How To Find Clients As A Freelance Translator?

You have decided to take the plunge and set up shop for yourself. You have bought yourself a computer with all conceivable virtual connections, you've converted a lost corner or a nice little spare room into a quiet workspace, and there you are, sitting behind the keyboard, facing the screen, ready to start typing. The one thing that's missing is the one thing you cannot buy - a client.

If you really have to start from scratch, finding clients to work for can be very difficult indeed. And even if you did manage to contact individuals or companies and draw their attention to your one-person freelance business, why should they want to do business with you if they have so many more options to choose from, with so much more credibility and reputation?

In fact, the task of attracting customers can be so daunting that it's probably best to leave it to somebody else. What you should do is contact a reputable translation agency, and let them find the customers for you.

However, a warning is in order. All-round translation agencies are normally not too keen on open applications, for various reasons. First, they are swamped by them. Second, you're probably offering a language combination that does not exactly qualify your application as a unique proposition. And third, if you do offer something off the beaten track, say Finnish-Maltese or Dutch-Urdu, chances are that their order portfolio in your special niche is not quite filled to the brim.

Even so, if you have some academic or commercial professional translation experience and if you don't prize yourself out of the market - either by asking higher rates than the agency can afford, or lower rates than what it takes to sound professional - you may actually receive a response stating that they have decided to store your service offer in their freelance files with the promise of contacting you should a suitable occasion present itself. And there is a good chance that, eventually, they will.

That's because at a well-run and dynamic translation agency, such suitable occasions are never far off. Agencies very regularly find themselves short of translation capacity and they may not remember your name, but they will see it again sooner or later when an urgent order forces them to delve into their files of potential freelancers. Usually, once you've done the first translation job for an agency, more will follow (provided of course that they were happy with the quality of your work). From then on, they will be able to find you. In fact, if your freelance modalities combine into an attractive proposition for the translation agency - in terms of rate, quality, speed and flexibility - they may actually discover that you are an altogether better option that some of the people they're already working with and who've begun taking things for granted. The ins and outs of cooperating with translation agencies in your capacity as a freelancer is beyond the scope of this particular publication, but it is the subject of a different article by the same author. Suffice it here to state that of all potential clients, translation agencies are probably the easiest to locate and to contact.

As the term suggests, all-round translation agencies are very general in their scope. They have clients in a variety of industries, which means you will be doing translations in a vast range of fields. However, even if your contacts with translation agencies have helped you develop into a true all-round translator, there will be disciplines where you will feel more at home than in others. The next step in expanding your client base would be to focus on large businesses within your favourite sectors and find out if they have an internal translation department. Many international enterprises do. If you contact those in-company translation services you may well find them quite interested in expanding their freelance database, especially at times when they're short on staff themselves. By now you will have gained sufficient professional experience to advertise yourself as someone who, if not an expert, is certainly knowledgeable about their specific field - which is important as translators without specialised experience normally don't stand a chance in such a trade-specific environment. The benefit of gradually shifting your focus towards in-company translation departments is that this will enable you to further specialise yourself so that you no longer have to reinvent the wheel every time you start work on a new translation job.

Having said that, reliable all-round agencies also tend to differentiate between freelancers in terms of their strengths and preferences - in fact that is the only reason they can afford to be all-round and maintain a decent level of quality. The point is that by working for translation agencies - commercial or in-company - you will have the opportunity to gain experience and specialise in your preferred disciplines.

Of course this is only one of a myriad of strategic routes you might take in your attempt to find and attract clients for your freelance business. The exact nature of your effort will obviously depend on the size of your business and your ambitions. I nevertheless believe that the route along translation agencies is one that probably offers even relatively inexperienced professional translators the best chances of attracting first-time and follow-up orders.

About the author

Jeroen Oomen is co-owner of Metamorfose Vertalingen, a translation agency in Utrecht (The Netherlands). After having worked for several translation firms in paid employment, he took the plunge in 2004 and incorporated his own company.

About Metamorfose Vertalingen

Metamorfose Vertalingen, established in Utrecht (the Netherlands) in 2004, is a professional translation agency with a primary focus on the Dutch and international business community, and on public and semi-public institutions. Our principal strengths lie in the financial, legal and medical sectors, as well as in commerce, advertising and media. Our range covers virtually all European languages and also includes expert translation services into Chinese, Turkish and Arabic. Our client base includes some of the largest corporate enterprises in Europe.

For further details about Metamorfose Vertalingen, please visit: [http://www.metamorfosevertalingen.nl/eng/index.html]

Jeroen Oomen is co-owner of Metamorfose Vertalingen, a translation agency in Utrecht. After having worked for serveral translation firms, he took the plunge in 2004 and incorporated his own company.

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101 Tips to Succeed As Freelance Translator

Translation

1. Make sure that you want to be a freelance translator

2. Don't quit your day job in the beginning.

3. Restrict free (sample translation) to 300 words

4. Translate into your native language only.

5. Always keep a very close eye on quality.

6. Always meet deadlines.

7. You're really only as good as your last translation.

8. Conduct terminology research.

9. Don't bite off more than you can chew.

10. Do some volunteer translation work.

11. Consider 2000 target words to be a normal day and 3000 target words to be very good.

12. Have different rates for general, semi-specialized and specialised texts.

13. As a beginner, be careful in taking large volume jobs.

14. Do not accept any assignment if you are not confident that you can do it.

15. Do not accept anything in an area that you are not familiar with.

16. Do not work for a rock-bottom rate.

17. Do not accept any assignment for which you are not fully qualified

18. Read forum posts and translation blogs like Tips for translators, getdirectclient, etc.

19. Specialization - This is definitely advantageous for you

20. Learning translation properly once at a postgraduate programme.

21. Make yourself familiar with the entire CAT and similar programs out there.

22. A writing course and a course of stylistics always come in handy.

23. Learn how to improve your translation even after becoming a professional translator to find the best translation.

24. Improve writing.

25. Continue to invest in necessary training.

26. Learn to translate by reviewing other people's work.

27. Practice translating something that one hasn't read in the target language.

28. Ask professional translators to send you translations they just finished and read those translations carefully

29. Try Proficiency tests: Try IELTS (for English) or UN exams or TOEFL (for English)

30. Get certification by NAATI (Australia) or ATA (USA) or other associations.

31. Answer Kudoz and similar questions.

32. Become member of PROZ, Aquarius, and Translators base and other portals but search for life beyond them.

33. Participate in forum discussions.

Clients

34. If your clients are happy, you seem to be doing something right.

35. Do not depend only on one client.

36. Do not assume your current rate of incoming work will continue unabated.

37. Expand your client base.

38. Have portfolio of regular clients.

39. Create Credentials.

40. Ask for feedbacks.

41. Ask for testimonials.

42. Keep your clients happy- repeat jobs will come your way

Attributes

43. A bit of luck is always in the game, the rest is hard work.

44. Do what you really like. Then money will flow.

45. Have desire, passion, and dedication and do hard work.

46. Remember your job is not a hobby but a profession.

47. Remember your success is judged by the quality of the end result.

48. Remember your success is judged by having the money in the bank.

49. This profession requires ethics at every level.

50. Successful translator needs to have talent, drive, energy, commitment, confidence - and luck.

51. Study and research before you start.

52. Endeavor to translate with utmost accuracy and fidelity.

53. Convey to the readers of the translation the same meaning and spirit of the original.

54. Master the target language equivalent to that of an educated native speaker.

55. Have Up-to-date knowledge of the source language.

56. Have Up-to-date knowledge of the subject area.

57. Be truthful about your qualification.

58. Continuously self-improve.

59. Inspire hope.

60. Have common sense and apply it.

61. Know your own limitations.

62. Always follow you gut instincts.

63. Have Attitude!

Business

64. Consider freelance translation as a business.

65. Have a business plan how you're going to get work

66. Consider translation as for-profit activity

67. Tell everyone you know that you're available for Translation jobs

68. Keep sending your CV to agencies.

69. Market yourself everyday even when you have a job at hand.

70. Be truthful about your business.

71. Become member of translation portals.

72. Invest in paid memberships. And test it.

73. Advertise your services through all means and test it.

74. Have business acumen.

75. Become member of local chamber of commerce

76. Become member of translator's organizations.

77. Join network of translators.

78. Reply to emails within 3 hours, if possible.

79. Create a good CV

80. Follow successful translators

81. Create a website/Blog and promote and track posts.

82. Create or buy a database of agencies.

Health

83. Take regular breaks when working.

84. Take care of your health

85. Take care of your family

86. Take vacations.

87. Do Yoga exercises for hand, neck and back.

88. Have your eyes tested at least once a year.

89. Quit Smoking

Family

90. Make your family happy

91. Love your spouse

92. Play with your children

93. Take care of your parents

Tools

94. Use dictionaries, Google, Wikipedia, etc.

95. Use CAT tools and speech recognition if possible.

96. Invest in Hardwares, softwares, CAT tools, dictionaries

Home Office

97. Manage your home office.

98. Keep track of your finance

99. Send invoice along with the job

100. Create multiple options of payments for Client- cheque, paypal, moneybookers, bank transfer etc.

101. Keep all records for 2 years minimum.

Ostom is a freelance translator who provides free tips for translators in his blog http://www.getdirectclient.blogspot.com/

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Translation Work - Freelance Translator Application Advice

Everyday myself and my colleagues see large numbers of enquiries from translators seeking work. I hope that some of my observations will help you be more successfull.

1) Update and scan your computer for viruses

How many translators CV's get caught by a translation agencies firewall? I don't know. It seems to happen in waves. We will have a batch of translators emails in a few days and then none for ages. But generally the email is deleted!

2) Put your details in the subject section of the email

If you are applying for a translation project posted on the web, put a reference to it in the subject box. The reference number for instance. If you are applying generally, list the languages in which you translate.

Why is this important? Simply translation agencies get a stack of emails each day and you want to be found. The translation project manager wants to be able to pick out the enquiries for their project with ease.

For general enquiries, you want your details to be saved in the right place. If the translation agency can see the languages you translate they can copy your mail into the right languages section rather then putting you in the dreaded 'look at later pile'.

3) Don't apply for something you are not

We always look for translators to translate into their mother tongue and write this in our adverts. But we always get a loads of CV's for people who do not fit the bill. For instance I post a job for a Italian>English Translation and get a CV from a Portuguese translator native speaker who is fluent in neither language.

4) Don't forget to provide rates and the rest of your 'required' information

When I am looking for a new translator and I have a number of applications, my shortlist will not include anyone who has missing information. I regularly see people who have missed their rates off the application. If a translation PM has opther options, they probably won't chase a translator for further information.

5) Contact Info

I am not talking about address here. I am thinking of mobile phones.

Once a job has been confirmed the translation Project Manager will wish to have the assignment placed with a translator ASAP. If they can't find another number for you they will be likely to move further down the list and call the next translator.......your competition.

I hope my short list of tips for translation applications assist not only translators, but also translation PM's.!

The author has worked international for many years and now works at the translation agency Axis Translation where he mainly looks after Italian Translation and Portuguese Translation.

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Starting Work As A Freelance Translator

When you start working as a freelance translator, there are several things you need to think about. One of the most important things is to find out what you know about the world and this has nothing to do with the language degree you have just earned at university.

Before studying a language or languages, what were you good at in school? Were you good at Maths, Physics, Biology? Or were you better at amateur dramatics or at editing the school or university magazine. Are you interested in religion or in history?

Art books often need to be translated and a knowledge of art is something that can be developed and enhanced over an entire life-time.

What are your interests now, apart from languages?

It will be no good your advertising yourself as a freelance translator unless you tell the translation agencies what are your specialities.

If you have an easy writing style, you could be what agencies need for commercial and advertising translation. If you are interested in ecology and the environment, you need to study those subjects in your spare time, to keep up with the latest changes.

The same applies to technical translation, where change occurs at an ever-increasing rate. Technical translators have often been working in a particular industry for several years and have spent some of those years in a foreign country, where they learned a foreign language. They were trained as engineers but after ten or twenty years they have decided to work as freelance translators (no more boss to tell them what to do) and their previous experience and training opens the door to technical translation. Their previous working experience has taught them the correct industrial vocabulary in both languages.

Other technical translators are people whose main education was in languages but who are also interested in technical subjects - maybe as a hobby - and this can be developed.

There are other translators who specialize in medical, legal or financial translation. Here again, they have usually worked in the profession concerned, often abroad, but after half a lifetime have decided to free themselves from the organisational constraints. These people are particularly valuable to the translation industry, because they are professionally qualified as doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc.

Freelance translation gives a lot of freedom on the one hand - you can choose what time of day you are going to work - and you need on occasion to work until 2 o'clock in the morning and at weekends, but the great thing is that you can decide what you are going to do and when.

When starting out as a freelancer, if an end customer or a translation agency sends you a translation which is beyond your competence (and don't worry, this also happens to translators who have been twenty years or more in the business) you should politely tell the customer that you can't do it and why. You can send the customer an email next week, showing your specialties.

This brings us to advertising. Almost all freelance translators have to advertise in one way or another. Sometimes being registered with one of the big translation institutes is enough to bring in a sufficient amount of work, but that applies mostly to people who have been in the translation business for several years. For people starting out as freelancers, it is usually better to be registered with translation and/or interpreting directories, where customers can find you and from which you can obtain a list of translation agencies in order to send emails to the agencies, showing your languages, your specialties and the customers you have worked with.

As the manager of a translation agency I usually receive anything from one to ten emails from freelancers every day and I reply, often asking for further details. If you send a CV with your email, make sure that your include on the CV your mailing address, telephone number, email address and your price per source word in one of the world currencies (Euro, British pound, US dollar). Of course, don't forget to include your specialties in your CV and a list of customer names for any large translations you have recently done.

A translation agency which is interested in your application will probably ask you to translate a short sample text, about one page of 200 to 300 words.

Some new freelancers telephone to translation agencies, looking for work, but it is usually better to use email. Agencies prefer something in black and white - they find it easier to put your details on their databases.

I don't know how many thousands or hundreds of thousands of freelance translators there are in the world today, but there is always room for another one. So keep going - send out your emails !

John Hadfield spent a lot of his life living in the Middle and Far East, working for automotive manufacturers in Greece, Lebann and the Philippines and he then lived for five years in South Korea, administrating a joint venture between one of the largest Korean manufacturers and a French construction equipment company. He started his own translation agency in 1980 in France and recently also formed a translation agency in the UK, http://www.technical-translation.co.uk

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How to Become a Successful Freelance Translator

After completing their translation training programmes at higher professional education or university level, many students can't wait to set up as a freelance translator. However, gaining a foothold as a freelancer in a very competitive translation market may turn out to be a pretty complicated business. Translation agencies are not usually keen on contracting inexperienced translators, business clients are difficult to find without commercial tools, and the tax authorities won't just accept anyone as a self-employed person. So what do you need to do to set up shop as a successful freelance translator?

Translation agencies

Most translation agencies are wary of admitting new freelancers into their networks. After all, it takes a while before it really becomes clear whether a freelancer can live up to their expectations: does he/she stick to agreed deadlines, offer a consistent level of quality, consult relevant reference resources, deal effectively with various registers and specialisations (commercial, technical, medical, financial, IT, etc.)? Many translation agencies begin with a 'trial period' in which they closely monitor the work submitted by new freelance translators. To reduce the risk of a fiasco - and avoid the associated costs - translation agencies normally only accept applications from freelance translators who have had at least two or three years' fulltime experience in the translation business.

Business clients

In their attempts to introduce themselves directly to companies, freelancers usually find it difficult to gain access to the people that matter and, once they are there, to secure orders. Companies tend to prefer outsourcing translation services to partners that are able to offer comprehensive solutions. They look for agencies that can fill their translation needs in a range of different languages, are always available, can take on specialised texts and have the procedures in place to ensure that all deadlines are met. In view of their need for continuity, capacity and diversity it is hardly surprising that many companies select an all-round translation agency rather than individual freelancers. An agency may be more expensive than a freelancer, but the additional service and quality guarantees justify the extra investment.

Tips to achieve success as a freelance translator

What steps will you need to take after graduation to develop into a successful freelance translator?

1.After completing your studies, it's best not to present yourself on the market straightaway as a freelance translator, but first to find employment at an all-round translation firm and spend a couple of years there to gain the necessary practical experience. As a salaried employee your income will be less compared to what you might potentially earn in a freelance capacity, but don't forget that without experience you're never going to be successful in the first place. In many cases, you will be assigned to a senior translator who revises your translations, monitors your progress, and makes you aware of your strengths and weaknesses. This will enable you to acquire the skills and baggage you need on your way to becoming a professional translator, and will give you the opportunity to experiment with various types of texts and disciplines.

2.If you can't find a position in paid employment, try to find a post as an (unpaid) trainee. A translation agency may not have the capacity or resources to take on new staff, but it may still be able to offer you an excellent training post to help you gain practical experience in a commercial environment. A traineeship may serve as an effective springboard for a career in the translation business, perhaps even within the same agency that offered the traineeship.

3.After having whetted your skills at a translation agency for a number of years, you may decide that the time has come for you to find your own clients. Ideally, you should move on to a part-time contract so that you have enough time to recruit clients and work for them, and enough money to live on. It is important to make clear arrangements with your boss at this stage, to avoid a conflict of interests. The best strategy is to send your personal details and CVs to a selected group of professional translation firms and translation departments within companies and governmental institutions, explicitly referring to your work experience. Don't forget to highlight your willingness to do a free test translation.

4.Make sure to register as a self-employed person with the relevant tax authorities and seek their advice if necessary.

5.Once you have managed to find enough freelance work to keep yourself busy for around 20 hours a week, you might consider terminating your employment contract and devoting the extra time to attracting new business. In 20 hours most experienced freelance translators tend to earn around as much as a full-time translator in salaried employment.

These are obviously very general guidelines, and your personal career may evolve along quite different lines depending on your preferences, skills and personal conditions. Whatever your circumstances, however, you will find that experience and a certain amount of business acumen are the things that matter most in a successful freelance career.

Fester Leenstra is co-owner of Metamorfose Vertalingen, a translation agency in Utrecht (The Netherlands). After having worked for several translation firms in paid employment, he took the plunge in 2004 and incorporated his own company.

For further details about Metamorfose Vertalingen, visit VERTAALBUREAU.

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