Archive for the ‘Japanese automaker’ Category

Although the world economy has been in a fritz for more than a year now, 2009 has been the strongest year yet in my career. I don’t take this situation for granted, and I’m extremely grateful that I have clients who appreciate my work and continue to invest in marketing materials during the downturn.

In this busy year, August-October have been the busiest months. I was in Japan from the end of July to the end of August, working flat-out on English-to-Japanese translation projects for my major Japanese automaker client.

Here is what I worked on for this client August-October:

• Translated the better part of the annual environmental report and edited the work of other translators
• Translated the better part of the annual corporate social responsibility report and edited the work of other translators
• Translated several articles for a new portion of the company website dealing with design
• Translated the better part of a the press kit for the 41st Tokyo Motor Show 2009
• Translated the copy for a poster used around the world
• Translated several press releases

I also did a lot of work for this client that did not involve translation.

The end of the year will probably be a bit less busy, since Japan goes into Shogatsu mode–but it will still be busy. Thank you, clients!

August-October 2009 has been one of the busiest periods in my entire career. I’m grateful to have such great clients when the world economy is not doing so well!

Here is what I’ve been up to…

For my major Japanese automaker client, I…

• Wrote and edited content for two major reports
• Edited the company’s internal newsletter (I do this every month)
• Wrote 89 individual articles for a new section of the company’s website

These projects involved translation to a degree. I also did several projects for this client that were pure Japanese-to-English translation.

For ghost blogging client No. 1, I…

• Updated the blog
• Edited a press release
• Named the company’s major new product
• Helped write a new brochure on the new product

For ghost blogging client No. 2, I…

• Updated the blog
• Provided a gratis consultation on the client’s current marketing mix (as a marketing MBA, this is something I do to help my clients out!)

For ghost blogging client No. 3 (new since August), I…

• Completely revised the client’s website both to create a better site and help the blog be maximally effective
• Updated the blog

I love this new client! They are the best at what they do in Indianapolis, and I’m proud to be their blogger. In line with my “Japanese training,” I have been visiting the client’s gemba: I’ve been going to every one of their stores, meeting their associates, and deepening my understanding of their business.

Sports fiction

I wrote seven new short stories for a major publisher, and I’ll be writing two other stories by the end of the year. Five of the stories dealt with football, and two dealt with basketball (the remaining two will also deal with basketball).

Another new client

Through a referral I developed another new client that is like a YouTube for positive, family-friendly infomercials.  I wrote two short video scripts about an agricultural product for their client. These scripts received very good reviews, so I hope to do more work for this company in the near future.

Yet another new client

This is a medical device company doing some very exciting things. I have helped them write two press releases, which seem to have gone over quite well.

Biz lit book

My coauthor and I have made major progress on the book, and we plan to have a pretty clean draft complete by Thanksgiving.

What I’d like to help you with

Since this is the first time I’ve had any breathing room since April or so, it’s a good time to talk about new projects! I am interested in taking on new ghost blogging and newsletter clients. Now would also be a good time to talk about revising your website copy–why not make your site new and fresh in the new year? I also tell people I am looking for “fun projects.” I have my regular work each month, and it’s nice to have variety.

Please feel free to call or email me about your projects–I can help!

I have been working on the environmental annual report for a major Japanese automaker, and it has been in truth an infinite pile of work at which I have been working away at a mad pace.

I am going to Japan for the month of August to work in the office of the ad agency that hires me for the annual reports and many other job. While in Japan, I will stay in constant contact with my ghost blogging and other clients.

So, I am booked until mid-September. Thank you, clients!

Like June, July has been flat-out. Here is what’s new:

Website copywriting
I am rewriting and adding to the website copy of the best dry cleaning business in the city. The hope is also that they will become a ghost blogging client. Great people.

Ghost blogging
Right now, I have two happy clients, and the ghost blogging is producing results for both.

Major Japanese automaker newsletter
July has been the best month yet. I look forward to getting my new story assignments every month.

Biz-lit book
My writing partner and I are getting significant interest on the book. Editing proceeds apace.

I will be in Japan for a month and New York for two weeks starting July 29. I will not be able to take on new jobs (except for two new ghost blogging clients if they come on board) until mid to late September. I’d like to express my thanks to my local clients who have made summer 2009 very busy and enjoyable thus far!

The past month has been quite busy for Japanese to English translation. Major projects:

I subtitled another script for a major Japanese TV production company.

I translated a video script for a major Japanese automaker, and I am about to begin on another for the same company. The videos are for two new models, one the company’s flagship sedan, and the other a crossover SUV.

For another major Japanese automaker, I am translating a pamphlet about their safety technologies.

As far as Japanese to English translation goes, I am essentially booked until sometime in August.

June has been a massively busy month thus far. I have three main projects to talk about:

New ghost blogging client
Great new client! Truly fun to write for. Taking on only a few more clients will put me in the state known as “maxed out.”

Major Japanese automaker newsletter
This gig is going very well. Also quite fun.

Biz lit book enters editing stage
I am done taking dictation from my coauthor, and now it’s up to me to put it together.

I am more or less booked for the summer, but I am interesting in taking on steady work such as regular script writing, newsletter writing, and ghost blogging.

May has been a very busy month for Japanese-to-English translation. For a major Japanese automaker, I have translated a press release and Q&A document concerning a new 4-stroke marine outboard engine (obviously, this company makes more than cars).

For a major Japanese movie and television production company and broadcaster, I have subtitled the pilot episode of a TV series. I’m happy to report that my work has met with approval, and I’ve been given another pilot to subtitle.

The past month has been busy, and more and more work keeps coming in!

I received some good news this past week: Hits are up for my ghost blogging client’s blog and ecommerce site. We are having a meeting this Friday to refine strategy further. It also seems I soon may have another ghost blogging client. On ghost blogging, I am working with Rhoda Israelov of Say It For You, a truly wonderful writer and blogger. You can catch her blog here. Ghost blogging is very enjoyable work and helps me achieve balance in my workload, as I am able to work ahead on posts when other work is light.

Other work, however, has not been light. I am very happy to have been selected as the editor of the global newsletter of a major Japanese automaker. Although I do Japanese-to-English translation as well, this job involves very little translation. I receive stories from around the world and edit them to make them fit the newsletter format.

I also continue to make progress on the “mystery business lit book” with my coauthor. We’ve both been so busy, though, that it’s increasingly hard to find time. I suppose that’s a good problem to have.

Many thanks to my clients who have been entrusting me with numerous jobs this year!

In Medical interpretation has slowed down a bit recently, but writing work has been plentiful. For a major Japanese automaker, I have done the following:

• Translated from Japanese to English a script for a short video about a major new safety technology. I had earlier translated the press release, in effect branding the technology in the English language. This technology, and hence my particular wording, has received a great deal of attention in the press.
• Translated from Japanese to English a press release for a major new automobile model. I had earlier served as a lead writer (writing straight to English) on the US press kit for the model.
• Begun translating from Japanese to English a 13-page article on this model for internal use in the company.
• Edited a 20-page internal newspaper for the company. I translated several articles from Japanese to English, wrote others in English based on materials provided by the company, and edited articles by other writers.

In local news, I helped a Japanese family secure a mortgage the other day. I translated (or, in this case, provided an overview of) some Japanese banking documents for a local mortgage company and talked with one of the borrowers on the phone to help her understand what additional documentation was required.

My coauthor and I have reached a new milestone in the business literature book we’re working on: we’ve now got a mockup of the full book together in Word and are working on filling in the blanks and polishing the content.

That’s what’s going on in Horehound Central. I have a good plate full o’ work right now but would very much like to discuss your writing projects and needs, so please drop me a line.

This week, for a major Japanese automaker I translated some goodbye speeches to a manager who is leaving India to return to Japan. A somewhat unusual job, but quite interesting.

I have had a tremendous amount of medical interpretation work the past month.

My coauthor and I are picking up the pace on the book we’re writing. Actually, he is the star of the show; I am just helping him edit a bit.

Things are not too complex or harried right now, but suitably busy.