10 The Linguist Vol/57 No/6 2018
ciol.org.uk/tl
FEATURES
companies such as One Hour Translation and
Gengo. And it's true that many translators do
often have spare capacity when they don't
have any projects booked.
Lara
1
has been translating full-time for three
years and used One Hour Translations while
studying for her PhD to supplement her
diminishing savings. In that time, they were
her sole client and the work kept her going,
while their automated payment system meant
that she didn't have to chase unpaid invoices.
For Mina, who has been translating full-time
for eight years, the bonus of quick translation
platforms is that they provide small, easy jobs
that she can fit in, even while she is in the
middle of a project. They have played a part
in her business since she returned from a
placement abroad in 2011. Given the
depressed market in her home country,
working on a few quick-turnaround projects
can see her earning more than she would if
she worked for local clients.
Jason's experience is somewhat different.
With a physical disability that restricts his ability
to travel, he struggles to find work. Working
for quick-turnaround platforms allowed him to
work flexibly while moving into interpreting.
With the feast-and-famine cycles familiar to
many translators, having a service where it is
possible to pick up a bit of work to tide you
over – or provide a bit of extra cash – can be
helpful. Yet it would be unfair to ignore the
stories of those translators who don't find
such platforms lucrative.
Rachel signed up with MyTranslation early
in her career with the idea of using the
platform to expand her portfolio, but their
rates and conditions have been too low for
Do the pros of working for quick-turnaround online translation
platforms outweigh the cons, asks Jonathan Downie
A
nyone who has spent any time on
online translators' forums will have
seen how new arrivals to the
profession are quickly socialised into the idea
that translation is split into the premium and
bulk markets: the good clients and the bottom
feeders. For some translators, any agency or
platform offering quick turnaround or budget
translations would fall into the latter category.
But is this the reality? To find out, I spoke to
translators who have worked for them.
Spare capacity
"There are times when you have a bit of spare
capacity, right? We help you turn that spare
capacity into a reduction in your expenses."
That was the slick sales pitch I heard recently
for a new business bartering service, but it
could easily be the pitch for quick translation
Quick but not so easy?
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