FAQ for new freelance translators (K) Thread poster: Ruxi
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Ruxi
German to Romanian
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Almost every day questions are asked in different forums regarding the start of an activity as freelance translators.
New translators, beginners and new as freelancers ask, the elder are sick and tired of answering or simply sent one to different sites for information.
I feel it would be necessary and helpful for both parts to put on the site a collection of information for beginners, just like an FAQ.
These seem to be the questions:
1. Education and certificates needed... See more Almost every day questions are asked in different forums regarding the start of an activity as freelance translators.
New translators, beginners and new as freelancers ask, the elder are sick and tired of answering or simply sent one to different sites for information.
I feel it would be necessary and helpful for both parts to put on the site a collection of information for beginners, just like an FAQ.
These seem to be the questions:
1. Education and certificates needed
2. Where do I have to register for:
- taxes (+ do I need VAT number and in which case)
- medical insurance
- social insurance
- unemployment
- pension
as a freelance translator
2. Invoicing aspects
- when and for which kind of clients do I have to put VAT
- language,a.s.o
- software for invoices
3. Setting the prices (how prices are calculated for different types of translation and interpreting)
4. CAT information
- what software for which purpose is useful,facilities, prices a.s.o
E.g There are several tools for translation: software which puts you automatically the translation of a word in a language, or a software to help you check, or edit a translation. Now I realise they are actually memories which store entire texts or parts of translation to be re-used. I don't know.
Also a list with definitions for types of translations (e.g. technical, literary,location, types of interpreting a.s.o)should be put there. What is the meaning of every type.
E.g I found lately what location means, but I am still confused about the way it is done. I imagined it refers to translating web-sites.Now I was told it also refers to translating software, I am not sure how. I thought you translate the text and the programmer changes the words in the program.
If I forgot something, please add.
These things would be also useful for outsourcers which are private clients, so that they should know better what they have to search.
The explanation must be general and also may contain sites where to find more information.
I know that there are some particular aspects in every country, but there are also general rules which could be adapted for any country.
At least one can have an idea what he can do, what rights one has, because finally we are talking about rights at some items.
You all seem to know so many things here, but imagine there a lot of people who don't, even if because they don't have it in their country.
What do you think?
Thank you
Ruxi
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2005-02-01 22:40] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Short answer... | Nov 15, 2004 |
Hi Ruxi!
You certainly have some excellent ideas. I don't have time to write a long reply right now as I have a deadline to meet, but some of the issues you address are included under the proz.com "howtos"
http://www.proz.com/howto
Best,
Alison
| | | | | What a great idea! | Nov 16, 2004 |
Hi Ruxi,
I agree with you completely. Although a lot of the experienced translators on this site are quite right to get annoyed at some of the questions posted on the forums they must understand that when you first start out as a freelancer, especially if this is your first real job after finishing University you don't always have a lot of confidence. You feel the need for constant reassurance that you are doing the right thing and won’t look like an amateur to your clients when... See more Hi Ruxi,
I agree with you completely. Although a lot of the experienced translators on this site are quite right to get annoyed at some of the questions posted on the forums they must understand that when you first start out as a freelancer, especially if this is your first real job after finishing University you don't always have a lot of confidence. You feel the need for constant reassurance that you are doing the right thing and won’t look like an amateur to your clients when you get your first job, and if there are people on this site who are happy to help new translators overcome this then there should not be a problem. However, I’ve read several negative comments in these forums that have put me off seeking advice here about some of my queries and if other people are feeling the same I think it’s a shame. Maybe they are only related to repeat questions, I’m not sure, but it has a negative impact all the same.
Your suggestion would get around this by allowing novice translators to easily seek out the information themselves and therefore avoid the embarrassment of a possible ‘ticking off’ from another Proz member for not knowing enough about how to run their own translation business.
I must add that I do appreciate that it is the minority and not the majority of Proz members who have this (sometimes understandable) negative attitude and would like to thank those who have made valuable and very useful contributions to the site, which have been a great help to me.
Kind regards,
Sonya
www.interlingual-translation-services.com ▲ Collapse
| | | | | You inspired me to put it all down.... | Nov 16, 2004 |
Thanks Ruxi, this thread inspired me, so I sat down and threw together all the advice I could have given myself when I started out.
I just posted the How to Become a Freelance Translator in France. You can follow Alison's link to the How To section.
Please let me know if this helped somebody out, I might be inspired for other stuff.
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gianfranco 
Brazil
Local time: 20:09
Member (2001)
English to Italian
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N.M. Eklund wrote:
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I just posted the How to Become a Freelance Translator in France.
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Thank you, excellent article.
This kind of information are mostly country-specific.
It would be wonderful to have an essential set of tips for each counrry, with the country mentioned in the title, as you very rightly did.
Gianfranco
| | | | | An idea for a series | Nov 16, 2004 |
Gianfranco Manca wrote: N.M. Eklund wrote:
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I just posted the How to Become a Freelance Translator in France.
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Thank you, excellent article. This kind of information are mostly country-specific. It would be wonderful to have an essential set of tips for each counrry, with the country mentioned in the title, as you very rightly did. Gianfranco
Thank you! Just for you, Gianfranco, I'll move to another country to get those tips together.
| | | | Lakshmi Iyer
France
Local time: 01:09
French to English
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| Thanks Ruxi, | Nov 19, 2004 |
this is a really good idea. And thank you N.M. Eklund for having generously taken the time to write a "how to" for translators in France.
I've found a great deal of very useful information while trawling the forums. The downside is that it's currently scattered over several forum topics. It's time-consuming to have to read all the forums in a particular language combination to piece together information on how to set up in a specific country.
So Gianfranco's idea of co... See more this is a really good idea. And thank you N.M. Eklund for having generously taken the time to write a "how to" for translators in France.
I've found a great deal of very useful information while trawling the forums. The downside is that it's currently scattered over several forum topics. It's time-consuming to have to read all the forums in a particular language combination to piece together information on how to set up in a specific country.
So Gianfranco's idea of country-specific how-tos would save newbie translators in various countries a lot of time as well as avoid the inevitable repeat questions on forums that often get understandably impatient responses from more experienced translators who've "been there, done that".
Ideally, there'd be a whole list of how-tos: how to become a freelance translator in France, in Germany, in Italy, in the UK, in Brazil, in the US etc. And, because people often have varying experiences, each how-to ought to be a joint effort. One person takes the initiative of starting a topic, and others add comments on their own experiences, or any additional tips they might have discovered along the way. The how-to could also include extracts from earlier forum posts on the "setting up in xxx" topic.
Is there, technically speaking, a way to make a how-to work like a forum, i.e. open it up to additional information or comments? AFAIK, the only way to do it at the moment is for a second opinion to be added as, for example, "How to become a freelance translator in Germany, Part II".
Once a set of country-specific how-tos has been compiled, since people don't always investigate all the possibilities the Proz.com site offers, Proz.com could put up a banner on the home page for newly-established freelance translators, directing them to the How-to section. People then post questions on the Getting Established or other newbie forums only if the how-to hasn't given them all the information they need.
Interesting suggestion, in any case, and I'd be glad to help out in any way if this goes any further. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ruxi
German to Romanian
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TOPIC STARTER | Henry, your answer? | Nov 22, 2004 |
We are still waiting for Henry's answer, in order to start working on the subject.
A good idea would be to work it on each non-english forum and the final result cand be then put up in the "Menu" of the site.
Henry, are you there?
Ruxi
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