Finalize the text before starting translation
If your schedule will allow it, take the time to finalize the text BEFORE you start translation. You will almost always save time and costs by waiting until the final text is ready.
* This post is based on the good advice of "Translation: Getting it right" published by the American Translators Association.
Resist the temptation to do it yourself
You speak one or more second languages. You are tempted to translate your company's brochure into Spanish yourself because "you lived in Argentina for two years and YOU KNOW Spanish". First of all, oral fluency does not necessarily mean written fluency. In addition, we know that quality translation requires translation into your (the translator's) native language. Unfortunately, unless you grew up speaking a second language natively (which is possible), you will never be a native speaker. Finally, oral fluency does not necessarily mean written fluency.
If I've said it once, I've said it a million times — a good translator is ultimately a good writer in their native language. You might consider yourself a fluent speaker, but that does not necessarily translate into good writing.
* This post is based on the good advice of "Translation: Getting it right" published by the American Translators Association.
How much will it cost?
The costs for translation are most often calculated by the word using today's CAT tools. Prices can range from US $0.01 to 0.20/word (one step) ... sometimes more, can't be less. 
Of course, below a certain level, you likely cannot expect a quality result. Good translation agencies are smart about their pricing (i.e., careful with their finances), but are willing to pay good translators a fair rate. Quality translation is worth the cost (in more ways than one).
The ATA makes a good suggestion:
"Be realistic. How much time do you expect a translator to spend crafting the text that will promote your product or service? ... When choosing a translation provider, calculate how much you have spent to develop the product or services you want to promote outside your country. If you cannot afford a professional translation, perhaps you are not ready for the international market yet."
* This post is based on the good advice of "Translation: Getting it right" published by the American Translators Association.
How important is style?
"You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists and writers are buried daily except Thursday"
We all know translations such as these. Funny! Every native English speaker will understand exactly what is wrong with this sentence. Sometimes, such translations are created by some sort of machine translation (e.g., Google Translate, etc.). Sometimes, translations are technically accurate, but could be written better, e.g., style, word order, etc.
Style is important. Costs can be reduced if translations are "for information only", but costs can be increased if for publication and style is not carefully watched by a professional translation team.
* This post is based on the good advice of "Translation: Getting it right" published by the American Translators Association.
Does it really need to be translated?
In today's tough economic times, companies needing translation should carefully plan their translation and localization needs, i.e., taking a close look at what should be translated and eliminating text that is not absolutely essential. Costs can be significantly reduced by doing so.
For example, one of our clients includes information in their text that assists their programmers after translation. It would be prohibitive and difficult for them to remove the additional information in the text for purposes of translation. Instead, they simply instruct us not to translate texts marked in a particular manner ... and we pass that information on our our translators. This is a simple way to reduce costs. To take it one step further, we might even have our translation engineers prepare the text for translation by marking such text as "DoNoTranslate" (e.g., when used in Trados).
* This post is based on the good advice of "Translation: Getting it right" published by the American Translators Association.
What would you suggest for translator’s whose native language is English? It seems there really is more demand to go into non-English languages in the US?
I can understand how you might think that, but it is completely untrue. Of course, most companies in the US need translation into languages other than English. However, many international companies outside the US also need translation into English. In addition, may companies in the US need translation into English. Bottom line, whatever your language pair(s), you can find work if you have passion and desire to be the best linguist you can be.
What is ProZ.com?
ProZ.com is place for linguists and companies needing language services to come together. For a freelance translator, it's a great place to find work, learn and serve others. Check it out!
What is the benefit of getting listed on Proz or tranlsator’s cafe?
The primary benefit is finding work! Translations companies and companies who need translation often use sites like these to find translators who meet their specific needs. For example, on ProZ.com, companies looking for translators can filter by service (e.g., translation, editing, etc.), language pair, field of expertise, years of experience, CAT tools (e.g., Trados, Across, etc.) used, positive feedback and more. These are great places to start finding work!
Secondly, sites like these help you build your reputation as a professional linguist. Not only can you receive positive feedback from the companies you work for, you can also assist other translators in terminology research, participate in virtual conferences, learn from other translators and their experiences, find answers to technical challenges (e.g., problems with your CAT tools), etc. - all of which helps you build your reputation.
How do you network?
- Online communities - There are several sites that facilitate interaction including www.proz.com, www.translatorscafe.com, www.atanet.org, www.elance.com, www.facebook.com, www.linkedin.com and others.
- Professional associations - As eluded to above, you can benefit greatly by membership in local, national and international translator associations including the American Translators Association and others.
- Universities - Contact the language departments of the higher learning institutions in your area.
- Translator gatherings - There are really countless gatherings, e.g., annual conferences for you translator associations, industry trade shows and online / virtual forums. Here is a list of just a few.
Let us know if you can think of other ways to network.
Using Dragon Naturally Speaking with CAT Tools
Does anyone have experience using Dragon Naturally Speaking with CAT tools (e.g., Trados, Across, etc.)? Please let us know what your experience has been.