Freelance translators often find themselves at the intersection of opportunity and choice. While a steady stream of job offers is usually a positive sign, there are instances where saying no becomes not only a viable option but a strategic one.…
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Translation Blunders
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made significant strides in the field of language translation, enabling users to bridge communication gaps across borders and cultures. However, the road to flawless AI translation is not without its bumps, and instances of translation mistakes…
Does Freelancing Truly Mean Less Stability?
Note: I originally wrote this article for the 2019 edition of JAT’s Translator Perspectives. During one session of a translation conference I attended last year, the speaker explained what drove his switch from freelancing to working as an agency employee.…
Translators, Interpreters and Editors: “What‘s something that seems obvious within your profession, but the general public seems to misunderstand?”
This simple question asked on Twitter got great response and I though I would share some inspired tweets from translator, interpreter and editor colleagues. So here you go, and let me know if you find more ideas to throw into…
Why I Won’t Work With Your Translation Agency
Every week I receive a couple of emails from agencies looking for new translators. Some contain interesting and personalized offers. Some are so grossly unprofessional that I just ignore them without reading through. And then, there are… the frustrating ones.…
Should I Hire A Freelance Translator Or A Translation Agency?
Whenever you are looking for a translation service provider, the first thing you will need to do is to choose whether you will go for a freelance translator or a translation agency. When you do so, your decision should be…
6 Ways Good Translation Agencies Can Be Better Than Direct Clients
Direct translation clients seem to be the Holy Grail to many of my freelancer colleagues. Better rates, more direct communication, increased likeliness to be credited… There are many apparent advantages in working without a middleman. In reality, there are all…
Are Translation Rates Really Going Down? Reasons to Remain Optimistic
Hardly a day goes by without someone complaining about dwindling translation rates on Proz or a translation group on some social network. I’ve been in the industry for close to a decade now. Not anywhere near as long as some…
Difficulty vs. Productivity vs. Rates, or Why Game Translators Should Charge More
Video games are not exactly one of the best-paying fields of the translation industry. Many developers like to work with a single vendor for their multilingual localization needs, which means much of the work gets done through agencies, competing hard…
How to Reject a Discount Request for your Freelance Services
Initially I wrote this post for fellow freelance translators dealing with direct clients, but I realized most of the tips applied to all types of freelancers and decided to expand a bit the content of this post. Should freelancers accept…