Translation as a Profession (Benjamins Translation Library)

170 Translation as a Professionis in the same position as the translation company, except that the company findsit easier to spread out the workload and can employ someone specifically to lookafter sales. The key to any translation business is how to sell translations. Actuallydoing the translation is easy in comparison.Fortunately, freelancers can find help in two directions.First of all, the Web now means that translators can advertise and find newclients all over the world. Secondly, a freelance translator can contact agencies orbrokerage companies and work as a sub-contractor, hopefully on a regular basis.This will save the hassle of prospecting for clients, which most translators areill-equipped for anyway.Budding freelance translators are up against a number of major problems:– They are restricted in the type of work they can take on by their areas ofcompetence and working languages. They cannot take on the lucrative largescalecontracts that usually go to translation agencies or companies, or towell-established and experienced freelancers.– Because they (sometimes badly) need the income, they cannot afford to pickand choose, and end up taking on short, time-consuming jobs in a lot ofdifferent subject areas, requiring as much research as larger contracts but forvery little financial reward.– Working under constant pressure, they have to put productivity at any costfirst and quality second, which can only make it harder to get more contracts.– Iftheylivealongwayawayfromthemajorurbancentreswherethetranslationmarket is well organised and relatively well-regulated, they may be up againsta large number of amateurs and ‘outlaws’ whose only qualification will be tohave “done languages” and “spent time in the country”.– Having a large number of clients but no major contracts is by no meanscost-effective. Not only will the overheads be higher, but each contract mayrequire a different software application, unless of course, they decide to stickto traditional texts and the use of a word processor.Nor is it easy to find a way round the problems listed above. It is often achoice between (a) offering a more extensive service, including for instance layoutand formatting, preparing the translated material for dissemination, formattingfor the Internet, desk-top publishing, etc. for the same price, or (b) increasingproductivity, working longer hours, or not taking holidays.The main qualities that a freelancer needs when starting out are doggeddetermination and nerves of steel. In practice, much will depend on:– getting support from other translators in the same town or area, with overworkedcolleagues passing on contracts and the favour being repaid once thenew translator has got her/his own clients;