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angelareynav
Community Member

Freelance fees

Dear Freelancers.

I performed a review service in Spanish for a client's book and he was so pleased with my work, that he offered me the opportunity to translate the whole book (20 000 words). I am new in Upwork and am trying to complete my first proposals to gain a good rating and rank up. However, this client is offering US$150 for the entire work to be delivered in 12 days. It seems low to earn US$0.008 per word for which would be at least 5 hours a day (nonstop) word by word translation. Please help me understand if it would be a good investment to accept this proposal. FYI I did ask him to review his budget before sending this question, but apparently he is not willing to negotiate.

7 REPLIES 7
prestonhunter
Community Member

Angela:

Nobody can make these decisions except for you.

 

There are clients on Upwork who are not willing to pay your rates. You should not work with them.


That doesn't necessarliy mean they are wrong. It doesn't mnecessarily mean you are wrong. It means this is not a good match between a client and a freelancer. That's okay!

data_divas
Community Member

Plus Upwork fees are $30 on $150 so you'd only be paid $120.

tanya-mikhaylova
Community Member

Personally, I would stay away from clients like these because they don't assign any value to your work. It is unreasonable to expect this much work for so little pay, so it is not a stretch to think that this client may be unreasonable in other ways as well. 

 

It also tells potential future clients that you are willing to work for free. (60 hours for $150 might as well be free.) 

 

Another important point - if other freelancers frequently take similar jobs for no pay, clients will come to expect it. Translation is no easy task and takes skill and experience - you want to make sure clients understand that. 

petra_r
Community Member


Angela R wrote:

.

I performed a review service in Spanish for a client's book and he was so pleased with my work, that he offered me the opportunity to translate the whole book (20 000 words).


He "offered you the opportunity" to be exploited.

 

Clients like that do you no good at all, freelancers who translate at rates like that don't do themselves or the platform any favours at all.

kreepe
Community Member

Hello!

 

I think that it's up to you, but here is my advice - don't take this job if he is not willing to negotiate his price, this is not only about the client and his expectations, its also about you. Set a minimum requirements that are suitable for you to take the job. If he likes your quality of work he should pay for this and if he doesn’t want to this should be a deal breaker.    

 

versailles
Community Member


Angela R wrote:

It seems low to earn US$0.008 per word 


Minus Upwork's fees.

 

Run. Don't waste your time, run.

 

 

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless
r_satta
Community Member


Angela R wrote:

Dear Freelancers.

I performed a review service in Spanish for a client's book and he was so pleased with my work, that he offered me the opportunity to translate the whole book (20 000 words). I am new in Upwork and am trying to complete my first proposals to gain a good rating and rank up. However, this client is offering US$150 for the entire work to be delivered in 12 days. It seems low to earn US$0.008 per word for which would be at least 5 hours a day (nonstop) word by word translation. Please help me understand if it would be a good investment to accept this proposal. FYI I did ask him to review his budget before sending this question, but apparently he is not willing to negotiate.


Are you even a translator? It's not like "since I know the language I'm a translator", it isn't as simple as it seems.

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