No time rates : standard rates for written translation

[Mike Trittipo]

"Vera Beljakova" <atacama at GLOBAL.CO.ZA> wrote:
> To: <SEELANGS at BAMA.UA.EDU>
> I have always found it unfair to charge by time, because then the slow
> incompetent translator will earn more than the quick and experienced one.

Please note that I did not suggest charging by time.  I wrote only about 
charging by word or normostrana.  I did mention time, but only as part of 
the internal process a translator can use to decide where his or her "fish 
or cut bait" zone is.

Illustration:
Translator A does 300 words per hour at, let's say just for now, an 
"acceptable" delivered quality.  Translator B averages 600 wph at the same 
delivered quality, counting all editing time, etc.  Translator A wants to 
make $90,000 a year.  Translator B will be happy with $72,000 a year. 
Translator A thinks she can be actually translating for 2000 hours a year. 
Translator B believes she can actually translate about 1200 hours a year, 
because she wants some days of vacation, and knows there will be "overhead" 
time (negotiating, seeking clients, marketing, billing, doing taxes, fixing 
computers, etc.).  Translator A needs to charge at least 90,000/(300*2000) 
per word ($0.15), or else operate at a loss for a while or else do something 
else or adjust her expectations, or other "or others."  Translator B needs 
to charge at least $72,000/(600*1200) ($0.10), with the same consequences in 
case that isn't possible for any reason (e.g., clients won't pay it, or 
there aren't enough who will, etc.)  Neither translator needs to tell, nor 
would either of them naturally tell, any potential client about this 
internal calculation; each will just name his or her price per word or per 
"standardized" page or line or character, or name a flat fee based again on 
some internal calculation that needn't be shared with a prospective client. 
But time does enter into any business's rational determination of economic 
evaluation of whether any activity is "_worthwhile_" doing ("worthwhile" 
being inherently a time-driven word).  Of course, if one only does an 
occasional translation, one might set the "worthwhile" threshold somewhere 
else, and might for the sake of some not directly pecuniary factors do 
something that would not seem, purely in terms of a calculable hourly 
income, seem to be "worth it" for the money alone.

The figures given are, obviously, just to allow some math, and do not 
represent any recommendation.  They could be in euros or crowns or yen with 
no difference in principle.  As for time billing, see
http://www.lawcomix.com/bp.07/09.19.07.html (and figure out how many hours a 
day the 8900 billable hours a year is).  :-)

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