Hello, hello! Long time no see!
It’s the start of a new year and time for a new newsletter after a bout of covid, an unending train of work, and a (very long) break.
First, before I get into the main topic of the newsletter, the HarperCollins Union is over a month into their strike. Consider supporting them in the ways you can by spreading the word or contributing to the Strike Fund for workers who have gone without pay over the holidays.
Twitter seems to be on the verge of imploding every week and, unfortunately, its instability will likely affect the livelihoods of many who depend on the platform for work and connections, especially those who are just starting out. Since it’s already difficult out there for newer people, this newsletter’s focus is on networking.
You can always take a look at the publisher listing I’ve put together here for a place to get started. As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, cold emailing is one effective way to get a foot in the door, so get together a resume, a sample translation, and send a couple emails around every few weeks. Patience and persistence are your friends here—if you hover over your inbox waiting for replies, try scheduling your email to go out later (Gmail instructions here and Outlook here). That can make the process of emailing less nerve-racking so you won’t end up waiting at the edge of your seat each time.
LinkedIn is also a good place to look people up and to get some advice from working professionals. Many people share blog posts and job listings, and you can follow people rather than connecting with them if you just want to see their posts.
You can also apply to the Hon-yaks discord group as an aspiring or experienced localization professional. If you’d prefer something more Twitter-like, there are a couple Mastodon groups for localization, including one that accepts aspiring professionals and another that’s geared toward a more experienced crowd. Editors have plenty of options to explore in this blog post about editor discussion groups. Don’t discount Facebook or Google groups either—the Honyaku mailing list is one to look at in particular for translators.
As always, thank you for reading! If you have some time and want to read something else I’ve had a hand in, check out Fabricant 100—the Shonen Jump weekly series I’ve been translating. It’s a brand-new series with a brand-new mangaka, and all the chapters are still available for free right now!
Links around the Web
Tsubomi, a manga publisher, recently opened up their app and now have English translations of their manga. Their app is pretty nifty and lets you switch between French/English translations and the original Japanese rough drafts.
The Middlebury Translators Conference has rolling admissions through February and they have some financial aid. I highly recommend this program!
The BCLT Summer School will open applications sometime this month. This year Hitomi Yoshio will lead Japanese-English classes and Anton Hur will lead Korean-English classes. The 2023 program will be in-person, but the 2024 session will be online only.
Some advice on Susie Jackson’s blog on how to create a budget as a new freelancer. You can also try out Corinne McKay’s class on getting started or try her March Marketing Madness group if you’re established and are looking to grow your business.
Aidan Clarke has a lovely new comic dialogue font called Obscurient.
Louise Harnby has some free editorial classes (and paid options).
Finn K. started a directory for CSP retouch tools for letterers.
Check out this tool for automatically converting plain English to regex.
PEN is giving grants for samples translations. (Closes January 31st)
Job Listings
Yen Press is looking for an Editorial Assistant (manga)
Webtoon is hiring a Freelance Webnovel Translator & Proofreader and a Freelance Copy Editor
The Pokemon Company is looking for a Localization Project Manager - Japanese and a Manager, Localization Management (Japanese)
Words Without Borders is looking for several roles (applications close January 6th)
Hachette is looking for an Editorial Assistant
Aksys Games is looking for a Product Specialist and a Localization Specialist (English/Japanese Bilingual)
Cygames is looking for a Localization Coordinator
Dragonfly Editorial is hiring an Editorial Manager
CyberConnect2 is looking for an English Localization Specialist
XSeed Games is looking for a Localization Assistant
Tapas is hiring a Freelance Translation Coordinator - English to Japanese
Tappytoon is hiring Freelance Korean-English Translators
Lezhin Comics is hiring a Korean-English Freelance Translator
Ridi is hiring a Remote Freelance Script Writer
Kiwi-Vine is hiring a Webtoon Translator & Editor
Viz has opened freelancer submissions through their online portal
Penguin Random House is hiring a Designer - Manga/Manhua (open to remote)
If you know of other listings focused on localization, editing, or comics, please feel free to email or DM them to me! :)
Her Excellency, the Doge
Replies to this email go straight to my inbox, so if you have any questions, suggestions on topics to cover, or anything else, please don’t be shy!
Welcome back and thank you for all the great resources.
I don't think I'm ready to be a J->E translator just yet, but this helps a lot.