Translator Networking
November 4th, 2009 // 5:30 pm @ admin
Well, as if I didn’t have enough things to distract me during the working day, here is something new (for me): a social network for translators . I stumbled across this after following a link on Twitter to an excellent article by Andrew Bell on being proactive as a translator. This couldn’t have come at a better time for me, and only confirms that I have been approaching this business in an entirely different way to my other businesses. I think Andrew hits on the nail on the head when he notes that most freelance translators are reactive in business instead of proactive, following agencies’ lead (especially in terms of deadlines, rates, etc) instead of the other way around – and I am still unsure why that is.
Category : Blog
Andy Bell
4 months ago
Thanks for the mention Sarah!
Irina Hood
3 weeks ago
Hi Sarah.
I went solo having launched my professional Russian translations website 3 months ago. I can see that this life is not for everybody. You have to be a businessman (businesswoman in my case!) and ready to spend a lot of time on the Internet in order to advertise, to follow twitter and facebook updates to be seen. I shouldn’t complain – I almost doubled my income. But I stopped sleeping properly constantly thinking whether I’ve done enough. This is a rate race which I don’t really enjoy very much. If I had a choice I’d rather be working purely for translation agencies and let them find work for me. But the British agencies more and more use translators living in Russia because they are cheaper. So you have to be proactive. I think the time will come when there’ll be more professional translation websites and more Internet activity. So we can’t stop now!
admin
3 weeks ago
Hi Irina absolutely, I agree. In Italy the rates have hit new lows recently with a job for the Ministry of Tourism offered online by an agency at the equivalent of around 2 euro cents per word gross. It has sparked quite a controversy, with an online petition that made the websites of some major Italian newspapers. The rate race is one which is impossible to win. But even if you want to work only for agencies, the marketing never stops. Unfortunately many translators are hopeless at marketing themselves and sometimes the agencies take advantage of that.
admin
3 weeks ago
PS you’ve only been at it three months… if you’ve almost doubled your income that’s amazing!