Poll: The translation industry is changing. 'll... Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "The translation industry is changing. 'll...".
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Since Covid work has been more irregular than ever, but I’m having an excellent month, so…
| | | | | Earning better than ever | Jul 9, 2025 |
If the second half of this year will be as good as the first, it'll be my best year ever.
| | | | Lingua 5B 
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 23:03
Ingiriisi to Faransiis
+ ...
| Incomplete poll question | Jul 9, 2025 |
Several recent poll questions tend to be incomplete with just half sentences prompting us to click the link in order to find out what it is all about. I won’t be clicking it unless I can get an idea of the theme/topic in advance.
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Josephine Cassar
Malta
Local time: 23:03
Member (2012)
Ingiriisi to Maltese
+ ...
| I don't know yet | Jul 9, 2025 |
I don't know what I'll do. One good month follows one slow month. This month, I'm not working as I fell and broke my right shoulder and I'm right-handed. I'm coping with the left side but I'm waiting for the operation when pain will re-increase-now it's not bad and I can wash myself and put on certain clothes and eat, but not everything as i cannot lift fork well with left hand. So certain translations are out if they have formatting or website checking and including. Pity I cannot swim and mayb... See more I don't know what I'll do. One good month follows one slow month. This month, I'm not working as I fell and broke my right shoulder and I'm right-handed. I'm coping with the left side but I'm waiting for the operation when pain will re-increase-now it's not bad and I can wash myself and put on certain clothes and eat, but not everything as i cannot lift fork well with left hand. So certain translations are out if they have formatting or website checking and including. Pity I cannot swim and maybe, not go abroad, so things are bit uncertain. Otherwise I had good months this year too but the months are unpredictable. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 23:03
Member (2020)
Faransiis to Dutch
+ ...
| ...hope to keep earning the same | Jul 9, 2025 |
With a mortgage and children following higher ecducation the coming years life is expensive and I have little choice but to keep earning more or less what I'm earning today. Until now: no problem, but I can't predict the future or suspect how things might turn out the coming years or even months (nil nove sub sole in that regard, though). All I know for sure is that my customers and their job offers are still there, for now, even to the extent that I'm still not forced to start looking for new c... See more With a mortgage and children following higher ecducation the coming years life is expensive and I have little choice but to keep earning more or less what I'm earning today. Until now: no problem, but I can't predict the future or suspect how things might turn out the coming years or even months (nil nove sub sole in that regard, though). All I know for sure is that my customers and their job offers are still there, for now, even to the extent that I'm still not forced to start looking for new customers.
After this expensive period I would probably be just fine with only half of the earnings I make today, but that would mean another 7 years of succesful fulltime translation. Might be a stretch. To be continued. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 23:03
Member (2020)
Faransiis to Dutch
+ ...
| Get well soon | Jul 9, 2025 |
Josephine Cassar wrote:
This month, I'm not working as I fell and broke my right shoulder and I'm right-handed. I'm coping with the left side but I'm waiting for the operation when pain will re-increase-now it's not bad and I can wash myself and put on certain clothes and eat, but not everything as i cannot lift fork well with left hand.
That's some bad news, particularly being a freelance translator. I wish you a speedy recovery.
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Get well soon!
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Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:03
Member (2014)
Japanese to Ingiriisi
| Precisely because the industry is changing... | Jul 9, 2025 |
... I don't know what will happen!
I can only express what I hope or believe will happen.
I hope to keep "earning well" and July/August are looking like big months after a quiet June, which was preceded by a busy May.
But I believe that certainty is not something you can expect in freelance translation markets, particularly when the economy as a whole is under pressure.
Dan
| | | | Luca Adie
Germany
Local time: 23:03
German to Ingiriisi
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| How long is a piece of string? | Jul 9, 2025 |
Luckily, I've not noticed a big change in my earnings. However, I have realised that my one big regular client is now not so regular: one job each in May and June, no project this month so far. But I've had work come in from a new agency and two new direct clients, so it all evens out.
Last year my main gallerist died so I don't sell as much art as I used to. I'm now thinking of more commerical series for an additional income.
I gave up on teaching, but some kind of po... See more Luckily, I've not noticed a big change in my earnings. However, I have realised that my one big regular client is now not so regular: one job each in May and June, no project this month so far. But I've had work come in from a new agency and two new direct clients, so it all evens out.
Last year my main gallerist died so I don't sell as much art as I used to. I'm now thinking of more commerical series for an additional income.
I gave up on teaching, but some kind of position may pique my interest at some point.
I'll most likely be translating for the next 5 years or so - by then, I would like to have transitioned into something else (language or art based, teaching, cultural, something where my soft skills are appreciated). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sinan Güldal
Türkiye
Local time: 00:03
Ingiriisi to Turkish
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| sick and tired! | Jul 9, 2025 |
i haven't earned decent money in few past years, i decided to pursue my writing life. and looking for jobs in video making, to do so i'm learning 3d animation and programming.
| | | | Oscar Núñez Alfaro
Costa Rica
Local time: 15:03
Member (Oct 2026)
Ingiriisi to Spanish
+ ...
| keep going specializing and diversifying my services to meet more clients. | Jul 9, 2025 |
One of my best students got sick and need to recover, so I am losing temporarily a great student and income for these couple of months. On the other hand, this situation gave me the opportunity to write some interesting blog posts about Latin American Spanish idioms, and learn more about translation, interpreting, and AI. In my country, we sometimes say "no hay mal que por bien no venga" (=there are bad things that happen for a good reason). So, I am really happy  ... See more One of my best students got sick and need to recover, so I am losing temporarily a great student and income for these couple of months. On the other hand, this situation gave me the opportunity to write some interesting blog posts about Latin American Spanish idioms, and learn more about translation, interpreting, and AI. In my country, we sometimes say "no hay mal que por bien no venga" (=there are bad things that happen for a good reason). So, I am really happy 
[Editado a las 2025-07-09 19:15 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 23:03
Spanish to Ingiriisi
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I actually reached retirement age a few years ago, but keep working because I enjoy my job and I think it keeps me mentally active, more or less. I never really worked with agencies, and am lucky enough to have a few legacy clients who provide me with enough work to make it worthwhile for me to keep going.
If I do have to stop working, it will be more due to health issues rather than lack of work. The year has had its ups and down so far, but the months of May and June were quite bu... See more I actually reached retirement age a few years ago, but keep working because I enjoy my job and I think it keeps me mentally active, more or less. I never really worked with agencies, and am lucky enough to have a few legacy clients who provide me with enough work to make it worthwhile for me to keep going.
If I do have to stop working, it will be more due to health issues rather than lack of work. The year has had its ups and down so far, but the months of May and June were quite busy, and I can't complain this month so far either. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Hasrina Munajat
Malaysia
Local time: 05:03
Ingiriisi to Malay
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | Translation industry is changing | Jul 12, 2025 |
Getting a genuine job offer is getting more challenging because scammers are impersonating legit agencies.
Even if there are legit job offers, the rate is unreasonably low.
| | | | | Scammers and AI | Jul 12, 2025 |
Hasrina Munajat wrote:
Getting a genuine job offer is getting more challenging because scammers are impersonating legit agencies.
Even if there are legit job offers, the rate is unreasonably low.
Yes, one of the changes I see regarding AI in the translation industry is that the number of scams has multiplied.
Now that scammers use AI, they have more options, so they can impersonate translation agencies, publishers, and software companies. It seems that scams are the biggest growth in the translation industry since AI involvement.
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