How many languages can I translate into?
Personally, 3, but with my highly-talented pool of freelance translators, we can cover more than 10 : French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Swedish, Turkish, Greek, Portuguese, Polish and also more exotic languages like Simplified Chinese and Arab.
How long does translation take?
Once you get in touch I check the availability of my translators, but usually we turn your translations around in 10 days to two weeks.
I translate about 200 words/hour but this figure can vary quite considerably depending on the difficulty of the text, the quality of the document supplied, the format used…By the way: how long did it take YOU to write the source text? That will give you an estimate of how long it takes to translate, especially if transcreation comes into play.
How is translation priced?
Translation is normally priced on a per word basis. My software will segment your text into sentences, count the words and match your text against my Translation Memory to make sure we have not already translated part of your document in previous assignments. Proofreadingis charged on an per word basis (about 1/3 of the price of translation), or on an hourly basis, depending which one is more advantageous for you. Watch out : if a translation is of really bad quality, the revision is not called proofreading anymore, but editing as it is not about doing a final check but more about giving a complete “lift” to your documents. Editing is normally priced according to the quality of the document you send me, on average it will cost you half of the translation price.
Transcreation (for your slogans, product names etc.) is charged on an hourly basis.
What are the possible formats?
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML. The translation of PDF files often requires additional work that can justify a price supplement. Therefore, I always recommend that you supply your files in the original format (Word, Excel,…)
How can I contribute?
If you already have a translated company brochure, internal glossaries or any information that you deem useful for me to know your company better, these will be useful to me. Always specify what type of audience you are targeting (is it a simple internal information or a text that will be published, an advert?) and allow sufficient time for your translation.
Why are your prices higher than some of other freelancers?
Because the rule is always the same: you get what you pay for. Because I work only with fully qualified translators that have a proven track record and work for prestigious clients. Because we all have tremendous experience not only of translating documents, but also of the ins and outs of business. Because we strive for perfection and we pride ourselves in delivering on time, even if that means going that extra mile that others are not ready to go. We’re not “nine to fivers”. And because you don’t want this (lost in translation!):
filleIn 2006, hair care company Clairol introduced a curling iron called the Mist Stick, which did very well in U.S. markets. When the company marketed the product in Germany, however, they failed to realize that “mist” means “manure” in German. Oddly enough, the “Manure Stick” didn’t sell so well in Germany.
And if you are not used to work with translators or if you still have questions, please read this very useful guide published by the ITI (Institute of Translators and Interpreters, London):
http://www.iti.org.uk/attachments/article/242/English.pdf