Well, up until that point, yes. Paid well, interesting and substantial jobs, reasonable deadlines. Although I didn’t have a long track record with them at the point where I alienated them.

I don’t like feeling pushy, and in negotiations that can be a personality flaw (it’s kind of funny, because I have a 2-dan in judo and love slamming people on the mat; just not being pushy about it . I also hate haggling and such.

So my first reaction is always to think, “I’ll find a way to do this.” Over time, though, I’ve learned to shut my mouth and think it through. I have a job schedule, and always look at my schedule when I get a request. I make sure I can really do the job on time, adding personal/down time and a fudge factor.

As for the company that dumped you when you turned them down: in retrospect, was that the kind of client you wanted? In my experience, a company that makes one unreasonable demand will make more. They also use the foot-in-the-door technique[1]: once they’ve got you to make one concession, they’ll just pile them on (you give an inch, they take a mile…).

[1] I loved psychology class in college; they taught so many scams and cons. I think all the sleazy sales types must have also attended that class, and use it as a guide book.

I can think of one client where saying No to them one time cut me off from them permanently. The coordinator really leaned on me to take a job that was more than I could handle and out of me field. After I said No, I never heard from them again.

You might be the only translator blogging about it (until now), but it comes up all the time when I talk to other translators.

If your friend can work 20-hour days then retire after 10 years or so, more power to her. In my experience, however, people in their 20s tend to blow all the cash; then in your 30s and 40s the physical toll grows too heavy.