| 주제 내 페이지: [1 2 3] > | No peanuts for translators 스레드 게시자: Camilla Aldini
|
|---|
Dear fellow translators,
I am relatively new here, but I would like to take advantage of this space to share my frustration with you.
I have only recently entered this world, but it seems that, in order to work, I have to be willing to accept ridiculous conditions (I guess you know what I am referring to). I have applied (through this and other marketplaces) to take part in various projects, but with no response or, perhaps given my lack of experience, with "indecent ... See more Dear fellow translators,
I am relatively new here, but I would like to take advantage of this space to share my frustration with you.
I have only recently entered this world, but it seems that, in order to work, I have to be willing to accept ridiculous conditions (I guess you know what I am referring to). I have applied (through this and other marketplaces) to take part in various projects, but with no response or, perhaps given my lack of experience, with "indecent proposals". I have also applied as a pro bono translator, but it seems that my language pairs have little market.
I feel stuck in a dead-end situation, or maybe I should just be more patient....Am I the only one? Would you like to share with me your first steps into the world of translation?
Thank you for listening to me... ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Same here after 23 years of full-time experience | Jan 30, 2023 |
Dear Camilla,
Unfortunately also senior translators in these language combinations receive the same "indecent" proposals.
My 2 cents
Good luck!
Chiara
Camilla Aldini wrote:
Dear fellow translators,
I am relatively new here, but I would like to take advantage of this space to share my frustration with you.
I have only recently entered this world, but it seems that, in order to work, I have to be willing to accept ridiculous conditions (I guess you know what I am referring to). I have applied (through this and other marketplaces) to take part in various projects, but with no response or, perhaps given my lack of experience, with "indecent proposals". I have also applied as a pro bono translator, but it seems that my language pairs have little market.
I feel stuck in a dead-end situation, or maybe I should just be more patient....Am I the only one? Would you like to share with me your first steps into the world of translation?
Thank you for listening to me...
| | | |
Entering the translation world takes a lot of work. You need patience, diplomacy, persistence, resilience and even at times a pretty thick skin… Good luck, anyway!
| | | | | Who's paying peanuts? | Jan 30, 2023 |
Is it the Italian agencies? I'd stay away from "other marketplaces".
| | |
|
|
|
| @Chiara Santoriello | Jan 30, 2023 |
Thank you for sharing your experience..
| | | |
Not only Italian agencies..Anyway, thank you for your suggestion!
| | | | | Direct clients | Jan 30, 2023 |
Don't limit yourself to agencies. You seem to be living in one of your source language countries so get out and network with tourism and hospitality companies who might be interested in attracting Italian customers. Use your contacts from your previous work if you can - let them know what you are doing. Build a social media presence so that you become a familiar name and people think of you when they need your services (or recommend you when someone else does). Join a translators network and mee... See more Don't limit yourself to agencies. You seem to be living in one of your source language countries so get out and network with tourism and hospitality companies who might be interested in attracting Italian customers. Use your contacts from your previous work if you can - let them know what you are doing. Build a social media presence so that you become a familiar name and people think of you when they need your services (or recommend you when someone else does). Join a translators network and meet other translators. Read some marketing books and apply what you read.
Don't expect it to be easy - you are in a highly competitive sector. You will probably need to do more than just send out applications and wait for the work to come in. But you do have the advantage of a background in your specialism so work that for all it's worth.
Also, don't waste your time venting about the ridiculous offers, it will only drag you down. ▲ Collapse
| | | | CroPro 
크로아티아
Local time: 22:28
영어에서 크로아티아어
| Add English to your pairs | Jan 30, 2023 |
And all of a sudden, you have two more working pairs (English > Spanish, English > Italian), both of which are in much higher demand. Here's a little nugget of truth you might, or you might not know about. Huge amount of material of all sorts is first translated into English just for the sake of making the whole process of finding translator easier. Because, Chinese > whateverlanguage translators are very rare, if you catch my drift. Thank me later ... See more And all of a sudden, you have two more working pairs (English > Spanish, English > Italian), both of which are in much higher demand. Here's a little nugget of truth you might, or you might not know about. Huge amount of material of all sorts is first translated into English just for the sake of making the whole process of finding translator easier. Because, Chinese > whateverlanguage translators are very rare, if you catch my drift. Thank me later ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
| Yes, but what about rates? | Jan 31, 2023 |
This is true, but what about rates?
CroPro wrote:
And all of a sudden, you have two more working pairs (English > Spanish, English > Italian), both of which are in much higher demand. Here's a little nugget of truth you might, or you might not know about. Huge amount of material of all sorts is first translated into English just for the sake of making the whole process of finding translator easier. Because, Chinese > whateverlanguage translators are very rare, if you catch my drift. Thank me later
| | | | | Unfortunately so | Jan 31, 2023 |
CroPro wrote:
And all of a sudden, you have two more working pairs (English > Spanish, English > Italian), both of which are in much higher demand. Here's a little nugget of truth you might, or you might not know about. Huge amount of material of all sorts is first translated into English just for the sake of making the whole process of finding translator easier. Because, Chinese > whateverlanguage translators are very rare, if you catch my drift. Thank me later
Indeed, unfortunately this happens, and often the material is translated into English by non-natives. And very often this means the so-called English source material for translation is less than perfect.
I'm not sure if you should translate into a language you don't master on a near-native level.
| | | | | Same here (35+ years) | Jan 31, 2023 |
I have only recently entered this world, but it seems that, in order to work, I have to be willing to accept ridiculous conditions (I guess you know what I am referring to). I have applied (through this and other marketplaces) to take part in various projects, but with no response or, perhaps given my lack of experience, with "indecent ...
Unfortunately this is how it is. Most agencies keep trying to lower the rates or refuse to accept an increase. The last time I was able to 'raise' my rates was in 2002. The struggle to not accept lower rates is constant. But I still manage to stick to my rates of 2002
I agree, direct customers probably offer better rates. And may be more interesting to work for. I'd suggest to stay away from the big, global agencies.
Be patient and persistent. Good luck!
[Bijgewerkt op 2023-01-31 07:14 GMT]
[Bijgewerkt op 2023-01-31 16:07 GMT]
| | | | | Listen to Rachel! | Jan 31, 2023 |
'Indecent proposals' made me chuckle. Yes, I think they are normal in the translation world. But take Rachel Waddington's advice above, she very kindly spent some time giving you great tips.
| | |
|
|
|
Thank you for all your important suggestions. I will put more effort into the marketing part, the one where I am actually less prepared.
Rachel Waddington wrote:
Don't limit yourself to agencies. You seem to be living in one of your source language countries so get out and network with tourism and hospitality companies who might be interested in attracting Italian customers. Use your contacts from your previous work if you can - let them know what you are doing. Build a social media presence so that you become a familiar name and people think of you when they need your services (or recommend you when someone else does). Join a translators network and meet other translators. Read some marketing books and apply what you read.
Don't expect it to be easy - you are in a highly competitive sector. You will probably need to do more than just send out applications and wait for the work to come in. But you do have the advantage of a background in your specialism so work that for all it's worth.
Also, don't waste your time venting about the ridiculous offers, it will only drag you down.
| | | | | I already have EN>IT | Jan 31, 2023 |
I only translate into Italian which is my native language
CroPro wrote:
And all of a sudden, you have two more working pairs (English > Spanish, English > Italian), both of which are in much higher demand. Here's a little nugget of truth you might, or you might not know about. Huge amount of material of all sorts is first translated into English just for the sake of making the whole process of finding translator easier. Because, Chinese > whateverlanguage translators are very rare, if you catch my drift. Thank me later
| | | |
[Modifié le 2023-02-01 17:54 GMT]
| | | | | 주제 내 페이지: [1 2 3] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » No peanuts for translators | TM-Town |
|---|
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business
Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.
More info » |
| | Pastey |
|---|
Your smart companion app
Pastey is an innovative desktop application that bridges the gap between human expertise and artificial intelligence. With intuitive keyboard shortcuts, Pastey transforms your source text into AI-powered draft translations.
Find out more » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
