If you have foreign language skills, home-based translating may be a good source of income. According to Corinne McKay, author of “How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator,” grossing $60,000-$70,000 annually is “very doable,” and experienced part-timers can make $25,000-$40,000. 

We asked Corinne to be our guest expert and give us 10 tips for becoming a home-based translator. Here they are. (You’ll find more on Corinne, including her courses for aspiring freelance translators, at http://www.translatewrite.com.) 

1. Realistically assess your language skills. Most translators translate into their native language only, and need near-native command of the language(s) they translate from.

2. Write a translation-targeted resume. If you're just starting out as a translator, highlight your language capabilities and any skills that apply to freelance translation, such as excellent writing abilities in your native language, ability to meet tight deadlines, and strong computer skills.

3. Beef up your translation credentials. For beginners, joining the American Translators Association (www.atanet.org), taking a translation course through an online program such as those offered by New York University, or volunteering with an organization such as Translators Without Borders (www.tsf-twb.org) are excellent options.

4. Ask experienced translators for advice. Most translators enjoy their work and like to talk about what they do. Online translation portals such as ProZ (www.proz.com) and TranslatorsCafé (www.translatorscafe.com) are good places to find translation-related message boards.

5. Start small. Launch your business with projects that you know you can do an excellent job on; birth certificates, educational transcripts and other types of official documents are a great place to start.

6. Set up a basic, professional-looking website. As a home-based translator, you'll be able to work with clients all over the world. Help them find you by setting up a simple but attractive website with your credentials, services and contact information. 

7. Specialize. In the most common language pairs (normally French, Italian, German, Spanish and Portuguese paired with English), most translators work in specialized areas such as law, finance, technology or medicine. If you don't have a background in a specific subject area, pick a specialization that you enjoy reading about and researching.

8. Market yourself aggressively. During my first year in business, I contacted over 400 potential clients. Most translation companies have online application forms; if you'd like to work directly for businesses, visit the websites of international chambers of commerce to find potential clients.

9. Don't risk not getting paid. With most translation work being done over the web, it's sometimes hard to know who your clients are or whether they are credit-worthy. Joining a payment practices rating list (the oldest and largest is www.paymentpractices.net) can help you avoid working for free.

10. Enjoy yourself! Freelance translation is a highly portable, lucrative and intellectually stimulating home-based job. In addition, the demand for freelance translators is going nowhere but up; the American Translators Association recently surpassed 10,000 members, and Parade Magazine recently listed translation as the second "hottest job" in America while predicting that the need for translators will grow 26 percent by 2014.

Copyright 2007 Durst and Haaren