Trade Journals: A Valuable Resource for Niche Translators

I began my career working as an in-house translator and journalist at a German company that publishes trade journals for a variety of industries. Nearly ten years later, this publisher is still my best client. This relationship has given me a great deal of insight into the many benefits of subscribing to journals so I thought I would share some tips today for harnessing their full potential.

Before we get to these suggestions, I should add that seeking recommendations is the way to go when deciding on which journal to spend your hard-earned money. A simple Google search simply will not typically yield the best results, but rather the company that has spent the most advertising money. Consider starting a discussion on a LinkedIn Group in your area of speciality or asking your clients which journals they prefer to read and why.

I currently subscribe to four trade journals; I have pared down this figure over the past few years given the limited amount of time I have left to read at the end of the day. Three journals arrive at my office in e-mail format and one comes via snail mail. After a full day looking at the screen my eyes are normally weary so I will occasionally print out an electronic version and read it on the sofa with a cup of tea and a highlighter. I assuage my conscience by remembering that this approach is still better for the environment than having a copy shipped to me every week.

1) Keep up to date with developments
The main reason why I started subscribing to trade journals was to keep abreast of developments in the recycling and waste management industry. One of the more magazine-like publications I receive is filled with advertising, but also has a large number of articles about new technologies. Another offers in-depth reporting on major topics that might not be found in mainstream media articles. Yet another often has scoops on behind-the-scenes happenings.

Knowing what is going on in my industry is indispensable for me as a niche translator. When company X calls me about a translation project it solidifies my image as a reputable service provider if I can let them know that I recently heard about their acquisition of company Y just a few days prior. For instance, last month I was on the phone with a potential client just minutes after I opened a journal to find front-page speculation that DSD, Germany's largest scheme for collection and recycling packaging waste, was soon to be sold. When I mentioned this to the other person on the line he expressed surprise that I had already read about these rumours even though Kansas City is thousands of miles away from Germany.

2) Find potential clients
Another great way to use trade journals is as a source of potential clients. One of the weekly publications I subscribe to even has a page listing each company that has featured in its pages, together with that firm's physical and virtual address. I tend to read through each journal with two highlighters – I use a yellow pen to mark any company that might benefit from translation services and a green pen to highlight any terminology (more on that in section four). I have an Excel file into which I enter these leads, and periodically I will select a few to contact as well as undertaking more concerted marketing campaigns close to major trade fairs.

3) Advertise
Following on from this point, I think that it is worthwhile to remember that trade journal readers are a sitting audience when it comes to marketing your services. It is definitely advisable to find out how much the publisher charges for a decent-sized advert and see if you can fit it into your marketing budget. Splash out on a colour advertisement if you can afford it. Remember: just one medium-sized translation project can recoup the cost of advertising all year long. Make sure that you also invest the money to have a professional advert designed to reflect well on your image as a niche translator.

4) Harvest terminology
I wrote a separate blog post about harvesting terminology a couple of years ago. Without wishing to cover the same ground twice, I would merely note that their function as a source of terminology is one of the main reasons that I continue to subscribe to a couple of these resources. Reading articles written by specialists has helped me to solve a terminology conundrum more than once. I have also found journalists working for these publications to be more than willing to brainstorm possible translations of new terms that do not exist yet in English.

5) Work for them
Do not forget that trade journals might well need translators or proofreaders, as well. Two of the journals I subscribe to are published in both German and English. It is definitely worth dropping the editors a line to find out if they have a need for translation or editing services. You might be able to negotiate preferential advertising rates as a service provider. The trade journal that I work for is even nice enough to provide me with a free subscription to their German-language version as a side-benefit!

These are just a few ways to maximise your trade journal subscriptions. Feel free to add a comment with other ideas and I will update this post accordingly.