Archive for the ‘Japanese automaker’ Category

December, as noted in my last post, was most busy. I was actually incorrect about how much extra work that one internal manual would require; it was a slam dunk! And the reason it was a slam dunk was that I was able to see what dangers lurked from the beginning of the project and prepare accordingly with thorough research and documentation. Forgive me, readers, a tiny pat on the back for this; I am somewhat proud of and relieved at how things turned out there.

Since my last post, for a major Japanese automaker, I have done the following:

• Did further editing of the press kit of a major new model so that the kit could be reprinted.
• Translated the year-end speech of a major executive of the company.
• Translated a press release for a major automotive event held in Japan.
• Translated an internal video concerning a major new safety technology. I translated the original press release as well, in effect branding the technology in English.

Of course, all of these documents except the press kit required skill in Japanese-to-English translation, which is something I have to offer. But getting a good and accurate translation isn’t enough: good English with the right feel and cadence to it is also necessary. And I have that to offer as well, whether you require Japanese-to-English translation or just well-written English from scratch!

One other thing that made December a very busy month was that for the last two weeks of it I was spending a lot of time in the hospital interpreting for families with sick kids. This post on my personal blog talks about the situation in greater detail, should you be curious.

I will be back in the hospital tomorrow morning, too, interpreting for a family whose child is having open heart surgery. Please pray with me that things turn out well for this child and this family.

I must beg the forgiveness of my subscribers who have been asking, “Where’s my update?” December has turned out to be quite a busy month–and there are still two weeks to go. For a major Japanese automaker, I have done the following:

• Completed the internal magazine dealing with the company’s history in an Asian country.
• Translated a PowerPoint presentation of over 50 slides, which was used at an event introducing a major new model to North America.
• Translated an internal manual of 41 pages (an ongoing project that will require a good deal more work, to be sure).
• Translated a blurb that will be used in another internal publication.

In the business literature project, my author and I are making great progress, and we should be able to get a final draft together within a month or so. We would like to start looking for a publisher in January.

Things are going well at my Web developer client in Southern Indiana. I visited the firm recently, interviewed all the staff, and am writing bios that the company will put on their websites. It’s a nice project, and the client is fun to work with!

Although I did not write it in December, my new sports fiction story has been published and is being distributed at college basketball venues around the country. I will write and post a press release as soon as I receive some copies from the publisher.

I also have been called into local hospitals to interpret quite a bit in the past two weeks. I like this work because it gets me out of the house, allows me to help people on an immediate, personal level, and keeps my interpreter’s saw sharp.

My networking efforts seem to be going quite well; a lot of people are interested in the product I have to offer, and several projects are on the horizon. What makes me happy is that I don’t have to sell too hard and price doesn’t seem to be an issue; I seem to be finding natural win-wins pretty easily.

For these reasons, 2009 promises to be a very busy year. That doesn’t mean, however, that I am not interested in helping you with your project. Please give me a call!

I’ve been working through the weekend on various projects. For a major Japanese automaker, I did the following:

• Continued to work on the internal magazine dealing with company’s operations and history in an Asian country.
• Wrote a press release concerning a vehicle lease to the Japanese government.
• Wrote a press release concerning an event in which children got to ride in an advanced new vehicle.
• Translated a Q&A series concerning environmentally responsible technologies.

All of the above documents required Japanese-to-English translation. The Q&A documents I do for this automaker tend to feel more like pure translation, perhaps because there is much less of a necessity to make the document flow well from one part to the next (each question and answer set is pretty much self-contained).

In local news, I am helping a Web development company in Southern Indiana by editing content it will be adding to a new website (the company’s own blog site, in this case). Also, a friend from a local networking event invited me to help him write a book. His project sounds very interesting, and I may take him up on his offer. Of course, I’m already helping another colleague write a book, so I’ll need to manage my time carefully.

I’m piled high with work right now, but December tends to be a slow month as people in both Japan and the United States turn their attention to the holidays. I welcome any new project inquiries. Why not have your marketing materials in place for the new year?

I have not updated in a while because a lot of jobs have been in progress: changes to the Japanese originals, and so on. It definitely keeps me busy.

I have got a new job in, however. Recently I did a translation of a video script about the history of a major Japanese automaker in Thailand. Now I have been privileged with the task of translating a short magazine (not an article, but actually an entire internal magazine) on the same topic. This is quite a chunky job and will consume about a week’s worth of time.

I have continued to work on my mysterious “business literature” book with my mysterious author. We are making good progress, and I feel that this book will be of great help to many people.

I have also been getting out and networking a lot lately. Indy is a great town for networking: I am a member of Rainmakers, and there are many other organizations and events. From the attitude of people around here, you would never think there was an economic downturn in the works. Perhaps our Hoosier spunk will see us through!

There is a lot going on right now:

• I am working on a video script for a major Japanese automaker that introduces a new model in its diesel automobile lineup. The video will be used in dealerships throughout Europe, according to what I’ve been told.
• Another video script project just came in, and this one is also for a major Japanese automaker but deals with the history of one of its Asian subsidiaries
• I will also be doing a press release for a major Japanese automaker about some of its new interactive environmental technologies.
• Finally, that press kit project (for, of course, a major Japanese automaker) continues to progress. My colleague in Japan has visited the client and received access to a wealth of graphics data which we will use to give the press kit a truly remarkable look. I am very proud to be a part of this project, which will introduce a very important new model to North America.

I am busy, but it’s a good even burn. I have stepped up my local marketing efforts and joined the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. Salesperson Brady Jacoba has done a fantastic job of getting me on board and getting my listing up on their site (click on the “New Members” link on the home page to see the listing for Marrubium Inc.). It looks like the Indy Chamber has a very nice program ready for 2009, and I am proud to be a member. Call Brady at 317.464.2209 for more information.

I have also been meeting with local ad agencies and website developers to talk about helping out. I can take on about 3 – 4 medium- to large-size clients right now going into winter but am also happy to do one-off projects for individual businesses. If you would like to create some new marketing content for your business or start a long-term business relationship, now is a great time to talk with me, as I expect a very full plate in spring and summer 2009 (and yes, that is with the economic downturn, in which, as the old joke goes, I have decided not to participate).

I am happy to do visit your business to do a free consultation, and I also have relationships with excellent graphic designers and Web developers, so please give me a call!

I am working on a press release for a major Japanese automaker. This is a big document, 5 pages in Microsoft Word, and it deals with an all-new model in detail. I do love working on press releases and keeping abreast of new products in the market.

After I get done with this today, I’ll be starting on an automobile video script.

Just a short update for you, but it’s a lot of writing….

Today I’m working on a translation of an article for the internal magazine of a major Japanese automaker. It concerns the efforts of this company’s employee to recreate in computer graphics one of its race cars from the 1960s. Really quite interesting stuff!

It’s been a busy week or so since I last updated you on my writing activities.

For a major Japanese automaker, I continue to work on the press kit for a new model coming out in spring 2009. The project is going quite well, and it looks as though they’ll be giving us access to CAD data with which to make some cool graphics for the kit.

For this same company, I did a press release this week concerning their solar panel business in Japan, which is really taking off.

The other major project that has been occupying my time is the book I am writing with my friend, who is an extraordinary HR consultant. A real guru, if you will. Yesterday, I served at his assistant at a seminar he gave for free to a local charitable organization. It was pretty amazing how he held the room and got some pretty complex ideas across in a succint, appealing way. It’s a real honor to be working with him on this book and helping him convey these important and original ideas to an even wider audience.

Shame on me: it’s been a month since I’ve written here. Time has flown, but not in an unproductive fashion. In addition to getting the content of this site together (apologies again to my visitors!), I’ve been working on the following for a major Japanese automaker:

• New model press kit. This consumed most of September, as my friends and family well know. It’s not done yet, but the US affiliate has approved the copy for the most part and we are now going to layout. Many revisions to follow, I’m sure. I need to keep mum about the details, but the vehicle is truly exciting! This press kit is not translation-based; I am writing it in English, editing a variety of source content and adding extensive copy of my own. Tough but rewarding work!
• Two press releases for the same vehicle, which has created quite a stir at the still ongoing Paris Motor Show.
• A press release for a very interesting new safety device. My translation in effect ended up branding the device, and it was by no means a literal translation (literalness would not have worked in this case) so I am rather proud of this. This release was picked up by auto-related media around the world.
• A press release about a power steering system.
• An internal media piece.
• A large panel for an international competition.
• A video script concerning another model. This video will not be seen by so many people, as the model in question is practically a race car and something quite exclusive. Fun stuff.

OK, that’s all for one company. Here’s what I have been doing here in the US the past month:

• Interpreted for hospitals. We had the Moto GT race here at the Speedway recently, and I was called to Interpret for a rider who crashed during the race and bumped his head. He was completely fine and was released in just a few hours. He certainly was an interesting fellow to talk to, though!
• Interpreted for a law firm.
• Am currently working on some bios for a local service provider to go up on their website. Very nice client.
• I’ve had a fiction story serialized in college football programs sent out to stadiums around the country. The publisher told me the circulation was at least 100k, so I hope readership will be substantial. The publisher liked my story quite a bit, so I’m working on a new one now.

Thanks much again to my clients, friends, and family who are always such a great support as I write like crazy. I promise now to blog here on a more frequent basis and keep you up to date with my goings-on!

Today I’m working on a press kit for a very interesting new automobile to be launched in 2009 by a top-three Japanese automaker. For the first part of the job, I am writing original English copy based on information the company has issued online and in print.

I am also working on a piece of sports fiction that it is being serialized in a publication with a circulation of over 100,000. Once the story has been fully published, I have been told it is fine for me to post it on my site so that people who have missed installments can read the whole thing.