Recently, I finally read Corinne McKay‘s excellent book How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator. The book was conceived for fledgling translators and those who are thinking of pursuing a career in translation, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t informative and fun reading for established translators.

First of all, I like the direct, straight-to-the-point style of Corinne’s writing. This is the sort of book that is so direct it makes you feel addressed in a personal way. There you’ll certainly find answers to common questions about establishing a business in translation. The book covers just about every item you should think of before setting up your (home) translation office. For example: how to choose a computer system, how to set your rates, how to write an impressive resume, how to formulate demands of payment for clients with overdue invoices, how to get certification, how to calculate the amount of time you should work to make a certain amount of money, how to keep track of your assignments, and many, many more really practical tips.

Corinne writes from the point of view of a translator living in the U.S., but sometimes she also gives good advice to those living in other countries with different business practices and cultures. Also, her accounts of her own experience when switching from teaching to translating may give that go-ahead-you-can-do-it-too help that everybody needs when considering a big shift in life.

The book was first published in 2006, but I didn’t notice anything that would make it outdated. Not even in the sections about CAT tools, which are developing quite quickly these days. Corinne covers Trados, Wordfast, Déjà Vu and OmegaT, among others. Speaking of technology, I must add that Corinne is a fan of open source software, so she’ll give you plenty of proof that, yes, there is life beyond Windows.

If you’re looking for translation theory, this is not for you. This is a book for those who want to read insights into the world of professional translation from a practical point of view, those who are planning on becoming a translator (read this book first to make sure you’re on the right path) and also for those of you who, like me, are established translators with a curiosity about how fellow translators organize their businesses.

Would you like to have a look on Corinne McKay‘s excellent book How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator? You can browse the book on Google Books!