Over the past six months or so, I've been experimenting (sometimes with my translation partner and sometimes on my own) with cold-marketing to potential direct clients. Because a great deal of our work is in a very targeted subject area (international development), it's not hard to find potential … [Read more...] about Is it better to market by e-mail or on paper?
Clients
Using Gmail with your own domain
Do you ever read The Meh List (subtitle: Not Hot, Not Not, Just Meh) in the New York Times Magazine's One Page Magazine feature? Well, if I were assembling a Meh List for the translation industry, "Translators who own their own domain but still use a Gmail address" would definitely be on it. I … [Read more...] about Using Gmail with your own domain
Some thoughts on saturated markets
There are a lot of disparities within the translation and interpreting industry, and one of those is the difference between language pairs/specializations that are fairly rare versus those that are fairly saturated. In this post I'll both offer and request advice, since I often have students in my … [Read more...] about Some thoughts on saturated markets
Some thoughts on rates and quotes
I really enjoyed reading The Freelancery's recent post on whether or not to publish your freelance rates on your website. Since my website redesign a few years ago, I've struggled with this same dilemma: I grow weary of preparing quotes for clients whose budget turns out to be 1/3 of what I charge, … [Read more...] about Some thoughts on rates and quotes
When a client is dissatisfied
No matter how meticulous you are about a) your translations and b) your business practices, you can't work as a freelancer without dealing with disgruntled clients from time to time. First, let's say this: unless you love interpersonal conflict, dealing with unhappy clients is awful. Running your … [Read more...] about When a client is dissatisfied