Having good writing skills are essential when it comes to being a good translator. It is one of our biggest assets. We have to be good at our craft to succeed in our business as freelance translators. What are some ways we can improve our writing skills? Percy Balemans is with us today to go over some of those methods with specific tips to remember! Percy focuses on translating English and German into Dutch as a translator and copywriter. She recently gave a powerful presentation at the ATA conference on writing skills for translators, so we are excited to have her on this podcast.

Key points mentioned in this episode:

• Methods to improve our writing skills
• The first important things to think about before starting a well written translation
• General writing tips from Percy
• Methods and steps Percy follows when writing/copywriting
• Ways to make your writing stand out in front or speak directly to the reader
• Marketing strategies that work best for Percy Balemans

Useful links mentioned in this episode:

• Steven Pinker, “10 ‘Grammer Rules’ it’s OK to Break (sometimes)”, The Guardian, 10 August 2014

Two examples of books on (copy)writing:

• “The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century” by Steven Pinker
• “Copy. Righter. Become a Master Wordsmith and Harness the Copywriting Secrets That Will Win You Hearts, Minds… and Business” by Ian Atkinson

Percy Balemans graduated from the School of Translation and Interpreting in Maastricht, the Netherlands, in 1989. After working with a translation agency as an in-house translator for a few years, she served as a technical writer and copywriter, information designer, web editor, and trainer for an information technology business. Translation, however, has always been her real passion and in 2007 she set up her own business as a full-time freelance translator, translating from English and German into Dutch, specializing in advertising (transcreation), fashion, art, and travel and tourism.  Percy is a member of the Netherlands Society of Interpreters and Translators (NGTV), a Chartered Linguist (Translator) and member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), and a member of the American Translators Association (ATA).

Visit her website for more information: www.pb-translations.com.

eCPD Webinars

This episode is sponsored by eCPD Webinars – quality continuing education for translators by translators. For more information, please go to www.ecpdwebinars.com.

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