tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post2200893491020323044..comments2024-03-06T02:46:19.929+00:00Comments on Translation Tribulations: Clear thoughts on "low" rates from Mr. WatsonKevin Lossnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727800526216764023noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post-73417465295046562772009-09-11T21:09:10.195+01:002009-09-11T21:09:10.195+01:00Fully agree, Kevin. There is a market for high-qua...Fully agree, Kevin. There is a market for high-quality translations out there, and that is where my market is. I personally refuse to work below by fixed rates, and I am not cheap. <br /><br />OK, so I might have some slack and decide to get some work below my usual rate... yes, it can happen. But I'd rather starve than going below my minimum rate, because I can employ my time in much better employments than that. <br /><br />Newbies & people that are literally desperate might have no other choice. Similarly, there are countries with living standards well below what we consider acceptable in the western world for which 0.03$/word is a luxury, so actually there ARE people who will work for such rates. It is useless to try to prevent that.<br /><br />On the other hand, many of the people who defend "minimum" rates are exactly the people who DO work for such low rates, or people who have so little work (or provide such low quality) that they feel threatened by such "price undercutting". No problem with that on my side.<br /><br />My concern is just the opposite, that some job sites (including Proz a few years ago) actually try the contrary, to put a price cap on the amounts that a translator can charge. For example, Translator's Junction limits translator's prices to a maximum of 0.08€. And who the hell are they to say how much I want to charge? If I find a customer who is willing to pay 5€/word (I really hope so), then it's not their business to prevent that. Let the market regulate the tops and the bottoms.<br /><br />As you say, look and continue.<br /><br />Bests,<br /><br />Ramon<br />P.D. But once I got this agency offering me a lousy rate, I responded that my rate was four times what they offered... and they accepted my price! :ORamonhttp://www.freelance-translator.biznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post-44619359621466106642009-09-05T11:49:07.047+01:002009-09-05T11:49:07.047+01:00Thanks for a useful post Kevin.
The more rants th...Thanks for a useful post Kevin.<br /><br />The more rants that are published in this respect the better, IMO.<br /><br />They will serve to educate innocent but misguided translators who are unaware of their own worth. Maybe also a step towards trawling more bottom-feeders to the surface for consignment to the cannery.<br /><br />ChrisChris Irwinhttp://www.textklick.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post-47935259977869211282009-08-28T17:06:23.307+01:002009-08-28T17:06:23.307+01:00Sorry Kevin, I think I forgot to add my name to th...Sorry Kevin, I think I forgot to add my name to that last post! 'Tis Marie-Hélène here.Marie-Hélène Haylesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post-1322992127188715362009-08-28T17:05:02.337+01:002009-08-28T17:05:02.337+01:00Couldn't agree more! Giles pointed out somethi...Couldn't agree more! Giles pointed out something no obvious that it's amazing no one's ever said it before. I'll bet it doesn't stop the endless discussions though - some people just like moaning. <br /><br />In any case, I do think that there's some value to the argument that the threads serve the purpose of informing newbies that 2 US cents a word does not constitute a viable rate - and in the absence of sticky threads, which Proz still haven't implemented (are they going to? I can't remember whether they said "good idea" and put it at the end of the list, ignored it or just said "no"), only a constant presence of rate rants can do this.<br /><br />I'm also long past the point of having to worry about low rates (or competition from bottom feeders), but there's no denying that when I was a newbie translator I hadn't a clue about what was a reasonable rate. I was lucky enough to have a couple of translator friends to advise me, but even so Proz was invaluable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20155610.post-67153072480957200552009-08-25T19:36:38.831+01:002009-08-25T19:36:38.831+01:00Thank you for posting this, Kevin. A post to end a...Thank you for posting this, Kevin. A post to end all brainless discussions about low rates (although I have my doubts, since, as they say in German "die Dummen werden nicht alle"). But--let us not speak of them...<br /><br />VolkmarUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13175988919404498608noreply@blogger.com