| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5 6] | Decline in work overall Thread poster: Helene Olsen Richards
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Liviu-Lee Roth
United States
Local time: 03:20
Romanian to English
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| No offence,Stephane | Jul 17, 2019 |
STEPHANE ATANGANA wrote:
Michael Newton wrote:
US-based agencies are starting to offer Third-World rates. When I mention "twelve cents a word for medical Japanese", people recoil like a vampire that has been confronted with a crucifix. .
What do you really mean by third-world rate? The rates are merely being low? Every human effort deserves to be valued. No rate for the so-called developed world. Rates are rates, no one accepts Peanuts
I assume that Michael meant that the rates should reflect the cost of living in a certain country. What seems to be an acceptable rate, let's say, in Eastern Europe, it is not sustainable in the US. Therefore, I don't think that he meant to offend anybody. As you mentioned it, every human effort deserves to be valuate appropriately.
| | | | | Price plays a role | Jul 19, 2019 |
As pointed out by several colleagues, among other factors, price plays a big role here. I recently stopped working for an agency which has been responsible for more than 80% of my workload over the last 5 years or more. They are a very professional and trustworthy company, but even they cannot buck the downward trend of translation rates. They didn't reduce the rate, but they are still paying the same rate that they were paying the translators in the 90s and this rate is still "higher than the c... See more As pointed out by several colleagues, among other factors, price plays a big role here. I recently stopped working for an agency which has been responsible for more than 80% of my workload over the last 5 years or more. They are a very professional and trustworthy company, but even they cannot buck the downward trend of translation rates. They didn't reduce the rate, but they are still paying the same rate that they were paying the translators in the 90s and this rate is still "higher than the current market rate".
So, for me, there is a big drop in amount of work when I decided not to continue to work for my single biggest client, in fact, my decision has effectively put a stop to my translation career. But for whoever succeeded me, he/she would have just the opposite experience (a sudden influx of work that used to come to me).
[Edited at 2019-07-19 05:12 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Egmont Schröder 
Germany
Local time: 09:20
Member (2013)
Chinese to German
+ ...
| How are you doing? | Oct 20, 2019 |
I have to say that my work volume is getting better now. August was not bad, September very busy and October will probably be like August.
It is not the same workload as last year, but I welcome it because I wanted to cut down my working hours anyway to have time for my family (I agreed upon this with my wife).
I am feeling a bit guilty that I am too busy to follow up all conversations on ProZ, but this is probably a good thing.
My main client is coming back, stil... See more I have to say that my work volume is getting better now. August was not bad, September very busy and October will probably be like August.
It is not the same workload as last year, but I welcome it because I wanted to cut down my working hours anyway to have time for my family (I agreed upon this with my wife).
I am feeling a bit guilty that I am too busy to follow up all conversations on ProZ, but this is probably a good thing.
My main client is coming back, still with smaller jobs. I got one good paying client who provides me with a steady flow of projects (mostly marketing), and some other new regular clients with smaller work volumes.
All these projects are over agencies again, I actually wanted to use the time to search direct clients.
I also wanted to expand my copy writing career, but I don't have the time right now.
I checked the ProZ job board the first time since maybe two months, and I discovered that MTPE job offers are not posted any more.
Do you have the feeling that MT is failing? ▲ Collapse
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many missions from August up to now here.
First 6 months very quiet, but now it's just the rush.
BTW, do not neglect the Asian market, you would be surprised by its opportunities.
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:20
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Laurent Mercky wrote:
... do not neglect the Asian market, you would be surprised by its opportunities.
I have been avoiding the Asian market for the following reasons:
1. I expect the rates to much lower than they are here in Europe;
2. I expect difficulties about the method of payment. I don't like intermediaries like PayPal who take a cut.
3. Most of all I would worry about what to do with non-paying clients. I know how to deal with them here in Europe, but Asia is so far away from where I am (physically and culturally).
Q. Are my reasons justified or not?
[Edited at 2019-10-21 08:06 GMT]
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:20
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Tom in London wrote:
1. I expect the rates to much lower than they are here in Europe;
2. I expect difficulties about the method of payment. I don't like intermediaries like PayPal who take a cut.
3. Most of all I would worry about what to do with non-paying clients. I know how to deal with them here in Europe, but Asia is so far away from where I am (physically and culturally).
Q. Are my reasons justified or not?
1. I would say that it depends whether you include Japan, which is more populous and wealthier than any European country. If you get the right client, Japan will certainly pay rates similar to those of UK and Europe. No agency in China and India ever accepted my rates, so I gave up trying long ago.
2. Japanese clients will typically use bank transfer, and there are other, non-Paypal options, but there is certainly the potential for this to cost more than a European bank transfer.
3. This issue of non-paying clients is a valid one. I am confident that I could achieve something in Japan if problems arose, but then I speak the language. For clients in most other parts of Asia I would not have that confidence. Again, a good reason in my opinion to avoid China and India. They may be more or less honest than clients in Europe; I honestly cannot say. What is likely that recovering debts would be much more costly and involved than it would be in the UK or Europe.
Overall, if I were working in a European language pair I would not dismiss Asia entirely, but I would be cautious and selective.
Regards,
Dan
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