Fees: The 5 Golden Rules for Translators and Interpreters
This list was taken from the blog I posted last week Guide To Professional Freelance Translation-Interpretation | Part 4: Fees. Per-Word, Hourly or by the Job
Rule 1.
You set your fees.
Decide on a fee which you find fair and acceptable to you.
Rule 2.
Know how long a job will take you.
Before anything else find out as much as you can about the job and review the source text(s).
Get an approximate word count.
After reviewing the job details, inform the potential client of your fee and a feasible delivery time (giving yourself time for research, formatting, proofreading, revising, contingencies, and any unexpected problems), one which you can guarantee quality and professional services.
Get an approximate word count.
After reviewing the job details, inform the potential client of your fee and a feasible delivery time (giving yourself time for research, formatting, proofreading, revising, contingencies, and any unexpected problems), one which you can guarantee quality and professional services.
Rule 3.
You decide your minimum hourly baseline fee.
In other words the minimum amount you are willing to accept in order for you to stay in business.
Rule 4.
You decide if you charge rush fees.
Rule 5.
You decide if you give discounts.
Just like when you go out shopping, the store simply displays its price (reduced or not) and if you are not happy with the price, then you go elsewhere.
In a similar fashion, your translation and interpretation services, fees, and policies are set by you and only you.
Potential clients have three options when it comes to your fees:
1) accept your fee,
2) negotiate your fee (if you are willing to negotiate), or
3) choose to not work with you
Remember, not everyone is your target client.
In a similar fashion, your translation and interpretation services, fees, and policies are set by you and only you.
Potential clients have three options when it comes to your fees:
1) accept your fee,
2) negotiate your fee (if you are willing to negotiate), or
3) choose to not work with you
Remember, not everyone is your target client.
As always, thank you for reading and sharing my posts. Please if any of my blogs inspire you, give credit where credit is due. Let's be fair, honest, and professional. Let's help each other be great and stay great!
Feel free to connect or email me, Carmen Arismendy. I'm a professional Spanish interpreter-translator and founder of eLingual.Net. I started the eLingual Network because I could not find a fair, no middleman, no job bidding, ethical, and transparent meeting place for translators, interpreters, and clients online. The website is in beta phase and by no means perfect but it's a step in the right direction.
eLingual.Net's mission is to spread happiness worldwide through happy translators, interpreters, and clients.
For the professional translator and interpreter, this means no middleman, no job bidding, the freedom of setting their own fees, having control over their services and who they choose to work with.
For the clients, this means working directly with ethical and professional translators and interpreters committed to quality and value.
Join our happy community, let's work together!
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