Want to join Reedsy as a translator? Get your next client with a spot-on profile.
As a translator, authors trust you to bring their book to a completely new audience. Therefore, it’s important to convey how you can adapt their story for an entirely different reader group.
To help you create a compelling profile, we’re sharing examples from four translators who’ve hit the mark. Let’s see what they’re doing right!
1. Sophie T. leads with her specialities in the short description
Your short description is key, since it’s the first thing authors see when browsing (aside from your profile picture). Sophie packs hers with attention-grabbing points, including her specialty genres and some well-known clients.
Once an author clicks, more information is displayed. In Sophie’s case, she has included a short introduction video. Authors are looking for a professional they will click with, so while a video is optional, it’s a great opportunity to show a bit more about your personality in just 30 seconds. You can talk briefly about the services you offer, but don’t be afraid to also show your personality and talk about some of the things you like!
Finally, Sophie shares more about her process and tackles frequent questions. For many of the authors on Reedsy, it’s their first time getting their work translated, so this will help create the right expectations for a successful collaboration. Moreover, every translator might have a slightly different approach, so it’s helpful to share more about yours.
An important note: It’s a good idea to mention whether you are able to deliver a proofread manuscript to authors. Working with someone who can proofread the manuscript (or doing it yourself) is usually ideal for authors, but they’ll need to know if they should get it proofread on their own.
2. Robert F. shares his best work for each genre
Robert selected examples of books for each of the genres he’s chosen. Per Reedsy’s selection criteria, you should add at least two quality books for each of the genres you offer. You might be tempted to show all the books you’ve worked on, but if you have a very long portfolio it’s better to curate a selection to avoid overwhelming authors.
You can place your best works at the top of your portfolio by using the “pin book to the top” feature so they don’t go unnoticed. Robert strategically placed popular authors on top, so clients don’t have to scroll very far to discover that he’s worked on books by J. S. Scott, Stephen King and Ken Follett.
Regarding genres, we find six to be the golden number, and you can have no more than eight of them selected. Make sure to star two of your favorite genres to rank higher on searches for those.
3. Sam T. includes testimonials from previous clients
Even though you have years of experience as a translator, you’ll be joining as a new professional on the Reedsy marketplace. The accolades from your previous work can come in handy here.
Like Sam, you can gain immediate trust and confidence by adding 1–3 client testimonials to the end of your overview section.
4. Antje A. highlights her experience with top publishers
There are some publishing houses that authors recognise right away. Antje has more than 25 years of experience working for reputable publishers, so mentioning this in both her Overview and Work Experience is an effective way to prove her expertise as a translator.
If you’ve worked for well-known publishers, add this to your work experience. Maybe you can also squeeze it into your short description!
Your profile is your main tool to get new and exciting translation projects. Now that you have some fresh ideas, log in here to edit it and make the best impression on your next client!
New around here? Sign up as a freelancer with Reedsy! 👈
Oh, and if you need a refresher on our selection criteria, find them on this article. Good luck!
