Only members can post in this forum | Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5] > | Renew or not renew Thread poster: Eugenio Garcia-Salmones
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| 6½ years ago, actually... | May 23 |
Baran Keki wrote: Christopher Schröder wrote:
I reckon every one of my hilarious sarcy/snarky posts should be worth at least a penny. You certainly have a high opinion of yourself. Did you notice that the dude who broke the 100k record 2 years ago had a total of 4 or 5 forum posts? He buckled down, didn't complain about AI, kept schtum and had the final word! Clients like that sort of 'strong, silent types'. I bet Tom is raking in the dough right now or else shuffled off this mortal coil.
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Reflections on 2017, my first $US 100,000+ year from translation
We don’t normally share our successes here on ProZ.com. Most often we hear about issues that aren’t so hopeful such as bad clients or non-payment, problems getting established or a slow workload. I’d like to share my 2017 experience with everyone and what I’ll do differently in 2018.
To start off, I've only been a full-time translator and ProZ.com member since mid-2014. At the start of 2017 I had been fully dedicated to translation for a mere 2 1/2 years (having translated part-time since 2011 while studying and working).
The year 2017 was the first calendar year that I earned over $US 100,000 from translation, around $130,000+ if including other services. I think that this story is possible for anyone here on ProZ.com, that's why I wanted to share.
What did I do differently to previous years?
Translation and my business came number 1.
What does that mean? Everything else got put behind me:
Family, wife, children, socialising, cycling and fitness, health, alcohol, holidays, anything that might’ve been deemed a waste of time...placed number 2
https://www.proz.com/forum/getting_established/322225-reflections_on_2017_my_first_us_100000_year_from_translation.html
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Christopher Schröder wrote:
Eight(?) months on, I have earned a grand total £67 from clients contacting me through ProZ.
Come on Chris, £67 k isn't bad at all, when AI does all the work for you. Other people have to go for work for that money.
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Maybe you should mark quotes as quotes, as otherwise readers might think the content is from you.
E.g. "Reflections on 2017..."
But to get back to Eugenio's Q:
One of the increasingly few likable things about ProZ is that if you subscribe for another year and later regret your decision, you can cancel your membership and get a refund for the remainder.
At least that's how it was.
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Zea_Mays 
Italy
Local time: 19:37
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
I still believe in ProZ's potential, I've found some good clients here and some features are really helpful. I will keep my membership for now, but every year I have more doubts about renewing.
The platform could be a real business machine, if they just clean it up from all the unneccessary gimmicks and doubled or tripled features and hire professionals to do all the work.
Basic things I would keep/do:
- Modernize the web design, but do not use the "new" design you see ... See more I still believe in ProZ's potential, I've found some good clients here and some features are really helpful. I will keep my membership for now, but every year I have more doubts about renewing.
The platform could be a real business machine, if they just clean it up from all the unneccessary gimmicks and doubled or tripled features and hire professionals to do all the work.
Basic things I would keep/do:
- Modernize the web design, but do not use the "new" design you see now (the design of the Connect page is way better)
- Keep KudoZ (make it more appealing by allowing points to be used for other things like in the past, like looking up Blue Board entries)
- Keep the Blue Board
- Create only ONE message center
- Make sure ALL messages are sent
- Create clear paths to all features
- Push the Connect program (it adds value for both clients and translators)
- Create ONE method to search for translators/interpreters (currently there are at least two - why??)
- ELIMINATE everything that doesn't work as well as website corpses. Is Pastey really a good tool? Does the Premium programme work? Does TM-Town really work? Etc. etc.
- From time to time, publish a post on ProZ features to raise awareness of them.
- Offer a basic, a standard and a premium membership, with the higher levels offering real added value. (Is a website really an added value these days, when there are tools to create one in a few minutes without being tied to a ProZ membership?)
- Make the translation contest a professional one, and provide state-of-the-art rules that comply with the law.
- Promote AI bots not as translation tools (they are not), but as assistents for practical work.
- [add your ideas] ▲ Collapse
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Baran Keki wrote:
Did you notice that the dude who broke the 100k record 2 years ago had a total of 4 or 5 forum posts? He buckled down, didn't complain about AI, kept schtum and had the final word! Clients like that sort of 'strong, silent types'.
Ha, I'd wipe the floor with that loser. I'm on track for a cool mill (sterling) this year. All thanks to Pastey.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 19:37
French to English
Baran Keki wrote: Christopher Schröder wrote:
I reckon every one of my hilarious sarcy/snarky posts should be worth at least a penny. You certainly have a high opinion of yourself. Did you notice that the dude who broke the 100k record 2 years ago had a total of 4 or 5 forum posts? He buckled down, didn't complain about AI, kept schtum and had the final word! Clients like that sort of 'strong, silent types'. I bet Tom is raking in the dough right now or else shuffled off this mortal coil.
Baran, you're talking to the artist formerly known as Ice Scream here, literally nothing of what he writes is to be taken seriously. His goal here is to provide levity, and also wind you and Tom up.
| | | | | Jografi not my strong suit | May 24 |
Kay Denney wrote:
Baran, you're talking to the artist formerly known as Ice Scream here, literally nothing of what he writes is to be taken seriously. His goal here is to provide levity, and also wind you and Tom up.
Don’t worry, Kay, Baran has my number (literally, in fact). He’s also the biggest wind-up merchant this side of Constantinople. (Or the other side, I’m not entirely sure.)
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Hayley Wakenshaw wrote:
Access to the Blue Board has not only generated sufficient income from new clients to justify the membership fee but has also helped me avoid losses from non-paying clients. It’s also helped me figure out which clients I want to work with. As a result, I enjoy collaboration with all my clients and they all pay on time.
Everything beyond that is a bonus.
Hayley has said it all, and if I may add, I consider complete access to the Blueboard a risk management.
Like she wrote, you can avoid losses from non-paying clients (some even have the nerve to contact me directly although they are banned from Proz due to numerous non-payment issues), but you can discriminate between good payers who pay you your rate or good payers who don't (or rather can't might be the right word here) by looking at the entries made by the country of origin of the people who made the entries. This would save me a lot of time exchanging emails back and forth and finally finding out that they can offer only half the rate you offer.
And as a bonus, as a member, your directory ranking is shown first than non-members. This has and is still boggling me whether these clients and outsourcers search the directory of non-members after searching the members section.
| | | | Zea_Mays
Italy
Local time: 19:37
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Yasutomo Kanazawa wrote:
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as a bonus, as a member, your directory ranking is shown first than non-members.
That would be a bonus if we could be sure that messages from potential clients actually reach us, or that we can reply to them. As it has recently come to light, some messages either never reach our inboxes or have no real reply-to address or other problems.
Who is happy to pay for this?
| | | | | I've been following that particular thread | May 25 |
Zea_Mays wrote: Yasutomo Kanazawa wrote:
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as a bonus, as a member, your directory ranking is shown first than non-members. That would be a bonus if we could be sure that messages from potential clients actually reach us, or that we can reply to them. As it has recently come to light, some messages either never reach our inboxes or have no real reply-to address or other problems. Who is happy to pay for this?
I've been following the thread you mentioned about not receiving messages from potential clients.
If my assumption is correct, we are talking about the Prozcom messages with an envelope-like icon third from the left on the toolbar(?) starting from ProZ, Terminology, Jobs& directories, etc., or am I talking about a different message system?
If we are talking about the same subject, yes, I have also experienced unnoticed messages from potential clients, dating a few months back. But most of my potential clients get in touch with me with the "Contact via email" in the Contact links on my profile page where the sender's email address and the IP address is disclosed, which I have no trouble receiving at all.
| | | | Zea_Mays
Italy
Local time: 19:37
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Yasutomo Kanazawa wrote: Zea_Mays wrote: Yasutomo Kanazawa wrote:
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as a bonus, as a member, your directory ranking is shown first than non-members. That would be a bonus if we could be sure that messages from potential clients actually reach us, or that we can reply to them. As it has recently come to light, some messages either never reach our inboxes or have no real reply-to address or other problems. Who is happy to pay for this? I've been following the thread you mentioned about not receiving messages from potential clients. If my assumption is correct, we are talking about the Prozcom messages with an envelope-like icon third from the left on the toolbar(?) starting from ProZ, Terminology, Jobs& directories, etc., or am I talking about a different message system? If we are talking about the same subject, yes, I have also experienced unnoticed messages from potential clients, dating a few months back. But most of my potential clients get in touch with me with the "Contact via email" in the Contact links on my profile page where the sender's email address and the IP address is disclosed, which I have no trouble receiving at all.
I was referring in particular to the Connect messages, which are among the most relevant ones. https://search.proz.com/connectjobs
Your messages can be found here: https://search.proz.com/connectjobs/msg
While this would probably be one of the most useful tools here on ProZ, it seems that the program is no longer being taken care of.
Instead, there are an indefinite number of search features to look for professionals, which is absolutely counter-productive.
Examples are:
ProZ Find, https://www.proz.com/find (this is the same as "Screened Professionals" in the same "Jobs" menu).
From the Find page, you have the option to go to this search feature: https://www.proz.com/find?pre=y
The directory, https://www.proz.com/translator-directory/
The mentioned Connect feature, https://search.proz.com/connect (with the old web design, and settings with again new and better design here https://search.proz.com/employers/settings - note the Connect path in a tiny green stripe below the main menu).
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Kay Denney wrote: Baran Keki wrote: Christopher Schröder wrote:
I reckon every one of my hilarious sarcy/snarky posts should be worth at least a penny. You certainly have a high opinion of yourself. Did you notice that the dude who broke the 100k record 2 years ago had a total of 4 or 5 forum posts? He buckled down, didn't complain about AI, kept schtum and had the final word! Clients like that sort of 'strong, silent types'. I bet Tom is raking in the dough right now or else shuffled off this mortal coil. Baran, you're talking to the artist formerly known as Ice Scream here, literally nothing of what he writes is to be taken seriously. His goal here is to provide levity, and also wind you and Tom up.
And if I remember correctly, before being Ice Scream, wasn’t he a look alike “George Clooney”?
| | | | Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 20:37
Member
English to Turkish
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:
And if I remember correctly, before being Ice Scream, wasn’t he a look alike “George Clooney”?
That may have been after her sex change operation. I wasn't around here then to confirm this of course, but I've heard tell of a legendary Christine S. Must of been a handsome woman if she turned into a George Clooney afterwards.. though his current shape leaves a lot be desired...
[Edited at 2024-05-26 12:50 GMT]
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Baran Keki wrote: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:
And if I remember correctly, before being Ice Scream, wasn’t he a look alike “George Clooney”? That may have been after her sex change operation. I wasn't around here then to confirm this of course, but I've heard tell of a legendary Christine S. Must of been a handsome woman if she turned into a George Clooney afterwards.. though his current shape leaves a lot be desired... [Edited at 2024-05-26 12:50 GMT]
Yes, George has let himself go. I personally am completely ripped.
I was Christine S for a short while until I got outed by a grumpy Irish guy.
No, not Tom!
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