How to become a translator

Muslim Bayudi - I quite often receive emails asking how a career as a freelance translator (freelance translator), so I think about it, it may be useful if the advice I give them is also shown here. Please note, the following description is only valid for a freelance translator for the publisher, aka translator of books. For other types of translators, please refer to the last paragraph.

Well, the first step to become a translator of books are sent applications to various publishers, consisting of a cover letter, CV, and examples of translation (along with copies of the original text translated). Applications can be written in the Indonesian language, though not prohibited as well if you want to use the source language. Does not matter. Should we choose a publisher that publishes books which we are interested. Do not apply to a business book publisher that we are interested in translating the novel, for example.


In a cover letter, we expressed a desire to cooperate with the publisher as a freelance translator. As another cover letter, here we should tell the things that show that we are able to translate (certified translator, translating experience, the experience of writing, TOEFL scores, literary lectures, language courses, never lived abroad, essentially anything that can demonstrates our ability).

In addition, we can also mention the interest and our strengths as an interpreter. Foreign language skills more than one course is a plus. We also should mention what kind of book we are interested in and what areas we speak, even a hobby that we understood better. Thus, the publisher will choose appropriate books of our ability.

Examples included the translation should reflect that we are interested in the field. Choose a book that will highlight the ability of our translations. Examples of this translation does not need a lot, 5-10 page translation is also sufficient (A4, Times New Roman 12 pt, 2 spaces). If clumsy, so may also be forwarded to the first chapter. But the truth of any page 5-10, the quality of an interpreter can already be assessed.

Make an example of translation as well as possible because, despite a cover letter and CV can give a general idea of ​​our potential, nonetheless evidence that ability lies in the translation. This is the kind of skills we publisher, not the title or the TOEFL. If you've never been abroad, but the translation messy, yes we still will not be accepted as a freelance translator. In contrast, although self-taught learning, for example, as long as the translation good results, of course, the publisher will be happy to give orders to us.

One thing to remember, usually the publisher already has a network of translators were respectively, especially large publishers. If they have a new script, they would have subscribed for the script to their network. If they have a surplus of script, then they try the new translators. So yes maybe we should wait long enough also to get the order of translation.

To overcome this, there is also another issue. We can only offer the book to the publisher. Perhaps there is a book that belongs to us by our good and worthy translated, or we find itself to the Internet. Well, examples of which are included translation can be taken all of this book. In addition, we also have to include our evaluation of the book, which outlines why this book deserves to be translated, whatever superiority, uniqueness, why this book is important for the reader in Indonesia. Now, if the publisher interested, he will arrange original copyright, and that the affair was wrong, ethically, he will have subscribed to our translation (of course if we are deemed worthy of translation quality).

For a career as a translator, in fact we do not have the required certification, but there is also a good idea if we follow the National Certification Tests conducted by the Association of Indonesian Translators. This certificate can be used as evidence of our current ability to offer services as a translator. (Currently, the exam to become a sworn translator is no longer held.)

One more thing to note is that in addition to looking for a job, we also have to prepare to be a translator. In addition to our own skills, we also need tools to translate. At a minimum we should have KBBI, English-Indonesian dictionary and English-English dictionary. Internet is also a great resource for researching foreign terms or concepts that we find in our translation. Additionally, join the translator community on the internet, such as mailing lists bahtera@yahoogroups.com, Indonesian Translators Association group on Facebook, or read the blog Notes Translation.

In addition to applying to the publisher, we can also find the translation orders to other places, such as companies, television stations, courts, and translation bureaus abroad. Received an order from the translation of foreign translation agency is actually more profitable, because the rates 10-20 times more than the rate of local publishers. If you want to explore this, try to visit TranslatorsCafe and ProZ. Where we can display our profile and find jobs on offer. In TranslatorsCafe there are also some articles about a career in the field of translation.

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