About
Charlotte Fleming, translator and copywriter.
What got me where I am today? It certainly wasn't a carefully-defined career plan.
I spent my early childhood in Italy, and studied Italian at school in England, then went to music college to train as a classical singer. When it became obvious I didn't have what it takes to make it in the highly-competitive music business, I retrained as a stage manager, working in opera and ballet until I burned out. I spent two years selling antiquarian books, realised it wasn't for me and took six months, labouring as a cycle courier in London, to decide what to do next.
Wine was the answer. Working in retail and training, I passed my WSET Diploma and sat the Master of Wine (MW) exam. Then, for personal reasons, I moved to Scotland and found it much harder to get work as I didn't know anyone in the business up here.
So I changed tack again, and spent my summers working in the tourist industry and scuba diving. During the winters I developed a different talent: I studied copywriting, took my courage in both hands and turned freelance in 2008. Clients starting asking me to translate for them, too. Now I concentrate on that side of the business, though I still do some writing, and received my MA in Translation (with Distinction) in 2021. My final project was an Extended Translation with Commentary of 7,000 words of I Sapori del Vino
(The Flavours of Wine) by Fabio Pracchia, which I really enjoyed working on.
I love the way my experiences have come together to create a freelance Italian>English wine-tourism-and-scuba translation service. Nothing in life is wasted!
If you're wondering why I don't give a landline phone, it's because I live on a narrowboat, travelling round the English canal system. But that's another story... Find out more at www.CelticFringeCrafts.co.uk
Why use a human instead of a machine or a freelancer instead of an agency?
If you just want a rough idea of what a piece of text means, or you're prepared to spend hours editing a machine's version of the text so it makes sense, by all means use machine translation. It's getting better all the time. If you've used a machine and need the results edited, I can help with that, too.
However, if you want a high-quality translation, with the correct words in the right places and good grammar, then you need a professional human translator. I write clear, plain English and do all the editing and proofreading so you don't have to. I take care and pride in getting it right for you first time, on time. It may cost more than a machine but it will save you time, hassle and money in the long run.
Why use a freelancer rather than an agency?
Because I can give you personal service, with no extra charges, and you know exactly who will be doing the work for you: the pleasant person who answers your email or phone call is also your translator, editor and point of contact for invoicing and payments. I also have contacts who can do your graphic or web design, or translate into other languages, should you need those services.
Want to find out more? Email me at charlotte.fleming@it-en-translation.co.uk or phone +44(0)7718 593057.
Associate of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting
