English copywriters/editors

[Cyka UchuuJin]

I'm curious about this. I've been doing freelance copywriting/editing here and there over the years back in Russia and then in Denmark, and it dawned on me this morning (yeah yeah, flame me on the totally noob/cyka just discovered japan thing) morning that there certainly must be people here doing it. there's some vague references to it here, but google is also pretty vague.

anyone done it here? know how to get into it?

[legion]

I know as a native speaker with a BA in English Lit I can write copy, but it is never as good as the English copy a Japanese person will write, because foreigner.

Oh, did I mention some of my copy writing won an advertising award in Japan this year ..... no, because I didn't actually get a mention on the award ...because foreigner.

I do it from time to time, it's not actually my job, basically you find yourself in a nether world where they want "English" copy that Japanese can understand. even when it is aimed at foreigners.

LOVE COPY!

[Russell]

Google translate is getting better and better.

In the past I used some translation agencies, but it is getting rarer.
(partly because reading Japanese has become kind of second nature)

Only the ones who could translate scientific texts could apply,
which requires a scientific background.

I guess there are specialist translators for specific fields, like law, etc.

[JAVGOD]

Grin, bow a lot and rub your left wrist and go door to door. Works like a charm. Oh, wait.

Seriously. Is tough to get in to and harder to stay in.
Craigslist maybe?

[Coligny]

Seriously. Is tough to get in to and harder to stay in.

KY_Jelly_0102crop__44032140540278512801280.jpg

//ok, i'm out...

[chibaka]

.... but it is never as good as the English copy a Japanese person will write....

He speaketh the truth.

I did some rewriting a while ago, checking the translation of technical manuals which had either been done by a Japanese using Google, or a monkey. I had to explain politely to the contact person that the material provided was absolute shit, hence 60~70% of the original needed to be changed. That would often incur displeasure for reasons unclear to me at the time...

I would also be asked occasionally to use American English, so I included some spelling mistakes

[Cyka UchuuJin]

.... but it is never as good as the English copy a Japanese person will write....

He speaketh the truth.

I did some rewriting a while ago, checking the translation of technical manuals which had either been done by a Japanese using Google, or a monkey. I had to explain politely to the contact person that the material provided was absolute shit, hence 60~70% of the original needed to be changed. That would often incur displeasure for reasons unclear to me at the time...

I would also be asked occasionally to use American English, so I included some spelling mistakes

I always did wonder about that, how there is so much perfectionism and attention to detail...except on English texts and spelling! It does make sense now though, even something like a technical manual should still be as 'poetic' in English as it would be in Japanese, hence a lot of extra words thrown in.

I don't really think I'd take doing it very seriously, it was just something that crossed my mind to do here and there.

[chibaka]

I don't really think I'd take doing it very seriously, it was just something that crossed my mind to do here and there.

Try it if you get a chance, it was interesting when it wasn't frustrating. I will add that the original work was supposed to have been proof reading translated documents, but they were barely comprehensible at times....

[Cyka UchuuJin]

I don't really think I'd take doing it very seriously, it was just something that crossed my mind to do here and there.

Try it if you get a chance, it was interesting when it wasn't frustrating. I will add that the original work was supposed to have been proof reading translated documents, but they were barely comprehensible at times....

Hmmm, will see if anything comes across my radar then. Proofreading is always fun to do.

why are you not doing it anymore?

[chibaka]

It was only a part time thing for some beer money . Then my situation changed and I didn't pursue it. I'd try it again though, god knows this country needs help if it wants to graduate from Engrish....

[Takechanpoo]

i guess engrish corrector guys sometimes or often do passive aggressive acts to revenge j-society.
they intentionally correct the engrish sentences to foolish english ones, taking advantage of the fact that most japanese dont distinguish and afterwards giggle about it. and the revengeance is finished.

[Wage Slave]

i guess engrish corrector guys sometimes or often do passive aggressive acts to revenge j-society.
they intentionally correct the engrish sentences to foolish english ones, taking advantage of the fact that most japanese dont distinguish and afterwards giggle about it.

Nice one.

[yanpa]

i guess engrish corrector guys sometimes or often do passive aggressive acts to revenge j-society.
they intentionally correct the engrish sentences to foolish english ones, taking advantage of the fact that most japanese dont distinguish and afterwards giggle about it. and the revengeance is finished.

I am dog. Heartful componion of. Mindful pizza time.

[Coligny]

i guess engrish corrector guys sometimes or often do passive aggressive acts to revenge j-society.
they intentionally correct the engrish sentences to foolish english ones, taking advantage of the fact that most japanese dont distinguish and afterwards giggle about it. and the revengeance is finished.

I am dog. Heartful componion of. Mindful pizza time.

For great justice...

[matsuki]

.... but it is never as good as the English copy a Japanese person will write....

He speaketh the truth.

All the interpretation gigs I get seem to pay white lookin' furrin'rs a premium* and the local J-people with shit Engrish skills shittier wages.

*5000 more per day...but really, not always worth the time.

[Cyka UchuuJin]

.... but it is never as good as the English copy a Japanese person will write....

He speaketh the truth.

All the interpretation gigs I get seem to pay white lookin' furrin'rs a premium* and the local J-people with shit Engrish skills shittier wages.

*5000 more per day...but really, not always worth the time.

for interpretation or for editing/copywriting? i use freelancer.com, who are you using for finding these gigs?

[kurogane]

Mindful pizza time.

All mine Shakey's are belong to yours

Cyka,
Perhaps your experience is otherwise but I would also caution that due to your native language particularisms you might be offered less than Matsuki or, say, me. And apologies for that.

I haven't interpreted since The Fuzzy Eyebrows headed the cabinet, but I do remember it hardly ever being really worth it, trust or customer confidence was always an issue (usually with the white people), and it was hardly ever worth having to deal with the sort of Japanese bottom feeders that consider that their natural monopoly. Translation pays better, especially if it is Japanese to Yours but that is serious technical stuff, is not easy to get into and you end up stuck in a room by yourself all day in your underpants, which is why I quit. Other than as a favour I never did copy or editing, but given the sheer size of the middle expat ranks it must be very competitive. A quick trip to swet.jp should give you an idea. There are some rather nice people that have carved out a niche for themselves doing that, but god help you if you encroach on it, either in price or quality.

BTW, Russell wrote above that Google Translate is getting "better and better". After I stopped laughing and sat back on the chair I had fallen off I wondered if he has discovered a nice new happy narcotic the rest of us haven't heard of yet, or if it is topic/subject specific.

Russell,
In general terms, what sort of topics or subjects are we talking about, and how long and complex are they? In the broader social scientific areas and even in technical manuals I haven't seen improvement in.......3 years? By the time I have rewritten the utter garbage it gives me I am better off just doing it from scratch, assuming I have access to it. It still can't accurately do prepositions, proper written idioms, or even rather basic imperative directions. So, an honest question there. Over to you.