The topic is English for freelancers - a set of words and combinations for working on foreign freelance exchanges. How do freelance translators make a living? Freelancing English

One of the increasingly popular types of earning money from freelancing is text translation. And although most people are sure that such work requires a basic knowledge and a university education, those who do not speak a foreign language at a professional level can also earn income from translations.

The most common is translation from English and back. In addition, in order to earn money, it is not necessary to find specific clients with orders, but simply translate interesting materials from foreign sites and then sell them on content exchanges. But let's talk about everything in order.

What skills are required to translate texts well?

To make a good translation, you need to understand the topic or at least understand the essence of the text being translated.
During translation and subsequent editing, it is necessary to maintain accuracy, style and terminology, if any.
Don't rely only on your knowledge of the Russian language - use programs to check spelling and grammar. I recommend the Orfogrammka.ru service for these purposes: it will show not only grammatical errors, but also help you place punctuation marks correctly.
Even though you are translating from a foreign source, this does not mean that it will necessarily be unique. Therefore, even a translated test must be checked for uniqueness.
Foreign writing is a little different. Most often, English-language articles are presented in the form of continuous text with several subheadings. As for domestic readers, they more easily perceive text divided into subheadings, paragraphs, and bulleted lists.

How much can you earn by translating texts?

As with regular texts, translation costs vary. It starts from 150 rubles per 1000 characters in the case of standard translations and reaches 400-500 rubles per 1000 characters when it comes to highly specialized texts, such as technical or medical. But again, it all depends on the topic and complexity of the translation.

The cost of translations in facts:

The rate for translation is based on 1000 characters, and the minimum cost is 120-150 rubles.
Depending on the complexity of the text, the payment for 1000 characters increases, sometimes reaching 500 rubles per 1000 characters.
Translations from rare languages – Danish, Greek, Korean, Norwegian and others – are especially valued. The cost of orders for translation of such texts can exceed 500 rubles per kilosign.
You should not overprice your translations, especially if you are a beginner. You can start with the lowest rates and still easily earn $300 per month. In addition, relatively low prices will help you quickly gain experience and build your client base.
It is possible to increase your income through regular customers, whom you will be able to select from the general customer base over time.
Continuous translation of texts will help you develop skills in rewriting and copywriting, therefore, by adding these two areas to your work, you can earn up to $500 per month.
As a professional translator, you can make remote translation of texts your main income and easily earn an income of around $1000 per month.

What affects the price of translation:

having a diploma or certificate of language proficiency;
portfolio with completed translations;
experience with translations;
ability to translate complex texts (technical and medical).

Where to take orders and sell translations?

The main place for selling translations and receiving orders are content exchanges. Of course, you can find clients on general freelance exchanges, but usually there are not very many advertisements in this area on such resources. Again, that’s why they are content exchanges, because there you can put up ready-made text for sale and wait for someone to buy it.

Here are the exchanges that beginners should start with:

Etxt.ru is a fairly popular exchange that is suitable for gaining experience and reputation. All payments go through the website and are made in rubles, and the cost of a regular transfer varies from 30 to 60 rubles.
Copylancer– a service that offers many orders for translation of texts. If you successfully pass the test, you can safely count on receiving a decent income. Having a good command of foreign languages, in particular English, you can earn from 120 rubles per 1000 characters.

How to make money without knowing a foreign language?

Now we have reached a point that interests many. How to make money from translations if you don’t speak any foreign language perfectly. Let's take English as an example.

Step 1

Study the content market and identify the most popular topics. Also look at the statistics on the sale of texts on content exchanges. From the most popular topics, choose the one that you understand and are familiar with.

Step 2

Find sources on the topic and identify articles you plan to translate.

Step 3

Translate the text. This can be done in several ways below:

The most popular way to translate text is through Google Translate or Yandex.Translator. You just need to paste the text into one window, and in the other you will have a ready-made translation. Of course, it will be quite “clumsy”, but you will still be able to grasp the essence of the text.
The Socrates Personal program allows you to translate from Russian into English and back. Very easy to install and does not require special skills.
Translation service Microsoft Bing Translator. Copy the URL of the article from the source, paste it into the window, and then the service provides a complete translation of the entire text.

Step 4

Make the text readable or rewrite it. If the text is custom-made, then it will need to be brought into compliance with the client’s requirements.

Step 5

Check the text for uniqueness and errors, as well as for style.

Advantages and disadvantages of making money from translations

As with any job, translations have their pros and cons. Undoubtedly, such remote work provides an opportunity to earn income for many people who do not have the opportunity to work in an office - mothers on maternity leave, students, people with disabilities, etc. This will be an excellent part-time job for them, but, alas, there are pitfalls here too. That's where we'll start.

Among the disadvantages of such work, I would like to highlight:

Unstable orders. Don't expect work to come in an endless stream.
Fraudsters. Many people just want to profit from your work.
Texts for sale. Your translations may hang unclaimed on the content exchange for a month, or even more.
Clients. It is necessary to monitor advertisements daily in search of orders and try to intercept them first, because there are enough competitors.

As for the advantages, they are obvious:

You can work whenever you want and even combine translations with your main job.
You can choose only those orders and topics that you like.
You gain experience in rewriting and copywriting, and this, as I said above, is additional income.

Conclusion

Perhaps we'll wrap this up. I hope that I was able to sufficiently reveal the topic of this type of income and help someone find their calling. The main thing is not to be afraid to try. Who knows, maybe in the future, translations will really become your main income.

In English, freelancer is translated as:

freelancer [freelancer] – freelancer
creative profession [creative profession] – creative profession
to freelance [that freelance] - freelancing, working on the Internet
to earn money [that ern money] – earn money
to quite a job [that quit e job] - quit work

For five years I was working as a freelancer and I was earning a lot of money but then I had to move to another city and I quite this job zen ah head tu movie tu enazer city and ah quit zis job ] – For five years I worked as a freelancer and earned a lot of money, but then I had to move to another city and I quit that job.

If you work well as a freelancer, then you will probably have permanent employers who will systematically send you orders:

to be a good (great) freelancer - to be a good freelancer
to be an amateur freelancer [tu bi en emacher freelancer] - to be an amateur freelancer
to be a professional freelancer [tu bi e professional freelancer] - to be a professional freelancer
clientele [clientel] - regular customers
employers [employers] – employers

Dave was very happy and satisfied when he finally became a professional freelancer and stopped being an amateur freelancer, because after several years he had a lot of clientele who paid him a lot of money. [Dave voz very happy and satisfied van hi fainally bicame e professional freelancer and stopd biing en emacher freelancer, bikoz after saver iars hi head e lot of clients hu paid him e lot of money ] – Dave was very happy and pleased that finally he became a professional freelancer and stopped being an amateur freelancer, because after a couple of years he already had many regular customers who paid him a lot of money.

permanent employers [permanent employers] - permanent employers
permanent orders [permanent orders] - permanent orders

If you want to be a professional freelancer you need to find some permanent employers in order for them to give you permanent orders. [If you're here to bee professional freelancer yun id to find yourself permanent employs in order for zem to give you permanent orders] - If you want to be a professional freelancer, then you need to find regular customers so that they send you regular orders.

Dialogue about freelancing in English

I have heard that you want to become a freelancer!
Yes that is true, but I know so little about it. Can you tell me how can i become a professional freelancer?
It is not as difficult as you think. All you have to do is to find several permanent employers and after that they will be giving you a lot of permanent orders. That way you will always have money and there will not be any need to look for new employers.
It is actually very easy, thank you so much. But i have one last question. Do you think being a freelancer is better then having a desk-job?
Yes, I am sure it is!

English for freelance exchanges

Knowledge of English is a strong argument in favor of a freelancer to work on foreign freelance exchanges. Communication there mainly occurs through text, so this topic will focus on correspondence.

About fears. A good formulation of your candidacy proposal for participation in the project is necessary and important. What to do if the level has never worked with foreign customers. Don’t be afraid to learn a dozen generally accepted, understandable phrases that will get your work on a foreign exchange off the ground.

I would like to take a part in a project - I would like to participate (if this is a project work where more than one person is needed).

I’m ready to start working at your project – I would like to start working on your project.

I’m ready to start immediately - I’m ready to start immediately.

My competitive advantages are... - My competitive advantages:

I guarantee a high quality of work - you guarantee high quality work;
I can do it quickly, if needed - if necessary, you will do the job quickly;
I have an experience, you can take a look at my portfolio (if any) - you talk about your experience and invite the customer to look at the portfolio with examples of work;
I will finish all in time – you guarantee to do the work on time;
I’m easily meet with deadlines – meeting deadlines is not a problem for you
I can do the job “for tomorrow” - you are ready to fulfill a super-urgent order.

Using these phrases, you can create a concise and competent offer of your services. For example:

“Good day, you wrote that you are looking for a person who will do an excellent job. So, I offer my services. I have an experience, I’m easily meet with deadlines, I guarantee a high quality of the final result.”

Freelancing is becoming a stronger part of our lives every year. Any specialist who does his work on a computer can engage in freelancing. A freelance translator is no exception. The profession of translator is popular in our country. Many people know foreign languages. There are a huge number of universities that teach this profession. The most popular languages are: English and German. Other languages of Western Europe and specific languages such as Japanese are also gaining popularity. The more complex the language, the more you can earn.

What do freelance translators do?

Naturally, the main area of work is written translation of texts. Interpretation tasks are much less common and require that the person who needs the service and you be in the same city.

A freelance translator who deals with translations from English into Russian will be the most in demand. But along with the demand, there is another problem - a large amount of competition with other freelancers. In this regard, a specific language will be much better than a popular one, but you will need to spend more time searching for a customer.

How to become a freelance translator?

To start working as a translator you need:

Excellent knowledge of a foreign language
No less excellent knowledge of the Russian language
Knowledge in the field of translation. You must determine for yourself the specialization in which you will work. For example: medicine, law, construction, etc. Determining your narrow specialization will allow you to be considered a high-quality translator in this field. There will be more customers, prices will be higher.
Knowing your strengths. Determine the amount of transfer you can make during the day. Never agree to work beyond this scope or say that more time is required. If you do more work than you can, the quality of the translation will either be poor or the deadlines will be missed. It is also useful to keep in touch with other translators so that you can delegate some of the work to them if necessary.
Computer with high-speed Internet access.
Antivirus to prevent your computer from crashing at the wrong time. Customers really don’t like missed order deadlines.
You must be proficient with office software and communication tools such as email and Skype. Always keep in touch with your employer. In cases where deadlines need to be rescheduled or unforeseen circumstances arise, be sure to notify us.
You must first have electronic wallets in major payment systems, such as Yandex Money, Webmoney, Qiwi. Sometimes customers also work by transfer through Sberbank.
The ability to quickly touch-type using the ten-finger method is required. Without this skill, even if you know a foreign language perfectly, the time spent on translating an article will be so large that it will simply not be profitable for you to be a translator.
And of course, the ability to express your thoughts on paper is important. A good presentation style will add advantages to your karma as a translator.

Freelancing for a translator is different in that you need to independently look for orders and customers. For many freelancers, this becomes just a headache.

Language training

As noted above, excellent knowledge of the language is the most important condition for you to be able to start working as a translator. Of course, you can use machine translators, for example from Google, but in any language there are difficulties, catchphrases, unusual word formulations that machine translators usually translate incorrectly. And it’s also quite difficult to stage a speech yourself.

In the modern world of communications, it is very easy to gain knowledge of a language without leaving your home. Skype training is available. Of course it’s not free, but the result will be much better and faster than learning on your own.

How to find customers?

Firstly, these are specialized sites. They are also called freelance exchanges. Most of these exchanges are not highly specialized. Not only translators, but also other freelancers are looking for work there.

You should look for work on exchanges where there is work for translators:

Specialized sites for translators:

When working on these exchanges, the concept of rating is very important. The higher your rating, the more employers value you. The payment for your work also depends on the rating. At first, to develop a rating, it is worth taking orders at a low price, and then raising prices.

When working, you can use machine translation, but just don’t overdo it. Poorly proofread machine translations are easy to spot. Negative feedback on the exchange will be guaranteed to you.

Freelance settlement methods

When working on exchanges, several methods of mutual settlements are used:

Prepayment. The customer usually pays 50% before the start of work and the rest after providing and checking the translation.
. Funds are reserved on the exchange. After submitting the translation of the text, you receive full payment. Please note that when making a safe transaction, time limits are taken into account. If you submit your translation on time, there is a chance that you will not receive payment at all.

In addition to freelance exchanges, there are other ways to find orders for text translation.

Studio clients

You can cooperate with translation agencies. At the same time, they constitute strong competition for you as a specialist. Because It is often easier for legal entities to contact an organization that accepts payment by bank transfer, even if they overpay for the transfer.

If you contact a translation agency, be prepared for the fact that you will need to complete a test task, and also that they simply will not answer you. The flow of incoming applications from those wishing to work for a translator agency is usually so large that the manager simply does not have time to read it.

You can get a job in a similar agency, but not as a freelancer, but as a staff member. The difference is that you will be required to pay the minimum rate and will not have to look for orders yourself.

Another option is to build good relationships with other freelancers who do translation work. Perhaps they will transfer part of their work to you (of course, if there is an excess of it).

The time a freelance translator spends searching for orders is very large. To achieve maximum effect, you should combine methods of searching for customers. A freelancer is a multi-directional person who loves to communicate. If you don't have this skill, it will most likely be very difficult.

Combination of customer search methods

The combination of methods for finding customers for translators is as follows:

Always improve in your work

Read specialized literature, both in your own language and in a foreign language. The more terms and specific concepts you know, the better. It will be easier to translate texts in the future.

Practice endlessly! Practice makes your translator skills better!
Always know your strengths. It's better to say no than to miss a deadline.
Discuss your order if you have any questions
Correct and edit the text until there is nothing to complain about.

The work of a translator will always be in demand on the freelance market. Work, improve, and there will always be customers!

Freelance- Free lance (fr[=e] lns), a. of or pertaining to a (freelance); as, a freelance photographer. ...

freelance- ADJECTIVE ▪ self employed and hired to work for different companies on particular assignments. ADVERB ▪ earning one's living in such a way. NOUN (also freelancer) ▪ a freelance worker. VERB ▪ earn one's living as a freelance … English terms dictionary

freelance- or free lance n. a writer, musician, artist, etc. who is not under contract for regular work but whose writings or services are sold to individual buyers: also freelancer or free lancer adj. of or working as a freelance vi. freelanced …English World dictionary

Freelance- Free lance (fr[=e] lns), n. 1. a person who acts independently or without authorization of an organization or of his superiors. 2. a person who pursues a profession independently, and not as the employee of an organization; used… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

freelance- index independent Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …Law dictionary

freelance- also free lance, free lance, medieval mercenary warrior, 1820 (Ivanhoe), from FREE (Cf. free) (adj.) + LANCE (Cf. lance); apparently a coinage of Sir Walter Scott s. Figurative sense is from 1864; specifically of journalism by 1882. Related:… … Etymology dictionary

freelance- |frilãs| adj. 2 g. s. 2 g. 1. Diz se de ou profissional (fotógrafo, jornalista, publicitário, arquiteto, etc.) que efetua um trabalho independentemente de uma agência. 2. Diz se de ou trabalho assim realizado. Sinônimo geral: FREELANCER… … Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

freelance- independent free agent, nonstaff, self employed, unaffiliated; concept 554 … New thesaurus

freelance- ▪ I. freelance free‧lance 1 [ˈfriːlɑːns ǁ læns] adjective JOBS working for different companies or organizations rather than being directly employed by one: The company does not directly employ such specialists as designers, but operates on a… … Financial and business terms

Freelance- Para el videojuego de Microsoft, véase Freelancer (videojuego). Se denomina trabajador freelance o freelancer (o trabajador autónomo, cuentapropia e independiente) a la persona cuya actividad consiste en realizar trabajos propios de su ocupación … Wikipedia Español

freelance- [[t]fri͟ːlɑːns, læns] freelances, freelancing, freelanced 1) ADJ: usu ADJ n Someone who does freelance work or who is, for example, a freelance journalist or photographer is not employed by one organization, but is paid for each piece of work...English dictionary

Books

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adjective
- non-staff, freelance; freelance
- non-contractual
- independent, free
noun
- ist. landsknecht; condottiere
- a politician who does not belong to a particular party
- non-staff, freelance journalist or photographer
- freelancer
- an actor without a permanent engagement
- a person of independent thought
verb
- be self-employed; ≅ be a free artist
Collocations
freelance worker — freelance employee
freelance artist — freelance artist [sculptor]
freelance journalist — freelance journalist
freelance consultant — independent consultant
freelance attorney — independent lawyer
freelance business — work without a contract; self-employment
freelance news agency — independent news agency
freelance work — work without a contract
freelance worker — working without a contract; casual worker
freelance researcher — researcher working without a contract

Examples

She works freelance from home.
She works freelance from home.

He freelanced for several newspapers.
He worked as a freelance journalist for several newspapers.

This was freelance work, paid by the hour.
It was a freelance job, paid hourly.

This freelancer have nick "arrowhead"
This freelancer has the nickname "Arrowhead"

The magazine is looking for freelance writers.
The magazine is looking for freelance writers.

He gave up a permanent job in order to freelance.
He gave up regular freelance work.

I wrote a freelance article for a nature magazine.
I wrote freelance articles for Nature magazine.

He's freelancing for several translation agencies.
He freelances for several translation agencies.

Zoe does a bit of freelance photography as a sideline.
Zoya is a bit of non-freelance photography indirectly.

We found out he"d been doing some freelance work on the quiet.
We found out that he was doing some freelance work on the quiet.

The chief has decided to farm out most of the work to freelance employee.
The boss decided to outsource most of the work to a freelancer.

Determined to be his own master, Simmons quit in 1998 and started working freelance.
An established self-employed man, Simmons quit in 1998 and began working as a freelancer.