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A freelance translator has to combine the skills of a polyglot, a writer and a business person. Since it is rather difficult for any one person to combine all those skills, I will take it for granted you are already a multilingual writer and will give you some advices in order to help you become a professional. My three tips are for you to act professional, never bad mouth other professional members and get contract work. I strongly believe these are the keys to your success and I ask you to try them over a period of time so as to see what changes take place.
To agree or not on performing a short unpaid test is a very difficult decision to make. On the one hand, agencies have the right to get to know your skills before hiring you. On the other hand, you have the right to get paid for your time. This article is advising translators to perform tests in exchange for a flat fee so that the rules of professionalism apply for translators as they do for other professionals.
Many translators rightfully complain about lower rates being offered, and even though we all notice an increasing number of unprofessional translations out in the market and in need of some major fixes, the answer to the problem is not as obvious as it appears. For us to blame the agencies for underpaying us is to refuse to take our responsibility as service providers. In other words, it is our duty to communicate to our clients what our rates really include. This article is defining four different stages a translation has to undergo in order to achieve publishable quality and is urging translators to constantly communicate to their agencies which of those stages are included in their rates.