Comments on: Tightening the belt

By: jillsommer

jillsommer — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:53:23 +0000

Hi Sonja, good for you. Just because they ask doesn’t mean you have to do it. The consensus on the German Language Division listserv is that most people have said no to lower rates and are still getting work from their clients. A few have even raised their rates – explaining they had not done so in a couple years and had to in order to pay for inflation. In the end it is every individual’s decision. Everyone should ask themselves this question when debating whether to accept it: can you afford to keep working for that client and still be able to pay your bills and maintain your current standard of living?

By: Sonja

Sonja — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:14:28 +0000

I’ve just been contacted by one of my best clients to reduce my rates by 3 cents per word. In itself that is not a big deal because… well, they’re trying to. Why not? I sometimes do the same when I see something I want to own but think it’s too expensive.

What I really hated about this approach was the reason, and of course it all has to do with the current economical crisis and the difficult situation they are facing, including discounts that they had to give to their own clients. When it comes to economy aren’t we all in the same boat? I sometimes wonder why they think that I do any better than them. As Riccardo pointed out, bills have to be paid. My Internet provider so far hasn’t informed me they would give me a discount because of the difficult economic situation we all are in. So my reply has been straight and concise: “Due to the current economical situation I am not able to cut my prices, I am afraid.” Period.

By: Corinne McKay

Corinne McKay — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:05:57 +0000

I agree with you about tightening the belt versus cutting rates. Cutting your rates increases the likelihood that you’re going to have to turn down work at a higher rate because a client loaded you up with a big project at a discount. To me, I feel like if I make 25% less this year than last year, that’s OK. I’d rather do that and spend my increased free time marketing to direct clients or writing a book than cut my rates and resent it!

By: Riccardo

Riccardo — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:41:43 +0000

I don’t really have any problem accepting a word rate for editing – it’s easier for everybody when estimating the cost for a job. And the agencies that accept to pay editing by the hour usually also insist that the job should not take more than x hours.

What I never accept, is to edit a job without seeing it first. If I see that the quality of the translation is substandard, I don’t hesitate to turn the job down, and suggest that it should be retranslated, instead.

I’m also careful in making sure that a proofreading job is, in fact, proofreading, and not editing in disguies: in our price list I’ve included a definition of editing and proofreading:

Editing: Revision of the translation with correction of mistranslations, omissions/additions, as well as language errors in the target language. Done by comparing the target text to the source text.

Proofreading: Revision of the translation to correct typos and similar errors in the target language. Done without reference to the source language.

As regards agencies that ask for discounts because of the economic situation, I’m always tempted to tell them that they should first contact my grocer, mortgage company, utilities company, Internet provider, etc. , and that when they have convinced them to give me a rebate, I’ll be ready to discuss discounts for the agency. Then I don’t do it, and I try to be as diplomatic as possible, without, however giving them a discount.