I specialize in three main areas: ➡️ MARKETING TRANSLATION I love marketing content because it involves doing more than just translating. You need to be highly creative and, above all, to not stick to the source. All the better, since I don’t hesitate to distance myself from the original text to make my translation sound natural and culturally adapted. Nothing worse than a word-for-word and awkward rendering of the source. ➡️ TECHNICAL TRANSLATION When I started my career, I was hired as an inhouse translator to conduct translation and revision for a major client specialized in electronic devices, computers and various apps. I then worked on other similar accounts, so I have extensive experience in translating support articles, blogs, training materials and user manuals in this domain. ➡️ LITERARY TRANSLATION Book worm since forever, I translated my first children’s book in 2021. In 2022, I stepped into the world of adult/academic literature by translating a collection of 21 articles written by various authors*. Translating books gives me the opportunity to live my passion for both translation and literature, and I’m convinced that this is the perfect recipe for successful target content. * More information available here, in French.

No. I don’t do post-editing, and I’m actually a fervent opponent to the uncontrolled and improper use of MT. I know some will think that I am being reckless. However, I don’t believe that MT is synonymous with quality, and I don’t want to support this damaging practice. On the Internet, and sadly also in real life, we are too often faced with poor MTed content which not only equates to total lack of respect towards users, but also seriously damages your brand and image. There are definitely clients out there who value human translations and idiomatic content, and I am delighted to collaborate with such professionals!

In my opinion, there is no such thing as "standard French," "Belgian French" or "Swiss French" in writing. I believe there are two main variants in this context: European French (which includes all African dialects too) and Canadian French. Variants are mostly noticeable in spoken French. Punctuation can slightly differ between French-speaking countries in Europe, true, but translators simply need to familiarize themselves with the applicable rules and then make sure they stick to them. A Swiss linguist can thus very well translate content intended to the French market, and a French linguist translate content intended to the Swiss market. The country of origin should NOT be considered as a decisive factor when selecting translators. Canadian French is another story. While it is, of course, intelligible by all French speakers around the world, it uses specific terminology and phrasings that only a native Canadian will be perfectly familiar with.

True, I am fluent in English, and have been actively practicing my Portuguese for more than a decade. However, there are always these tiny nuances that only native speakers will master. Since I am not a native speaker of these two languages, I never translate into them. Some translators are providing both combinations (English and/or Portuguese into French and French into English and/or Portuguese), but I don’t. Here’s what I personally think: you can brilliantly master other languages, absolutely, but never as well as your native tongue. And you have one native tongue, not several...

Freelance translators sign what we call a “non-disclosure agreement” (or NDA) with each of their clients. For this reason, they are not authorized to share, with third parties, the content they translate, unless their clients have expressly given them permission to. If you need to see samples of my work, I can try and get approval, but this might take time. The best (and probably quickest) approach would be to ask me to do a test. However, conditions will apply in that case (see question, "Could you do a test translation?" below).

Sure. I could send you my CV. That being said, more and more freelance translators have a LinkedIn profile and, sometimes, their own website. On them, they describe their expertise and experience in much more detail. A CV is indeed a very condensed and limited document, that just briefly goes over your curriculum and skills. A LinkedIn profile or a website, on the contrary, can also include several other pieces of information, like posts about various topics related to our profession. Since I do have a LinkedIn profile (here) and a website, I would rather encourage you to have a look at these.

I am happy to do a test translation, as long as a few conditions are met. First of all, if the test translation is free, it should not exceed 300 words. I will ask for compensation for any test that is longer. Why? Well, because any work deserves payment, especially when it means leaving your other clients aside (and possibly losing work) to conduct the task. Secondly, the deadline should be reasonable. I am obviously not asking to be given two weeks to deliver a test, but I need enough time to do a proper job, particularly since it will be the first one for you. If I do a test translation, I want to do it well, and not rush through it. And this doesn’t mean I can’t handle tight deadlines. Definitely not.

Yes. If you need to, you can get in touch with some of my past colleagues or with projects managers with whom I regularly collaborate. Just let me know and I will provide you with the applicable contact details.

I don’t advertise rates on my website because they vary, based on subject matter, tasks involved or urgency, notably. The best would always be to discuss this point with me directly. That being said, I do have a minimum rate that is not negotiable. Very low rates are becoming more and more frequent within the translation industry, but translators deserve fair payment. And don’t forget: you get what you pay for…

I don’t have a set daily capacity. Why? Because it increases or decreases from one day to another due to several factors. ­ ➡️ The content The more specialized and complex a source text, the more time I will spend doing research, which may have an impact on the number of words I will be able to translate. ­ ➡️ The way I organize my day If your project is urgent, I can adjust my time accordingly (e.g., start earlier or finish later). This way, I may be able to translate more words than I would on a “regular” day. ­ ➡️ The project’s specifics Are there several files to open, or to check for reference? This might seem like minor details, but it does add up to the overall time spent on a translation task and, thus, on my throughput.

I am available if you need me, regardless of the time of the week. Don’t get me wrong, though: I don’t work around the clock, I do get time off and I won’t reply to emails at night. However, unless I’m on vacation (in which case I would inform you as early as possible), you can get in touch with me to discuss your projects. Regarding public holidays, since the majority of my clients are not based in France, you will often find me working on July 14th or on any French holiday (the exception being Christmas Eve and Christmas Day).

I would describe myself as a flexible translator. I am not a five-days-a-week, eight-hours-a-day kind of person. What matters most to me is organizing my time so I can work in the best conditions possible to ensure quality, and not churn out literal content just to make money. I usually start around 8 a.m., but it’s ultimately my workload and my engagements for the day and the week that dictate my working hours. In any case, regardless of when I turn my computer on and off, I will meet your deadline. I don’t ever accept a project if I feel I don’t have sufficient capacity to do a proper job. That’s just a matter of ethics.

It depends. Are you asking me to translate (and review, let’s not forget it) 5,000 words within 24 hours, with no leeway whatsoever? I might apply a rush fee then. Even if I don’t have a set daily capacity, I may need to reconsider payment terms when requirements are demanding. I will always be happy to accommodate and work longer hours to help you out, but this needs to be compensated appropriately in certain circumstances.