Here’s a question I received from a colleague: “You’re always writing about how to find new clients and get more work. I have the opposite problem: I have work coming out of my ears and I’m trying to cut back.” OK! Thoughts on Translation is committed to addressing issues at all points on the freelance spectrum.
This actually is not the first time I’ve heard this question, primarily from translators in their 60s and 70s who still want to work, but not full-time and not under stressful conditions. But it also applies to some translators with young kids, or people with other jobs. Definitely worth a look. More.
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Comments about this article
Spain
Local time: 08:54
Spanish to English
+ ...
Surely any colleagues who have too much work to handle themselves could pass it on to someone less fortunate. That's what I try to do do when the situation arises.
Italy
Local time: 08:54
Member (2009)
English to Italian
+ ...
Surely any colleagues who have too much work to handle themselves could pass it on to someone less fortunate. That's what I try to do do when the situation arises.
mm but you do this illegally, except if you work for direct client, because all translation agencies prohibit such behavior in their contracts..
Spain
Local time: 08:54
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Surely any colleagues who have too much work to handle themselves could pass it on to someone less fortunate. That's what I try to do do when the situation arises.
mm but you do this illegally, except if you work for direct client, because all translation agencies prohibit such behavior in their contracts..
I think you can rest assured that a seasoned colleague would not do anything unbecoming of a professional.
Local time: 01:54
German to English
+ ...
In recent years I've been swamped more than once. Regular clients or new ones who had come to me by recommendation by other clients have been willing to wait on occasion. Sometimes queuing up work is an option, but only if the client can afford to wait a day or two. End clients can do this more often than the type of agency that wins jobs by promising to have it done by yesterday (not a client you want in the first place). ▲ Collapse
Spain
Local time: 08:54
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Surely any colleagues who have too much work to handle themselves could pass it on to someone less fortunate. That's what I try to do do when the situation arises.
My approach was to employ people. This of course means responsibilities in terms of social security, workers' rights, reasonable working hours/conditions, making sure everybody has work to do, etc., but it allows me to share the work without losing control of the quality (or the account) while I use part of my time to study a four-year degree. Once I finish my degree, I might want to rethink the whole situation, as the idea of working with a laptop, being a free spirit, and roaming the world while working at odd times is far too tempting. At that moment, I will have to retake the matter of what is the best way to have the right amount of work.
[Edited at 2016-04-12 15:11 GMT]
Canada
Local time: 02:54
Member (2008)
English to French
I have no desire to be a 'kitch... See more
I have no desire to be a 'kitchen-table outsourcer' or to manage people. ▲ Collapse
India
Local time: 12:24
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
+ ...
The lower end clients are the ones who usually swamp us with work as they make more money out of our labour. So dropping them will automatically lessen your work load.
This is also an opportune time to raise your rates for some of your clients, as y... See more
The lower end clients are the ones who usually swamp us with work as they make more money out of our labour. So dropping them will automatically lessen your work load.
This is also an opportune time to raise your rates for some of your clients, as you are now in a position to afford the luxury of losing them if they do not agree to it.
[Edited at 2016-04-12 16:30 GMT] ▲ Collapse
United States
Local time: 02:54
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
It is totally a normal thing.
Hungary
Local time: 08:54
Member (2006)
Russian to Hungarian
+ ...
As the Russian says, мне бы ваших проблем... (=if I could have such problem as you). Since I set 0.07 EUR per source word, I lost some clients but slowly developed a burnout syndrome. Yesterday I even was ready to ironing 4 hours (!!!) the clothes which I usually hate.
Spain
Local time: 08:54
Spanish to English
+ ...
Surely any colleagues who have too much work to handle themselves could pass it on to someone less fortunate. That's what I try to do do when the situation arises.
mm but you do this illegally, except if you work for direct client, because all translation agencies prohibit such behavior in their contracts..
Illegal, shmegal. I work almost exclusively for direct clients. My relationship with them is that I have more or less free reign to get the translation done and can exercise my own discretion. I do collaborate with a couple of agencies occasionally, but on my own terms. They can like it or lump it.
PS: I don't recall ever having signed a contract in roughly 20 years of full-time translating.
Denmark
Local time: 08:54
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
For established, reliable translators with a well-defined working field, I would say it is not even an at... See more
For established, reliable translators with a well-defined working field, I would say it is not even an atypical problem - many of my colleagues who work with Danish seem to have plenty to do, if not actually too much. And that is in spite of charging Scandinavian rates.
If you work with direct clients, ask them to let you in at the planning stage, so that you can reserve time for them when they have texts ready - and perhaps you can persuade them to deliver texts early in the proceedings to allow a little flexibility. Or save tme on things like formatting by getting their DTP department to do it.
As others have said, drop the difficult and less profitable clients, raise your rates, and recommend reliable colleagues to good clients if you are not in a position to outsource or do not want to. If colleagues are also generally busy, they will not poach your favourite clients, but ultimately, it is up to the clients!
Above all, learn the little sentence: No, sorry, I'm busy.
Generally living, sleeping, getting some exercise, bringing up your children and spending time with your partner and family are all important ways of being busy... ▲ Collapse
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