Month: December 2023

Boundary Setting: Schedule Send

| alexispernsteiner

I was scrolling through Google search results to this query, “Is it polite to send an email on the weekend?”, and it occurred to me that if I had to ask, then the answer was definitely “no.”

But what if I added a qualifier somewhere in the email saying, “This isn’t urgent, feel free to wait until Monday to reply”? I typed it out. Reworked it through several iterations. I didn’t like it. It felt disingenuous. It felt like I was making an excuse for bad behavior while going through with it anyway.

I was working on a Sunday for my own personal reasons (no childcare on the preceding Wednesday and a workload that required a full week), but there was no need to inflict that on anyone else. Because, let’s be honest, email recipients—unless they shut off their work phone/computer all weekend and don’t look at it (and not everyone has that luxury)—get the ping. They see that I’ve written. And even if they don’t open the email until Monday, they now have me on their minds, if only fleetingly, on Sunday, and that’s intrusive.

The solution to not sending after hours emails is so stupidly easy and obvious that I can’t believe I didn’t implement it earlier in my working life: SCHEDULE SEND. If you use Gmail, there’s a little down arrow on the send button. Click it. And schedule.

Ever since I had this revelation, I’ve been using the function with the brakes off. And every time I do, it feels like a new mastery of the very grownup and elusive skill of setting boundaries. Because creating a container for my workweek (Monday-Friday) and workday (8 a.m.-7 p.m. or 9 a.m.-5 p.m., depending on the day) also means respecting those of others.

So, unless there’s a true translation life-or-death emergency on the weekend that requires immediate action, know that you won’t be receiving emails from me after hours. But 8 a.m. on Monday is fair game.

P.S.

I’ve also used schedule send to give myself well-timed assignments, complete with relevant attachments: “Dear Self, Prepare a PowerPoint presentation on given subject using the materials in the attachments.” Schedule send for one month from now. It feels like a hack.

111 Museums in Paris

| alexispernsteiner

What fun it was to participate behind the scenes in the translation of the French entries of this unique guidebook. Sitting here at my desk in Marseille, I was able to discover and rediscover gem locales all over the City of Light, including 19th-century cabinets of curiosities, a surprisingly endearing museum of hunting and natural life, a round-the-clock outdoor sculpture museum, and so much more. Author Anne Carminati does a fabulous job making even the big institution museums seem fresh and intimate. And working with Karen Seiger, the charming editor of this series, was a treat in itself.

Challenges on the translation end of this project included:

–> This book was authored by two ‘guides’–one French (Anne Carminati) and one American (James Wesolowski) –so part of the job involved keeping Anne Carminati’s tone of voice, while harmonizing the translation style with the existing American copy.

–> Reviewing and incorporating the 111 Style Guide preferences. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, adapting a translation to a House style guide (or client style preferences) is an important part of any translation project.

–> Familiarizing myself with the different museums. Each entry in a guidebook requires some research to ensure that I’m accurately translating descriptions. I also ‘fact check’ a bazillion details, including proper names, cultural references, addresses, artwork titles, etc.

Learn more about 111 Museums in Paris and its authors, and pick up a copy, here: https://www.111places.com/111-museums-in-paris

new listening find: The editing podcast

| alexispernsteiner

So thrilled to have discovered this podcast by an editor I follow on social media:

https://www.louiseharnbyproofreader.com/podcast.html

I’ve just listened to an interview episode with Andy Hodges from July on Editing Translated Materials. Many interesting points are covered here, including:

–> evaluating the level and type of editing to apply based on the purpose of a text (literary for publication? academic for publication or presentation?)

–> the differences and similarities between editing translated texts and editing texts by authors for whom English is not their primary language

–> things to look out for in translated texts: accurate and consistent use of terminology, register errors, appropriate and consistent voice/style

–> differences in publishing/literary traditions: In some cultures “head hopping” is not a strict no-no and using dialogue tags other than “said,” “asked,” and “replied” is encouraged (definitely the case in French fiction)

I can’t wait to listen to more episodes, on topics like “5 ways editors can use text generative AI as a business tool,” “How to manage a hectic editorial business schedule,” “5 ways to be a more efficient editor and proofreader,” and “Editorial humility: Who’s the boss of the book?”