Tricky Attributions

Friday was frustrating. A sudden unexplained spike in the analytics for an old blog revealed a copy pirate. Research lead to further discoveries in the murky waters of SEO and Google Analytics.

My blogging efforts were being redirected to another site. Grr!

The site even claimed to be “honest”. Double grr!

It was by no means certain that Google would give my site precedence. Triple grr!

In a black mood, I was glad to get out for the evening. I headed for some Italian culture at the Royal Academy of Arts. Little did I realise that that the tricky theme of attribution was to continue…

Venetian Artists

The Royal Academy of Arts is currently showing the works of early 16^th century Venetian artists. The exhibition is entitled “In the Age of Giorgione”. Our expert guide explained that all the paintings in the collection had been attributed to Giorgione at some time.

Art detective work lead to reflections on attributing and crediting translators and copywriters for their online work. Let me explain…

Guided Tour

Our guide explained that pretty much everything we know about Giorgione could be written on the back of a postage stamp. We know that he was born in Castelfranco Veneto. We don’t know the exact date, although we believe somewhere around 1478. We know that he lived and worked in Venice. He died in his early thirties, probably of the plague. 

The collection brings together paintings from a 10-year period in Venetian art. There was a whole new generation of artists. If we cannot be sure exactly which paintings are Giorgione’s, we do know that he had a new approach that influenced the others.

New Approach

Giorgione introduced a new focus on the sitter’s hands. He painted symbolic objects to reflect the sitter’s personality. There was an attempt to depict the sitter’s state of mind and introduce a narrative element. His paintings do not show underdrawings. Instead he painted directly onto the canvas while watching the sitter. As a result, his portraits give us the feeling of capturing a real individual. They do not stare absently into the distance. Our eyes meet.

False Attributions

Our guide drew our attention to the addition of landscapes into drawings. He stressed how some figures depicted are set within the landscape, rather than it merely being a backdrop. In the past, the presence of a landscape meant that paintings were attributed to Giorgione. In the 1900s a hundred paintings were attributed to him, now just 40.

Clarity is difficult. A list of 15 works was drawn up 15 years after his death. Only 3 descriptions are recognisable. We know some paintings were lost or are in too poor a condition to act as good verification. We know he shared a studio. We are told that he fell out with Titian. Unfortunately, the source is considered suspect and only offers a one-sided viewpoint.

Two of the gallery paintings demonstrated the difficulties of attribution very well. The altarpiece of the Virgin and Child with Saint Peter and Saint Mark and a Donor showed three different styles. The most engaging characters are Saint Peter and Saint Mark looking at each other. The donor in the foreground looks wooden by contrast and the way his hands touch the baby’s foot looks awkward. The Madonna and child lack the finesse of the two saints. Even worse is the shadow of a figure that is not even in the painting. This is a panel attributed to Bellini. It is part of a missing triptych and evidently the work of more than one artist of varying talent.

Ah, but it gets worse… Il Tramonto turns out to be a hotchpotch of paintings. A nightmare restoration.

Judge for yourself

At the end of his talk, our guide invited us to look again at all the paintings and ignore the attributions in the labels alongside. Compare the paintings. Is it possible for one artist to change his style so much in just 5 years?

Translation Memory

I found the guided tour intriguing. As I came away, I couldn’t help thinking about all the discussions in the translation world over who owns a translation memory. When a translation is divided up for the sake of speed, it often ends up like Bellini’s Virgin and the Child. Good in parts, but even the good parts are spoilt by the failure to maintain a consistent style. Some translations can end up like Il Tramonto – a case of too many cooks spoilt the broth.

Creative Influence

Creativity is generally a singular rather than a collective activity. A consensus approach can kill creativity. However, the creativity of one artist, translator or writer can inspire the creativity of another. While Giorgione died young, Titian was influenced by him and went on to develop some of his ideas.

Digital Attribution

Returning to the modern digital world, I love how one blog can influence a whole series of others. I hope that genuine authors will get the credit for their ideas and work, rather than the “pirates”.

At the AsLing 2015 Conference, Jaap van der Meer of TAUS mentioned that Oracle are working on a system that could identify the effectiveness of individual phrases. Now, it strikes me that this might identify exactly who is responsible for the copy with the most effective sales conversions. Such attributions could lead to fairer remuneration or a “bonus” for the best in the profession. The best work will be known, attributable and visible.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is an 
entrepreneurial French
to English translator,
transcreator, copywriter,
and digital marketer.

For further information see
Anglicity's website

Visible translators - a new business model

The translation business model has seen little change for decades. Technology is challenging the status quo. Large, inflexible agencies and big technology solutions are not the answer for all clients.

Existing business models
Existing models often place linguists in charge of translation businesses or non-linguist entrepreneurs in the driving seat. Either party is felt to be too language-focused for business or too cut-throat and profit-oriented for the art of translation. Either way, the most important person in the quality chain, the translator gets squeezed. Not enough fight or too much - the result is the same.

Translator investment

As the translator's earnings are eroded, so too is his or her ability to

·      buy or rent a decent home and office

·      maintain fluency and keep source/target languages up-to-date

·      attend translation conferences and relevant trade fairs at home and abroad

·      equip an office and buy the latest software

·      make an ongoing investment in CPD

·      join professional associations and attain certifications/qualifications

Even experienced, full-time translators complain that they cannot afford many of the above. Current agency rates often fall short. Clients expect all the above in a professional. As a freelancer, I want to offer my clients the sort of service that I expected as a client. I therefore place great importance on CPD and attending trade events to keep up-to-date.

Future options

If existing translation agencies are unable or unwilling to increase the rates to freelancers, then there are two options. Option one is to leave the translation community all together. Option two is to cut out the middlemen.

Unprecedented opportunity for rate increase?
Agencies need to capitalise on high industry growth and improving economic growth to increase rates to translators. As a former client, I can see that the increased professionalisation and industry standards offer an unprecedented opportunity to justify an increase to clients. If not, then increasing numbers of translators will be forced to cut out the middlemen and work with direct clients at agency prices. Their alternative is to leave the profession. Many well-qualified legal interpreters have already been forced outside their chosen profession by the Ministry of Justice Framework Agreement.

Coworking with SMEs
Groups of freelance translators are particularly suited to working with SMEs for example. Large agencies do not have the necessary flexibility to give them all the help they need. A client who is new to translation buying, cultural issues and exporting can find that greater flexibility in working with freelancers.

At a translation conference several years ago, I heard about a Dutch company that put the translator back at the heart of the translation process. His team of translators work directly with clients. I would like Anglicity's future growth to take a similar path. Other business models will undoubtedly co-exist. I believe that there is a future for specialised, freelance coworking teams with direct client contact.

Karen Andrews is an

entrepreneurial freelance
translator and content
writer. Her past experience
as a client gives her a
near 360º perspective
on the translation
community.

Chinese Whispers in Translation Project Management

Anglicity's previous blog was inspired by Rob and Nick Carter's art collection after Warhol. In many ways, the comparison of translation with the Chinese Whispers game was too obvious. Comparison with translation project management practices may actually be more relevant today.

Direct contact

The current translation business model closely resembles Chinese Whispers. Translation companies are very reluctant to allow freelance translators and clients to speak to each other directly. They fear that either the client will take the translator, or the translator the client. There are times in a project when the translator is the best person to speak directly with the local office.

Multiple links

Many clients are unaware of how many links there are in a translation agency production line. In some agencies, translation project managers act as little more than a mailbox. Often agencies employ other agencies. There may be a marketing agency in the mix too. The translator's project manager may be very distant from the end-client too. Even the translation agency's client may have several internal "stakeholders" behind him. So a message will pass from person to person as in Chinese Whispers and get distorted. If a translator asks a question, the message may pass through many hands and interpretations.

Anger on both sides

As a client, I often felt frustrated that my brief obviously hadn't been passed on to the translator. When I first turned freelance, I was very surprised at how angry some translators are with their unseen clients. I fear that much of this may be the result of the "Chinese Whispers" effect. 

Positive experience

Wherever agencies allowed their freelancers to contact my country managers directly, the experience was generally positive. It was a pity that this was only generally permitted in the event of a complaint. As long as the translator has the right personality and training, the experience leads to greater respect and understanding on both sides. Both parties need to ensure the project manager is kept informed at all times.

Fears and risks

What of the risks? Most marketing departments simply do not have the resources, headcount, expertise or interest to deal with numerous freelance translators. The project manager remains the most important liaison point.

Brand guidelines

There is a risk that brand guidelines are eroded in a "secret deal" between the translator and the local office. This can be monitored. And a few "infractions" can usually be tolerated if justified for cultural reasons and goodwill.

Content agency freelancers

And what of the translator? No risk at all for some. A large number of translators seem quite content to work only with agencies. They can rely on them for marketing, proofreading, a regular supply of work and income.

Client poaching?

Agency agreements can prevent any client poaching. Stealing a client could result in expensive and time-consuming litigation. In the translation community, everyone seems to know everyone else. A freelancer who gains a reputation for poaching clients will soon find their work dry up. It is simply not worth the risk.

Translator poaching?

As a client, it is simply not worth the hassle of upsetting a good multi-language vendor for the sake of a single freelance translator. Agency fears seem overstated. Often clients would like the translator to come into their offices, but remain on the agency's books.

Combined role or extra planning?

If they allow translators to work more directly with their clients, should today's project managers fear redundancy? Some translators are already very competent at combining project management and translation roles. There is nothing new here. Projects for use on multiple devices are becoming increasingly complex. Tomorrow's project manager will have an even greater planning burden. The best project managers spend time upfront to prevent problems down the line.

SME Clients

Clients who are new to translation buying need a lot of hand-holding and cultural advice. The larger companies are increasingly unable to deliver this type of service. They prioritise large multinationals. SMEs do better to work with groups of freelancers or small agencies.

Let's make professional translators more visible to clients. If more clients work directly with professionally trained project managers and translators, the status and reputation of the whole community can only improve. Fears and risks seem overstated. 

Let's reduce the Chinese Whispers.

If you would like to reduce the Chinese Whispers and work directly with a freelance translator and experienced project manager, contact karen@anglicity.com.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is a
French to English
translator, content writer
and marketing consultant.
In this blog, Karen draws
upon her experiences of
working with agencies
and freelancers as a client,
translation buyer and project
manager.

How to reach out to new clients

In Anglicity's previous blog, I commented on diametrically opposed viewpoints on Frederick Wiseman's National Gallery documentary. 

How can we reach out to new clients?

Reaction to our craft

Many years as a translation project manager taught me that languages leave many clients completely cold. Translation is often incredibly dull to them. (Sacrilege, I know). When we try to explain our craft, our quality concerns, the finer points of grammar... well, their eyes glaze over in boredom. Just like opposing reactions to the National Gallery film.

Black and white v. colour

When translators explain their art, they generally use the written word. (Just like I am doing now. I plead guilty). Reams and reams of print-heavy text. Pictures make rare appearances. Lots of black and white. Marketing clients are immersed in a much more visually appealing world on a daily basis. That's their "language". If we really want to reach out to them, we have to speak their language.

Visible translators

Most translators are used to being invisible, hidden behind agencies from end-clients. Today, freelance translators need to argue their added value. Human translators need to be visible in full colour, in 3D and in full animation.

3D effect

There was a ballet performance during the film. Two dancers created a 3D effect in front of two pictures. The audience's focus was on the ballet in the foreground. Gradually, I found my eyes drawn from the angles of the dancers' limbs to the quality of the painted limbs behind. This is the attention that is required by the translation world. By using other media in a coordinated marketing campaign, we bring appreciation back to the quality of the translated word in print.

Check back for tomorrow's post.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is
an entrepreneurial
French to English
translator, editor,
content writer and
marketing consultant. 

Contact: karen@anglicity.com 
for further information 
on Anglicity's services.