Comments on: In Defense of Working with Translation Agencies

By: Michel Marques (@michelmarqs)

Michel Marques (@michelmarqs) — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 22:21:47 +0000

Thank you for this. I am tired of hearing the self-apointed “experts” in this business repeat that “direct client” advice.

By: Peter L

Peter L — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 13:55:11 +0000

I have a couple of direct clients, but most are agencies and they are often the smaller ones, which offer more flexible collaboration and payment terms.
The main issue is not really about working with agencies only r with direct customers only, both being customers. The main issue is if one focuses on
a) vetting one’s customers constantly according to one’s own standards not their requirements and
b) monitoring that one’s revenue becomes gradually less dependent on one single customer (in financial auditing we had the 5% rule), in order to ensure that one is really independent, not a de facto employee, Of course the latter depends if one really wanted to become an independent business person or not.
Of course a lot also depends on the current status of the market, where it is going and what one estimates one’s own position is in that market and where one plans to go. Foresight ensures continuity.Learn the basics of marketing and you will know this.

By: Romina

Romina — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 20:56:31 +0000

In reply to Blair. I agree too! The "good agencies" are too few. Some colleagues have even hired a marketing specialist to help them build a good business plan, just like most businesses and professionals do. That is an acceptable alternative when you have no idea of how to sell yourself. ;)

By: Romina

Romina — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 20:48:49 +0000

I agree with some aspects of this posts, of course, but we should also admit that if we are not willing to invest some time doing our own marketing, then we are not “freelancers” in the first place, either as translators or as anything else.
There is an alternative some colleagues have chosen instead, which is hiring the services of a marketing specialist to help them create a good business plan, just like many other businesses and professionals do, and then they keep going with the work by themselves. The specialists only provides the starting point to run their own business.
Yes, good agencies do the work of marketing, organizing the projects, dealing with the clients, covering for our days off… and it can be helpful for many of us. It is fair that they keep a SMALL percentage of the earnings for doing all this this logistics.
That would be a GOOD agency. But let’s be realistic, there is a growing number of agencies that pay too little and too late, keeping the best part of the earnings for themselves and exploiting translators. And this happens only because there are too many colleagues who agree to work under these conditions.

By: Marek

Marek — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 07:38:35 +0000

In reply to Datamundi. Sure. Thank you for checking our approach. What I meant is that a Text United freelance translator enjoys benefits from the two worlds in the following sense: 1. A freelancer charges a direct client appropriate rate, which reflects his/her linguistic skills. There is no cut for an agency. 2. A freelancer can focus fully on translation because jobs are prepared by a project manager employed in client's company. In case a client does not have internal capacity for project management at a given time, Text United organizes their project for a fee, as a managed service. This is often the case with more complex projects. In any case a freelance translator wins, as he/she should, because he adds most value in any translation job. On the other hand, a client gets quality for the best price due to the transparency of the process.

By: Datamundi

Datamundi — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 22:17:27 +0000

In reply to Marek Piorkowski. Marek, I checked Text United, and I don't get what best of two worlds means... Could you explain this? -- thanks.

By: Gert Van Assche

Gert Van Assche — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 22:10:35 +0000

I totally agree. 2 extra reasons to defend agencies:
– Some customers need to have their documents translated in many languages. Agencies do take care if this.
– Some projects can be very complex (pre-processing, post-delivery corrections, online publishing, language independent or interlanguage quality checks …); when the project manager is on top of the job, it improves the life of every translator working on the project. Several of my customers are agencies; I can testify they did not lose touch with translators, even when they no longer have (many) in house translators.

By: Blair

Blair — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 20:51:43 +0000

In reply to Brenda Pulido. Brenda, I'm with you. I work for agencies aplenty, and also with direct clients. Direct is best, hands down. If you don't have the time, inclination or ability to negotiate or find client for yourself, learn! It's well worth it. Often with a direct client you can get them to pay up front, not at the end of some ludicrous 90 day billing cycle. Grow a pair, translators, and do some of the ground work. You will be rewarded. End of rant...

By: Marek Piorkowski

Marek Piorkowski — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 15:49:09 +0000

Sometimes you may have the best of two worlds. Check Text United concept.

By: Global Voices Community Blog » Translator Newsletter: Language Laughs, Translation Agencies, & More!

Mon, 08 Feb 2016 01:17:34 +0000

[…] For those of us just starting out in the translation field, “The Savvy Newcomer” wrote this great blog post highlighting some of the benefits to working with translation companies, including saving time on […]

By: Weekly translation favorites (Jan 29-Feb 4)

Weekly translation favorites (Jan 29-Feb 4) — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 14:32:36 +0000

[…] toolbox: Okapi’s Rainbow The translation profession: centres and peripheries In Defense of Working with Translation Agencies Using a Photo in a Freelance Translator CV Why don’t companies invest in translation? […]

By: Molly

Molly — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 20:58:54 +0000

Ted, thanks for sharing. I really love working for agencies too! Do you have any tips on how to find boutique agencies?