Translation Contest - YakuYaku Events

YakuYaku is proud to announce its first contest ever. This contest is set to kickoff a series of various events to be held by YakuYaku in the future. Through these events, we hope to encourage our users to share their expertise and experience with others, and to reward them for their efforts with a variety of prizes.

The first event is an article contest which will begin on March 1st and end on March 31st. Other events will follow, so keep an eye out for more info in the near future.

Log in and join the first YakuYaku Article Contest now!

Article Contest Rules

What are the main goals of the contest?

The goal of the contest is to provide interesting articles in different fields relating to translation and the translation industry. We want to encourage translators to share their professional experience and expertise and reward them for their efforts.

How does the contest work?

Translators will be asked to write an article corresponding to one of the fields of YakuYaku article categories (translation tips, industry, IT/media, society, culture, science, philology, Japan/local issues, localization, interpretation, etc.), or about their own specific experience relating to translation.

What sorts of prizes are available, and what will be done with the articles?

1st prize is $150 each for both English and Japanese articles. The 2nd to 20th prizes are $10 each. All winning articles will be published on YakuYaku.com. The winning translators will be awarded with a special label on their profile. However, if you don’t win any of the prizes but would like your article to be published anyway, you can contact us and we will give your article consideration.

What criteria must articles meet to be accepted?

Submitted articles must be written in either English or Japanese, and must be between 500-2000 words (characters in Japanese). To add substance and color to your article you may add an image or photo of your choice, as long as your particular use of the image falls within the realm of copyright legality. Only content that has been created AFTER the starting date of the contest and BEFORE the finishing date will be accepted. Old articles and blog entries may not be used, and the article must be original and as-of-yet unpublished in any form. We accept no spamming; only serious articles will be considered. You can submit an entry to one of our contests or try your luck at both (English and Japanese). YakuYaku reserves the right to refuse any material which it finds to be inappropriate, conflicting with contest rules, or reflecting negatively upon YakuYaku.com.

What criteria will be used to decide winners?

There is no concrete, 100% scientific set of criteria for evaluating submitted articles. Instead, the selection committee - consisting of our in-house team and a couple of supporting language specialists - will choose a winner based on their thorough screenings. However, we will make our decision based partially on the following criteria:
- relevance/topicality in regards to the translation world
- degree of novelty of the topic
- degree of professionalism
- controversial but solid
- comprehensibility, readability
- etc..

Who can participate?

All translators and interpreters worldwide (who are not members of the selection committee) can participate in the contest.

How can I participate?

All you need to do is log on to YakuYaku and upload your article to our database using the Translator Board. (If you don't have an account yet, you can register as a translator for free anytime.)

How will the winner be determined by the selection committee?

The number of votes that each selection committee member gets is equal to one third of the total number of articles. Therefore, if 29 articles are submitted, each selection committee member gets 10 votes. Each article can get only one vote per member, i.e. an article cannot receive two votes from the same person. At least 70% of the selection committee members must vote. The article with the most votes wins. If two or more articles receive the same number of votes, the article submitted first wins. The same counts for the second to twentieth prizes as well.

If I win, how will I receive my prize?

When the decision has been made, we will contact all winners immediately. The money will be transferred preferably via PayPal, or via bank transfer for winners in Japan. If we are unable to contact an individual within two weeks of the selection committee having submitted their final decision, the prize may be forfeited and awarded to another entry in accordance with contest rules. If YakuYaku does not receive entries of sufficient quality, YakuYaku reserves the right to refrain from awarding any or all of the prizes.

When will the contest start?

The contest will begin on March 1st and end on March 31st. The deadline for article submissions will be 6pm on March 31st (JST). The winner will be announced approximately one week later.

What else should I bear in mind?

Please be aware that your submission must be entirely of your own original creation and must not infringe upon or violate any laws or any rights of third parties, including, but not limited to, such violations as infringement of copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other proprietary or property rights, libel, defamation, violation of rights of privacy, publicity, personality or celebrity, or any contract rights, or any other right of any individual, corporation or entity. These rules are subject to change without notice for any reason including, without limitation, necessity to comply with any applicable laws or regulations. By entering the contest, entrants agree to abide by these contest rules and regulations and acknowledge that we as YakuYaku.com shall not be responsible for any damages, costs, demands, claims or losses of any kind made in connection with, in respect to, or arising from this contest or the prizes, including without limitation, in connection with the development or use of any submitted material. For further questions on our Article Contest feel free to contact us at: content@yakuyaku.com