Comments on: Pretty soon they’ll be making US pay THEM to translate their texts

By: Judy Jenner

Judy Jenner — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:39:45 +0000

Your title is the line I have been using for years; it’s my favorite line. And yes, Corinne, agreed. I always say that too: you can’t compete on price because there will always be someone who will do it cheaper than you. Amen!

And good for you for not even replying. As freelance linguists, the only resource we have is our time, so we need to be sure to use it wisely. I used to feel compelled to answer these e-mails and do some gentle client education about the value of professional translations, etc. Then I realized that clearly whoever is offering these rates is not taking linguists seriously, so now I just hit the “delete” button.

By: Susanne Aldridge III

Susanne Aldridge III — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:40:02 +0000

Well, just one comment from me: This was not an agency but a translation bureau, their domain was registered a couple of weeks ago and it sounded it is a young translator couple who is trying to establish themselves. EUR 0.075 is $0.098 and while it is certainly a price at the bottom of the range, I am not sure it is really that bad and I wouldn’t even consider it a bottom-feeder or a dumping price.
I consider it more the price range of someone who is very new in the business and who has to earn their chops

By: Corinne McKa

Corinne McKa — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:25:57 +0000

I think it really points to the fact that you absolutely cannot compete on price because someone else will always charge less. I also think it’s helpful to (diplomatically) explain to clients that the more they pay me, the more meticulously I can afford to work, which benefits them in the end. The industry is doing weird things; I had about 10 days with minimal work which hasn’t happened to me in years. As hard as it was, I just worked on personal projects and some non-paying things I had wanted to get to, and sure enough the onslaught of work came back at my regular rates. I agree with Tom, I have a hard time imagining that some of the big agencies aren’t going to go under…I can only imagine the quality of the work they’re buying at those rates.

By: Tom Ellett

Tom Ellett — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:22:06 +0000

Darwinist that I am, I’m hopeful that the recession will indeed lead to a long-overdue shakeout in the translation industry, with the bottom-feeders having nowhere else to go but under.