Letters to the Editor
Charging by the Hour?
Judy Jenner鈥檚 suggestion in her September-October column that we charge by the hour appears to me to be premature at this point.
In addition to the fact that only experienced translators can estimate the time it will take to complete a job (and sometimes not even we can do that accurately), there鈥檚 another problem. An experienced translator working quickly might earn $100 or more an hour. But clients who wouldn鈥檛 flinch at paying a lawyer several hundred dollars per hour wouldn鈥檛 accept that rate for translators. I never quote hourly rates for that reason.
Until we are perceived by clients (and more importantly by ourselves) as professionals whose time is worth as much as that of other professionals, we are better off sticking to our by-the-word rates.
Eve E. Hech
Elizabeth, NJ
Response from Judy Jenner
Yes, those are precisely the potential downsides to the hourly pricing approach I detailed in my column. All pricing strategies have pros and cons, so it is up to each linguist to decide what works.
The Importance of Keeping Members Informed
I was very interested to read Ted Wozniak and Evelyn Yang Garland鈥檚 report in the July-August issue on the financial considerations behind decisions made by the Board (鈥淢oney Matters: The Story Behind Numbers and Board Decisions,鈥 page 7). I was also glad to read Jeff Alfonso and Corinne McKay鈥檚 description of the Chronicle Task Force鈥檚 work over the past year (鈥淏ehind the Scenes with The ATA Chronicle Task Force,鈥 page 12).
It鈥檚 essential that members be kept informed about how ATA is being run and the decisions being made on their behalf. The Chronicle is both the natural and best means of disseminating this information. I hope to read more about the behind-the-scenes work in future issues. (A 鈥淔rom the Boardroom鈥 column would be a great start!)
May Fung Danis
Guadeloupe, France
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