Not every translator who sets out to become a freelance translator makes it in the business, and there are certainly some pitfalls for those just beginning their career as freelance translators. In this post we’ll take a look at some of the problems that people in the freelance launch-phase encounter.
Not doing enough marketing, and expecting too much return from the little amount of marketing that’s done. You can’t become discouraged simply because you’ve applied to a few translation companies and still received no work. It requires a lot more effort than that! You simply keep applying to translation companies, make contact with industries that you believe you can work with, and when you finally receive a positive response, you thank them by sending your business card with a handwritten note saying that you’re very much looking forward to working with them in the near future.
Another issue that new freelance translators face is that they expect the start-up phase to be much shorter than it actually is. It takes time for you to market yourself, and for potential clients to start noticing you and appreciating your skills.
Many translators just beginning their career have quite weak language skills. By no means is it easy to develop the cultural and linguistic competence that a translator needs, unless you’re able to spend a lengthy period of time in the country of your source language.
You must be prepared to put yourself out there, because people simply can’t hire you if they don’t know you’re out there and don’t know of the knowledge and skills you possess. You have to be prepared to step up and step out into the limelight.
Many translators just getting started find it hard to get off the low-rate treadmill; and this can be a difficult situation to escape. Obviously, no-one starts out wanting to be underpaid, but we all have to start somewhere when we’re trying to make our way in the translation industry. We want to work, and working for low rates is certainly better than not working at all. So the question is: How long will it be before you can trade up to better paying clients? Unfortunately, if you’re translating ten or more hours a day simply to keep on top of the bills, it’s not going to be easy to find the time to market yourself and look for better paying clients, so you’re probably going to continue working long hours for low-paying clients.
Many people don’t truly understand just how much work and time it takes to be successfully self-employed; which is probably why many translators return to working for agencies. It is a lot of work, and unless you start off with some great connections, it will take time before you land some regular, high-paying customers. Successful freelance translators accept that it’s going to take time (perhaps even years) before they can say they’ve made it in the business; that they’re responsible for making their own decisions and for their own future.
