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Show me your rates, and I\'ll tell you what kind of translator you are
Thread poster: Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Tanja Wohlgemuth
Tanja Wohlgemuth  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 08:28
Member (2005)
English to German
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How do you get these high rates, please? Nov 22, 2001

Dear all,

I DO NOT AGREE at all to the statement what kind of translator you are shows from your rates. I know that I am talented, I know that I deliver excellent translations, and several clients have congratulated me to the quality of my work. Still, the rates only range from 0.04-0.06 Euro per word and I must say that I am quite amazed about the rates you are speaking about.

For me, a good rate is something like 0.06 Euro per word (and I get very few jobs with this rate),... See more
Dear all,

I DO NOT AGREE at all to the statement what kind of translator you are shows from your rates. I know that I am talented, I know that I deliver excellent translations, and several clients have congratulated me to the quality of my work. Still, the rates only range from 0.04-0.06 Euro per word and I must say that I am quite amazed about the rates you are speaking about.

For me, a good rate is something like 0.06 Euro per word (and I get very few jobs with this rate), but I do work for agencies, too, which pay me 0.04 Euro only. I am relatively new to the translation business (working as a freelancer since July this year) and would really like to get some advice on how to get well-paid translation jobs: I have contacted agencies via e-mail and have proposed them my services, and I did get some jobs via Proz, too. But as I say, the rates you get this way are ridiculous if compared to the ones you are getting. Are there any other ways to put my hands on translation jobs that I should try and that you can recommend?

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Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Local time: 02:28
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Improve your marketing and target direct clients, Tanja Nov 22, 2001

That\'s the way to go. If you work for agencies, choose them carefully: there are quite a few that pay reasonable rates without taking advantage of the translators.



However, Europe, in general, is a bad place to work for agencies (relatively speaking, Europe has the highest number of \"bad-apple\" agencies).



Your problem, Tanja, is that your rates are dumping rates - it\'s a choice you made when you started, and these rates will stick with you for the re... See more
That\'s the way to go. If you work for agencies, choose them carefully: there are quite a few that pay reasonable rates without taking advantage of the translators.



However, Europe, in general, is a bad place to work for agencies (relatively speaking, Europe has the highest number of \"bad-apple\" agencies).



Your problem, Tanja, is that your rates are dumping rates - it\'s a choice you made when you started, and these rates will stick with you for the rest of your professional career.



Once a cheap translator, always a cheap translator! I know that I would never hire you - a decision solely based on your rates (and, thank God, more and more project managers think that way).



Apparently, you don\'t believe in your skills and competence enough; otherwise, you would not be selling yourself short for peanuts.



*********



Reply to Evert:

If you wish to partake of those \"nice jobs\", you will have to relocate to Canada, meet all the requirements for certification (which have just been stepped up) and become certified - it\'s a club: \"members only\" ▲ Collapse
 
Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Local time: 02:28
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Please, don't tell fairy-tale stories Nov 22, 2001

Quote:


On 2001-11-22 04:54, Loek wrote:

..... My record is 16.000 words on one day (16 hours), but my average speed lies around 4.000 words per day. If I do my best, I can do 8.000 words in 8 hours. ...






With all due respect, this is bull. If you \"translate\" like a machine, the end product will be a \"machine translation\", and we all know about the quality of MT, don\'t we?... See more
Quote:


On 2001-11-22 04:54, Loek wrote:

..... My record is 16.000 words on one day (16 hours), but my average speed lies around 4.000 words per day. If I do my best, I can do 8.000 words in 8 hours. ...






With all due respect, this is bull. If you \"translate\" like a machine, the end product will be a \"machine translation\", and we all know about the quality of MT, don\'t we?



If you really translate 1,000 words an hour, you will not have any time for proper textual analysis of the source text and the necessary degree of thought that needs to go into your translation. This is not humanly possible. Translation is a process that requires a lot of concentration and analysis, and if you work like a horse, your concentration will drop and you will make tons of mistakes you are not even aware of. So, if that\'s the product you sell to your clients, ............. I rest my case. ▲ Collapse
 
Nikki Graham
Nikki Graham  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:28
Spanish to English
Once a cheap translator, next a more expensive one Nov 22, 2001

Quote:




Once a cheap translator, always a cheap translator! I know that I would never hire you - a decision solely based on your rates (and, thank God, more and more project managers think that way).



Apparently, you don\'t believe in your skills and competence enough; otherwise, you would not be selling yourself short for peanuts.



*********

I totally disagree. I thin... See more
Quote:




Once a cheap translator, always a cheap translator! I know that I would never hire you - a decision solely based on your rates (and, thank God, more and more project managers think that way).



Apparently, you don\'t believe in your skills and competence enough; otherwise, you would not be selling yourself short for peanuts.



*********

I totally disagree. I think that the people who have been going on and on about low rates recently are not taking many things into consideration. (I\'m also referring to those that complained about 0.04 EUR being a ridiculously low rate).

1. You start off at a lower rate and once you build a relationship with a client/agency you can put it up. If they like your work and want to keep you, they won\'t complain.

2. Your rate depends on where you live or who you work for and which country they\'re in. For example, I work exclusively (at the moment) for agencies/clients in Spain where I live. I think I get an average rate from them. And I\'d like to give some examples. I had lots of work from one agency for a year (way below 0.04 EUR), when I decided that I wanted to raise the rate, they said they\'d think about it. I haven\'t heard from them since. They were one of my main agencies. I don\'t think that the fact they\'ve not contacted me since has anything to do with the quality of my work (it\'s just that they can find enough translators to do the work for less than I wanted - still). Another of my main agencies offered me an in-house job for a ridiculously low salary (i.e. getting about half what they were paying me for the freelance work on average per month). I refused, despite the fact that they warned me that I\'d not get as much work from them, and I haven\'t done much for them since.

3. Two agencies I work for have put my rates up without me even asking. I consider this to be an indication of their appreciation of my work.

4. I earn far more than an average employee here in Spain.

5. I\'ve only been translating freelance for just over 2 years. Do you really think that I can go around charging exorbitant rates (for my country) when there are people out there better and more experienced than me? You gain experience, get better and charge more. Or is anyone considered to be briliant at their job right from day one?

6. The few translators I know in Spain who try to charge more than me (with less experience) complain that they have no work, i.e. no money and can\'t pay their bills.

7. The rate you get also depends on your language pair and how highly that pair is valued in the country of the client/agency. In Spain, there are loads of English-Spanish and vice versa translators. Obviously, those with different languages pairs can get more per word than I do. I don\'t complain.

8. I haven\'t expressed myself very well. All I want to say is, let\'s have some more understanding please. I\'d love to get the rate that translators in the US get, for example. But, for a start, I don\'t live there and I\'m not American (i.e. I can\'t produce \"US English translations\". Don\'t knock people who charge less than you by assuming that they\'re a worse translator than you are. What are you afraid of exactly?

Competition?



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XX789 (X)
XX789 (X)  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 08:28
English to Dutch
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Not machine translation Nov 22, 2001

With all due respect, this is bull. If you \"translate\" like a machine, the end product will be a \"machine translation\", and we all know about the quality of MT, don\'t we?



===



Who said I translated like a machine? I said I translated fast. I can\'t remember having written that I translate like a machine. Speed is a relative understanding. What might be fast for you might be slow for you and vice versa.



I\'m sorry to disappoint yo... See more
With all due respect, this is bull. If you \"translate\" like a machine, the end product will be a \"machine translation\", and we all know about the quality of MT, don\'t we?



===



Who said I translated like a machine? I said I translated fast. I can\'t remember having written that I translate like a machine. Speed is a relative understanding. What might be fast for you might be slow for you and vice versa.



I\'m sorry to disappoint you Werner, but you seem a little bitter and prejudiced. After my translations are finished, I read them, make a few adaptations here and there to \"let them flow\" and that\'s it. It\'s surprising to see how few things you have to change during your proofreading if you have a solid state of mind during the translation itself. And believe it or not, I\'m very relaxed when I do my work.



Then again, I come from a different world. I don\'t get the feeling you do a lot of IT translations. This is the speed companies expect from you, and these are the rates they expect to pay you. Why? Because IT translations are relatively easy if you know what you\'re writing about. No metaphors or intricate grammatical constructions: it\'s IF this THEN that and DO this and DO that. No ambiguities or whatsoever: your task is to write a user\'s manual that\'s as clear and unequivocal as possible for the user.



There are many things I have zero talent for. But translation is probably the only thing I\'m good at. I can do it well and yes, I can do it fast.



But if you want to think of my translations as machine translations, then be my guest. My clients love the style, they love the writing and they keep coming back. Either all those 260 companies/government agencies have a strange linguistic taste, or I\'m delivering something they call quality.



I\'ve also translated a few books on IT, several of which were published nationwide by Sybex International. Several libraries and newspapers reviewed these books and they loved them. Were they all wrong? Maybe. But the fact is that quality is not necessarily a fixed standard, but rather a definition of what generally satisfies the majority of the population.



Draw your own conclusions.



You cannot judge a translator by rates alone. There are many other important factors. Education, client lists, references, experience, professionality, communication skills and talent are just a few of them.



Generalizing is always bad. The world isn\'t black or white. There\'s always a shade of gray. You can\'t claim that all Dutch people can write perfect Dutch just because they are Dutch; neither can you claim that all translators with low rates are bad translators per definition. Then there\'s the fact that the translation market differs per country. There is NO WAY you can sell a 0.40 USD per word translation in Holland. Never, ever.



Anyway, if you are happy with your high rates, then so be it. I\'m happy with my low rates. Don\'t judge me, and I won\'t judge you.

[ This Message was edited by: on 2001-11-22 13:27 ] ▲ Collapse
 
Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Local time: 02:28
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Replies Nov 22, 2001

To Loek:



Sorry, but it is a \"machine translation\" - when you work for 16 hours like a horse, you will have 0 concentration left to do a proper check of your translation (omissions, bad style, wording, etc.).



As I said, it is not humanly possible. I shudder to think of the quality of the end product (brrrrr....), but, as you say, if your clients are happy, good for them (and for you). Let\'s just leave it at that.



******

... See more
To Loek:



Sorry, but it is a \"machine translation\" - when you work for 16 hours like a horse, you will have 0 concentration left to do a proper check of your translation (omissions, bad style, wording, etc.).



As I said, it is not humanly possible. I shudder to think of the quality of the end product (brrrrr....), but, as you say, if your clients are happy, good for them (and for you). Let\'s just leave it at that.



******



Nikki: in an ideal world, you would be correct. But the real world operates along different lines: you cannot raise your rates later on without losing your clients. Yes, you can raise your rates, but you will go back to square one, because you will have to go looking for new clients. This way, you\'ll end up in a vicious circle (always right back to square one each time you decide to raise your rates considerably). However, you are lucky that your agencies raise their rates voluntarily - but this is very rare, indeed.



This particular discussion has nothing to do with location, but with selling oneself short if you don\'t believe in your own skills, and you say so yourself: \"there are others with more experience than me\" - this attitude, I believe, is self-destructive. If you are really serious about being a part of this profession, you will have to develop some measure of confidence and self-esteem (and let\'s not forget that EUR 0.04 per word is way too low, even for Spain)



I receive a lot of mail from beginners, and I tell them all: never sell yourself short, especially not on account of being a beginner.



Final note on location: if you in Spain, for example, want to work for EUR 0.04 per word or less, then be my guest, but don\'t try to spread this \"thing\" to other countries. If you enter the international markets (e.g., by applying to a US agency), offer the rates that are customary in that other country and play by the rules (i.e., market yourself based on your qualifications).



Saying things like, \"Oh, but the US agency would never hire me otherwise, because I am not American, so I have to lower my rates\", is an easy excuse so as to filter out the real reasons for not getting the assignment or job in the first place.

Agencies and clients will consider applications from translators from all over the world, based on the merits of each candidate. If the agency likes your CV, but thinks that your rate is too high, they will contact you and discuss the rate issue with you. If they don\'t like your CV, low rate or high rate, they will not contact you. So, do not misinterpret that as a requirement to lower your rates automatically just to get a reply.

If you have been shunned by US agencies in the past, there might have been other reasons for them to turn you down!

[ This Message was edited by: on 2001-11-22 13:51 ] ▲ Collapse
 
XX789 (X)
XX789 (X)  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 08:28
English to Dutch
+ ...
Ah, we're almost there Nov 22, 2001

Ah, we\'re almost there Werner - sounds like we can come up with some kind of agreement about this after all



The 16 hours on one day scenario was a one time only event - like I said, it was my record and I\'m not planning to do it again. Normally I translate like 4.000 words per day - I find that more than enough. Working for 16 hours at a stretch makes you tired, very tired.



A tip for other translators: ... See more
Ah, we\'re almost there Werner - sounds like we can come up with some kind of agreement about this after all



The 16 hours on one day scenario was a one time only event - like I said, it was my record and I\'m not planning to do it again. Normally I translate like 4.000 words per day - I find that more than enough. Working for 16 hours at a stretch makes you tired, very tired.



A tip for other translators: don\'t translate 16.000 words on one day. Even if you can guarantee the quality of your translation, you will get problems with your health. This 16.000 word thing happened in a period last year when I took more projects than I could actually handle. 8.000 Words per day were no exception. Though the translations were good, I had strained myself so much that I haven\'t been able to sleep for 9 months, because my back was hurting so much. Sometimes I woke up at 3 AM in the night, because of the excruciating pains. In the end I had to go to a physiotherapist to have my back \'cracked\'. Now everything is well again, but believe me, the money wasn\'t worth that nightmare.



Dare say \"no\", or ask your client if it\'s okay to outsource excess work to another translator you can trust. ▲ Collapse
 
Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Local time: 02:28
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Some explanations Nov 22, 2001

First off: Loek, good advice !



****



The reason why I am \"going after price-dumpers\" has nothing to do with fear of competiton - I don\'t consider these people competition at all!



I am raising this issue for the benefit of beginners and others who live in low-income countries (and elsewhere).



Be more confident and assertive! Don\'t sell yourselves short just beca... See more
First off: Loek, good advice !



****



The reason why I am \"going after price-dumpers\" has nothing to do with fear of competiton - I don\'t consider these people competition at all!



I am raising this issue for the benefit of beginners and others who live in low-income countries (and elsewhere).



Be more confident and assertive! Don\'t sell yourselves short just because you live in a low-income country or because you are a beginner.



If you apply to a US agency, for example, and bait them by offering a low, low, low rate, be prepared for the worst: a quality agency will do exactly what I do - look at the (low) rate offered and discard the application. The only agencies you can win over this way are those that we don\'t want to work for: they are the ones that will default on payment, treat their translators with disrespect, etc.



Finding the \"gems\" among the agencies is almost an art; working for them is a privilege. But you have to market yourself in a professional manner (and price-dumping is not considered professional by these agencies). So, submit your qualifications, CV, credentials,... and offer them a rate that is customary for the US (or wherever that agency is located). They will hire you only if they like what they see. Baiting these \"gem agencies\" with basement rates will get you nowhere.



Note: if an agency approaches you with a rate offer of their own, and you find out that this rate is below the usual rates in that country, reject the offer (for example, a US agency offering to pay 4 or 5 cents - standard agency rates offered are 10 to 12 cents US). Remember: just because you live in Spain or India, etc. does not mean that you have to accept Spanish, Indian, etc. rates when working for a US or European agency.



Cheap and unethical lawyers are often referred to as \"ambulance chasers\", a moniker that these individuals will never be able to outlive. If you need a lawyer, you will not contact an ambulance chaser (unless you want to go to jail or lose the lawsuit); discerning clients will always go with quality, and in their minds, quality equals higher rates. If you want to be known as an \"ambulance chaser\" in the translation world, go right ahead.

[ This Message was edited by: on 2001-11-22 15:09 ] ▲ Collapse
 
Ursula Peter-Czichi
Ursula Peter-Czichi  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 02:28
German to English
+ ...
Tough decisions! Nov 22, 2001

Quote:


On 2001-11-21 23:59, alison1969 wrote:

I fully agree with the rates/quality issue. I have set myself a minimum rate and refuse to go below it. My customers love my quality and come back time and time over.



What I believe we will increasingly see in future, however, is a \"market weed-out\". There are already translation programs on the market that are capable of translating general material at a quality... See more
Quote:


On 2001-11-21 23:59, alison1969 wrote:

I fully agree with the rates/quality issue. I have set myself a minimum rate and refuse to go below it. My customers love my quality and come back time and time over.



What I believe we will increasingly see in future, however, is a \"market weed-out\". There are already translation programs on the market that are capable of translating general material at a quality sufficient for \"information\" purposes (i.e. internal use only). I don\'t think that this software will ever be capable of translating high-end, complex material - but over time we will see that translators who make their money from translating this type of general material are being pushed out of the market by the software.



The translators who will really survive will be the top-end specialists, who master both the relevant languages AND subject matter.



Of course, there is also the problem of globalization putting pressure on rates... My clients are very happy having a translator based in the same country - it makes communication far easier.



Let\'s not underestimate the value of quality translations - in the right place at the right time.





I agree! Most of the \'information quality\' material consists of text which will never be read. In the best case, it will not profit the client, in the worst, it will reduce his sales. Sooner or later, clients will notice.

Just recently I set standards for my own work, i.e. minimum rates, deadlines, etc. It was tough to ignore a request for a sample translation (more than 200 words + a very specialized subject). Finally, I realized: If people are unreasonable with their requests, why would I want to work for them?

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Ursula Peter-Czichi
Ursula Peter-Czichi  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 02:28
German to English
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At that speed, MT is preferable! Nov 22, 2001

Quote:


On 2001-11-22 12:44, G2E wrote:

Quote:


On 2001-11-22 04:54, Loek wrote:

..... My record is 16.000 words on one day (16 hours), but my average speed lies around 4.000 words per day. If I do my best, I can do 8.000 words in 8 hours. ...




I don\'t think 16,000 words/day are possible. A good translation takes time, research... See more
Quote:


On 2001-11-22 12:44, G2E wrote:

Quote:


On 2001-11-22 04:54, Loek wrote:

..... My record is 16.000 words on one day (16 hours), but my average speed lies around 4.000 words per day. If I do my best, I can do 8.000 words in 8 hours. ...




I don\'t think 16,000 words/day are possible. A good translation takes time, research and a good grasp of the subject. Recently, a rush job came up (2,500 words, a new subject). I worked most of the night, 8 hours, and - I mean it! - I worked!





With all due respect, this is bull. If you \"translate\" like a machine, the end product will be a \"machine translation\", and we all know about the quality of MT, don\'t we?



If you really translate 1,000 words an hour, you will not have any time for proper textual analysis of the source text and the necessary degree of thought that needs to go into your translation. This is not humanly possible. Translation is a process that requires a lot of concentration and analysis, and if you work like a horse, your concentration will drop and you will make tons of mistakes you are not even aware of. So, if that\'s the product you sell to your clients, ............. I rest my case.

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Jeff Whittaker
Jeff Whittaker  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 02:28
Member (2002)
Spanish to English
+ ...
standard rates vs. bid rates Nov 22, 2001

I believe that we should make a distinction between a translator\'s standard rates and rates used when bidding. I don\'t think it is unreasonable for a translator to offer their services at \"slightly\" less than their standard rate at first in order to \"get their foot in the door\" so to speak, especially with agencies. For new agencies, I would rather do a 5000-word job and give a 10-15% discount than a 100-word minimum job which would not really give me the opportunity to demonstrate my skil... See more
I believe that we should make a distinction between a translator\'s standard rates and rates used when bidding. I don\'t think it is unreasonable for a translator to offer their services at \"slightly\" less than their standard rate at first in order to \"get their foot in the door\" so to speak, especially with agencies. For new agencies, I would rather do a 5000-word job and give a 10-15% discount than a 100-word minimum job which would not really give me the opportunity to demonstrate my skills. If you do a high-quality job and deliver it on time, etc. the agency might call you back for future work at your standard rate. This has happened to me several times. Also, just because people bid the lowest does not necessarily mean they receive the job. It is up to the poster to decide what qualities they value the most. Just because they post a job here does not \"necessarily\" mean they are looking for the \"lowest price\". ▲ Collapse
 
Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
Local time: 02:28
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER
Yes, discounts are fine - to a certain degree Nov 22, 2001

Giving a 10-15% discount is fine (and I believe everyone does that), but so many translators work for only 10% of what they are really worth.



Take Nikki for example: I am sure that her/his (I am sorry, Nikki!) services are worth a whole lot more than just EUR 0.04 per word.



Again, it is not about competition fears, but about making people wake up and realize that they are selling themselves short.



Of course, getting things back on t... See more
Giving a 10-15% discount is fine (and I believe everyone does that), but so many translators work for only 10% of what they are really worth.



Take Nikki for example: I am sure that her/his (I am sorry, Nikki!) services are worth a whole lot more than just EUR 0.04 per word.



Again, it is not about competition fears, but about making people wake up and realize that they are selling themselves short.



Of course, getting things back on track in some of these countries requires a concerted effort of the local translators. A colleague from Argentina posted a message here recently, complaining bitterly about the declining rates in Argentina. But it\'s the fault of her compatriots: they have allowed their rates to slide for several years, and now some of them are realizing that they have, in fact, been committing gradual suicide.



Clients, too, need to be educated on this: they need to be told that hiring a translator from, say, Eastern Europe does not automatically mean a rate like 1 cent a word. They are entitled to the same rates like everyone else (with the only difference that, relatively speaking, they would be even better off, given the differences in living standards, etc.).



The other problem is that the whole translation industry all over the world could be in serious trouble at some point if more and more translators disrespect their own profession. Think about it: if you are a client, and you see that translators have no respect for their own chosen profession, you will not feel any need to respect it either (i.e., you would not feel compelled to pay 10 cents a word or so).



If we don\'t stop this dangerous trend, there will be no full-time translators anymore 10 or 20 years down the road - you simply could not make a living anymore. You could still pursue it part-time, but a full-time career in translation would be out of the question. Does that sound like a doomsday scenario to you? Well, according to that one colleague from Argentina, it is already getting dangerously close to that down there.

Is this what you want?



Even if you specialize and try to stand out, as Henry suggests, under the doomsday scenario, that would not help you either.



Quote:


On 2001-11-22 16:58, Jeff Whittaker wrote:

.... For new agencies, I would rather do a 5000-word job and give a 10-15% discount than a 100-word minimum job ....

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XX789 (X)
XX789 (X)  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 08:28
English to Dutch
+ ...
Depends on how familiar you are with the subject matter Nov 23, 2001

Quote:


I don\'t think 16,000 words/day are possible. A good translation takes time, research and a good grasp of the subject. Recently, a rush job came up (2,500 words, a new subject). I worked most of the night, 8 hours, and - I mean it! - I worked!





This translation was part of a 250.000 word translation on studio sequencer software. I think there are only 2 people in Holland who do these kind of trans... See more
Quote:


I don\'t think 16,000 words/day are possible. A good translation takes time, research and a good grasp of the subject. Recently, a rush job came up (2,500 words, a new subject). I worked most of the night, 8 hours, and - I mean it! - I worked!





This translation was part of a 250.000 word translation on studio sequencer software. I think there are only 2 people in Holland who do these kind of translations, since this is a very specialized field. IT and electronic music are my only 2 fields of expertise. I have 17 years of experience with electronic music - I\'m also editor of a national synthesizer magazine. I don\'t need to do any research for this field - I\'m the guy who defines new terms himself, as I\'m considered an authority on this field. Ack, that sounds so haughty, and it probably is. But the fact is that if I write on article on electronic music in my country, thousands of people read it... and believe it.



I\'m sure I\'d never be able to maintain this speed if I had to do a translation on electronic equipment I have never used before. But this translation was a translation in my favourite field. ▲ Collapse
 
Joeri Van Liefferinge
Joeri Van Liefferinge  Identity Verified
Belgium
Local time: 08:28
English to Dutch
+ ...
Monika's right: translate some part in the middle of the text Nov 23, 2001

Quote:


On 2001-11-21 19:48, monika wrote:

I wouldn\'t mind either to give a test for a company, but most of the sample translation I have done so far have been full documents (Memos, letters, webpage etc). I should probably do my own sample translation and if anyone asks for a sample I should say: \"Here it is my sample, like it or not\" ... See more
Quote:


On 2001-11-21 19:48, monika wrote:

I wouldn\'t mind either to give a test for a company, but most of the sample translation I have done so far have been full documents (Memos, letters, webpage etc). I should probably do my own sample translation and if anyone asks for a sample I should say: \"Here it is my sample, like it or not\"





You\'re absolutely right, Monika. What I do when someone asks me to do a sample translation is very simple. If see that they have sent me en entire text (two weeks ago, someone wanted me to do a 2000-word sample translation - yeah right!!!), I pick a random paragraph (of number of paragraphs) of about 200 words and send it back, just an hour or so before the deadline. I add the comment: \"A normal sample translation consists of maximum 200 words. As you will see, I picked a random excerpt, which will give you a good idea of the quality of my work.\" If they tried to fool me, they\'re the ones who got fooled, as I send it back just before the deadline, which is probably close to their client\'s deadline. If they were dishonest and sent me a \'real\' translation, they will have to look for another translator and miss their deadlines.

The message you give them, is \"I deliver quality, but don\'t try to fool me.\" If you\'re dealing with a profiteer, you won\'t hear from them anymore. If you\'re dealing with a \'serious\' client, they will understand and respect you. Sometimes I get a reply within the hour saying: \"Great job and of course we understand. Can you finish the job?\" It\'s as simple as that: make them respect you and don\'t work with clients who don\'t. If they\'re trying to fool you even before you have sent your first invoice, you can be sure they will try even harder once they have to pay you... ▲ Collapse
 
Nikki Graham
Nikki Graham  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:28
Spanish to English
Ideal world Nov 23, 2001

Quote:


Nikki: in an ideal world, you would be correct. But the real world operates along different lines: you cannot raise your rates later on without losing your clients. Yes, you can raise your rates, but you will go back to square one, because you will have to go looking for new clients. This way, you\'ll end up in a vicious circle (always right back to square one each time you decide to raise your rates considerably). However, you are lu... See more
Quote:


Nikki: in an ideal world, you would be correct. But the real world operates along different lines: you cannot raise your rates later on without losing your clients. Yes, you can raise your rates, but you will go back to square one, because you will have to go looking for new clients. This way, you\'ll end up in a vicious circle (always right back to square one each time you decide to raise your rates considerably). However, you are lucky that your agencies raise their rates voluntarily - but this is very rare, indeed.




Hi Werner (for a start I\'m female). Other people get pay rises every year. Why can\'t we? I shall be asking all the other agencies to increase the rate from 1 January when we get the euro. Not only do I think that I\'ll get it, but if I don\'t, It\'s no bother for me to send out more CVs and find new agencies. After all, I haven\'t updated mine for over two years (hasn\'t been necessary).



Quote:


This particular discussion has nothing to do with location, but with selling oneself short if you don\'t believe in your own skills, and you say so yourself: \"there are others with more experience than me\" - this attitude, I believe, is self-destructive.



No, Werner, it\'s a fact. Ever heard about starting at the bottom and working your way up the ladder? It\'s what I did for years as a teacher, I went from one job to another, with more money every time. I don\'t think I sell myself short. As I tried to explain before, In Spain there\'s a lot of competition and if you charge too much, you won\'t get the job.



Under no circumstances am I trying \"to spread this \"thing\" to other countries.\" Especially as I\'ve never applied to any agency outside Spain, neither have I bid on any jobs on Proz, because the agencies I work for give me enough work and they PAY on time.





Quote:
Saying things like, \"Oh, but the US agency would never hire me otherwise, because I am not American, so I have to lower my rates\", is an easy excuse so as to filter out the real reasons for not getting the assignment or job in the first place.



I never said this. I was thinking more about style. I can\'t write American English. Neither did I say I\'d lower my rates if I ever applied to a US agency. You have assumed wrongly that my applications have been rejected. I haven\'t made ANY applications for over two years. When I get a moment, perhaps I\'ll make some. And rest assured, I won\'t offer a low rate in countries where they pay more.

No, it\'s not an ideal world. But what I do works fine for me, thank you very much. ▲ Collapse
 
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