How feasible is it to go freelance?

[Muzu Hashi]

OK, so I'm living in Japan and want to escape the English teaching (or to be precise, ALT) straitjacket, and my plan is to become a freelance Japanese-to-English translator, possibly / probably with some proofreading thrown into the mix for good measure.

But with a wife and two kids to support, the key question is, assuming I'm reasonably competent and put in the hours touting for work, can I realistically expect to earn enough money? My current job pays about 300,000 yen a month, but I'd be happy with anything above about 250,000 - is this realistic? And if so, how long will it take to get to a point where my income is, if not guaranteed, then at least reasonably stable?

At the moment I'm doing some paid translating work on the side (ie. during my free lessons), and my intention is to have at least a couple of years' experience and three or four regular employers before I jump ship. Also - and much as I'd like to do manga, novels etc - I'm not particularly fussy about what kind of translating I end up doing, so long as it pays the bills.

I assume quite a few people in this group have been through a similar process, so would be extremely grateful if you could share some of your wisdom with me and either a) put my mind at ease, or (perhaps more likely) b) tell me to pull myself together and give up on the idea as soon as is humanly possible.

Thanks in advance!
Muzuhashi

[Edward Lipsett]

Everybody has different experiences and (I’m confident) advice.

I suggest that you keep your day job until you make enough by translating that you can’t afford to keep it.
I also suggest that you take care that no single customer accounts for more than a quarter of your income.

Other than that, good luck and no doubt six dozen more emails will follow me shortly.

Edward Lipsett

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[Matthew Schlecht]

On Tue, Jan 5, 2016 at 9:44 PM, Muzu Hashi <muzu...@gmail.com> wrote:

 

My current job pays about 300,000 yen a month, but I'd be happy with anything above about 250,000 - is this realistic?

     Assuming that you build a good rep with a number of clients, are diligent about time management, and are sure to keep a cushion for occasional dry spells, definitely realistic.

 

And if so, how long will it take to get to a point where my income is, if not guaranteed, then at least reasonably stable?

     It took me ~18 months to get to the point where I had a steady livable income from translation/editing alone.  I've heard of some people who did it in 12 months.  If you already have at least one client before starting the clock (that's cheating!), less than 12 months.  It's all about becoming a (or "the") go-to guy for work in your specializations with enough clients to keep you busy, but not so many that they drive you crazy.  And, aiming for quality clients and premium work, wherever and whenever possible.

     That first 12-18 months will be the hardest part, though, because you'll be doing your day job at the same time as putting in enormous amounts of time and energy to build up a freelance practice.

Matthew Schlecht, PhD
Word Alchemy
Newark, DE, USA
wordalchemytranslation.com

[Benjamin Boas]

Congratulations on deciding to make the push for freedom!

My experience in Japan is that much depends on your personal network. If you haven't already, make a simple business card and website. Neither takes much time and they give your primary contacts a way to spread the good word about you. 

Good luck!

--

[Tim Roy]

I just wanted to chime in and say thank you for the dialogue in this thread so far. Im living in Korea but plan to make the move to Japan in a couple years to perfect my japanese and start building my translation career, so I really appreciate hearing the advice of the professionals that reply here. Thank you everyone!

Tim Roy

[Lexi Whitmore]

I hate to bring on the doom and gloom, but I lean toward outlook B. I am a relatively new full-time translator, having started after finishing my masters in J-to-E translation in 2014, so I have a fairly good idea of what breaking into the market entails in these days. A few notes on my experiences below in reference to your original post (perhaps other new translators will chime in with their journeys starting out as well; I'm sure there is variation):

On Wednesday, January 6, 2016 at 11:52:48 AM UTC+9, Muzu Hashi wrote:

...my plan is to become a freelance Japanese-to-English translator, possibly / probably with some proofreading thrown into the mix for good measure.

After getting signed with some agencies, many will probably want you to do proofreading/editing. I have seen a range of 1,500 to 3,000 yen per hour for this (the upper range requiring quite a bit of negotiation). Proofreading can be a jumping off point, but is ultimately a career dead end at most agencies nowadays. I have read on this group before that proofreading used to be done by the most experienced translators (imagine that!) and was compensated accordingly, but it now seems to be a place for the least experienced translators to languish.

 

 

My current job pays about 300,000 yen a month, but I'd be happy with anything above about 250,000 - is this realistic? And if so, how long will it take to get to a point where my income is, if not guaranteed, then at least reasonably stable?  

At the moment I'm doing some paid translating work on the side (ie. during my free lessons), and my intention is to have at least a couple of years' experience and three or four regular employers before I jump ship. Also - and much as I'd like to do manga, novels etc - I'm not particularly fussy about what kind of translating I end up doing, so long as it pays the bills.

I would say 1-2 years is a good estimate as far as being profitable. However, this is based on the experiences of my graduate school colleagues and myself. I imagine without prior translation experience or a degree to back you up, it would be more difficult to get clients of any quality to give you a chance (it is still difficult with those credentials). As for income level, not having a specialization (i.e. not being fussy about subject matter) is a concern; generalists tend to make less and get sorted into the bulk market. Manga and novel work is relatively hard to come b, and poorly compensated. Most of that sort of work that I've seen ends up being in the 1200 to 2300 yen per hour range. Areas such as tourism or general business translation also tend to pay low rates. I would enthusiastically warn you away from such projects unless you are taking them on as a hobby.

For your target level of income, I would highly recommend developing a specialty. Consider any experience you've had in the past that could be relevant. For example, if you were an economics major in college, you could try breaking into financial translation. Also consider trying to enter a translation company as opposed to starting as a freelancer; grad school classmates of mine who did this had a much easier time breaking into the business. You can then go freelance in a few years if so inclined with experience and professional connections to put some wind in your sails.

In general, the expectations of agencies regarding expertise, subject matter knowledge, technical ability (e.g. CAT tool skills), and professionalism are quite high, while rates are falling. Experienced translators who are solidly in the premium market may not be experiencing this, but for those of us attempting to get there from the shrinking middle ground, you really have to be at the top of your game to survive.

I know this is a discouraging (and lengthy) post, but if you are truly interested in translation because you are passionate about it, please do not give up. Peruse industry blogs. Learn how to use CAT tools (my favorite is MemoQ). Read books like The Prosperous Translator that give realistic advice about the business. Translation can be a great career, but it is not for the innocent bilingual simply looking to escape into a freelance lifestyle.

Lexi Whitmore-Kim

[James Watt]

I'm doing exactly what you're planning to do. I quit my job in 2011 to go freelance, but I had already been doing piecework translation for a couple of agencies, and I managed to score a regular client. I still have no translation degree or other translation qualifications (though I have one in astrophysics that helps). Also, I don't really have a single specialization. I have some work I do a lot of, but I do a bit of everything (except patents - never again.)Also, I refuse to use CAT software unless I'm getting paid for the entire piece and the client is just trying to build a library of terms.)

By all rights, I shouldn't be making much, but I was on my feet within six months, stable within a year, and I tripled my original income within four years (i.e. last year).

300,000 is not only doable, I would say you should expect it. However, I absolutely agree with Edward in that you should try and get some customers first. I had only two customers the first year, and it was scary. (That being said, I still made good money.)

I only had one kid when I went freelance, but I would say that if you believe in yourself, you should do it. That's really the only thing I had going for my when I started. Life is SO much better now - though admittedly, I'm too busy to enjoy the lack of commuting. 

James

p.s. If you're good, move to Kanagawa and I'll give you a job. I have too much work to do.

[Matthew Schlecht]

On Wed, Jan 6, 2016 at 9:00 AM, Lexi Whitmore <adai...@gmail.com> wrote:

After getting signed with some agencies, many will probably want you to do proofreading/editing. I have seen a range of 1,500 to 3,000 yen per hour for this (the upper range requiring quite a bit of negotiation).

     I can say that my proofreading rate is a bit more than double the top end of your quoted range.

     It means that I turn away a great deal (~95%) of proofreading work offered at lower rates, but the clients I keep are quality clients.  This requires negotiation, but that's part of running a business.  If you do quality work, there's no reason to charge substandard fees.

     You do need a technical specialization, though, one in which hobbyists cannot make much of a dent.

 

Proofreading can be a jumping off point, but is ultimately a career dead end at most agencies nowadays.

     At the low end, yes, just as translation at the low end is a career killer, because you are competing with machine translation, and machines don't need to sleep.  I guess someday we will have machine proofreading, too, if we don't already, but that doesn't alarm me very much, and for the same reasons.
     I have colleagues who are increasing the amount of proofreading/editing in their service mix as a way to improve cost flow, especially when they are in less attractive specializations.  One large market is academics who aren't proficient in English (even native speakers!) who wish to publish in English language journals or submit grant proposals.  These guys can be hard to find, but it's good work.  This obvious requires a vendor (i.e., you) who is a good writer in addition to being a good translator, but I don't know any good translators who are not also good writers.
 

As for income level, not having a specialization (i.e. not being fussy about subject matter) is a concern; generalists tend to make less and get sorted into the bulk market.

     Definitely!

 

For your target level of income, I would highly recommend developing a specialty.

      Agree wholeheartedly!

 

Translation can be a great career, but it is not for the innocent bilingual simply looking to escape into a freelance lifestyle.

     Agree here, too.

     Honestly, if someone were seeking general career advice, I don't know if I would push freelance translation strongly.  For people who are proficient at it, and are willing to trade security (!) for the lifestyle flexibility offered by freelancing, it remains IMO a viable career.

     It's been said before, but bears repeating, that one of the most important things is to stay way clear of the low end of the market, and think very seriously before sliding even a little bit in that direction ("lower rates just this once").  Set standards and believe in them, or your clients never will.

[Dan Lucas]

I started freelancing not long ago. In my case I already had some specialized industry experience, so I was able to get up and running quickly. I was making a decent income within a few months, even when I was working part time. So it is entirely possible.

 

However, while almost anything is theoretically possible, if a potential freelancer like the OP wants to raise the probability of success, he needs "something" that makes him stand out to his clients.

 

That "something" could be sought-after specialist knowledge of some kind, or unusually strong marketing, or exceptional translation skills, or lightning speed, or conceivably even a very approachable and friendly manner with clients.

 

Incidentally, while academic qualifications may help, I wouldn't expect clients to beat a path to his door solely on the strength of a degree in language or translation.

 

The question the starter of this thread should ask himself is this: how do I differentiate myself? What's unique about the mix of skills that I can offer clients now or in the future?

Regards

Dan Lucas

[Warren Smith]

Over the decades that I have been freelancing, I have attempted to mentor several starry-eyed young translators (from several different languages). Most of these young bilinguals have been lured into the field by the promise of easy money (seeing the six-figure incomes of some freelancers, and intrigued by the flexibility of the lifestyle).

 

However -- when the new translators have run into the harsh realities of the freelancer lifestyle (mostly the hard work and drudgery, the need for extreme self-discipline, the crushing social isolation, etc.), they have ALL reported to me "This is way too hard! I can't to this!" and withdrawn, taking their careers in other directions.

 

My advice -- try a few documents first. Look at the income in terms of hourly productivity (knowing that you will become more productive over time), and evaluate whether you can see yourself doing this for twenty or thirty years.

 

Dr. Warren Smith

 

PS: Note also that the market is also turning soft right now -- kind of plummeting, actually. I don't know were it will bottom out. (My personal income was down by over $100,000 in 2015 from where it was in 2014 -- this is hard to adjust to! ) Though for years I have been a cheerleader for translation, I am not currently encouraging my friends to enter the translation field.

 

 

[Warren Smith]

[EDITED FOR A TYPO]

 

 Over the decades that I have been freelancing, I have attempted to mentor several starry-eyed young translators (from several different languages). Most of these young bilinguals have been lured into the field by the promise of easy money (seeing the six-figure incomes of some freelancers, and intrigued by the flexibility of the lifestyle).

 

However -- when the new translators have run into the harsh realities of the freelancer lifestyle (mostly the hard work and drudgery, the need for extreme self-discipline, the crushing social isolation, etc.), they have ALL reported to me "This is way too hard! I can't to this!" and withdrawn, taking their careers in other directions.

 

My advice -- try a few documents first. Look at the income in terms of hourly productivity (knowing that you will become more productive over time), and evaluate whether you can see yourself doing this for twenty or thirty years.

 

Dr. Warren Smith

 

PS: Note also that the market is also turning soft right now -- kind of plummeting, actually. I don't know where it will bottom out. (My personal income was down by over $100,000 in 2015 from where it was in 2014 -- this is hard to adjust to! ) Though for years I have been a cheerleader for translation, I am not currently encouraging my friends to enter the translation field.

 

 

[Mark Spahn]

The utility of specialization has been mentioned.

It would be ideal to find a specialty in which there is a great

unmet need for translation.  And the time investment needed to

become a top translator in a specialty like, say, particle physics

is much less than the time it would take to become a top-notch

particle physicist.  (Right? The specialized vocabulary you’d need

to learn is only a few hundred words.)

 

Advertising, financial, medical, patents, contracts – these are all

well trodden fields for translators.  But there must be some niches

that other translators never think of getting into.  And any translator

who discovers such a niche has no incentive to bruit it about

and attract competition.  Maybe such a niche with a high demand

for translation would be, for example, livestock hairstyling.

http://www.balnafettach.com/images/photos/cattle2.jpg

-- Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY)

 

[Ben]

As others have said, definitely:

- Specialize. I'm in pharma and biomedical. The demand is so much higher than the supply that we pharma translators rarely view each other as competitors. We're more like one big happy family. Pharma is not the only specialization. Find one that you enjoy and can consistently produce quality translations in, realizing that if you keep it up for 30 years, you may spend 50,000 hours of your life doing it.

- Don't do proofreading, at least for agencies. There is some high-end proofreading work, but you'd better be good ;).

And another idea, register with lots of translation agencies to build up a base. Some will send you work, but most will not. It's a numbers game at first.

And yet another idea, attend translation conferences. Way back at the end of last millennium, I attended my first conference, the 1999 American Translators Association conference. The network of colleagues I developed, the great advice they gave me, the information I gained from the presentations, and the agencies I registered with there were the foundation for what I've been doing since. The Japan Association of Translators (JAT) has many meetings and one or two big conferences a year. (Disclosure: I'm JAT Vice President.) JAT isn't the only game it town. The Japan Translation Federation (JTF) also has several meetings a year as well as the November Honyakusai.

Ben Tompkins

President, Tompkins Biomedical Communications K.K.

Vice President, Japan Association of Translators

[Dan Lucas]

"And yet another idea, attend translation conferences. Way back at the end of last millennium, I attended my first conference, the 1999 American Translators Association conference. The network of colleagues I developed, the great advice they gave me, the information I gained from the presentations, and the agencies I registered with there were the foundation for what I've been doing since."

 

I second this. I met Ben and a bunch of other great people at I-JET 26 in York in the summer of 2015. Very motivating to meet and talk with so many successful peers in what is, essentially, a lonely profession. Well worth the time and the money.

 

Regards

Dan Lucas

[Tom Gally]

An ancient compilation of advice, some of it probably still relevant, is here:

http://gally.net/translation/gettingstarted.htm

Tom Gally

[Geoffrey Trousselot]

On Wed, Jan 6, 2016 at 11:44 AM, Muzu Hashi <muzu...@gmail.com> wrote:

OK, so I'm living in Japan and want to escape the English teaching (or to be precise, ALT) straitjacket, and my plan is to become a freelance Japanese-to-English translator, possibly / probably with some proofreading thrown into the mix for good measure.

I'm not sure what the "straitjacket" is you refer to. "Escape English teaching to become a translator" could be out of the frying pan into the fire.

But with a wife and two kids to support, the key question is, assuming I'm reasonably competent and put in the hours touting for work, can I realistically expect to earn enough money? My current job pays about 300,000 yen a month, but I'd be happy with anything above about 250,000 - is this realistic? And if so, how long will it take to get to a point where my income is, if not guaranteed, then at least reasonably stable?

At the moment I'm doing some paid translating work on the side (ie. during my free lessons), and my intention is to have at least a couple of years' experience and three or four regular employers before I jump ship. Also - and much as I'd like to do manga, novels etc - I'm not particularly fussy about what kind of translating I end up doing, so long as it pays the bills.

If you can manage to gain three or four regular clients while teaching English, I would advise only to jump ship if the English teaching is really keeping you from earning money.

You mention anything above 250,000. It is realist to be able to earn that much with even poor marketing skills. However it is not a realistic amount in terms of living. You really want closer to 400,000 to live on, which means bringing in about 480,000 to pay for the local taxes and pension.

It is hard to keep that up. Realistically you need to end up working at least 25 days a month.

Taking into consideration the 10 percent national tax, say for example you have to aim for 535,000 (which is what you need to earn to live on 400,000). That comes to 21,400 a day.

First grasp how many hours you need to work to earn that much based on the actual work that you do. 

I think working at a company gives better freedom of lifestyle. You have evenings and weekends and these are usually the work times for a freelancer. 

I would be working full time at a company if I had a variation of work that would not drive me mad, and if I found a salary that would support me fully.

The key points are:

Demerits:

Loss of freedom--you have a family to support and if you are a couple of months behind in the bills, you may not even be able to take time off work when you really want to. In a company, you have much better freedom to arrange time off work and not lose half a month's pay.

Loss of weekends and evenings--As the family money earner, you don't have any labor regulations watching over you to ensure you take holidays and breaks. The more you work the more money you earn. The ordinary family is always struggling with money and so there is always upward pressure to work harder faster longer. Any family discussion about shortage of finances will ultimately be pressure to work harder faster and longer.

Social isolation--I feel I have the maturity of someone about 15 years younger than I am as I have spent so much time behind a computer screen not socializing.

Merits:

You can choose what you translate--This means you can create a balance that suits you. You can enjoy the synchronicity between your life and the world around you with the different subject matter that is offered to you. I am doing academic papers at the moment, not because they are the best money earners but because I learn about interesting things and it is a type of work that I feel I could continue into retirement. I also translate books from time to time even though I may not receive payment for them (I just translate as a normal rate like any other work) until they are published, which may be a year later, because it requires an extra level of care and provides a little bit more pride.

You can nap, exercise and eat what you want--It can be quite stressful in a company environment in the afternoon if you get sleepy at that time. Fighting mind vacancy when you have to keep on working. You have a kitchen nearby that allows you to cook nice food rather than having to eat the rice, bread or pasta based foods available in the city.

Nado.

Geoffrey Trousselot

 

I assume quite a few people in this group have been through a similar process, so would be extremely grateful if you could share some of your wisdom with me and either a) put my mind at ease, or (perhaps more likely) b) tell me to pull myself together and give up on the idea as soon as is humanly possible.

Thanks in advance!
Muzuhashi

[Muzu Hashi]

Thanks for the advice, Warren, and for being honest enough to tell me that it might not be such a good idea after all.

'...crushing social isolation...' - very well put! Actually I like to think (or perhaps have become obliged to admit) that I am fundamentally antisocial, so think of this as a potential benefit of being a translator rather than a drawback. My main problem is that my wife has said that she'd prefer it if I wasn't in the house all day, so I may have to consider using the local library as a workplace...

Thanks again and all the best
Tom Gibb (aka Muzuhashi)

[Muzu Hashi]

That's about as niche as you can get - plus you'd probably only need a specialised vocabulary of about three words to become an expert!

Thanks very much for the advice and all the best
Tom Gibb (aka Muzuhashi)

[Carl Sullivan]

Muzu,

I am following your story, and thought I would share mine, as one more reference. Back in 1993, I began exploring translation work as a purely academic interest, not intending to actually freelance myself, but the seed was planted through my first ATA JLD attendance. Gradually, as I attended every year I came to know colleagues who were making their lives in freelancing, and I got to thinking that this could also apply to me "someday." I started out on my own while liviing in Japan, during a period when I had just undergone a divorce and needed to make ends meet; I cut my teeth on the profession in those days and luckily survived; learning quite a few important lessons. I was remarried in 2000 to my current translation partner Masae, and we decided to fully engage as freelancers. Thinking we'd made a few hundred dollars a month while she and I taught at the college, our wonderful ATA colleagues shared some opportunities with us and we made about 30K in 6 weeks our first project--we were on our way. Since then (2000) we have built a very successful business together, have specialized and developed our expertise in a number of genre, branched into Korean (my other language), formed teams for various projects, and have continued to try to give back to the profession through various leadership positions in the JLD/KLD, etc. Several of our kids are also now in the profession with us, and we will pass this on to them someday I believe.

I have always believed that the cup is half-full. Talent is required, and you have to be an all-night warrior so many times. It takes guts, hard work and humility, among the many requirements. Many cannot pass muster. However, I think a lot of people talk themselves out of opportunities, and I would encourage you to consider "why not me," when you are wondering "why me?"

 I am on yet another all-nighter so don't have to talk much this evening, but I welcome any questions. I wish you well.

Carl Sullivan

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[Muzu Hashi]

Thanks for that, Tom.

I particularly liked the comment by the guy who translates for 10 or 15 hours a week and spends the rest of the time kayaking - don't think I can get away with doing the same thing, but what a great idea!

Tom Gibb (aka Muzuhashi)

[Muzu Hashi]

Pleased to meet you, Ben.

As it happens I found the agency that I do most of my work for via the JAT job board, and one of these days I definitely want to try and make it down to Tokyo for a JAT event.

Thanks for the advice and I hope we get the chance to meet face-to-face one day.

Tom Gibb (aka Muzuhashi)

[Muzu Hashi]

Thank you, Matthew. As much as anything else, I just need to know there are other people out there who have done what I want to do, so it's very reassuring to read a success story.

[Muzu Hashi]

'Nado' indeed, Geoffrey!

Thank you very much for the advice, and particularly for putting some proper numbers out there. When I was a freelancer in a different industry a few years back, I instinctively put aside about a third of my income to cover taxes and so on, although admittedly, Japan is on the whole a lower tax economy than the UK, so perhaps I'll have a little more leeway here...

Tom Gibb (aka Muzuhashi)

[Muzu Hashi]

As much as anything else, I just need to know there are other people out there who have done what I want to do, so it's very reassuring to read a success story.

Thanks for the advice and all the best
Tom Gibb (aka Muzuhashi)

[Muzu Hashi]

Six dozen more emails have indeed followed you! Thanks for being the first to respond and for the wise words - the point about not putting all your eggs in one freelancing basket is a good one, and something that I learned (although didn't necessarily stick to, it has to be said) in a previous stint as a freelancer.
Tom Gibb (aka Muzuhashi)

[Muzu Hashi]

Good point - will put those on the 'to do' list...

[Muzu Hashi]

Thanks very much for taking the time to write such a detailed response, and actually, I think a bit of doom and gloom will be good for me - don't want to get too starry-eyed, after all!

All the best
Tom Gibb (aka Muzuhashi)

(By the way, The Prosperous Translator sound like a very good read - have ordered a copy already!)

[Muzu Hashi]

Thanks for the offer, although the closest I think I'll ever come to moving to Kanagawa is taking my kids to the Anpanman Museum!

Seriously, though, it's really good to read a success story.

Thanks again and all the best
Tom Gibb (aka Muzuhashi)

(PS. You may receive 2 versions of this message, as I was penalised for neglecting to use my real name in the first one!)

[Muzu Hashi]

Hello there Carl and many thanks for the advice

It's good to hear a success story - deserved, by the sound of it, as it would appear that you've genuinely paid your dues in the business. (Incidentally, I love the fact that you just casually dropped a 'my other language is Korean' into the story - there's barely enough room in my brain for two languages, let alone a third, so I am, as the saying goes, not worthy!)

If you don't mind then I may well take you up on the offer of more advice at some point.

Good luck staying awake and all the best

Tom Gibb (aka Muzuhashi)

[Warren Smith]

For the past 15 years or so I have rented an office. Some of the best money I have ever spent. Now that my kids are grown, working at home is easier, but when I had little kids, constantly telling that daddy wan't going to play with them would have been terrible.

 

Another place to work:  I just spent 6 months translating in youth hostels (in 25 different countries, as I went around the world). Ran into several other freelancers doing the same thing, and "youth" hostels are much more interesting than hotels. Flexibility of the freelance life is nice....

 

W

---

is that my wife has said that she'd prefer it if I wasn't in the house all day, so I may have to consider using the local library as a workplace...

Thanks again and all the best
Tom Gibb (aka Muzuhashi)

[Jeremy Angel]

On Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 3:31 PM, Warren Smith <warren...@comcast.net> wrote:

I just spent 6 months translating in youth hostels (in 25 different countries, as I went around the world). Ran into several other freelancers doing the same thing, and "youth" hostels are much more interesting than hotels. Flexibility of the freelance life is nice....

I'd love to hear about that experience in more detail some day, Warren.

Jeremy Angel

Jeremy Angel

[James Watt]

Ah well. It was worth a try. It's hard finding people who want to work full-time, so I'm looking everywhere. 

The Ampanman Musuem is totally worth the trip, but if you're coming up here anyway, get tickets for the Fujiko F Fujio Museum in Kawasaki ahead of time as well. Kids love it. 

James Watt

[Ian Hughes]

Hi Todd,

 

if you are the 'Muzu Hashi' of the eponymous blog, then let me congratulate you (if you are not, then stop reading here). The ability to write well is one of the prime requirements for a good translator. Your blog shows that you can write very, very well. And with impeccable comic timing.

 

Besides, anyone that can cycle the prodigious distances you do will surely have the persistence needed to succeed in the translation game.

 

I suspect that you are committed to the freelance approach, working from home or somewhere nearby. In that case, you will already have learned about the importance of contacting agencies, working the networks (Honyaku, JAT meetings, etc), and searching for direct clients.

 

I came through the in-house route. I started working with an IR place in Tokyo after several years doing the eikaiwa gig (it had become a straitjacket, but then most jobs do). One of the guys I'd worked with who had moved into the securities industry passed my name on when a position became available and I shifted into JE financial translation. Eventually, I was able to bring my job back to Australia.

 

I'm not advocating financial translation in particular. It isn't as buoyant as it once was, though ironically demand for freelancers is quite strong (in-house translators are a fixed cost, something that is anathema to bean-counter driven banks). The main point is simply that word-of-mouth is important and working in-house presents lots of contacts.

 

But then I'm sure you are well aware of that and it is probably why you posted here. Indeed, I see you have already received an 'only half joking' offer of support if you relocate.

 

Anyway, good luck with it. Thanks again for the hilarious accounts of your cycling trips around Japan and also for the very perceptive descriptions of life in rural Japan (perhaps you could monetize it by re-publishing some of it in a different format - an ebook?).

 

From another cycling tragic.

 

Ian Hughes

[Muzu Hashi]

Hi there Ian

You're right, I am indeed the Artist Concurrently Known As Muzuhashi, so thank you very much for reading - and being so nice about - the blog. The tour diary I'm currently serialising on it will soon come to an end, so I'm debating whether or not to kill the whole thing off (again), but an e-book would be a nice idea, if only because everything ends up in reverse order once I've posted it, which isn't ideal for anyone who comes to the story late.

But anyway, the in-house translating thing would definitely be a good career option, and it's one that I may still choose. The main reasons I've ruled it out for the moment are a) that I suspect it would entail salaryman-style working hours and therefore less time with my kids, and b) most of the in-house jobs are in Tokyo, a place that I lived in for a while and have no intention of moving back to (unless I was offered a genuinely obscene amount of money, that is...).

Thanks again for the reply and for adding to the confidence everyone else replying to this thread has given me.

Take care and all the best.

Tom 'Muzuhashi' Gibb

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