This is more of a food-for-thought post than a helpful hints post, and please feel free to add your thoughts in the comments! In working with the students in my online courses and talking to other translators who have been in the business longer than I have, I’ve developed a theory about the three phases that most freelancers seem to go through:
Phase 1: You’ve been plugging away at your startup phase for some months or years. Work is starting to flow in with some regularity. You still have peaks and valleys, but you are making what might be termed real money, or at least semi-real money. You’re probably still working at another job, dipping into savings, or depending on a spouse’s or partner’s income, but you feel that your freelance business is a going concern: you’re going to make it! For me, this described (approximately) years 1.5 through 3 of my freelance business.
Phase 2: Reality check. Your freelance business is a going concern, but you start to realize that if you want freelancing to be your “forever” job, you need to earn more, and possibly a lot more money than what you’re currently making. If you want a similar level of financial security to someone with a salaried job, you need to be putting money into retirement, earning enough that you can afford to take a reasonable amount of time off, earmarking money for professional development, training and tools such as computer equipment and software. The euphoria that you felt at the end of Phase 1 starts to fade, as you look at the (large) number that you need to hit in order to achieve that level of security. But, hopefully, you forge ahead, maybe adding direct clients to your roster, or assertively marketing to better-paying clients of various flavors. For me, this described (approximately) years 3-6 of my freelance business, in the sense that after year 3, I managed to break out of Phase 1, but I wasn’t fully into Phase 2 for about another 3 years after that. After 12 years of freelancing, I’d say that I’m still firmly in Phase 2 but now contemplating…
Phase 3: After putting in X number of years as a freelancer and earning a healthy income in order to achieve the level of financial security you targeted in Phase 2, you start to be more motivated by doing work that is meaningful, enjoyable, and that perhaps allows more time or flexibility for your non-work interests. I’m not at this phase yet, but I’m observing it in other translators I work with: they’re still very excited by their work, but maybe they translate more books, or maybe they assertively look for work that matters to them, whether it’s lucrative or not, or they do work that fills a need for a cause they support. Although I’m not there yet (and with my child’s college tuition coming in the next decade, won’t be for a while!), I can see this on the horizon: a time when I’ll still love this job, but when I will want to look for work that lets me ride my bike and play my lute (preferably in Italy!) while doing work that I enjoy.
My observation is that a lot of freelancers get a bit stuck between Phase 1 and Phase 2: having sort-of-enough work, earning sort-of-enough money and enjoying the job sort-of-enough. That’s a great place to be when you compare it to your startup phase, but it’s not a great place to hang out for 20 years. Breaking out of that phase is another series of posts, but it might be helpful to identify which phase you’re in!
Marc Rizkallah says
Hey Corinne,
Thought-provoking post, as usual. I definitely feel like I’m stuck in “Phase 2”.
But I’m confused, you say your Phase 2 was years 3-6 (and you’ve been translating for 12+ years…) so… why do you say you’re not in Phase 3 yet? Are you in Phase 2.5?
Andiamo tutti in pensione sulla riviera italiana!
Corinne McKay says
Well, I’d say I arrived in Phase 2 after 3 years, but the full transition took another 3 years after that (until I was working primarily with direct clients).
mariebrotnov says
Hi Corinne, very true; I’m sure a lot of people can relate to these phases! I think one reason why it’s so easy to get stuck between phases 1 and 2 because that is the dividing point between grateful acceptance of (most) jobs that are offered, and breaking out of that comfort zone to start marketing yourself more aggressively, setting higher standards and taking more initiative in looking for better clients.
Andrew Morris says
Playing a lute while riding a bike? That definitely adds an interesting new angle to the ‘balance’ thing we discussed in Chicago! 😉
Lisa Simpson says
Very well summarised Corinne. I’m still in the early days of phase 3 and it’s sometimes been difficult to turn away work that I have no interest in doing. It takes a leap of faith and, like you, I have some big financial commitments on the near horizon so we shall see how this develops.
I do wonder if there is even a phase 4 I’m not yet aware of.
patenttranslator says
Hi Corinne:
I am not sure phase 3 exists, but maybe it does for some people.
I would like to suggest that there is also a phase 4.
After 30 years of plodding away and paying bills on your own while your wife has plenty of time to enjoy real life, as opposed to being a slave saddled with bills to pay because the way things work (or used to work) in Japan, it is the man’s job to pay all the bills, you decide that you’ve had enough. Kids are gone anyway, so you sell the damn house, move to some place cheap, slow down and work just a little bit to supplement your SSN or whatever other income you have.
And then you die.
Ying Peng says
Thanks for the post. I would think for people to firmly log into phase 3 (for all professionals, in this matter), they would need to have sufficient income flow that money is no longer a concern – whether to pay bills, college tuition, or one’s own life needs – and the needs keep coming :)). As a result, I think less than 10% (probably far less) achieve that stage in life, if ever? :).
I do agree with the transition between phase 1 and 2 (although for me, it happened so fast that it was hard to distinguish). And what is interesting is that once people start to make some money, they tend to realize how much more would be required to enjoy life (while still freelancing) and secure an early retirement (means, no longer plowing freelance business for the sake of making money; with the level of financial security for any life events should they happen).
I would venture a phase 4 for freelancing – no longer freelancing :).
Julia says
Hi Corinne,
I’m in my fourth year as a freelance translator and feel like I’ve just got a foot in phase 2 in the past year or so, so it was really interesting (and reassuring!) to read this and see that that seems to be about normal. Particularly online, it can be so easy to feel like everyone else in the industry has it all sussed out.
Andie Ho says
Agreed, Julia. It’s great to be able to see where other people are in their careers and how long it took them to get there. Often I get impatient over where I’m at and have no idea whether I’m within the normal range. This confirms that I am. Thanks, Corinne!
Corinne McKay says
Thanks Andie! I agree about the scope (large!) of the normal range. I think it was probably 3 years in a row that I said, “This is the year that I start working mostly with direct clients.” “No, *this* is the year.” No, THIS is the year.” And finally, after hammering away at for those years, it worked! So, you will definitely get there too 🙂
gattolibero says
Excellent post! And you are welcome in Italy to play the lute and enjoy life!
I am stuck in phase 1, it is very difficult to gather customers, my combination English-Italian is very common and many agencies told me that they already have tons of CV of linguists like me. It is not easy and I would prefer to be stuck between phase 1 and phase 2 as you say…
Oliver Lawrence says
Hi Corinne, I was thinking about this just as I saw your post in my feed.
I spent a few months doing one and a half jobs (i.e. translating in lunchtimes, evenings and weekends around my day jobs) – “Which one’s the half?”, an office wag at the time said.
I had a full work schedule a matter of weeks after going full-time, although of course the money wasn’t great. Many colleagues seemed to advise charging healthy rates right from the start, and filling in the gaps with pro bono, but IMHO it’d take a while to get much business that way. And you need the experience of raising correct invoices, meeting deadlines, working out how long things are going take, getting the hang of your CAT tool, etc. etc.
I then had a year or two of consolidation, raising my rates modestly as I went, and working out what kinds of translation I was best at. Then I had a period of investing heavily in my skills, methods and specialisms. I started doing presentations & webinars and got a professional website; I became a Chartered Linguist. I have found better clients and more interesting work. So now, well into my 7th year, I suppose I’m late stage 2.
Perhaps another side to stage 3 (or is it stage 4?) would be a move into the premium sector, as eloquently described by the likes of Chris Durban and Kevin Hendzel.
Luis Felipe Ortiz López says
Dear Corinne:
I am on Stage -1. I am just about ready to complete the first class, Intro to Translation. And I am very lucky to have Jenny as my teacher. I feel very fortunate to start on this prestigious career at this point in time with so much support from all angles. I am on page 47 of your great book, and pretty soon I will finish devouring it. Let me thank you for contributing to the translation community. I look forward with great anticipation, to one day meet you and the many other who toil on a daily basis, and are inching their way to phase 4. I wish you continued success in all of your endeavors.
Nigel Wheatley says
The more I read stuff like this, the more I realise that I don’t know what a “proper translator” does. I mean, apparently, a professional translator doesn’t work full-time (or has to rely on other income), doesn’t budget for office expenses, CPD, holidays, time off sick – do they even bother to pay income tax, I ask myself – for the first couple of years of their career. Doesn’t sound very “professional” to me. And maybe that’s why they can’t advance, because they don’t treat it as a “real job”, that they should be doing full-time (and then some, especially while you’re trying to get started). Your clients want to be able to get in touch with you, they want you to be available. You can’t have your cake and eat it, I’m afraid.
Corinne McKay says
Thanks Nigel, I do think that that “tough love” advice is very true!
Jen Brickner says
Well, Nigel, you know my situation is perhaps a little different with the low cost of living in Romania vs. my language pairs, but… I’m a little hurt! (just kidding). I’m in an odd phase where I was in-house for my first two years and only went freelance a year ago once I was already in Romania, so I don’t feel that I’m really a beginner – I’m just taking some time to work 30 to 35 hours a week instead of 40 in order to I guess enjoy some of the time those 50 to 60 hour in-house weeks took out of me. I’m advancing quite well at a rate that I feel is comfortable for now, but I plan to try and keep things around 35 hours a week long-term if I can (this of course does not mean that some of those 30 to 35 hours are spent working quite long days if a client needs it for an attractive project, of course, and I do all those other things you mentioned, too). I feel that I’ve transitioned quite comfortably into stage 2 very quickly (after about three to six months into freelancing), but I would credit that to my prior in-house experience (I like to think of that as “boot camp”, I guess, so that I can put a positive spin on it). So maybe there is another path for those of us that started out in-house, are already fairly comfortable in our abilities as translators, with CAT tools, and are already following the industry closely, but for whom the main initial challenge of freelancing is really focused more on learning the business end of things? Just some food for thought…
Nigel Wheatley says
Sorry if I hurt you feelings Jen, that was certainly not the aim. I think you’re putting yourself down a bit to place yourself in Corinne’s Stage 2: you have the confidence and the clientèle to be able to take control of your workload and adapt it to the other things you wish to do with your life, which I would have thought placed you squarely in Stage 3 above. 🙂
What I was questioning, maybe with an overdose of British sarcasm, was the number of people in stages 1 and 2, and especially the length of time Corinne suggests that it is normal for translators to spend in these stages. I don’t think it is helpful to newcomers to the profession to suggest that it is normal to spend years having to support your translation business with another job or a partner’s income.
I certainly wouldn’t want to criticize translators who choose to practice part-time so they can combine it with another profession, such as teaching, or marketing, or professional opera singing in one case I know; or who have family commitments that limit the hours they can work. But this is not the norm. It is perfectly possible to work full-time and make the same sort of income as other professions who have similar levels of professional training – lawyers, teachers, specialized nurses, etc. – and also a lot more than that if you’re good and you work hard it (and if you make that life choice: personally, I’d rather have more free time than more money).
I like Corinne’s description of my points as “tough love”; I don’t mean to put anyone down as a human being. I am merely questioning whether you can say that a translation business that cannot provide an adequate income to its owner can really be described as a “going concern”. You can sink more and more capital into it – this is what you are doing if you are subsidizing your business with another income or savings, your own or someone else’s – and Corinne is proof that some people manage to come through and be very successful years later – but my advice to people who feel they are in stage 1, or even stage 2, is to do something about it now 😉
Claire Harmer says
Hi Corinne,
I’m almost 3 years into my freelance translation career and I feel like I’m starting to move from phase 1 to phase 2… this it can be a daunting process and I’ve found it often means moving out of your comfort zone (for me this was going to trade shows, translation networking events, events where I could meet potential clients, etc.). It’s really reassuring to read stuff like this when you’re either plodding along in phase 1 and living a somewhat hand-to-mouth existence… or very slowly moving between phases, which I am at the moment!
I’m aware that there is no ‘one size fits all’ model but the one you’ve described is the one I’ve been trying to work to! Your book has been really great in helping me to do this, too:). Completely agree with Julia – it’s easy to feel like everyone else in the industry has everything sorted! So thanks for the encouraging post, Corinne!
Corinne McKay says
Thanks Claire! You’ll get there!
Muzantrop SA says
Thanks for the post! It really made me think about my freelance career to find out my current stage. I started translation work over 8 years ago, studying on the third course of the university; after graduation I worked for 3 years in mining company as technical translator and finally decided to move back to freelance in 2013. Now it feels like I’m in the beginning of the 2nd stage. To my mind, this period is the most complicated. Notwithstanding relatively regular work, sometimes I have to struggle with disgraceful thoughts like “what if I cannot earn enough next months to make my living?”, “it might be easier to get back to office work”, etc. However, I try not to let things get me down, and each new month of freelance work brings me closer to my stage No3! I wish you achieve yours soon, Corinne 🙂
Corinne McKay says
Great, thanks so much for that comment!
Ted Wozniak says
I think I am with patentranslator here. Not sure if Phase 3 exists for everyone. The key is achieving “the level of financial security you targeted in Phase 2”.
Since I started this career late (profession #3), I figure I have to work until at least 70 or 72 and even then may not hit the target level of financial security. (My target is high, I admit.) But I do have enough security now to be able to turn down projects that I know I won’t like or that are simply too much work for the compensation. So maybe I have a toe in Phase 3.
As for the time spent in Phase 1, I was just lucky that my timing and choice of specialty serendipitously coincided with a sea change in my field – the adoption of IAS in Germany. As a result, I only spent about 1 year in Phase 1.
Corinne McKay says
Thanks Ted! Very interesting; and I agree with you about phase 2.5, if we want to call it that. We have some big financial commitments on the horizon (college tuition), so I’m not at the phase where my passion for a project is my main driving force; the money definitely still matters. At the same time, I’m confident *enough* about my work prospects that, as you said, I do turn down work that I know is not appealing, and that is a good phase to be at too!
Kevin Hendzel (@Kevin_Hendzel) says
Thanks for this, Corinne.
As you probably know, it took nine years for Scott Moncrieff to translate all seven volumes of “À la recherche du temps perdu,” pilfering (brilliantly) the title from Shakespeare’s sonnet #30 along the way.
He started the translation before Proust had even finished the last volume. Final word count? About 1.25 million.
Since Moncrieff had no publisher to fund the enterprise when he began, he did the entire translation on spec, and had to earn his living in a variety of jobs over that nine years ranging from private secretary to bureaucrat to spy in Italy.
I wonder what phases we’d break his career into?
Similar classification challenges would ensue in the work of translators in conflict zones, or specialized conference interpreters, or in-house media translators or those translating as volunteers for personal causes.
Then there’s the considerable percentage of commercial-market translators with narrow specializations who sort of backed into translation as a second or third career, with the financials completely reversed from the 3 phases proposed here: many already quite financially successful, and who found their path through terrain already heavily cleared of brush by their profound subject-matter expertise and exquisite writing skills.
Meaning they charged high rates – and got them – right out of the gate.
Today they translate for fun, or to keep their foreign language skills sharp, or to allow them to continue to solve the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle in pen.
Lest there be any confusion, let’s be clear that I’m not even remotely referring to myself here. I slaved away at $0.03 cents a word for a decade learning the craft under the tutelage of brilliant technical translators who were – and still are – smarter and more talented than I.
So it does seems to me that each translator has phases, like Moncrieff, that are not nearly so linear and are often totally unrelated to the earnings-based progression suggested here.
They are far more likely to be unique and deeply etched in personal experience, values, choices and a not inconsiderable measure of serendipity.
Although I tend to write about my own professional career and its evolution on my blog, as well as the lessons I’ve learned along the way, I’m deeply mindful of the fact that I’m but one leaf in a forest that extends far beyond my vision.
I happen to like my particular leaf – maybe I’m just cozy and used to it – but I do my best to help other translators find comfy leaves at sufficiently high elevations – meaning earning power – to allow them to have a greater range of choices in life throughout the majority of their working careers.
So in addition to recognizing the difficulty of classifying the progression of wildly raucous translation careers on a narrow linear financial track, I think we should perhaps emphasize the phases of giving back to the profession, too.
Several people so far in this thread have already made considerable contributions there (I’m looking at you, Corinne and Ted) – but I personally find myself still dissatisfied with my own, right now perhaps a third of the way along the path I’d like to be.
But surely sending the elevator down to our next-generation colleagues should count as an activity at least as worthy as personal earnings in measuring career progression.
Corinne McKay says
Thanks Kevin! And yes, I agree about sending the elevator down; for those of us who have reached cruising speed, I think the next step is not to promote ourselves, but to promote the up-and-comers who are “us” in the next generation.
Aleksandra says
This is exactly the kind of struggle I am going through right now. I’ve been freelancing for about a year now and recently my client market has really expanded, although I’m not really at the phase 3 yet. What helped me the most was creating a personal vision board. That way I always have my goals in mind and every time I work I get a dose of motivation and inspiration.
Corinne McKay says
Thanks Aleksandra; the vision board idea is great!
Tapani says
An interesting topic! I try not to work weekends anymore but it is often not that easy, especially when money is good. I think I am still in phase 2. But this second career allows for flexibility that is essential for family life with 2 elementary school age kids. My wife has and office job with good benefits and makes more money than I do, and I’m fine with that.
Anna Z. says
Hi Corinne, thank you so much for this post. I would say I am in Phase 1 right now, and it feels that I am very close to the 2nd. Amazing to see how many people are successful in the field, and it is very encouraging! Although I have this conflicting feeling – on the one hand, everything is going the way I want it and I am very grateful, and, of course, I am going to make it. On the other hand, at this pace it might take a long time for me to achieve my ambitious goals. However, I am quite optimistic. Besides, second business is very helpful too. I also think that the moment you start treating translation not as a job, but as an actual business, when you take it seriously, everything changes. You are not looking for a translation job, you are providing services. Different meaning and motivation.
lukegos says
Some freelancers forget to give themselves raises and promotions now that they don’t have a boss, and since you can’t really call yourself ‘senior translator’ etc. on business cards (and certainly can’t invent an entire ladder of titles to reflect higher positions). Hence, they end up forever being juniors, in the corporate understanding of the word, simply because they act like that and are treated as such by the typical PM who doesn’t reflect on those things any more than such a translator does.
For the record, I think tech is overrated (and overemphasis on it is degrading to us as true professionals rather than tool operators), as is the kind of CPD that doesn’t result in a clear game changer such as a new degree. It probably comes down to properly publicizing one’s increased experience, translating it into value, and finding better-paying clients.