I'm going to reminisce for a moment, but there's a point to this, I promise.

I was still in my apprenticeship doing really old-style fan subs (VHS to VHS recordings with my ex-roommate's computer in the middle running a self-programmed subtitling program, and making them only for personal friends -- that's all we had time to make) and really old style scanslations (using a hand scanner and showing them to practically nobody), when my ex-roommate said he was going to Tacoma for a convention. I, somehow, had the money to tag along, so I did.

While there, I had time on my hands at one point, so I went into a panel on women science-fiction authors discussing what it takes to get into and stay in the industry. There was an aspiring author in the audience who basically hijacked the panel asking questions regarding the problems she had breaking into the business, then asking never-ending followup questions before they could turn to other subjects. After this went on for about ten minutes, I got bored and raised my hand to ask a leading question that would get the panel back onto their advertised subject (sorry, I forget the question, but it doesn't really matter).

After the panel was over, one of the panelists, Kathlyn Starbuck (a really nice woman), came over and thanked me for the question, and we struck up a conversation. During it, I mentioned that I was a translator trying to break into the business, and I wondered if she had any advice. She had some suggestions, and we parted cordially -- but it was hours later when she happened on me again, telling me that her husband had a suggestion for me. It turns out her husband was Raymond E. Feist, author of the bestselling Riftwar fantasy series among many other books, and from his membership in SFWA (Science Fiction Writers of America), he knew Toren Smith who had, a year or two before, set up the packaging/translation studio, Studio Proteus. (Mr. Feist is also a really great guy.)

After the convention, I went home and threw into a package one of the fan-sub tapes that I had translated on my own, some scanslated manga pages along with their Japanese equivalents, and a professional-looking cover letter that mentioned that Mr. Feist had referred me, and I shipped the whole thing out to Studio Proteus.

As it turns out, Toren didn't have work for me at the time, but someone who couldn't afford Toren's rates had asked him for suggestions of other, less expensive translators. My package of translated materials was there on Toren's desk at the time, so he suggested me.

Suddenly I was a professional translator working in the business.

Here's the point.

It all happened because I asked a nice question in a completely unrelated panel. That's how people break into the industry. It usually starts out with pure luck, and you being ready to take advantage of that luck. The door leading to professional work opens a crack, and you have to be prepared to go through it. Fortunately for me, I had translated materials that were ready to send, but part of that was me making sure I had it before anything ever happened. I was ready to take advantage of the opportunity if it arose.

It's a fickle door that leads to professional work. Some of the gatekeepers (overworked editors, mostly) are determined to keep it closed so that their lives are made easier, but there are things that open it. It happens rarely, and it may only happen to you once. So be ready to jam your foot into the door even if it opens just a crack.