Is it still worth applying to translation agencies?

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This post is the basis for episode three of the T4T podcast! Listen to it in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify (the podcast is just called Training for Translators), or directly on the T4T blog, here.

This week’s topic: Particularly for experienced translators and interpreters, is it still worth applying to agencies?

This topic came up in my monthly online course alumni question and answer session, and I thought it was worth discussing here.

In the 20+ years that I’ve been a freelancer, rates offered by many translation agencies have dropped by approximately half. There are various reasons for this (Is it them? Is it us? Is it something else?) that I discussed in a recent post about low rates. Many agencies have also leaned heavily into the machine translation + post-editing model, and are now paying by the hour for that, at a much lower rate than their translators were previously making. Typical example from someone I talked to this week: “I was cruising along for more than 10 years, making 12-15 cents a word translating for agencies I really liked, and two of them have now gone almost entirely MTPE and are offering $25 an hour for post-editing, meaning that even if I wanted to edit 40 hours a week, which I don’t, my income would drop by about half.” 

Interestingly, I don’t find this same rate erosion with interpreting agencies. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve even had two interpreting agencies offer to pay me more than what I asked for (no kidding; and I’m the one who teaches classes about this stuff!).

So, if you’re an interpreter, my answer to this is pretty simple: it’s definitely still worth applying to agencies!

Why the difference between translation and interpreting rates?

I have various theories here, which may be on target or totally off-base. In general, I’d say:

• Interpreting has a higher barrier to entry. There are some self-taught translators who are really good, whereas you can’t do interpreting, particularly simultaneous interpreting, without a pretty significant level of training and practice.
• Interpreters, in my experience, exert more rate-related pressure on each other. Whether you want to call it positive energy or collusion, interpreters are, in my experience, much more likely to tell younger/newer interpreters, “Don’t spoil the market for everyone by charging less,” “You need to think of the long term and not start out at low rates,” “It’s better not to work than to work at substandard rates.”
• I think that during COVID, we saw an influx of people into the translation profession, and an exodus of interpreters, particularly in 2020. Another supply/demand factor: at the beginning of COVID, interpreters who didn’t have any remote interpreting clients, another way to support themselves, or a lot of money in savings were in a serious bind, and a lot of them ended up finding other jobs and permanently leaving the profession. Likewise, a not-insignificant number of interpreters hate remote interpreting, which has become a very ingrained part of the interpreting scene. Meanwhile, my sense is that the opposite was happening with translation: we saw a lot of people thinking, “I want/need a permanently remote job, maybe I’ll try translation.”

So, what about translation agencies?

This rate erosion situation is a major bummer, because personally, I really like translating for agencies. I miss the direct contact with the end client, but really, who doesn’t like translating for a client that someone else found, that someone else manages, and that someone else bills? There’s a lot to like about working for agencies. But there’s the rate issue. Here’s what I’d recommend:

• In my opinion, it is 100% worth being open to working with translation agencies, even if you are an experienced person who charges real money. Last year, I got an “out of nowhere” request from an agency that found me in the ATA directory and specifically wanted someone with Swiss experience. They offered 14 cents per word for a 30,000 word project, paired me with a really good editor, and paid promptly. It was a great experience.
• Whether you want to actively apply to agencies depends on the thickness of your skin, to be honest. In a way, what’s the harm? It doesn’t take that long to apply to agencies, although you’ll probably have to contact them three to five times before you get work. Here’s what I mean about “thickness of skin”: you need to be realistic about your tolerance for repeatedly hearing, you’re too expensive, we can’t afford your rates, “all of our other translators” charge X, or, as an agency recently told me, “What you quoted is almost as much as we charge the end client.” If you can let that stuff roll off, go for it. Personally, I find it discouraging and honestly maddening (because I get mad at the professional translators who agree to those rates!) to repeatedly hear, “We only work with experienced/certified translators, we’re quality-driven, etc. etc. and we pay seven cents a word,” when I made 12 cents per word working for mega-agencies in the early 2000s.
• Thus, I no longer actively apply to translation agencies. But if you have a higher tolerance than I do for that kind of thing, go for it!

I hope these tips are helpful if you’re considering your own marketing efforts! If there’s anything you want to ask me or tell me, just leave a comment below!

Corinne McKay (classes@trainingfortranslators.com) is the founder of Training for Translators, and has been a full-time freelancer since 2002. She holds a Master of Conference Interpreting from Glendon College, is an ATA-certified French to English translator, and is Colorado court-certified for French interpreting. If you enjoy her posts, consider joining the Training for Translators mailing list!