Whatever the reason, the translation agency should not delay in contacting you about payment.

Do You Experience Payment Issues?

And the same rules reply regarding payment. Sometimes, for any number of reasons, payments can be late. It may be that the translation agency hasn’t been paid by their client; perhaps the person responsible for paying accounts is away from the office, or your payment could be missing simply due to human error. Whatever the reason, the translation agency should not delay in contacting you about payment: they must be responsive to your emails and genuinely want to resolve the situation at their earliest opportunity. We’re not talking here about repeated late payments because this situation should have the alarm bells ringing very loud! Basically, if you believe the translation agency is doing their best to resolve your non-payment situation, then it’s fair to give them the benefit of the doubt.

There are always going to be issues arising when dealing with a translation agency, and that’s not a problem: the problem arises when your Project Manager is impolite to you, and when they show no interest in resolving issues you may be experiencing. Of course, these rules go both ways and, as a translator, you must always show the utmost respect for the translation agency who employed you.

Translation Rates

Rates are probably a freelance translator’s biggest concern. You need to have confidence in your translation skills and trust in your ability to produce a high-quality, accurate translation. The reason bad translation agencies pay so poorly is because some translators need work at any cost and are prepared to work for less. Good translation agencies won’t settle for poor translations, and when they care about their clients they’re looking for high-quality translators who only produce high-quality work; and they know that, as with everything in life, good quality costs more.

Do Your Own Research on Rates

You need to do your research and find out what the going rate is for a translator in your language pair with your skills and experience, and that’s the rate you should be charging. A good agency will expect to pay a professional wage for a professional job and, if you undervalue yourself and your skills, your potential clients may wonder about the quality of your work.

Agencies Usually Pay Less Than Direct Clients

However, we know that translation agencies, in general, don’t pay as much as direct clients because they’re running a business too and they need to take their cut. And they’re entitled, because when you go through an agency you’re not required to deal directly with clients, you don’t need to promote yourself as much as if you were looking for direct clients, and the agency does take a lot of work off your plate. You can earn a very nice income translating for an agency and, if you’re good at your job, you’ll receive a reliable flow of work; so don’t discount agencies because they offer a little less money.

Discuss Your Expectations in Advance

When you’re deciding whether to work for an agency or not, you need to discuss your expectations in advance. You’ll soon know if the agency is being reasonable. It’s all about good, clear communication. Their payment terms may be 60 days and you would prefer 30; you may want to take payment for your first translation upfront, and on big jobs, you may choose to negotiate for installment payments. The only way to save yourself a lot of stress is by being upfront with the agency and communicating about money and other expectations.

Once you have a good working relationship with the translation agency there should be no issues when it comes to price. Of course, you’re within your rights to increase your translation rate in line with inflation, and this should also be discussed in advance. And remember, when the agency provides you with a large amount of work, it’s nice to return the favor: you may be able to work late to get them out of a bind, or offer a freebie for a small job. At the very least, be enthusiastic and prompt about responding to revisions and clarifications.