Pricing 投稿者: Helena Grahn
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I have been approached by several agencies offering me very low rates because they say the project is extensive and will last a couple of months at least. I, in return, asked to be given a total amount of words to be completed until the end of the project, e.g., I would expect them to give me 2k/day counting the last deadline two months ahead.
That has never worked because the agencies really do not know the exact date and I am not willing to accept 0.04USD/word for an x amount of w... See more I have been approached by several agencies offering me very low rates because they say the project is extensive and will last a couple of months at least. I, in return, asked to be given a total amount of words to be completed until the end of the project, e.g., I would expect them to give me 2k/day counting the last deadline two months ahead.
That has never worked because the agencies really do not know the exact date and I am not willing to accept 0.04USD/word for an x amount of words to be completed within two weeks. I state very clearly that there is no guarantee that they will allocate me more words after those two weeks depending on the number of linguists they have in their database.
If they find linguists on those terms, I have no doubt they do but I also find it sad. ▲ Collapse
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If a project is extensive and will last a couple of months at least, it will require a big committment on the part of the translator, and a lot of work that may clash with the translator's other committments. I cannot for the life of me understand why the translator should offer a discount.
| | | | Helena Grahn 
英国
Local time: 06:06
英語 から ポルトガル語
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TOPIC STARTER
They obviously think they are doing us a favour to keep us busy whereas in fact we won't be able to take on better paid jobs for several weeks.
| | | | | Language pair | Jul 10, 2021 |
What language pair is that? I bet the target language isn't English.
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Helena Grahn
英国
Local time: 06:06
英語 から ポルトガル語
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
And they will find plenty of linguists alright. Ppl starving in Brazil.
| | | | | 0.04 flat or further match and fuzzy discounts? | Jul 10, 2021 |
If it's TRULY huge, simple, monotonous, and 0.04 flat, it might not be that horrible.
If it has match discounts, which it probably does, then screw that.
| | | | | I've been considering whether to contribute to the pricing discussion, I hope I don't regret this | Jul 11, 2021 |
Unless you absolutely must do not accept this.
I hear many things in these discussions about pricing yet nobody is willing to be completely honest about how much they charge and whether they've found the agencies and clients they work for through proz.com or previous contacts and their previous careers.
Let me be the first to offer a completely honest review of proz.com
I've been on proz.com since January 2020 but I wasn't a paying member till January 2021... See more Unless you absolutely must do not accept this.
I hear many things in these discussions about pricing yet nobody is willing to be completely honest about how much they charge and whether they've found the agencies and clients they work for through proz.com or previous contacts and their previous careers.
Let me be the first to offer a completely honest review of proz.com
I've been on proz.com since January 2020 but I wasn't a paying member till January 2021. That was a mistake since being a paid member does make a difference. I get contacted for work I didn't bid on a lot more since I got the blue ribbon.
I do put in a quote on all job postings here that are even remotely sensible and never think twice of the people who reject my quotes. This is a numbers game and I simply play it without overthinking.
I say no when offered a ridiculous rate and I charge from 0.05 EUR flat (no discounts and fuzzies) to 10 and 15 cents with discounts. I understand this is still under a professional standard but this is solely through proz.com and it still beats 0.04 USD paid through PayPal which takes a huge chunk of it, doesn't it? I only receive payment through wise.com and bank transfer, so yeah, I impose some demands of my own on a potential new collaboration.
I don't ever think of how many "starving" people are in the former Yugoslavia region, whom I compete with, and the fact that many work for 0.02 and 0.03 USD. I negotiate from a position of this is what I offer and this is my bottom line rate. Anything else I do not even think about. Besides, starving people do not freelance. The plummeting rates aren't due to freelancers starving but, rather, being collectively of the I'll take what I can get mindset.
I am always polite, I explain myself if the PM is polite and chatty back and many find me when they have a project they are willing to pay a bit more for.
You do not have to take this project and don't. They aren't doing you any favours. A big project is just another day's work for you. It means you have to turn down other work and potentially even better-paid work, so you make sure you charge a rate worth your time and that risk.
As a freelancer, you have to negotiate properly your place in the market or you will work for small change. Please be strong and say no if you at all can afford it. Just looking at your resume, I am offended on your behalf that anyone wants you to work for 0.03 GBP a word.
Am I working as much as I would work if I accepted anything that comes my way at any cost (price)? Well, of course not! So, I had plenty of time to take care of my father before he passed away...
I hike two hours a day. I spend quality time with friends and family and, in the end, earn about as much as I would working for a pittance and potentially having to say no to better-paid jobs because I'm swamped, churning out 2500-3000 words a day working solely for the benefit of some LSP conglomerate and PayPal.
Edit: Honestly we are never competing with anyone but our own minds and (often flawed) thinking. Also, grammar.
[Edited at 2021-07-11 14:10 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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