How to become a freelance translator and make money
Are you bilingual? If so, have you considered making money from your ability to speak two different languages fluently?
Translating is a great way to earn extra money, and people are looking for genuine translators rather than using google translate.
What does a translator do?
Translation can cover anything. You can translate documents, reports, audio; you name it. Here are some of the things you can be expected to do when it comes to translation:
- Transcription
- Subtitling
- Proofreading
- Document formatting
Here are some of the document types customers may require you to work on:
- Medical documents
- Legal documents
- Marketing documents
- Amazon listings
- Blog posts
- Business plans
- Web pages
- Books
- Brochures
- Apps
How much you can make
When it comes to selling gigs on Fiverr, you can expect to make between $5 – $580 with translation, but these prices vary on the plans you offer.
As you can set your own prices it’s really up to you. Start lower to get traction and reviews and gradually increase your prices as you get more work.
However, charging on the much higher end of the scale might put potential customers off because they are looking for affordable options.
If you are aiming to charge more for your services, then being reputable and selling on your own Shopify site will be a better bet.
Where to find business
You can sell your services on places like Fiverr, on your own Shopify site, or your blog. Furthermore, you can also look around for freelance opportunities if you want something a bit more permanent but still flexible.
How soon you can make money
You can make money as soon as someone purchases your services. However, when you sell on Fiverr, your earnings will only be released once the customer is happy with the outcome.
Sometimes Fiverr will hold on to your earnings for a week or two for a grace period.
What tools you need
When it comes to offering translation services, people are more than likely looking for an accurate human translation with quirks and all.
It’s common knowledge that online translators and tools don’t offer an exact representation of the translated message someone is trying to convey.
In this instance, you are best avoiding tools and going by your knowledge and fluency of the language.
What experience you need
You might not need the expertise to start with when it comes to selling your translation services, but you do have to be fluent.
What we mean here is that you shouldn’t rely on your high school French or German to scrape you through a professional document that needs to be translated.
It’s so vital that you are genuinely fluent in the language you are offering.
Courses and books to help you
Let’s take a look at some of the things that might help you when it comes to offering your translation skills.
The courses listed below will help teach you how to use your translation skills to generate business and become a successful freelance translator:
- How to be a Successful Freelance Translator
- How to Quote for a Translation Job
- The Business Side to Becoming a Successful Translator
There are also some fascinating reads out there than might be able to help you break into the freelancing world of translation:
- How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator
- Secrets of six-figure translators: The essential guide to running a successful freelance business
- Marketing Cookbook for Translators
- How to Become a Translator – Breaking into the freelance translation business
- The Entrepreneurial Linguist: The Business-School Approach to Freelance Translation
How to promote your services
When it comes to promoting your services, there are several ways you can do this:
- You can advertise for free on social media
- Use your accounts and followers to share and help
- You can use paid ads on social media.
- Use optimized, targeted SEO
- Pay for Google Ads
Fancy giving it a go?
If you are fluent in a second language and want to put those skills to good use, then offering your translation skills to make money is a great way to start.
Starting on Fiverr is always a good idea. Especially when you are beginning as you don’t need to invest as much time and effort to kick start your side gig. Fiverr is also an excellent place to test run how things might work for you.
