I recently received an e-mail
from a language graduate wanting to specialize in marketing translation. They
asked me how I chose to specialize in this field and for some advice on how
they could do the same. Personally, I got into marketing translation after
working with a range of subjects as an in-house translator in Pakistan. I found
that I enjoyed translating marketing materials, press releases, adverts,
websites, etc. and that I produced higher quality work when translating these
types of texts. When I set up as a freelancer, I seized the opportunity to
control what type of translation jobs I took on and chose to specialize in
marketing translation.
There are several things that I
would advise would-be marketing translators to do to develop and hone their
skills in this area of specialization. However, they are also relevant to
seasoned pros.
Read widely
I have mentioned on several
occasions how important it is for translators to read widely, both in their
source language(s) and their target language(s), so that they can familiarize
themselves with a range of different registers and styles. Marketing
translators would be wise to read the types of texts that they want to
translate. For example, if you’re going to be translating press releases,
you’ll need to be familiar with their style and layout conventions. The more
familiar you become with these materials, the better.
Write at every opportunity
Good writing skills in the target
language are important for any translator, but they are all the more important
for marketing translators as our work is usually destined for publication and
therefore needs to be top-notch. By far the best way to polish your written
style is to write regularly. It doesn’t have to be for publication – it can be
in a diary or notebook, for example. If you don’t mind your writing being read
by others, why not try starting a blog, commenting on other people’s blogs or
contributing to industry publications?
Take a course in creative writing, copy-writing, proofreading or editing
Writing and copy-writing courses
are a great opportunity to be creative, to practice and perfect your writing,
to get feedback on your style and to reflect on the writing process.
Proofreading and editing courses will give you the tools you need to revise and
edit your work and to help ensure that you deliver translations that are typo-
and error-free.
Get to know marketing specialists and other marketing translators
Ideally, you will build a network
of contacts who can help you to learn more about marketing and marketing translation. Get to know marketing specialists, copywriters, editors and other
marketing translators that you can approach for support and advice.
Professional associations are a
great place to start: Percy Balemans recently wrote an excellent blog post on
the benefits of joining a professional association for translators and
interpreters, which is well worth reading – those interested in finding out
more can read it here. It might also be worth contacting an experienced
marketing translator to see if they would be willing to mentor you as you begin
to specialize in the field. Gaining work experience in a marketing-related
field may also help by giving you industry insights and improving your
subject-specific knowledge.
