TRANSLATION INDUSTRY UPDATES June 2023

What to do when you have to much to do

When you work freelance every day is different, but while there is so much to be said for the freedom and flexibility of self-employment, one of its most notorious drawbacks is the so-called ‘feast or a famine’ cycle, meaning that we either have more work than we’re able to cope with - or barely any work to do at all.

In this month’s translation industry updates, we’ll be sharing some tips on coping with either side of the cycle, starting with what to do when you have too much to do. This might happen if you’re reluctant to let a client down; you’ve been presented with several interesting projects that are all exciting to you; or if you have money worries or have previously been burned by the ‘famine’ side of the freelancer cycle. 

Firstly, always be realistic about what you can accomplish, both time-wise and quality-wise. If you really don’t think that you will be able to finish a job to a high enough standard in the time frame that’s been quoted to you, try to negotiate (before you accept and start work on the project, of course). Often, deadlines can be open to some level of negotiation and clients can accommodate you, but it’s best to be transparent about this from the outset. If the worst happens and you realise that you won’t be able to meet the deadline on a project that you’ve already started, advise your clients sooner rather than later. 

If you’re really struggling to complete a lot of projects, it’s understandable that you might need to take a more pragmatic approach and not re-read or re-edit work as many times as you would normally do (assuming that you’re a perfectionist, as many translators are). However, don’t turn anything in that does not meet the expected standards of quality, since this will not only harm your relationship with your client, but also your likelihood of being offered future work. Most freelancers have probably had the experience of overestimating how much they could accomplish, turning in work that they realised is less than their best, and then risking being pulled up on it. In some ways, this is a natural part of the freelancer learning curve, but if you ever find yourself falling into this trap then make sure to apologise, learn from the experience, and try to avoid repeating it in future.

If you have work coming in from several different sources and you know that you can’t accept all of it, try to prioritise the clients that you have the best relationship with or that are most likely to offer you ongoing work in the future. One of the reasons that freelancers find themselves taking on an unrealistic amount of work is the fear that clients will move on and start offering work to other people. This is a very real and rational fear to have, but always try to balance this against the need to ensure a good level of quality, and to safeguard your own wellbeing. 

This leads us onto our next point: the importance of looking after yourself during peak periods, and giving yourself time to rest, relax, and spend time on activities that you enjoy. Although most people have probably pulled all-nighters at some point, this isn’t a sustainable practice in the long run, and after a certain point the benefit of spending extra time on your work will be cancelled out by difficulties in focusing. Always remember to take breaks, even if you feel like you don’t have time to or you don’t think you need to, and try to change your environment every so often, even if that’s only by taking a short walk or sitting in a library or café for a while. 

Lastly, as paradoxical as it may sound, there’s something to be said for enjoying the satisfaction of having a lot of projects to work on. Not having enough work to do can arguably feel as stressful as being overworked, just in a different way. Luckily, in the next half of our article which will be published next month, we’ll be talking about how to make productive use of quieter spells.

Stay tuned!