| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4] | 1 Euro per 100 words-Fair price? Thread poster: Translatorprof
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| To be or not to be ... a professional translator ...that's the question | Jul 29, 2014 |
Translatorprof wrote:
Hello fellow translators!!
I'm new to freelance translation and have a prospective first client offering 1 Euro per 100 words, judging by most of the standard rates on-line (EUR 0.10 per source word) this is ridiculously low, would anyone outright advise me to refuse to work for such a low price?-I wasn't sure if it'd be a good idea to maybe just take it on seeing as it's a first job to put on the CV and all that but nor I do I want to be potentially undercutting other translators and setting a standard for clients offering lower prices.
In these situations do people barter?-As you can see, I am very green so any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks and bon weekend!
I am with Andy on this. No!
And forget "standard" rates - there's a page on Proz.com that gives you standard rates (per-word and hourly) for translations which are calculated on the basis of rates reported by a limited number of translators AND agencies (>> note: that should tell you not to trust this page too much because you are certainly not in the business of charging as little as possible so the agency can make as much as possible).
See yourself for what you are: a person who is a professional and renders professional services - it's the only way to become successful in this business.
Don't think you are working for "some" or "any" client, especially agencies; no, you provide high quality services to professional clients.
I commented on rates in another current thread (if you're interested):
http://www.proz.com/forum/money_matters/272690-rates_for_russian_translations_whats_your_average.html
Here is what I suggest. Read through this article, it offers some very good advice to newcomers:
http://wiki.proz.com/wiki/index.php/Determining_your_rates_and_fees_as_a_translator
Just curious: are you trying to be an agency? On your profile page, there's hardly any info except two different sets of language pairs - hardly something a newcomer or any professional can or should offer - and you use a different language altogether in your initial post to wish us a great weekend.
Your profile is still active so maybe you can comment. Translation shouldn't be thought of as the get-rich-quick profession by paying translators exploitative rates and keeping the rest for yourself.
B
[Edited at 2014-07-29 17:53 GMT]
| | | | | The taxidermist | Jul 29, 2014 |
Whenever I get a ridiculously low offer for translation, I try to think of a taxidermist. It is a profession I know nothing about.
Okay, so today I heard a bang, went to the window, and found a dead woodpecker on the sill. It was still warm, but no chance of being alive. The poor bird tried to fly through the glass pane, and hit his head at full speed. No chance. Why don't their wear helmets?
As it's a good-looking bird, I decide to get it stuffed, as a prop for my offi... See more Whenever I get a ridiculously low offer for translation, I try to think of a taxidermist. It is a profession I know nothing about.
Okay, so today I heard a bang, went to the window, and found a dead woodpecker on the sill. It was still warm, but no chance of being alive. The poor bird tried to fly through the glass pane, and hit his head at full speed. No chance. Why don't their wear helmets?
As it's a good-looking bird, I decide to get it stuffed, as a prop for my office. I recall having seen a woodpecker that size for $5 in a thrift shop. No idea whether it was real or plastic.
So I look in the Yellow Pages, find a taxidermist nearby, and call them, "I've got a dead woodpecker here. Can you stuff it for $5?"
After having thought of all this in a flash, I put on my "taxidermist's hat", and face the absurdly low-offering translation client.
Just now, I decided to check what are taxidermists' fees. Found one price list here. The comparison makes sense. ▲ Collapse
| | | | DLyons 
Ireland
Local time: 00:16
Spanish to English
+ ...
| To quote the taxidermist | Jul 29, 2014 |
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
Whenever I get a ridiculously low offer for translation, I try to think of a taxidermist.
So, basically you tell the Agency to get stuffed?
| | | | | stuffed? Yes! | Jul 30, 2014 |
DLyons wrote:
So, basically you tell the Agency to get stuffed?
And with the cheapest sttuff possible, I would say
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| My standard response | Jul 31, 2014 |
I have a standard response to such emails:
a. I hit the Reply button.
b. I go down to the text of the original e-mail (which is included in the reply) and change the EUR 0.0x to EUR 0.1x (or even EUR 0.2x sometimes!)
c. I go back to the top of the page and type in my reply: "I would be happy to provide you this translation for EUR 0.[1/2]x .....I'd like to start immediately, so please send me the PO"
d. After encountering a mysterious silen... See more I have a standard response to such emails:
a. I hit the Reply button.
b. I go down to the text of the original e-mail (which is included in the reply) and change the EUR 0.0x to EUR 0.1x (or even EUR 0.2x sometimes!)
c. I go back to the top of the page and type in my reply: "I would be happy to provide you this translation for EUR 0.[1/2]x .....I'd like to start immediately, so please send me the PO"
d. After encountering a mysterious silence for a few hours, I write back to the (potential) client, saying I am anxious to start, why hasn't the PO been sent out yet.
Of course, 99% of the time, the (potential) client does not respond at all.
[Edited at 2014-07-31 07:29 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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