As a freelancer at ProZ.com, you have the option to include rates. Some do, some do not.
In a previous ProZ.com Facebook group discussion, Andrew Morris suggested that he always preferred not to in the early days when seeking out new clients all the time, because some clients surprise you by offering you more than you’d have naturally stated.
That seems like a simple explanation for one side of the debate.
When it comes to WHAT your rates are – there are a whole load of factors of course. Your country, your combination, your experience, your market, your self-view.
At ProZ.com, the relationship is between the translator and outsourcer. Whatever rates are decided are up to you.
Outsourcers, of course, may not waste any time on those who do not publish rates. If you do not fit into their budget, or even seem too low-priced, they may move onto other options.
There are also benefits on the ProZ.com platform for establishing your rate range. You will not be bothered with notifications for jobs below your minimums. You will also be able to compare your rates with aggregated data from other pros working in your language pairs
Also, you supply valuable information that will be used in educating clients. For example, if a client wants to post a job at inhumane rates, they will be presented with data showing the percentage of pros who are not willing to work at that rate. This helps to head off unreasonable offers.
Do you think it’s a good idea your clients can see your rates before you even begin discussing the work?
See the Facebook post and comments that inspired this blog post
Other resources at ProZ.com might help with your rates decision: