I think it is important to address that TLs have their own life outside of just TLing as well. So here are a few questions of mine: -How do you guys avoid/combat burn out? -How do you plan your schedules for TL accordingly with your day to day life? I a CTL and I love TLing the projects that I do so I'm reluctant to drop them or let another TL do it (I know it sounds selfish but ahhhhh). Most of them being historical. Personally I feel like I have been taking up too many project that I should handle. It's not that my TL quality has gone down, but me irl being super tired all the time. I am currently doing 6+ projects (novel and manhwa). At this point I just convince myself that I love to suffer. I haven't experienced burnout yet but I'm afraid to. Idk how relevent this thread will be to you guys but I hope to get a few advices from everyone. I learn something new everyday. Lots of Love - Avocado
I know a translator, he loves translating and sharing the novel that he likes to other people. The guy never went to bed before 5am, and sometimes he will even go without sleep, although we are very worried about him. He's got that fire that keeps him going, and I cant speak for him but i think he wont go to such extend if he doesnt enjoy it to some degree. I think you should give yourself sometime to rest? Like pace out the release schedule, put up a comment asking for your readers understanding, im sure they will cheer you on^^ If you dont want to drop them just make the release schedule longer.
You definitely have to find time to rest. I don't know about you, but I have a normal job and work eight hours a day - this has the priority (I have to eat). I translate in my free time. Burnout... Uh, I haven't gotten there yet. Edit: I agree with Chronos Bee - try to make the schedule longer, most of the readers would understand.
I'm only working on a single project, but I do fight with myself often from picking up other novels. But I suppose I compromise with myself by translating blurbs or posting spoilers of other novels instead. When I faced burn out on other projects that I've worked on, I basically had to face the fact that I needed to drop the project. It was what I had to do for myself personally and there was no other way around it. I don't regret it because it was the best choice for me at the time. And I finished successfully what I was working on IRL. I never plan my TL schedules. I translate when I want to. I do other things when I want to. I have a minimum 4 chapter buffer, and my translation speed allows me to grow that buffer even if I'm putting in maybe 25% of my free time into translation. I have that luxury working on just a single project. I'd say take some time to think what's best for you. And don't apologize for the decision that you make in your best interest.
As a translator who works full-time and attends law school part-time, I will forever advocate that figuring out how you tick and learning good time management skills is an absolute must. I usually have 1 "main" project and 1-2 "secondary" projects at any given time. I try to translate at least 2 pages of my main project every day that I decide to translate (for me, weekdays) and only work on my secondary projects after that if I still have some juice left in me/extra time left over that I'm willing to spare. Sometimes, if I burn out from my main project, I only work on my secondary one for that day. Of course, RL comes first and there will also be some days in which I can't translate at all. Basically, my secondary projects exist so I can still translate even when I'm specifically burned out from my main one. It also helps that translating is a labor of love for me and I am under absolutely no obligation to do it if I don't want to. Again, I usually set apart time to translate my main project and then get to my secondary project(s) if I have the time and/or energy to spare. I also don't keep up a set schedule for releases (though I still release on a relatively steady rate) and I make it clear to my readers that I don't have a schedule and am transparent about it whenever RL matters happens that slow down my translating. Note that I am not paid or otherwise obligated, contractually or informally, to translate and strictly refuse to put myself under such obligations. This gives me a lot more freedom than I would have if I was. If you're working on 6+ projects and you're feeling overwhelmed, there's a good chance that you are and that you're spreading yourself a little too thin. That being said, there are still things you can do if you don't want to drop anything. I would recommend first and foremost that you don't pick up any more projects until and unless you're absolutely sure you can handle everything. Also, I find that it's immensely helpful to prioritize projects, since it helps put some focus into how and where you should direct your energy and can help stave off getting burned out from any one particular project. Its totally fine to reorder your priorities when you want to. If (an when, because it'll happen eventually) you do get burned out, rest. Don't be afraid to take a day or two off. Communicate with your readers/team that you need some time off if you're afraid that there'll be some backlash. You're human, and all humans need to rest. Make sure you're sleeping sufficiently. Nothing will make you lose your love for something more than sleep-deprivation, and forcing yourself to translate when you're burnt out will only make you feel like it's a chore and not a hobby you love. Take a day off and set yourself back on track the next day. Hope this helps, and best of luck to you