tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6748877443699290050.post97152841359938224..comments2024-03-27T23:43:31.674-07:00Comments on eMpTy Pages: The Premium Translation Market: Hiding In Plain SightKirti Vasheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16795076802721564830noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6748877443699290050.post-57617888259902847242022-11-14T15:41:01.896-08:002022-11-14T15:41:01.896-08:00This is a welcome addition to the discussion of tr...This is a welcome addition to the discussion of translation markets (yes, plural). One point of confusion may be the terms localization market and translation market being used interchangeably. To me, translation is the umbrella term, with areas such as localization, copywriting, subtitling, etc. as subordinate to it.<br /><br />To the competent translators out there, whether they have a degree in translation or in other area like finance, chemistry or physics, this fabled premium market is just that, a myth, which becomes a reality only to its few practitioners who, like Mr. Hendzel and others, decry the so-called poverty mentality possessed by most translators who work in the bulk translation market. Translators don't need that bit of condescension.<br /><br />As the article points out, the segments of this premium translation market are hidden from view to both LSPs and translators for a number of reasons. To translate classified documentation for the Dept. of Defense (USA) requires a specific type of clearance that the translator must have in advance. <br /><br />I am also left wondering if the translators operating in this premium market are actually holders of more prominent or visible positions and they happen to be translators (because they have the chops for it, naturally). Sure, proponents of the premium market may keep saying that there are big opportunities for the rest of us to work in them, but you have to have the connections, you have to be in the right places and have not a trivial amount of luck to succeed. In conclusion, no amount of personal and professional effort will place the average translator (not just a mere bilingual staff) in the premium translation markets.<br /><br />Mario Chávez, translatorAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6748877443699290050.post-58046635922459365212021-02-05T02:22:40.762-08:002021-02-05T02:22:40.762-08:00"(For instance, I don't meet with C-level..."(For instance, I don't meet with C-level executives of my client, I don't do this particular client/subject matter full time, and -- probably most importantly -- the kinds of materials that I translate are not really those that, according to the post, fall under the rubric of "premium" materials.) But in the 3-D continuum model, I both provide a premium product and am being paid a premium price." – Agree. Might also have something to do with language "size": it is easy to focus on a narrow SM 5 days a week if your working languages are two giant languages like English and Chinese, for example. This is not realistic in smaller markets – translators in small markets with this kind of specialization are usually employed and can be counted on the fingers of two hands.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13187050699950251295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6748877443699290050.post-82696821292641711932021-02-02T21:48:39.733-08:002021-02-02T21:48:39.733-08:00Very nice article. Thanks for sharing such helpful...Very nice article. Thanks for sharing such helpful blog post. WordPar Internationalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03961423646111600706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6748877443699290050.post-66064289738020449612020-09-15T15:48:31.181-07:002020-09-15T15:48:31.181-07:00More than a hidden heaven only a few can touch wit...More than a hidden heaven only a few can touch with their graceful hands inspired by a Shakespearean muse, the premium market is achievable as long as you understand the principles of marketing and value.<br /><br />Why would a client pay more to you than to a sweatshop agency? Easy, because you solve them a big problem.<br /><br />What is that big problem? It really depends on how you frame your services.<br /><br />A marketing translator sells conversions and engagement. A legal translator sells security. A medical translator too.<br /><br />You don't need to spend decades before jumping into that market.<br /><br />Not that you don't need to be good. Of course you do. But you need other skills.<br /><br />You only need to understand the principles of value and problem solving.<br /><br />My 2 cents.Juan Pablo Sanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13726477414048533742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6748877443699290050.post-65823974931998958182020-09-09T13:32:55.800-07:002020-09-09T13:32:55.800-07:00There are some minor things that I don't agree...There are some minor things that I don't agree with -- mostly concerning a too-strict definition of what a "Premium translator" can or cannot do. But I really like other concepts, especially the continuum of the market, meaning that there are many variations between the polar ends of bulk and premium, and it might often be impossible to actually classify any given activity within that continuum.<br /><br />As I thought some more about it, however, and tried to place myself and my work as a translator into the linearity of that continuum model, I realized that this paradigm does not necessarily work. <br /><br />Here's what I think: The translation world is much more varied than you or I or really anyone knows (and Kirti gives some really great illustrations of that). This also means that there is not necessarily a linear continuum; instead, it's sort of three-dimensional. <br /><br />One of the reasons for this third dimension is the role of expertise in things other than "just" various levels of subject matter expertise and a comprehensive understanding of the industry in which you work. For example, this dimension might include skills in data management and the technical savvy to use that well-managed data for a given client.<br /><br />Consider my favorite client: Due to this client's workflow, translation work is charged by the word (often not the most ideal scenario). I charge about twice the rate quoted in Kirti's article for the "Value-Added Market" (I've been the go-to German translator for this particular end-client for more than 15 years), but in reality I'm typically able to bill a multiple of that. Why? Because my translation memory management is better than that of my client. (And my client is completely aware of this and has no issue with it.)<br /><br />I know this is not a one-off case. With any client for whom I've worked for more than a year or two, the quality of my translation memory and termbase that I have maintained for that client and the ones that are provided by the client should be identical. But in fact, they always start to diverge, with mine being much more valuable and complete and -- increasingly -- profitable. I'm certain that any experienced translator in a similar situation will be able to verify that.<br /><br />Now, according to the guidelines that the post suggests, I don't work for the "Premium Market." (For instance, I don't meet with C-level executives of my client, I don't do this particular client/subject matter full time, and -- probably most importantly -- the kinds of materials that I translate are not really those that, according to the post, fall under the rubric of "premium" materials.) But in the 3-D continuum model, I both provide a premium product and am being paid a premium price.<br /><br />I'm not mentioning this to highlight my own work or value as a translator; instead, I would like to point out one thing (maybe one-and-a-half things): <br /><br />We operate in a very, very diverse (translation) world, and none of us has seen it in its entirety. I think this is fantastic and something to celebrate. This means that anyone who suggests that our world is going through inescapable technological or other changes might very well be speaking the truth from their particular perspective -- but that perspective might be completely opposite to yours or mine. Clearly, we need to be aware of what's happening with the market, with technology, and especially with AI-driven processes, and we need to understand them at least conceptually. And then we need to make educated decisions about how and whether to integrate them into our processes -- or not. <br /><br />The other "half" that I would like to conclude from all of this is that translation memory management pays off! It always does. As an individual translator, you cannot leave it up to your long-standing clients to maintain the TM by themselves. They might very well do that, but you'll be better at it, and you'll benefit greatly.<br />Jost Zetzschehttps://twitter.com/Jeromobotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6748877443699290050.post-66869016393662279852020-09-08T10:18:32.746-07:002020-09-08T10:18:32.746-07:00I've always had this idea in the back of my mi...I've always had this idea in the back of my mind that many of the translation market studies being conducted didn't really apply to me as an in-house translator for a large company. This put into words quite nicely what I had on the tip of my tongue for some time now. We are under the radar and perform work with a very different mind-set. No pay-per-word mentality here, only producing as fine of content as we can, whether that means researching a chemical ingredient for a product label for half an hour or spending a good deal of time creating the right messaging for a key marketing campaign, working with VPs over the product line to align our ideas with theirs.<br /><br />Thank you! Keep moving forward in this direction and giving us a voice!Bretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00144099013653623853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6748877443699290050.post-52858595152630906352020-08-26T03:44:53.900-07:002020-08-26T03:44:53.900-07:00Excellent article which offers valuable insights i...Excellent article which offers valuable insights into the mindset of successful translators. However, I find your statement on transcreation a bit simplistic (“generic transcreation is probably closer to the bulk market or value-added sector at best”). Regardless of the client's industry, as a specialized service in multilingual communication, transcreation requires a highly thought after combination of language skills, marketing expertise and the ability to consult with the client to provide effective target language content that is both on brand and on strategy. Given the cost of error of a poorly adapted advertising campaign, I’d say transcreation meets your definition of a premium service as “a segment where the impact/cost of lackluster, literal, or inadequate translation is dramatically higher than the initial higher price paid to produce the translation product.”Gaële Gagnéhttp://www.trematranslations.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6748877443699290050.post-91983606024903768982020-08-25T10:25:26.107-07:002020-08-25T10:25:26.107-07:00"Information asymmetry around buyer perceptio..."Information asymmetry around buyer perceptions of quality, a solitary freelance work-from-home culture and a lack of clear professional accreditation signals add to the problem. This phenomenon undermines truly professional workers, but it is an unfortunate fact of the translation business today." - I disagree with this. The fact that there are a lot of poor or mediocre translators peddling their work for cheap rates just means that clients who are interested in or even dependent on quality need to do their due diligence. Which is true for other markets as well. At the same time, there is a clientele that is <b>not</b> interested in quality and just decides on price or uses MT. All this does not undermine professional translators, it makes them more valuable. "Professional accreditation" is for niches and irrelevant for most market segments.<br /><br />However, I recommend the paragraph "Translator Specialization" for reading. This is what the premium market (or at least "one premium market") is really about: <b>Subject matter expertise</b>. (I found the usage of the acronym SME confusing because it normally is for "small and medium enterprises"). The fact that many "bulk localisation market players" (you could also say "generalists") miss this market simply stems from the fact that you need decades for building this kind of subject matter expertise, so that it is not an option for translators with a linguistic degree.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6748877443699290050.post-90903121075193107612020-08-24T09:33:49.860-07:002020-08-24T09:33:49.860-07:00Wonderful explanation here. You are absolutely cor...Wonderful explanation here. You are absolutely correct that, by spending time and energy on keeping up with the bulk translation market, we risk missing out on opportunities within the premium market. It also appears that the premium market has a more nuanced understanding of the true value of high-quality translation and localization. As you say, "expert human input". Great post.Alison Trujillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13753115823930325769noreply@blogger.com