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Saturday, August 25, 2007

Freelance translation rates

Freelance translation rates


A freelance translator first needs to decide upon what type of rates that is to be set. There are also a number of factors that are to be kept in mind but the difficult thing while starting out is that the other translators in the sphere are unwilling to share the rates that they keep for their clients.

Here are some of the vital points that are to be kept in mind. All translators charge by the number of words that they have translated though there are other scales as well. These are the time spent or even the pages that have been translated. Most of the translators charge by the number of words because the number of words in each page can vary to a great extent. Though it is unfair on the part of the client to put more words in a page in order to reduce the price.




The language pair that you have chosen is another criteria on which the rate of translation depends. If you are providing for a unique combination then you can obviously charge more than what your contemporaries are charging.

Any technical material commands a much higher rate of payment as it involves a great deal of research. But those that are on some general topics will fetch you the common rates of pay. This is because these do not require much of in depth knowledge and research base.

Once you have established your name in this sphere you can charge high rates as you are providing quality work. This would create a niche for you and it would be extremely lucrative as well.


Factors Influencing Freelance Translation Rates

Freelance translation rates


Why translation rates are under pressure?

Rates: Do you have a strategy for rates highly complicated texts?

What are the Factors that Influence rates?

Basic question for fixing rates

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The prerequisites of a freelance translator

The prerequisites of a freelance translator


The trade of freelance writers is as competitive as any other field. So the quality that you provide has to be very high so that the client whom you are providing for comes back over and over again. There are some prerequisites that one should always keep in mind so that this turns out to be a grand success. Here are some of the prerequisites that are a must for every freelancer.

The standard of education needs to be very high. It is an absolute necessity to have a degree but it might not be in the language that you are dealing with. It is advantageous never the less to have such a relevant degree. Added with the experience that you can have it would create a mark above the rest in the trade.

A post -graduate training in the field of translation would be a definite advantage. One must be capable of writing impeccably in the mother tongue. The style needs to be lucid and the manner of presentation has to be easily understood even by the layman.

Without research translation works can tend to become very shallow. Therefore one should have a flair for conducting detailed research work and developing the work. If there is any technical subject at hand the need for research multiplies manifold.

Besides a thorough grasp over the language that you are dealing and the combinations there is another point that has to be borne in mind. One must also be well acquainted with the traditions and also the culture of the country. One has to feel the flavors of the country and this will help to put in the native touch to translated work.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Save money now

I have read an interesting post at Warrior site for internet marketers. The post is for newcomers who are still struggling to earn money. I think the tips aplies to translators also. Read them and let us have your views.


Here are the tips:

1. Get rid of any services that you don't REALLY need. If you have 1,000,000,000 cable channels, maybe downgrade that to the minimum and get rid of all the movie channels that you never watch anyway. This can easily save you $50 or more (or even more if you get rid of cable completely).

2. Bring a lunch to work, or eat out less. This doesn't mean you need to be cheap with your wife or sweetie pie, but if you find yourself eating out almost every day (I know many people who do), try to minimize that. This can save some people anywhere from $200 to $400 or more a month. Just try to eat normal meals in and save the going out for the special times.

3. If you have any bad habits like smoking, try quitting. Not only will this improve your health, but you could save anywhere from $150 to over $300 a month -- plus your wife will stop nagging you to quit.

4. If you really need a cell phone (completely understandable), try to keep the minutes in check and try to get rid of any of the extra features that you pay for by never use. Doing this can save anywhere from $10 to several hundred a month.

5. Try to set a budget for yourself as far as shopping goes. Doesn't matter if you're shopping for clothes, food, or whatever else. You don't need many of these things, and you should try to limit your spending here. If you set a fair limit, you're still able to get those new clothes and the like, and you probably won't miss too much (but you'll save anywhere from $100 to $500 a month).

6. For your entertainment, try to sometimes think of cheaper alternatives. There are plenty of cheap to free things that can be just as much fun and cost a lot less. Instead of dropping $50 to $100 on a night out, try to budget yourself to keep it under $30 or so -- and limit the number of times you go out.

7. Try off brands. Doesn't matter if its food or other products. Many off brands not only taste the same or better, but they often are either a better quality or have much more quantity to them.

8. Here's a big one ... try to limit your credit cards! Just because you can get a credit card to purchase that $3,000 tv doesn't mean that you should. The interest rates alone on these can you a bundle. A $3,000 tv can all of a sudden turn into a $6,000 tv over time. Limiting yourself here will not only directly save you money, but not having those high interest rates will save you hundreds to thousands more.

9. Look into some used things instead of buying everything new. Some used cars can be great deals, and they can be much more within your budget. Looking for a new tv or stereo system? Try checking out the classifieds first. This doesn't mean you have to buy crap -- look for high quality used items.

10. And finally, don't buy anything that you can't afford. If you can't afford that new tv or car, don't try. This will send you into a world of never-ending debt and make it nearly impossible for you to get out of.

11. If you are in debt, try to negotiate with your creditors. Often times, you can negotiate your debt down to 50% or less. I know a person who was able to pay off a ton of debt and did so with only paying 40% of what she owed (and her debt was fully paid off). To the creditor, some is better than nothing ... and if they think there's a risk of getting none, they will bargain with you.

12. If you own a home or car that you are still paying off, try to give one extra payment a year. This might not seem like much, but it can save you $100,000 or more on a house in the long run (yes, it's true).

Ultimately, what you do is up to you, but if you follow these tips, you'll find that you'll have a lot more money to play around with. Even doing a few of these things will bring you a decent extra income and probably won't "hurt" you in anyway.

If you are able to do this, you'll have an excellent head start with managing a business.

Source-http://www.warriorforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=116881

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Where to find medical terms acronyms, abbreviations?

Recently I have come across a site for medical terms acronyms, abbreviations.

MediLexicon has the world's largest online database of pharmaceutical and medical abbreviations - over 230,000 and growing(it claims!). Their database is updated daily to include new acronyms and abbreviations and their meanings. The resource is free to use, allowing people to instantly look up meanings for acronyms and abbreviations from the fields of medicine, pharmacy, biotechnology, agrochemicals, healthcare and more.

The site has a searchable database of Pharmaceutical Companies, Medical Associations and Hospitals.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Points to keep in mind for a freelance translator

Points to keep in mind for a freelance translator


It is a great achievement to establish oneself as a good freelance translator. But there are a few very important facts that should be kept in mind. Not only should one be strong in the language one should also have some other aspects in mind so that the road to success is quite a smooth one.

· You can start off your career in this sphere by joining an organization as a trainee. You might not be paid but the relevant experience would act as a wonderful boost to your career.
· You should remember to register yourself as a person who is self employed. You may also speak to the relevant tax authorities and ask for their advice.
· You should give serious thought to the volume of freelance work that you are getting. The work should be sufficient to keep you busy. For approximately twenty hours a week. You might also like to terminate your present contract so that you can carry on with your freelance work, as it would be as lucrative as your salaried job.
· Everyone plans to take the plunge right after completing the relevant studies. As experience is an absolute necessity in almost all trades it is a definitely a good idea to opt for a full time job. This job will give you the much required boost in your career as a freelance translator. This will help you to understand your strengths and weaknesses and work upon them accordingly. There would also be a senior translator who would monitor your progress and so it would be very helpful.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

About me

I am a blogger. I am here with my two blogs on two subjects which are my favourite India and Language Translation.

I speak Bengali, Hindi, English and Russian fluently, I can understand Urdu, Punjabi and Oriya and Assamese.

I am a PhD in science, research scientist, patent holder(US, India, Canada and EU).

I am a father, husband, brother, uncle, boss and subordinate.

I am addicted to computer.

I wish to travel around the world in my own pace.

I travelled to USSR(Now Russia) and present day Russia, USA, Cuba, UK, France, Germany, Poland, GDR(now defunct), Hungary, Bulgaria, Austria, Beljium.

I want to visit rain forests of Amazonian delta and Borneo, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and Africa Bangladesh.


I like to read non-fictions , travel memoirs, survival literature. My favourite books and authors can be seen in librarything.

My favourite authors : Tiziano Terzani(A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East), Ryszad Kapuscinskii, Jhumpa Lahiri, Yan Martel, Syed Mujtaba Ali, Marina Lewycka (for her book A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian), Khaled Hosseini (Kite Runner), Suketu Mehta(Maximum city : Bombay lost and found) and
Haruki Murakami (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle).