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Poll: In your opinion, do agencies or direct clients based in your country generally offer good rates?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Oct 18, 2018

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "In your opinion, do agencies or direct clients based in your country generally offer good rates?".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 07:52
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
No Oct 18, 2018

Rates in Belgium where I worked for 30 years are higher than those offered in Portugal, that’s why my client base is all over Europe and North America. I have never worked with a Portuguese translation agency and I have a very small number of occasional Portuguese direct clients…

Deborah do Carmo
 
Peter Simon
Peter Simon  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 08:52
English to Hungarian
+ ...
I'm not sure Oct 18, 2018

any more which my country is... Anyway, I know that most translators in my country of origin work for a lot less than where I live but I haven't got direct experience there other than when I quote for agencies there, they don't even respond, as if they were based in Bangladesh. I also have little experience here in the Netherlands, where they offer quite agreeable terms. But I think it all depends on the clients, agencies, market position...

neilmac
John Michalis
Mariana Borio
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Yes Oct 18, 2018

I imagine UK rates are good by global standards, but I haven't worked with a UK client for years because rates in Scandinavia, especially Norway, are much higher still.

Christine Andersen
 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 08:52
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Oct 18, 2018

Not really, and not generally.
I think my current rates are reasonable in terms of quality/price, as I make enough to pay my rent and bills and keep going. However, some people think my rates are not "good" and will tell you they charge twice or three times that, so what a "good rate" is is rather moot and depends on the country or region you work in, among other things.

NB: I don't do reduced rates for fuzzy matches or repetitions or things like that, unless I decide myself t
... See more
Not really, and not generally.
I think my current rates are reasonable in terms of quality/price, as I make enough to pay my rent and bills and keep going. However, some people think my rates are not "good" and will tell you they charge twice or three times that, so what a "good rate" is is rather moot and depends on the country or region you work in, among other things.

NB: I don't do reduced rates for fuzzy matches or repetitions or things like that, unless I decide myself that some kind of discount is merited.

PS: I recently raised my rates by 25% for some clients, because they have a new accounting system and billing them is more of a hassle now. However, the rest of them are still paying the same as they were five years ago and nobody is complaining.

[Edited at 2018-10-18 08:38 GMT]
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Rosalía Cazorla Martínez
 
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Germany
Local time: 08:52
English to German
In memoriam
I don't know Oct 18, 2018

Only one of the agencies I am working with is located in Germany (and even that one is "only" a branch of an international agency). I have applied to other German agencies but maybe my rates were indeed too high for them, while I have no problems getting good rates from my international agencies. I think that it is a good idea for every translator to seek clients internationally - it is obvious that the supply of translators into your native language is higher in your native country than in othe... See more
Only one of the agencies I am working with is located in Germany (and even that one is "only" a branch of an international agency). I have applied to other German agencies but maybe my rates were indeed too high for them, while I have no problems getting good rates from my international agencies. I think that it is a good idea for every translator to seek clients internationally - it is obvious that the supply of translators into your native language is higher in your native country than in other countries.

[Edited at 2018-10-18 14:35 GMT]
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José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 04:52
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
I don't think ANY client ANYwhere *OFFERS* good rates Oct 18, 2018

IMHO the entire problem lies in clients OFFERING rates to translators.

I'm still looking for any other human endeavor where the buyer OFFERS rates/prices to sellers/service providers. Of course, tenders and reverse auctions are normal business procedures, but translation has taken a weird path...

Sparing some honorable exceptions that are getting exponentially outnumbered every day, if we transposed the current tr
... See more
IMHO the entire problem lies in clients OFFERING rates to translators.

I'm still looking for any other human endeavor where the buyer OFFERS rates/prices to sellers/service providers. Of course, tenders and reverse auctions are normal business procedures, but translation has taken a weird path...

Sparing some honorable exceptions that are getting exponentially outnumbered every day, if we transposed the current translation market paradigm to the art trade, we'd see numerous ads like this:
I need a genuine, certified Rembrandt original. Will pay $20.



Answering the question, most agencies in my country, Brazil, offer despicable rates. That's because unemployment rates have been on the rise for years, and there is an overwhelming number of bilingual or even sesquilingual individuals - NOT translators -desperately eager to make a quick buck with their often limited language skills, of the kind I try to demonstrate at http://www.lamensdorf.com.br/professional-translation.html

Few of the large, sustainable (i.e. other than one-night-stand individual) direct clients in Brazil can tell apart professional translation work from free online machine translation. My sample comparison is at http://www.lamensdorf.com.br/comparison.html

They reckon the deliverable IS in the required target language, and simply don't care if it's any good. The larger the direct client, the more normal they consider to streamline the translation outsourcing process to a simple "get three bids, hire the cheapest one" no-brainer instruction to the purchasing department. Decision-making is delegated to the lowest possible hierarchical level, and they feel proud from doing what they call empowerment. So the process of hiring translators for their annual report to stockholders follows the same rule used for purchasing iron ore, soy beans, stationery, toilet paper, whatever!
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Cecilia Vela Segovia-Frund, CT
Jacek Sierakowski
Jenni Tuhkanen (X)
Mariana Borio
Al Zaid
Stuart Hoskins
neilmac
 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
-/+ Oct 18, 2018

Usually sponging agencies don't offer anything worthy while my local direct clients pay me lavishly, so on the average...

 
Justin Peterson
Justin Peterson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 08:52
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
Great Expectations Oct 18, 2018

Fascinating.
Only 9.7% of translators believe agencies in their country pay "good rates".
What???
I don't mean to sound churlish, but, clearly there's something wrong with people's logic here. Or lack thereof.
Rates are too low? Too low ... compared to what?
What you'd LIKE to be making?
Of course everyone wants to make more, but that is hardly a valid criterion for what you "should" be making, which is a subjective construct of your imagination. ... See more
Fascinating.
Only 9.7% of translators believe agencies in their country pay "good rates".
What???
I don't mean to sound churlish, but, clearly there's something wrong with people's logic here. Or lack thereof.
Rates are too low? Too low ... compared to what?
What you'd LIKE to be making?
Of course everyone wants to make more, but that is hardly a valid criterion for what you "should" be making, which is a subjective construct of your imagination.
The market average is, almost by definition, what you "should" me making.
If you can make more, hats off. Nice work if you can get it, if you can get it, as they say.
But when almost everyone thinks they are underpaid ... there is clearly some delusional thinking going on.
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Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Delusions Oct 18, 2018

Justin Peterson wrote:
when almost everyone thinks they are underpaid ... there is clearly some delusional thinking going on.

Not necessarily.

For example, it could be that the average client is in the US and pays US rates but the average translator is from Chindia, which pays Chindian (Chindese?) rates.

There is also a valid case for comparing your earnings with others with your qualifications rather than just other translators.

And only the average translator will command the average rate.

And that's only in a perfect market.

And anyway, what's wrong with everyone thinking they deserve more?


Michael Harris
 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
Rule #1 "Ask for more than you expect" (for you just may get it!) Oct 18, 2018

Chris is talking: agencies pay as low as possible which is not only a powerful mass-marketing tool for sponging on needy bottom-feeders, but also a serious entry barrier, panning out some gold translators who know their true value.

That's why a $0.001/w bottom-feeder and a $.25/w high-class translator can go together in the same respected agency


Amir Arzani
 
Justin Peterson
Justin Peterson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 08:52
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
Points taken ... Oct 18, 2018

Points well taken.
Thank you for not shouting "Bottom feeder! you'll ruin me with that kind of talk!"
Yes, if you are used to rates in a country that pays better, then your country of residence's rates might seem low.
And yes, one would expect higher rates when their qualifications are higher.
And yes, the average translator will generally make an average rate.
But the average translator is ... avera
... See more
Points well taken.
Thank you for not shouting "Bottom feeder! you'll ruin me with that kind of talk!"
Yes, if you are used to rates in a country that pays better, then your country of residence's rates might seem low.
And yes, one would expect higher rates when their qualifications are higher.
And yes, the average translator will generally make an average rate.
But the average translator is ... average.
And the average translator probably thinks he is better than average. It´s human nature.
Like in Lake Wobegon (look it up, if you don´t get it)
What's wrong with it? Well ... I guess there's nothing really morally/ethically wrong ... I just still find it a bit odd when 90% of translators think rates are too low in their country. It is a bit striking, to say the least.

And I've been listening to translators whine for years on proz about how cheap translators are ruining them, as if the Translation industry should be exempt from the dynamic of price competition that drives the entire global economy, and always has. (I deserve more!) It's like cursing the wind for blowing.

Anyway ... back to work.

Chris S wrote:

Justin Peterson wrote:
when almost everyone thinks they are underpaid ... there is clearly some delusional thinking going on.

Not necessarily.

For example, it could be that the average client is in the US and pays US rates but the average translator is from Chindia, which pays Chindian (Chindese?) rates.

There is also a valid case for comparing your earnings with others with your qualifications rather than just other translators.

And only the average translator will command the average rate.

And that's only in a perfect market.

And anyway, what's wrong with everyone thinking they deserve more?
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Barbara Cochran, MFA
Barbara Cochran, MFA  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 03:52
Spanish to English
+ ...
In The United States, Yes, Most Of The Time Oct 18, 2018

At least that's the case for the agencies I work for that are headquartered in the US, but I only work for a few of them, and only from time to time, because I'm primarily a literary translator who works directly with authors.

Although it's very rare, I sometimes make several hundred dollars in less than 6 or 3 hours when I do something for an American agency.

I think I saw an American agency on this site recently that was only offering 3 cents a word, though, so I pass
... See more
At least that's the case for the agencies I work for that are headquartered in the US, but I only work for a few of them, and only from time to time, because I'm primarily a literary translator who works directly with authors.

Although it's very rare, I sometimes make several hundred dollars in less than 6 or 3 hours when I do something for an American agency.

I think I saw an American agency on this site recently that was only offering 3 cents a word, though, so I passed it over.
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Ana Vozone
Ana Vozone  Identity Verified
Local time: 07:52
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
No (for agencies), yes, for direct clients... Oct 18, 2018

I do not work for Portuguese agencies because they (or the ones that have contacted me for work) pay ridiculously low rates...

But direct clients here have always paid "my" rates, without hesitating, which is really, really pleasant

I alsohave to say that the larger the international agencies abroad, the lower the rates they are prepared to pay. I am seeing this all the time. But smaller agencies seem to c
... See more
I do not work for Portuguese agencies because they (or the ones that have contacted me for work) pay ridiculously low rates...

But direct clients here have always paid "my" rates, without hesitating, which is really, really pleasant

I alsohave to say that the larger the international agencies abroad, the lower the rates they are prepared to pay. I am seeing this all the time. But smaller agencies seem to continue to pay better rates.
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Deborah do Carmo
 
Haluk Aka, Chartered Linguist (MCIL)
Haluk Aka, Chartered Linguist (MCIL)  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:52
English to Turkish
+ ...
sweatshop rates in Turkey Oct 18, 2018

Just today I saw a Google ad that read “German Turkish Translation 11 TRY per 200 words” (that’s 2 dollars for 200 words, agency’s rate to end-clients. Imagine how much they’re paying to their translators (if they’re paying anything at all)…


[Edited at 2018-10-18 22:07 GMT]


 
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Poll: In your opinion, do agencies or direct clients based in your country generally offer good rates?






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