| Pages sur ce sujet: [1 2] > |
Poll: What is the next thing you want to do as a professional translator/interpreter? Auteur du fil: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question " What is the next thing you want to do as a professional translator/interpreter?".
View the poll results »
| | | |
Allison Wright (X) 
Portugal
Local time: 00:03
| That's easy! | Nov 11, 2011 |
Buy something much better than a laptop with a nice big screen - and a nice big pair of new spectacles! Sadly, neither of these things will be happening this year.
| | | |
neilmac
Espagne
Local time: 01:03
espagnol vers anglais
+ ...
| Hadn't thought about it. | Nov 11, 2011 |
I suppose I'd like to get round to finding out more about how to exploit the software I underuse, but something more urgent usually comes up.
The best laid plans of mice and men...
| | | |
Mary Worby
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 00:03
Membre
allemand vers anglais
+ ...
| No real plans ... | Nov 11, 2011 |
... just to keep on plodding along.
More, better-paying clients would always be good, but it's not exactly a target!
| | |
|
|
|
| get more clients | Nov 11, 2011 |
I'm getting rid of cut down price clients and troublesome clients and I'm increasing the quality of my clientele with good payers, and clients who are nice to be working with. And it's working! And I'm feeling much happier, and more appreciated my aim is to accept work from good clients, do my utmost for them, and being too busy for troublesome souls
| | | |
Simon Bruni
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 00:03
Membre (2009)
espagnol vers anglais
| Get my foot in the literary translation door | Nov 11, 2011 |
But it's no easy task for translators into English.
| | | |
| Keeping up, developing but not expanding | Nov 11, 2011 |
As a freelancer there comes a time when you are running at more or less at capacity, so expanding is not really an option, and then of course it is good to know where you are going.
"If you don't know where you want to go, it doesn't matter which direction you take" was the theme of a meeting I attended recently.
I came along thinking that as long as I could keep up for the next five or six years, I could retire...
We had a very good discussion - and in th... See more As a freelancer there comes a time when you are running at more or less at capacity, so expanding is not really an option, and then of course it is good to know where you are going.
"If you don't know where you want to go, it doesn't matter which direction you take" was the theme of a meeting I attended recently.
I came along thinking that as long as I could keep up for the next five or six years, I could retire...
We had a very good discussion - and in this business, you do need to watch where you drift with the current. It may be fine for a while if your clients are satisfied, pay and come again... But you do not end in that happy stream without paddling quite hard to get there.
Even then, don't take it for granted. One of my really good clients went out of business last year... and it hit a lot of people hard. Others drift away.
So what do I want to do next? Meet my deadlines for the next fortnight!!!
Then read up some terminology. I will also send Christmas greetings out to my clients telling them briefly what I am up to, thanking them for their business this year, and looking forward to the next...
[Edited at 2011-11-11 16:29 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | |
David Wright
Autriche
Local time: 01:03
allemand vers anglais
+ ...
there comes an age when you have to stop working. I have another five or so years to do, and i don't plan to make any changes in my business activities.
| | |
|
|
|
Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 01:03
anglais vers français
+ ...
| Keep on going | Nov 11, 2011 |
I'm happy with my professional life and other the way they are, and I intend to do what it takes to keep it all that way!
| | | |
Simon Bruni wrote:
Get my foot in the literary translation door
But it's no easy task for translators into English.
If a John Dryden competition prizewinner can't find a publisher, what hope is there for us lesser mortals.
Self publishing on Kindle?
| | | |
| Expand and find new interesting clients | Nov 11, 2011 |
I went freelance nearly 2 years ago and am still looking for new clients which offer interesting jobs.
| | | |
Marlene Blanshay
Canada
Local time: 19:03
Membre (2009)
français vers anglais
+ ...
always trying to increase income...clients are hard to keep and I also want to get more editing jobs!
| | |
|
|
|
| Go on holiday? | Nov 11, 2011 |
| | | |
Robert Forstag
États-Unis
Local time: 19:03
espagnol vers anglais
+ ...
| Toward Liberation: Four Goals | Nov 11, 2011 |
1.
Focus primarily on the translation of books published by reputable and reliable publishing companies and university presses.
2.
In addition, establish stable relationships with 3-5 reliable clients that offer well-paid and regular work within the half dozen or so fields within which I have expertise.
3.
Raise my rates or simply discontinue collaboration with agencies I've worked with for some years, but whose conduct I find fundamentally unsatisfact... See more 1.
Focus primarily on the translation of books published by reputable and reliable publishing companies and university presses.
2.
In addition, establish stable relationships with 3-5 reliable clients that offer well-paid and regular work within the half dozen or so fields within which I have expertise.
3.
Raise my rates or simply discontinue collaboration with agencies I've worked with for some years, but whose conduct I find fundamentally unsatisfactory for one or more reasons (e.g., sporadic work offers, imposing unreasonable deadlines while refusing to pay rush rates, delayed payment, "cattle calls," etc.).
4.
Increase the proportion of my earnings deriving from monolingual editing and copywriting jobs, as opposed to translation.
Thankfully, I have made important strides toward all of these desiderata during the past year.
The main thing I want to get away from is having to accept projects that are either outside my comfort zone or that impose unreasonable terms, but which I feel obliged to accept because I need the money.
For me, and I suspect for many other freelancers, what is most important is the freedom to do only what I really want to do and to dictate my terms. Very few within this profession can do this in an absolute sense--and I hasten to add that I am not among these happy few! Yet, again, I have recently been moving in the direction of heightened freedom (as evidenced by the fact that I have said "no" to more work offers this past year than in any previous year). So I feel that my goals are realistic.
[Edited at 2011-11-11 15:03 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | |
Henry Hinds
États-Unis
Local time: 17:03
anglais vers espagnol
+ ...
In memoriam
Since I am already well into retirement age and consider myself to be semi-retired, I just want to keep on as I have been for as long as possible.
| | | |
| Pages sur ce sujet: [1 2] > |
Login to reply/comment 
