| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Time to Raise Translation/Interpretation Rates Thread poster: Reza Delavari
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Barbara Carrara 
Italy
Local time: 14:47
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
| Much Ado About Nothing | Mar 9, 2022 |
[quote]Mihai Badea wrote:
@Baran: It is a very limited initiative. Book reviews. It will be online in a couple of weeks. Thanks for raising some attention for it.
Everyone will be welcome, once it is launched.
Cutting a (very) long story short, the whole shebang was and is about visibility.
Think I've got my answer. Well, one at least.
| | | | Mihai Badea (X)
Luxembourg
Local time: 14:47
English to Romanian
+ ...
| You're very smart, Barbara | Mar 9, 2022 |
[quote]Barbara Carrara wrote:
Mihai Badea wrote:
@Baran: It is a very limited initiative. Book reviews. It will be online in a couple of weeks. Thanks for raising some attention for it.
Everyone will be welcome, once it is launched.
Cutting a (very) long story short, the whole shebang was and is about visibility. Think I've got my answer. Well, one at least.
Thanks for illuminating us as well.
By the way, jogging is healthy.
| | | | Barbara Carrara
Italy
Local time: 14:47
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
| Back on track | Mar 9, 2022 |
Hi, Reza
I subscribe to what you and others wrote, and have witnessed myself the downward spiral our sector has experienced for a number of years now.
Note: when you refer to the 0.08/w rate, what currency were you talking about?
Allow me to share a couple of recent experiences, as an Italian living in Italy, not exactly a low-cost-of-living country, even in my neck of the woods.
I was approached by a Dutch agency to translate marketing blurbs ... See more Hi, Reza
I subscribe to what you and others wrote, and have witnessed myself the downward spiral our sector has experienced for a number of years now.
Note: when you refer to the 0.08/w rate, what currency were you talking about?
Allow me to share a couple of recent experiences, as an Italian living in Italy, not exactly a low-cost-of-living country, even in my neck of the woods.
I was approached by a Dutch agency to translate marketing blurbs (EN>IT). They offered me 0.06EUR/psw. I replied simply stating that that rate was much too low to even start a negociation, and when they wrote back asking what I would be comfortable with, I told them my current 'minimum' per-word fee, adding that, in any case, given the premise, I doubted I would have liked to work with their client. The agency 'understood' my viewpoint. End of story one.
Last week, I was notified by ProZ of another marketing-related job post I liked the sound of. That is, until I read the 'budget' notes. They (a UK-based agency) offered 0.03 to 0.08EUR per source word, and required professional experience in translation, transcreation and copywriting. And the usual free test translation. Which I don’t mind doing, if it lands me interesting assignments.
Again, I wrote back, to say that I hadn’t worked for the lower end of their 'budget' even when I was starting out, many moons ago, and that I found their offer 'insulting'. They replied claiming that the per-word fee I offered was what they were asking the end client to pay. For MY work. Again, I declined.
Sure, there'll be less and less opportunities, if we keep refusing to work at those appallingly low rates. Then again, there is still the other side of the coin. There are agencies (fewer and fewer, I have to admit) and end clients out there who are seeking 'professional' help with languages, and are prepared to pay the 'right' amount of money in return.
That's why it is important that we do not accept insulting fees, and make sure people offering them know exactly where we stand. As ‘professional linguists’, not as some fiverr or upwork happy-go-luckies. Period.
Good luck with everything, Reza, and apologies again for disrupting your thread. ▲ Collapse
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Philip Lees wrote:
Just the other day I had a request for my "best rates in US dollars". Apparently this translation agency was unable to "translate" the euros on my profile page into another currency.
I still find it hard to believe that this expression is still around. The "best" rate for a client is not the "best" rate for the service provider. I'm not offering unsold goods that are taking up space in my storeroom. I'm offering quality professional service that like good wine, improve with time.
Reply that for every percentage point decrease in price, you will decrease the quality point-for-point and match it with an increase in the time necessary to do so, also point-for-point.
[Edited at 2022-03-09 14:32 GMT]
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Mihai Badea (X)
Luxembourg
Local time: 14:47
English to Romanian
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| When hearing best hurts | Mar 9, 2022 |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne wrote:
I still find it hard to believe that this expression is still around. The "best" rate for a client is not the "best" rate for the service provider. I'm not offering unsold goods that are taking up space in my storeroom. I'm offering quality professional service that like good wine, improve with time.
Reply that for every percentage point decrease in price, you will decrease the quality point-for-point and match it with an increase in the time necessary to do so, also point-for-point.
[Edited at 2022-03-09 14:32 GMT]
It's not meanness. It's just business, but let's not talk ethics.
Of course, depending on the specific message, various replies can be envisaged.
For instance:
"I always offer my best rates to my best clients.
Here are my rates for you:"
I would, in no circumstances, mention a lower quality.
Levels of service, that might be ok. Not everything needs to be of publishing quality. The level of service needs to be according to the (detailed) requirements of the client, which will be reflected in the rate.
Note: I have just exceded the recommended number of posts. I'm out.
| | | | Sadek_A
Local time: 16:47
English to Arabic
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The status quo will continue, and probably further deteriorate, for as long as some (their identity unknown) among us keep justifying it.
"We can't kick out outsiders. It's not fair"
But, we surely can later complain about it when we start to get personally affected!
"We can't set standard rates profession-wide. It's against free market"
But, we surely can watch the opposite party, i.e. clients and companies, setting standard rates (low, above all) industry-... See more The status quo will continue, and probably further deteriorate, for as long as some (their identity unknown) among us keep justifying it.
"We can't kick out outsiders. It's not fair"
But, we surely can later complain about it when we start to get personally affected!
"We can't set standard rates profession-wide. It's against free market"
But, we surely can watch the opposite party, i.e. clients and companies, setting standard rates (low, above all) industry-wide, while giving free market the boot!
And, so on!
We are being constantly UNDERMINED FROM WITHIN. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Danielle Crouch
Germany
Local time: 14:47
Member (2019)
German to English
+ ...
| I completely agree. | Mar 9, 2022 |
I agree completely that it's time to raise rates in this industry in general.
I have gotten "lucky" in finding clients that pay decently, or maybe it's better to say that I was self-assured enough right from the start to set hard limits about the lowest prices I would accept. I started my career coming out of a job as a project manager at a translation agency that actually paid livable rates, so I knew the sort of range that was possible if I provided quality (at least two of the t... See more I agree completely that it's time to raise rates in this industry in general.
I have gotten "lucky" in finding clients that pay decently, or maybe it's better to say that I was self-assured enough right from the start to set hard limits about the lowest prices I would accept. I started my career coming out of a job as a project manager at a translation agency that actually paid livable rates, so I knew the sort of range that was possible if I provided quality (at least two of the translators for German-English who the agency worked with regularly were getting 0.14 EUR per source word). I think part of the problem is some translators who are just starting out literally don't know what constitutes a reasonable/non-insulting rate, so they take whatever they are offered and then get caught in the trap of having to work so hard to make any money that they don't have time to find better clients.
The first step to remedying this is, as others have said, to be transparent about rates. (I need to check if I've posted my rates on my profile, and if I haven't I will make them public right after I post this.) As in every industry, talking about rates and income with others is often the only way people realize they are being underpaid or taken advantage of. I remember being extremely frustrated as a young translation student that a professional translator doing a seminar about being self-employed basically refused to answer my question about what a translator can reasonably ask for per word. She wouldn't give me a number or even a wide range, so I left the seminar not even knowing if 0.01 EUR or 0.50 EUR were anywhere near the mark. I had LITERALLY no reference! Students studying to enter this profession should NOT be left in that situation! The only way I learned what a reasonable rate was was by working at the agency, and it shouldn't be that way. I shudder to think what I might currently be accepting if it hadn't been for that job (which I thoroughly disliked for unrelated reasons, but in hindsight the experience will almost definitely increase my lifetime income enormously). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Eva Stoppa
Germany
Local time: 14:47
English to German
+ ...
| Stating your rates on your profile seems useless | Mar 9, 2022 |
agencies don't seem to care what rates one states on the Profile. The same seems to go for language combinations, at least for some agencies.
For example, on Linkedin, I state clear that I translate into German. Nonetheless I recently got contacted by an agency looking for Polish to English translators. All you can do in such a Situation is to pollitely let them know that this is not your combination, goes below your Minimum rates, etc.
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Danielle Crouch
Germany
Local time: 14:47
Member (2019)
German to English
+ ...
| How to unhide rates? | Mar 9, 2022 |
Danielle Crouch wrote:
I need to check if I've posted my rates on my profile, and if I haven't I will make them public right after I post this.
So, I just tried to make my rates public as promised, and even after I've tried checking and unchecking all the various boxes I can find, they are still only showing up for me and not on the visitor view. Does someone know a quick fix for this?
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Danielle Crouch wrote:
I agree completely that it's time to raise rates in this industry in general.
I have gotten "lucky" in finding clients that pay decently, or maybe it's better to say that I was self-assured enough right from the start to set hard limits about the lowest prices I would accept. I started my career coming out of a job as a project manager at a translation agency that actually paid livable rates, so I knew the sort of range that was possible if I provided quality.
When the start of one's career begins with a job as a PM at a translation agency, then, of course, you should not have any problems finding clients who pay decently, when continuing your career as a freelancer then. No offense meant.
[Bearbeitet am 2022-03-09 18:49 GMT]
| | | | Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
| How to make your rate public | Mar 9, 2022 |
Danielle Crouch wrote:
So, I just tried to make my rates public as promised, and even after I've tried checking and unchecking all the various boxes I can find, they are still only showing up for me and not on the visitor view. Does someone know a quick fix for this?
In the Financial section --> Show rate to: Everyone
If it still doesn't show up, wait a few minutes.
[Edited at 2022-03-09 16:10 GMT]
| | | | Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
| They are all useless | Mar 9, 2022 |
Philip Lees wrote:
I agree that it's a good idea to put your rates on your profile. However, even though I do that, it seems that many aspiring clients don't look at them, even though they're contacting me through my profile.
Eva Stoppa wrote:
agencies don't seem to care what rates one states on the Profile. The same seems to go for language combinations, at least for some agencies.
Clients/agencies also don't seem to care about the types of services you offer. I don't list MTPE in my service types, and I made it very clear that I don't take MTPE jobs in my bio section. Yet this week alone I have received two offers for that.
And it's only Wednesday.
[Edited at 2022-03-09 16:27 GMT]
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Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 14:47
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
In a way it's a little surprising that people actually read what is written on my profile page:
Please do NOT ask me about my "best rate". I have my standard rates which always apply. Thank you for your consideration.
Lately nobody has asked me for my "best rate".
| | | | | Doing that already | Mar 9, 2022 |
With the recent crazy inflation, I have been working on raising my rates for a while already. It's often a tightrope though between asking too little and getting no jobs, as I would always prefer to complete a less attractvie job to being idle. My approach is very case/client specific. For new clients, I have 'standard' rates, which I may or may not change regularly based on demand, inflation, etc. Also, I can make or lose some ground negotiating with a new client based on my situation and/or th... See more With the recent crazy inflation, I have been working on raising my rates for a while already. It's often a tightrope though between asking too little and getting no jobs, as I would always prefer to complete a less attractvie job to being idle. My approach is very case/client specific. For new clients, I have 'standard' rates, which I may or may not change regularly based on demand, inflation, etc. Also, I can make or lose some ground negotiating with a new client based on my situation and/or the urgency of the job. For some old clients I make less or no increases, or politely decline 'due to workload' if I have more profitable stuff on my hands. Also, I can start with a lower rate for a language pair which is new for me and see how it goes, kind of a 'trial rate'. All of this happens outside Proz as I use it mostly for reading forum threads, while most of my clients originate from SmartCAT or other local sources. I agree that most customers are 'partially blind' to my profile info and rates and need to have things explained to them in emails, which is an annoying part of the job but needs to be done. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 15:47
Member
English to Turkish
| I guess it's true | Mar 10, 2022 |
Eva Stoppa wrote:
agencies don't seem to care what rates one states on the Profile.
One of the mysteries I have yet to fathom out since starting freelancing (other than Italian translators living in Italy with their parents and working for 2-3 cents per word) is the glowing BB reviews made by European translators (living in Finland, Germany, France etc.) for Indian agencies. When you check out the profiles of some of those translators you see that they work for no less than 0.10-0.12 EUR per word, but the Indian agency they praised so highly offers no more than 0.05 EUR per word for my language pair. So, is there a double standard at play here? Does that Indian agency really fork out 0.10 per word to that Finnish translator, because he is living in an expensive country and deem a few Chapatis (whoops! that's politically incorrect, right?) enough for me and my language? How does that work? Do those European translators feel philanthropic every now and then, and lower their rates to accommodate the agencies of the third world?
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