What's Behind a Professional Translator's Fee?
Even though a lot has been said regarding how much a translator should charge per word on a project, the reality is that this is a far more complex matter than it appears on the surface.
So, today’s goal is to dig deeper into this controversial subject in the hopes of shedding some light on the matter.
While researching for this article, I came across a lot of misleading information in different articles and ebooks. And more often than not, those writing about this matter don’t take into account key elements that make up a professional translator’s fee. Instead, they seem eager to reproduce ideas like “how to get the cheapest translation service”, without knowing or addressing the problems and headaches this sort of mindset can end up costing authors.
While some authors choose to follow this path, others, who are more prudent, will continue to read this article and, hopefully, research even further afterwards.
To begin with, pricing a freelance service is a rather intricate matter. When a literary translator gives an author a quote for a project, they are not simply charging for the time it will take them to replicate a certain number of words into their native language.
In fact, there are many factors a freelancer must consider when setting up their fees.
A professional translator’s fee consists of:
Education
In my opinion, one of the most horrifying myths is the belief that any bilingual speaker is qualified to make a living as a translator.
The truth is that a professional translator usually has a degree in Translation or Translation Studies, meaning a person who spent at least three to four years of their life training, learning and studying the complexities of their language pairs (the language they translate from and into.) A professional translator can also have a degree or equivalent knowledge and experience in Languages or Literature – particularly the grammar of both languages!
Additionally, literary translators develop their narration skills in order to tell your story to your foreign audience in an engaging and captivating way. This sometimes means resorting to different literary devices, changing structures and altering word order so that the reading flows in the most natural way and your foreign audience experiences the same feelings your original readers did when reading your book. Regardless of how many changes they make, professional literary translators will be loyal to the author, the tone, the plot, the settings, and the characters.
Specialisation
After getting a degree in Translation Studies, many professionals continue to specialise in a specific area of translation: Medicine, Law, Literature, IT, Finance, Tourism, among others. Just like authors write in niches, translators who specialise become experts in their “niche” specialisation, gaining tools that allow them to perform better jobs and deliver higher-quality translations readers will undoubtedly love.
Experience
As literary translators gain experience in a specific genre or niche, they become masters of their craft. They know which words speak to specific audiences.
In the globalised world we currently live in, there’s no reason why translators should be invisible figures, often left out of the credits or almost ignored. Most self-published authors can find a great ally in their translator by understanding they have followers on social media or on their Amazon Translator or Goodreads translator profiles. These followers, who are readers that love the genres these translators specialise in, tend to trust the quality of their work.
Let me share my literary translator experience using my Amazon Author Central Profile (thanks to being credited as a translator in most of the books I translated). This useful tool not only allows me to add all of my translated books to my portfolio (or Amazon page), but it also allows readers to discover other authors I have worked with by accessing my profile and maybe clue them in to their next big read!
Additionally, Amazon Author Central allows me to keep track of my followers (yay!). These readers, in turn, get a notification every time one of my translations is released to the Spanish market, making it a great sales tool for new and old authors working with me.
To this day, I have 385 followers on Amazon and counting!
Office (Home-office)
People tend to believe freelancers save tons of money by not commuting or eating out because they work from home.
However, working from home has its pros and cons, as well as its own costs. In order for a freelancer to be able to work from home, they’ll need to pay rent or a mortgage, then set up an office, buy the proper equipment, and pay the bills (Internet, heating, electricity, water). Freelancers can’t take advantage of the economy of scale like larger agencies, and these expenses can quickly add up.
Equipment + software
Depending on their specialisation, a translator will need different things. A literary translator requires, at the very least, a laptop, a proper desk, a good internet connection, an ergonomic chair, and some word-processing software. Some might even use extra software for quality checks. Others go on to take new courses to continue to develop and update their skills. All of these things cost time and money.
Taxes
As any freelancer, a literary translator needs to keep a tidy economy. This means paying taxes, social security, holidays, retirement, sick days, etc. This entails a lot of time spent on careful administration – no one wants a surprise visit from the tax department! So, naturally, any person making an income from this profession will need to take these things into account when it comes to quoting a project.
Final Thoughts
No professional translator can do without these key elements that make them a competent professional, who is constantly developing their skills and improving the quality of their work. Each project, course, device, or software acquired adds value to the final quality of their translations.
So, next time you get a suspiciously low quote for a translation project, it might be worth asking yourself if the person who offered you said quote is a fully qualified and equipped linguist trained to deliver a quality translation that speaks to your audience. The alternative is wasting money on a translation readers won’t want to read and risking your chance to make a good first impression with an entirely new foreign audience.
As a matter of fact, professional translators tend to avoid customers looking for cheap quotes: no matter how good a quality product they deliver, they know without a doubt that sooner or later, they will be dumped for a linguist offering lower prices. And no self-respecting literary translator will want their name associated with a low-quality book.
Now you know where your investment is going when you choose to work with a professional translator. Hopefully, you feel confident in choosing the right professional to bring your story to fresh readers and can protect yourself from the pitfalls of working with bargain-basement amateurs.
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