Proofreading - What is the going rate in Warsaw?

vndunneThreads: 72 Posts: 340 Joined: Jan 12, 07 ♂	Oct 3, 11, 22:04 #1
Hi. I remember seeing a thread covering this topic some time ago but I have been unable to locate it. Can anyone tell me what the going rate for proofreading in warsaw is? Thanks vincent

PWEIThreads: 5 Posts: 894 Joined: Jul 28, 11 ♂	Oct 3, 11, 22:07 #2
Depends on how long the text is, what the text is, when the deadline is, who the client is, etc etc etc.

vndunneThreads: 72 Posts: 340 Joined: Jan 12, 07 ♂	Oct 3, 11, 22:09 #3
Thanks for the reply. And how does all that affect the price? Is it by page/ word etc? Any indicative prices? Thanks

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂ [Suspended]	Oct 3, 11, 22:14 #4
Any indicative prices? What I'd do (personally) would be to contact as many people offering the service as possible, give them a sample text and see what they quote you. It's probably the quickest way to find out what the score is :)

♂

Edited by: PWEI Oct 3, 11, 22:15 #5

Well, if it is a 100 page translation of a biochemistry report which was done by a half-arsed translator who had no understanding at all of the concepts, it is going to take far longer and so you want more money for it. If the client expects you to do 16-hour days in order to hit their deadline, that will also require more money.

As for billing, it is always always always per 1,600 character page (including spaces) or stretch that to 1,800.

You probably want at least 20zl per page (standard rate would be about four pages per hour).

dtaylor5632Threads: 49 Posts: 4,459 Joined: May 2, 09 ♂	Oct 3, 11, 22:19 #6
You probably want at least 20zl per page (standard rate would be about four pages per hour). Or undercut everyone and do it for 15z per 1600 IF you have a big enough client base and steady work coming in...

♂

Oct 3, 11, 22:23 #7

dtaylor5632
Or undercut everyone and do it for 15z per 1600 IF you have a big enough client base and steady work coming in...

That is by no means undercutting everybody: I know one guy who charges as little as 7zl per 1,800 characters.

The thing is, companies are starting to realise that, as with language lessons, with proofreading you get what you pay for. With that in mind they are willing to pay four times more than they can pay.

♂

Oct 3, 11, 22:38 #8

The thing is, companies are starting to realise that, as with language lessons, with proofreading you get what you pay for.

Exactly. There are a few ways to go about it. Undercutting everyone could cause too much of a stir. Charge too much and you will only shoot yourself in the foot in the long term. When I was in that game I had contracts with larger companies such as Onet, Real and Polmos. Apart from being friends with the owners/directors I also gave them a "double proof read" (in basic terms I outsourced the work to others for 7pln per 1600 and afterwards done the double checking myself). There is money to be made in it, but it takes a long time before you get the proper money earners. My ex fiance basically budgeted me down to one spreadsheet. 4000pln for teaching (not full time) 8000pln for proofreading (not including what I was paying out) and 7000pln for Electrolux. If I met those targets she might even let me in bed :D:D

P.s Before anyone starts, writing on an internet forum and proofreading while getting paid are two totally different things ;)

vndunneThreads: 72 Posts: 340 Joined: Jan 12, 07 ♂	Oct 3, 11, 23:00 #9
Hey. Thanks for all that. Good to have a bit of an idea what is going on in proofreading world.!! Vince

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂ [Suspended]	Oct 3, 11, 23:02 #10
I must say it - I have great respect for anyone who can do this on a consistent, regular basis. It's not for me at all, but I can respect the concentration required to do a bloody good job.

♂

Oct 5, 11, 18:02 #11

Depends on how long the text is, what the text is, when the deadline is, who the client is, etc etc etc.

I charge by the hour. If you charge by the character, you can find yourself struggling with some godawful rubbish for ages and then getting paid very little. I cooperate with three or four translation agencies and they are fine with the arrangement.
Which agencies and how much do I charge? Ah, well. That would be telling.

PWEIThreads: 5 Posts: 894 Joined: Jul 28, 11 ♂	Oct 5, 11, 18:34 #12
If you charge by the character, you can find yourself struggling with some godawful rubbish for ages and then getting paid very little. On the other hand, you can find yourself flying through a press release in five minutes and getting paid for half an hour's work. Swings and roundabouts.

♂

Edited by: teflcat Oct 5, 11, 22:33 #13

(Laboriously quoting PWEI due to the petulant adherence of the admin to a bad idea) On the other hand, you can find yourself flying through a press release in five minutes and getting paid for half an hour's work. Swings and roundabouts.

True enough. You have to be flexible, reputable and available. Once you've earned a good reputation, serendipitous little jobs that pay well for little work fall like manna from heaven. Not as often as I'd like, unfortunately, but yes, they do brighten your day when they pop up.

♂ [Suspended]

Edited by: delphiandomine Oct 5, 11, 22:37 #14

True enough. You have to be flexible, reputable and available. Once you've earned a good reputation, serendipitous little jobs that pay well for little work fall like manna from heaven. Not as often as I'd like, unfortunately, but yes, they do brighten your day when they pop up.

Sounds good, where do I sign up?

(on second thoughts, no...it would drive me insane - I'll stick to shouting at kids to behave)

It sounds like everything else in Poland - do a good job and the work will come, but do a bad job and word will travel fast.

♂

Oct 5, 11, 22:49 #15

Sounds good, where do I sign up?

Ah, now that would be telling.

(on second thoughts, no...it would drive me insane - I'll stick to shouting at kids to behave)

I don't think there are many who proofread for a living. I mostly teach but it's interesting to get pr jobs in different areas. I do a lot of pharmaceutical and medical stuff, as well as just about everything else, and I've learned a lot by doing it.

do a good job and the work will come, but do a bad job and word will travel fast.

That's about the size of it.

♀

Dec 19, 11, 21:48 #16

Guys, if you want to embark on this lucrative career, I happen to own the domain name proofreading.pl and am willing to part with it. The .pl extension is the most valued one in Poland and google treats it accordingly. So in practice, with that domain name, you are buying number one place in google results for the term "proofreading" (unless the Wikipedia entry comes up first...) Also, such domain is a statement of who the ultimate go to daddy in proofreading business in Poland is :)
BTW the .pl domain sale transaction is quite swift and paper work free - I will guide you through it. If you need advice on choosing hosting in Poland, I may be of help too.

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