🐈
» Groups » Writers & Translators » Forum » Spanish translator, copywriter and proofreade...
Page options
6ed6ab72
Community Member

Spanish translator, copywriter and proofreader new to the site.

I am planning on joining Upwork as a translator. I've never worked online in a site like this, but I have been reached out Ito in the past with some scam-looking invitations, such as: "Please translate this full page, so we know you can translate." Lol. any suggestions from other fellow interpreter/translators on how to manage work proposals and online clients?

Thanks!

2 REPLIES 2
wlyonsatl
Community Member

Just provide a few short samples of your previous work on your profile and attached to each proposal you submit, including the original text and your translation.

 

No good client will ask for free work.

 

As a translator, you have an advantage over freelancers in other subjects. Your samples either will or won't show that you translate to the quality required by a client. If there is specialized vocabulary involved that you don't have a previous example of, tell them you'll translate text of up to 200 words of their choosing.

 

And I'd suggest you regularly provide your translations as you go, rather than doing 10 or 20 or 100 pages and then submitting them for approval. The majority of clients on Upwork are honest, but many will also do what they can to keep their costs down. If you set up your projects under milestones that cover, say, 2500 words each you won't have to work on a particular milestone until the client has approved the previous milestone. 

 

Until you are established with a few completed projects, you might have to work at a little less than your ideall pay rate. If you do good work, that will change pretty quickly.

 

Good luck.


@Will L wrote:

1) Just provide a few short samples of your previous work on your profile and attached to each proposal you submit, including the original text and your translation.

 

2) No good client will ask for free work.


3) If there is specialized vocabulary involved that you don't have a previous example of, tell them you'll translate text of up to 200 words of their choosing.

 

4)  If you set up your projects under milestones that cover, say, 2500 words each you won't have to work on a particular milestone until the client has approved the previous milestone. 



1) Unless a client specifically asks for samples to be attached to a proposal, I do not attach any. Unless they are relevant to the job in question it's pointless. Furthermore, remember that any samples that were done for any client require permission before they can be used either as samples or in a portfolio

 

2) True

 

3) No. Free work is free work. 200 words is not a sample, it's a translation

 

4) My clients with the bigger jobs would lose the will to live if they had to start a new milestone every 2500 words. It might make sense for large jobs to send the client the first 2500 words to see if you're on the same page, but personally I don't like to to burden clients with needless hassle and delays.

There is no right or wrong way to proceed, if you are cautious then smaller milestones on large projects (or going for hourly) make sense. Personally I interview clients carefully before taking on large projects, and then just go for one milestone up to $ 1000 or a bit over. Others consider that reckless (and it may be, but it works for me). This will likely not affect you to start with, as it makes sense to build your profile with smaller contracts first, the really big ones are hard to win for newbies anyway.