How many words have I translated total? Thread poster: Jenny Nilsson
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A potential new client wants to know how many words I've translated in total as a translator. I have not kept track of this. I've worked in several software, online and offline, so I probably can't even guess the amount.
Is it common to count the words you have translated? Or have you encountered a client who wants to know?
| | | | | Yearly total of words | Sep 26, 2019 |
I’ve been translating for over 30 years and I was asked that question for the first time some ten years ago, since then I make my total at the end of each year on the base of the total of words invoiced. It’s quite easy with an Excel spreadsheet.
| | | | Lincoln Hui 
Hong Kong
Local time: 07:53
Member
Chinese to English
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| How many words have I translated? | Sep 26, 2019 |
Do you remember how many pieces of bread you've eaten?
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 01:53
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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| Some clients believe... | Sep 26, 2019 |
jentranslation wrote:
A potential new client wants to know how many words I've translated in total as a translator.
Some clients believe translators keep track of all sorts of things, e.g. how many words for which and which end-clients, what various kinds of documents, and how many words of each, etc., etc. Well, most of us don't keep track of that. So, just estimate very broadly.
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Jenny Nilsson
Sweden
Local time: 01:53
English to Swedish
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TOPIC STARTER | Excel is easy and stuff ;) | Sep 26, 2019 |
Teresa Borges wrote:
I make my total at the end of each year on the base of the total of words invoiced. It’s quite easy with an Excel spreadsheet.
Yeah, that'll work! Not looking forward to tallying it all up manually though.
| | | | Jenny Nilsson
Sweden
Local time: 01:53
English to Swedish
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TOPIC STARTER | Not keeping track so.. | Sep 26, 2019 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
... just estimate very broadly.
Estimating broadly might be my cup of tea. Cheers.
| | | | Jenny Nilsson
Sweden
Local time: 01:53
English to Swedish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Lincoln Hui wrote:
Do you remember how many pieces of bread you've eaten?
If only...
| | | | | (Annual bottom line, i.e. net sales less business expenses before taxes +10%)/0.09 currency units pw | Sep 26, 2019 |
For example, (€ 65,000+10%)/€ 0.09 = 794,444 words translated in that year.
As a very rough guesstimate. (The guesstimate will easily be out by, say, 100,000 words, in particular if you edit third-party translations a lot or still have many direct customers.) Works with CHF, GBP, USD and EUR as long as you reside in the respective currency zone but probably not with AUD, NZD, CAD, JPY, CNY, HKD, NOK, SEK, PLN and TRY.
I cannot vouch for this formula as it's only hom... See more For example, (€ 65,000+10%)/€ 0.09 = 794,444 words translated in that year.
As a very rough guesstimate. (The guesstimate will easily be out by, say, 100,000 words, in particular if you edit third-party translations a lot or still have many direct customers.) Works with CHF, GBP, USD and EUR as long as you reside in the respective currency zone but probably not with AUD, NZD, CAD, JPY, CNY, HKD, NOK, SEK, PLN and TRY.
I cannot vouch for this formula as it's only home-grown.
[Edited at 2019-09-26 16:21 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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James Heppe-Smith
Türkiye
Local time: 02:53
German to English
Moderator of this forum
If you have records of your translation income over the past few years and know your per word rate, you can probably make a good estimation.
Cannot say I have ever been asked for this particular information though. I could work it out from my invoices which mostly have the number of words listed. Would be a pain though.
Good luck with the prospective customer.
| | | | | Been translating for nearly twenty years, and... | Sep 26, 2019 |
... I think I've been asked this question once!
My advice would be to guess.
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 00:53
Member (2007)
English
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| Professionals associations often want to.know | Sep 26, 2019 |
I was asked by a translators' association years ago. That's when I started to maintain an excel sheet that automatically calculates all sorts of things. As well as grand total there are totals per main clients, main subject areas and service type. It also calculates words per hour and rate per hour. I use it to populate my invoices so it isn't really an overhead at all.
| | | | Gitte Hovedskov (X)
Denmark
Local time: 01:53
English to Danish
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| I don't need to know | Sep 27, 2019 |
My approach to business is the old KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. (Speaking to myself, here, no offence intended).
I only keep track of things that are relevant to me, and I don't need to know the exact (or even rough) number of words that I have translated over the last 20 years. I'm really only interested in the bottom line: How much do I earn?
Why would I bother to maintain spreadsheets with such data? Just in case a potential client wants to know? In my book, it is e... See more My approach to business is the old KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. (Speaking to myself, here, no offence intended).
I only keep track of things that are relevant to me, and I don't need to know the exact (or even rough) number of words that I have translated over the last 20 years. I'm really only interested in the bottom line: How much do I earn?
Why would I bother to maintain spreadsheets with such data? Just in case a potential client wants to know? In my book, it is enough to state that I have worked full-time as a professional translator for 20 years, which is what I tell potential clients if they ask. ▲ Collapse
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