Translation rates for ENG/JP (Beginner)
Thread poster: Brooke Palmer
Brooke Palmer
Brooke Palmer
New Zealand
Local time: 05:08
Japanese to English
Mar 9, 2020

Hello,
I am interested in doing some freelance translation work, however I'm not too sure on how much I should be charging...

My language pair is English and Japanese, focusing on translation from Japanese to English.
I am currently studying a Master of Applied Translation at university.
I have a bachelor degree, majoring in Japanese (linguistics minor).
I have experience doing translation and proof-reading for a small start-up business based in Japan. (we
... See more
Hello,
I am interested in doing some freelance translation work, however I'm not too sure on how much I should be charging...

My language pair is English and Japanese, focusing on translation from Japanese to English.
I am currently studying a Master of Applied Translation at university.
I have a bachelor degree, majoring in Japanese (linguistics minor).
I have experience doing translation and proof-reading for a small start-up business based in Japan. (website, documents, application forms, social media ads etc.)
I will be learning how to use SDLTrados within the coming months.

I would like to know the current rates in general for a translator with JP/ENG as a language pair. How much could I start out charging as someone who has limited experience translating professionally?

Should I be charging per English word, or Japanese character?

What else do I need to take into consideration?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Happy to provide more info if needed.
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Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 16:08
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Charge a "normal" rate Mar 9, 2020

Brooke Palmer wrote:
I am currently studying a Master of Applied Translation at university.
I have a bachelor degree, majoring in Japanese (linguistics minor).
I have experience doing translation and proof-reading for a small start-up business based in Japan.

It seems to me that you have both training and experience. True, both are very limited at the moment, but you do know something about what needs to be done and how to do it.

What are you aiming to deliver? A half-baked translation that will need to be revised by a more experienced professional? If so, you'll need to quote low as your client can only afford to pay you a share of the translation cost. Or are you prepared to spend however long is necessary for you to feel happy with the end result? If that's the case, why should the client pay less than normal for a competent translation? You, of course, risk earning a very low hourly fee -- but you're still at the stage of investing in your career, so that's okay.

There's a tool on this website called "Community Rates". It is NOT saying "The market rate for X to Y is nnnn", so don't put too much store by it, but it is a useful guide in many cases. It's a simple statistical analysis of the rates we've declared to ProZ.com, either for public viewing or for internal site use only.

Should I be charging per English word, or Japanese character?

I expect your client would appreciate knowing the cost in advance. For this reason, we normally charge according to the volume of the source text. But it isn't a hard-and-fast rule and really it's a matter for negotiation between the parties.


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Jorge Payan
 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:08
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Take a look here Mar 9, 2020

Brooke Palmer wrote:
My language pair is English and Japanese, focusing on translation from Japanese to English.

There is some advice here that I gave to a previous enquirer. I would add only three things.

First, your profile says "ENG to JP" when it almost certainly should say "JPN to ENG" or "JP to EN". Issues like this matter, because they indicate to potential clients that you are not paying attention to details.

Second, you should certainly aim to charge by Japanese character, and that is what most people in Asia and Europe seem to accept these days. In the US there are still clients who want to be billed per English word. For these, it's best to bill them the same amount, and multiply the number of characters by any figure in a range from 0.45 to 0.6 to get the number of English words.

Third, it's never too early to think about pursuing a specialisation.

Regards,
Dan


Kuochoe Nikoi-Kotei
 


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Translation rates for ENG/JP (Beginner)







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