19 Blogs Every Translator Needs To Read

19 Blogs 

Every Translator Needs To Read 

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19 Blogs Every Translator Needs To Read 

Table of Content 

1. Between Translations 3 

2. Translation Times 3 

3. A Pragmatic Eye 4 

4. Business School For Translators 4 

5. The Translator’s Teacup 4 

6. Freelance Folder 4 

7. Thoughts On Translation 5 

8. EMpTy Pages 5 

9. The Freelancery 5 

10. About Translation 5 

11. Diary Of A Mad Patent Translator 6 

12. Musings From An Overworked Translator 6 

13. Oxford Dictionaries Blog 7 

14. Speaking Of Translation 7 

15. The Translation Business 7 

16. Mox’s Blog 7 

17. Unprofessional Translation 7 

18. Brave New Words 8 

19. Naked Translations 8 



With machine translation tools, one may think that the job of a translator has become obsolete. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. 

What are the basic requirements for translators? Undoubtedly, command of the source and the 

target language. Furthermore, linguistic skills, good style and familiarity with both the culture 

of the language we translate from as well as the pitfalls of our own culture. But translation is 

not limited to simply rendering the meaning of what is written or said in one language into the 

other. 

There are many difficulties awaiting a fresh translator, as this job is a business as many others 

and every translator should be aware of what to expect. What is computer assisted translation? 

What are CAT tools? Why is networking important? What ethical perplexities may translators 

encounter? 

We have provided a list of 19 blogs (links in the respective titles) to boost your career as a 

translator. The first 10 blogs revolve around the technical and business side of translation, 

followed by 9 additional blogs about translation theory and translator’s points of view. 

1. Between Translations 

This is a blog run by Jayne Fox, a German into English translator. Thanks to her blog you can 

become familiar with using the most popular CAT tools and find information about helpful 

resources and professional development. The author shares her thoughts on finding and 

working with clients (also from different time zones) and recommends books and webinars 

useful for translators. 

2. Translation Times 

Here you will find a range of information on the business side of translation work, professional 

development, practical tips on rate negotiation as well as software recommendations in form 

of articles and webinars. You can also get acquainted with translation workshops and 

conferences updates, book reviews, academic translation programs and job opportunities. The 

blog owners and authors are twin sisters who work as translators and interpreters. 



3. A Pragmatic Eye 

The blog by Charlie Bavington, French into English translator with an extensive experience in 

the IT industry. You may find many of his observations useful, because he ponders on subjects 

such as payments (e.g. whether payment in advance is a good idea), takes into account 

translator conferences and discusses some common issues that translators have with 

translation software. 

4. Business School For Translators 

One of the reasons why you should visit this blog is the large number of advice for beginners as 

well as experienced translators who wish to promote their services more effectively. You will 

find almost 100 subjects presented in the form of lessons, accompanied by videos and tips. The 

lessons can be downloaded as a document. There are also some interesting thoughts about the 

influence of the translator’s personality on his work, common experienced translator’s 

mistakes, planning holidays as a freelancer and using social media. 

5. The Translator’s Teacup 

If you are a newbie translator, you will find this blog extremely helpful. The blog owner, Rosalyn 

Newell, describes the most common pitfall that a beginner may face, such as underpayment, 

tenders, tricky test translations, useless translator directories and many others. You can also 

get some valuable advice on the choice of working equipment. 

6. Freelance Folder 

This is a great blog for anyone who intends to start a career as a freelancer. It presents various 

ways of promoting one’s online business and gives detailed advice on different tools that might 

be helpful when running a freelance business. For instance, which Facebook or Google+ groups 

are the best ones to join and tips on setting up your own website. It applies not only to 

translation jobs, but to all freelance positions, which may come in handy, if you were to decide 

to offer more services, e.g. copywriting, to your clients. 



7. Thoughts On Translation 

As a translator you are probably wondering how to balance the freelance work and other 

obligations. This and many other translator’s dilemmas are analyzed thoroughly in this blog. 

The author shares her tips on time management, finding new clients and basic SEO rules for a 

freelance website. 

8. EMpTy Pages 

This blog is a great resource for every translator interested in technology. The authors present 

extremely detailed descriptions and opinions about collaborative translation platforms, 

translation management systems, machine translation as well as the localization industry’s 

biggest players. They present different points of view on the state of the translation market and 

the opportunities it brings. 

9. The Freelancery 

Is it better to have more clients, but low rates or only a few clients offering higher 

remuneration? You no longer have to worry about it, just check The Freelancery blog, whose 

author will give you a great solution known as “the free-day rule”. He also ponders on career 

strategies, choosing the area of specialization, ways of attracting new clients and changing 

freelance paths. 

10. About Translation 

CAT tools can be a real challenge. Check the About Translation blog if you are a beginner in the 

translation business, but also if you are a seasoned translator. The author shares many 

practical tips on using the most popular CAT tools, such as MemoQ, Trados, various online 

tools, and presents some thoughts about the work of a translator. 



11. Diary Of A Mad Patent Translator 

A blog run by an experienced technical translator. Despite the catchy title, his advice is very 

serious and ranges from practical tips on whether to give the so called temporary discounts or 

not, to reflections on the advantages and disadvantages of being multilingual. You can also find 

updates about upcoming translator conferences. 

12. Musings From An Overworked Translator 

The author presents a great email etiquette list, in 15 concise points, which will give you clear 

information on how to behave in the online communication world. On this blog you will also 

find tips on creating business cards and resumes, as well as you can get impressions from 

tranlators seminars. 



13. Oxford Dictionaries Blog 

A great resource for every translator interested in linguistics. The blog provides an overview of 

the changes influencing languages and curiosities about many both well-known as well as rare 

words. It discusses the impact of learning a new language on our personality, and even articles 

about how animals understand what people say. 

14. Speaking Of Translation 

This blog is run by two experts in the field of translation and localization. One of them is also 

running the aforementioned Thoughts on Translation blog. On this blog you can actually listen 

to audio files covering their tips and opinions on the freelance translator’s work. The author 

addresses the issues of being a freelancer and a parent, self-publishing, and finding client 

through industry conferences. 

15. The Translation Business 

If you are looking for some more profound analysis of the localization and globalization world, 

you should definitely visit The Translation Business blog. There are some fascinating conversations 

between the blog owner, his fellow translators, and scientific workers about the 

relevant traits of a great translator. All of which matters greatly in the final result of the 

translation quality and the controversial idea of competitive bidding in the translation industry. 

16. Mox’s Blog 

Are you tired and need a good laugh? Visit Mox’s blog, which is a presentation of funny cartoons 

about the everyday life of a translator in a rather non-serious manner. 



17. Unprofessional Translation 

If you are interested in the historical overview of how translators and interpreters have been 

working, you should visit the Unprofessional Translation blog. You will learn about the oldest 

depiction of an interpreter, how literature translation influences the original, about 

competitions for child translators, and bilingualism. Furthermore, about the interpreters of 

some infamous historical figures, such as general Franco or Marshal Petain. 

18. Brave New Words 

The Brave New Words blog is an exhaustive resource about translation theory, studies, work 

and different specializations, such as poetry or audiovisual translation. The author also 

elaborates on the payment practices in the localization industry and presents links to many 

interesting articles and websites for everyone desiring to dig deeper into this area. 

19. Naked Translations 

Do you need a break from an exhausting translation job? Check the Naked Translations blog. 

Here you will find interesting notes on the etymology of some words, tips for translators and 

guest posts on various translation related subjects. 



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19 Blogs Every Translator Needs To Read

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