Grid for Freelance Translation
Thread poster: Hind Salah
Hind Salah
Hind Salah
Jordan
Local time: 06:25
English to Arabic
+ ...
Sep 27, 2020

Hello everyone!
I am new to the freelance grid thing, this is the first time I hear about it.
Anyone please could tell me what this means? Do you think it is good to start the new job with this grid?


standard TM grid for freelance translation

101% matches: 0%
100% matches – pretranslated (default): 0%
100% matches – not pretranslated (segment validation): 10%
Repetitions: 0%
95-99% matches: 30%
85-94% matches: 50%... See more
Hello everyone!
I am new to the freelance grid thing, this is the first time I hear about it.
Anyone please could tell me what this means? Do you think it is good to start the new job with this grid?


standard TM grid for freelance translation

101% matches: 0%
100% matches – pretranslated (default): 0%
100% matches – not pretranslated (segment validation): 10%
Repetitions: 0%
95-99% matches: 30%
85-94% matches: 50%
75-84% matches: 70%
0-74% matches/new words: 100%
Collapse


 
Anton Konashenok
Anton Konashenok  Identity Verified
Czech Republic
Local time: 04:25
French to English
+ ...
Nooo! Sep 27, 2020

The "grid" defines the percentage of your normal rate per word you are to be paid for the given segment in the translation, depending on the match percentage of this segment to the CAT tool translation memory provided by the client.
Personally, I consider the grid you quoted to be nothing short of highway robbery.

[Edited at 2020-09-27 19:53 GMT]


Elena Feriani
Yolanda Broad
Elena Aclasto
Hind Salah
Robert Rietvelt
expressisverbis
Jorge Payan
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 04:25
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Hind Sep 27, 2020

Hind Salah wrote:
I am new to the freelance grid thing, this is the first time I hear about it.


The grid assumes that you are using a CAT tool. If you are not using a CAT tool, but the client insists on paying you according to the grid, you'll lose a lot of money. A CAT tool attempts to help you translate faster by automatically suggesting similar translations. The grid is an attempt by the client to pay you less money on the assumption that the CAT tool helps you to work faster. Most translators who use CAT tools have no objection to discounts based on the grid, but the grid calculation has to be fair.

Standard TM grid for freelance translation

101% matches: 0%
100% matches – pretranslated (default): 0%
100% matches – not pretranslated (segment validation): 10%
Repetitions: 0%
95-99% matches: 30%
85-94% matches: 50%
75-84% matches: 70%
0-74% matches/new words: 100%


The percentage on the left relates to the similarity of sentences to each other. The percentage on the right shows what percentage of your usual rate will be applied. So "75-84% matches: 70%" means that you'll be giving a 30% discount for sentences that are 75-84% similar to other sentences. The client usually does the calculation in advance, so you can see how much you'll get paid for a job.

Your client refers to this grid as the "standard" only because he regards it as the standard. There is no industry-wide "standard" grid.

Note that in this particular case, the client does not pay for repetitions or context matches (101 matches), and so you are not required to check them for errors.

Finally, in my opinion (unlike Anton), I consider your client's proposed grid to be quite fair. But only if you use a CAT tool. Do you? I see you list MemSource Cloud on your profile, but IMO cloud-based CAT tools make translation less faster than offline CAT tools. Even so, the proposed grid seems fair. You should be able to tell after a couple of weeks or months whether a specific CAT tool really does make you faster.

[Edited at 2020-09-27 22:10 GMT]


Yolanda Broad
Tina Vonhof (X)
Hind Salah
expressisverbis
Johannah Morrison
Ideraldo Silva
 
Hind Salah
Hind Salah
Jordan
Local time: 06:25
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
@Anton Konashenok Sep 29, 2020

Thank you! I'll take your opinion into consideration.

 
Hind Salah
Hind Salah
Jordan
Local time: 06:25
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
@Samuel Murray Sep 29, 2020

Thank you so much! I really needed that much of explanation.
Yes actually I used to use MemSource cloud in my school projects, and I find it quite good. I'll be more than happy if you could suggest any other CAT tool that may help me in my freelance career.


 
Christophe Delaunay
Christophe Delaunay  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 04:25
Spanish to French
+ ...
No grid Sep 29, 2020

As far as I am concerned, I don't accept any grid. I already bought a tool to make my work easier and more "consistent". Would you pay a plumber less because he's got such and such tools that make his work easier? Certainly not. Would a freelance landscape designer should be paid less because he/she's working with Pro Landscape Design (or similar)? Again no. So why should we?

FYI I am happy with memoQ 2014


expressisverbis
Anton Konashenok
Sheila Wilson
Jean Dimitriadis
Christel Zipfel
Bernhard Sulzer
 
Wendy Cummings
Wendy Cummings  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:25
Spanish to English
+ ...
Shades of grey Oct 1, 2020

Christophe Delaunay wrote:

Would you pay a plumber less because he's got such and such tools that make his work easier?


However, the software alone only does part of the work - the other help comes from the TM and TB. If the Client has supplied these, then arguably the Client can justify a discount.


Jorge Payan
Ideraldo Silva
 


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