of the course. With its various activities, videos, cartoons, articles and podcasts, this course was never boring. I liked the fact that there were many ready-to use templates to download. I thoroughly enjoyed this course, learned a lot and can very much recommend it not only to beginning freelancers but also to translators already running their own business who want to improve their business and marketing skills.” – Isabel von Prollius, course graduate
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“The A to Z of Freelance Translation answers every question you’re likely to have in those early days, weeks and months as a freelancer (and plenty more, besides). In the process of working through the exercises in the course, you effectively end up writing a how-to manual for your own translation career. If you’re serious about building a business as a professional translator, this course will shave years off your learning curve, help you avoid costly but common rookie mistakes, and figure out where to focus your energies so that it really counts.” – Sarah Dillon
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“Supportive and challenging at the same time, this self-paced course and its workbook are the companions to the start or the renewal of a career as a freelance translator. Backed by Nicole’s extensive knowledge of the translation market and her own experience, packed with real-life examples, step-by-step how-tos and check-lists, it’s a mine of information. On top of the extensive information provided, the workbook really takes the whole course to another level, because it requires us to think about our own business and what we want to do about it.
The course not only guides us through the tools and practicalities, it also helps us find the right mindset to feel confident, and succeed, as a translator solopreneur. Empowering!” – Caroline Sanders
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“The A-Z of Freelance Translation goes right back to basics, beginning with whether you have the motivation, qualifications and tools to set out as a freelance translator and moving on to the nitty gritty of what to charge, how to respond to inquiries and what to do when problems arise. In neat, bite-sized pieces it works through how to get that elusive first assignment and moves on to marketing, increasing your productivity and finding your niche. Quizzes and assignments help you to reinforce what you have learned and put it into practice. Links to relevant articles and websites allow you to explore topics further. Work through the lessons at your own pace, spending as much or as little time as you wish on each one. Even the more experienced practitioner will find valuable tips and ideas here.” – Adele Anderson
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“There aren’t a lot of courses around to guide new freelance translators through the process of setting up their translation business. The course ‘A to Z of Freelance Translation’ definitely fills the gap.
Nicole’s course provides a comprehensive overview of the many decisions and questions that budding freelance translators face. Her course can also identify possible blind spots – issues new translators may not even be aware of, such as translator scams or pricing pitfalls. As far as I know, Nicole’s course is also the only one that is completely self-paced. You decide when to start and how fast you can and want to work your way through the lessons.
There are 15 lessons altogether and Nicole uses them to provide common-sense advice and thoughtful commentary. What’s more, she includes links to articles, podcasts and videos, adding variety to the learning materials and letting other voices be heard. As a plus, she subtly points beginners to some of the many online resources that not everyone may know of yet. You also get several templates, such as for writing your CV or for calculating your rates. If you want more interaction, you can also join the companion “A to Z of Freelance Translation” Facebook group where Nicole regularly posts interesting articles or notifies group members when she has added new information to the course. A great way to stay in the loop even after having completed the lessons.
The course is designed to encourage you to take action with what you have learned. Each lesson comes with assignments that get you to reflect on certain points or to implement something you learned. This keeps you from simply skimming the lessons and never implementing any improvements. The assignments also gently nudge you into tackling the scarier aspects of freelancing like finding clients, considering legal issues or taking care of your taxes. Working through the assignments gave me a much clearer vision of what I want to achieve and how to to start doing that.
You can document these assignments in the journal that comes with the course. This journal also serves as a record of how you envision your business and what you still plan to do with it. It also allows you to monitor your progress after the course. (And to go back and marvel at all the work you have done and what you have achieved so far.) At the end of the course, you will have made decisions and set the direction for all fundamental aspects of your freelance translation business.
Nicole doesn’t claim to have the one right answer to every question. Instead, she shows you which questions you need to ask (and need to keep asking) and equips you with the necessary information for finding the answers that are right for you and your business.
If you are thinking about becoming a freelance translator and want to get your business off to a good start, then this is the course for you. Or maybe you’ve already started freelancing but feel that you should be more focused or would like to improve your business. Then this is the course for you as well.” – Else Gellinek
***
“I am enjoying the course tremendously so far. […] Your course is the best investment I have made so far on my journey to becoming a freelancer, so I am very grateful!” – Emma May Price, current course participant
***
“I am very much enjoying your course. The information is relevant, it’s presented well, the layout is appealing and the online course is easy to navigate. It’s a well-structured learning experience with manageable chunks of new information and assessments which help retain the knowledge learnt in the course. The Facebook group is another great added extra.” – Current course participant
***
“There is lots of useful info out there, but because there is so much of it scattered all over the web, I find the volume pretty intimidating, and I had a hard time deciding where to begin to tackle all the aspects of the business. So I am thankful I came across your course, because it covers everything I needed in one spot.” – Current course participant
[*** ONE-OFF COURSE FEE $200 – CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR INSTANT LIFETIME ACCESS ***]
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Testimonials
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About me
Award-winning German English marketing, PR and corporate communications translation specialist. Author of 'Diversification in the Language Industry' and 'The A to Z of Freelance Translation' online course.
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How can I help?
[• Need a coach to kick-start your translation business?] [• Need your document translated?] [• Need your English text revised?] [• Need your US English text internationalised or adapted for the UK or Australian market?]
Testimonials
"Nicole was wonderful to work with, very attentive and delivered a very high-quality result. Absolutely would use her services again."
Agency client, USA
"When hiring Nicole as a translator and editor you will be working with a reliable person who delivers high quality text."
LinkedIn recommendation
“Nicole has been my most trusted translator for the last 5 years and has my highest recommendations. She always delivers translations at highest quality, her German is on native speaker level which helps her understand even the finest facets of a text. Most importantly, she puts thought in her work and sees solutions instead of problems. This and the fact that she is a nice person and fun to work with make her the prefect project partner.”
LinkedIn recommendation
“Nicole was wonderful to work with, very attentive and delivered a very high-quality result. Absolutely would use her services again.”
Agency client, USA
“Nicole has worked with us on several projects localizing from EN-US to EN-AU. She is always responsive and thorough in her communications, clear in her objectives, and delivers great results. Nicole is a pleasure to work with and I recommend her services without reserve.”
LinkedIn recommendation
“We have been working with Nicole Adams for several years, she is a very good DE>EN translator. She is very reliable and punctual and a pleasure to work with!”
LinkedIn recommendation
“Nicole is a very professional translator. We were very happy with the results of a german to english translation. The translation was delivered in time. No correction was required. For our next translations we’ll definitely ask her again.”
LinkedIn recommendation
“Wir freuen uns Frau Adams für unser Team gewonnen zu haben. Sie beherrscht nicht nur Ihre Sprache, sondern auch die geflügelte Sprache des Marketings perfekt. Darüber hinaus beherrscht Sie auch Ihre technischen Hilfsmittel perfekt, was eine Zusammenarbeit einfach macht und Freude bereitet. Wir hoffen, dass wir noch viele gemeinsame Projekte zusammen abwickeln werden.”
LinkedIn recommendation
“I can highly recommend Nicole as a business coach for translators. She is very resourceful and her positive attitude as well as her professional marketing approach helped me to make great progress with my translation business.”
N. Cesson, Australia/Germany
“Nicole was hired to present two workshops in May and June 2012 to members of the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators in Adelaide. In the first one, she demonstrated translation software and in the second, presented on Social Media Marketing for Language Professionals. Nicole had clearly put time and thought into organising the content so it was easy to follow and contained information relevant to the audience. She encouraged questions and discussion during the presentation and
AUSIT SA/NT Committee Chairperson, Adelaide
“I’ve enjoyed attending Nicole’s workshop on Social Media Marketing, it was informative, very well documented and lively. During the workshop, I identified a few ideas I could act on rapidly and food for thought for later too. I definitely recommend Nicole as a trainer, she was open, thorough, attentive to her audience and convincing. One of her advantages is that she talks from experience, she is walking the talk, which makes her presentation even more interesting.”
Social media workshop participant
“I attended Nicole’s workshop on Social Media Marketing yesterday and was very impressed by the quality of her presentation as well as the contents and material delivered. I would definitely attend another of her workshops and recommend her services to any language professional.”
Social media workshop participant
“Very professional, friendly and efficient! Looking forward to cooperating with you again!”
Business English coaching provider, Germany
“Reliable and professional translator. Excellent cooperation!”
Language service provider, USA
“Nicole has done several translation for me over the years. She always delivers quality and on time. Thanks Nicole!”
Global language service provider
“Very professional, accurate, flexible, fast. I’m sure we will work again in the future.”
Agency client, Germany
“Highly reliable and fast turnaround. Nice contact. Super translation. Will definitely work with NYA again!”
Freelance translator, Switzerland
“A skilled linguist. Very reliable, and honest. We have now worked on a couple of projects together, and I hope to work with Nicole again soon!”
Market research company, USA
“Extremely quick turnaround, great communication, friendly and professional. Thanks again, Nicole!”
Private client, UK
“A wonderful linguist to work with. Nicole was very helpful for not just translation, but also delivering the meaning of sometimes cryptic responses.”
Market research company, USA
“High quality, very reliable.”
Language service provider, Switzerland
“Her work is very reliable, delivery always on time.”
Agency client, Austria
“Very reliable, very fast, very thorough – one of the best translators for German-English, and very nice!”
Communications and business development company, Germany
“A very professional linguist – thank you very much.”
Translation and SEO company, New Zealand
“Punctual, precise and responding.”
Language service and marketing company, Italy
“Nicole is absolutely reliable and very professional. It’s always a pleasure to work with her!”
Agency client, Switzerland
“Very kind and fast service.”
Private client, Germany
“We appreciate Nicole for her precise work and she is always in time.”
Translation agency, Switzerland
“Reliable and punctual translator. Positive feedback from customers and colleagues alike.”
Translation agency, Germany
“Nicole Y. Adams does exactly what she promises, she is reliable, quick and the quality is perfect. Thank you, dear Nicole!”
Private client, Czech Republic
“Nicole was professional, punctual and accurate. I will have no hesitation in working with her again.”
International Language Service Provider
“High quality translations and very prompt with delivery. Excellent translator.”
Agency client, Spain
“Very reliable and excellent work!”
Agency client, Germany
“Great communication and follow-up, very responsive, friendly, and helpful.”
Agency client, Germany
“I wanted to let you know that your feedback has been nothing but good for the translations you’ve been submitting. Job well done and keep up the good work!”
Agency client, Germany
“As we´ve had very time critical translations to do with very special financial/stock market wording, we were very pleased to receive the translations within one day, often within an hour, in a perfect wording. The communication with Nicole was always a pleasure.”
Direct client (online payment solutions provider), Germany
“Very professional. Quality work. Great communication and ability to meet deadlines.”
Globalisation and localisation company, USA
“Nicole has been a great help getting my business off the ground back in 2009 and has provided me with invaluable support throughout the process and beyond. Her business and marketing insights were extremely useful, and I can’t recommend her highly enough as a mentor for new translators.”
M. Mueller, UK
“Nicole is an excellent mentor and has taught me so much over the previous year by supporting me to establish my own business. She is a true professional with creativity, who is always open to share her expertise and experience with colleagues and peers.”
P. Junge, Australia
“Thanks so much for all the fantastic information! Your advice and help is really invaluable. I’m keeping all the tips you have given me for future reference.”
R. Gadd, UK
“Ich habe bis jetzt nur gutes über Ihre Leistungen von unseren Projektmanagern und unserem Lektorat gehört und habe auch dieses Mal wieder ein positives Feedback für den Auftrag XXXX für Sie. [...] Auf eine weitere gute Zusammenarbeit! Und mir bleibt nur zu sagen: Brilliant work!”
Advertising translation company, Germany
“You’re a professional translator – and it shows in your work! We’re honoured to have you on our team of very gifted and generous volunteer translators.”
Non-profit organisation
Contact me!
[Nicole Y. Adams]
[info@nyacommunications.com]
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ABN 51 263 963 022
My other projects
[ • The A to Z of Freelance Translation]
[ • Diversification in the Language Industry]
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