Planning and pricing

Like any other professional service, translation benefits from planning, and from adequate time and resources. Of course, tight deadlines and surprise requirements are a fact of life, and flexibility is important. But planning what can be planned helps maximize quality and frees up time to deal with the unexpected. The following tips – distilled from many years’ experience – may help you in this process.

Advance notice

Please help me to help you by contacting me as soon as you know a text or project will need translation, even if the source text isn’t ready yet or you don’t yet have all the information. This allows me to reserve capacity for you while we plan and prepare the project and handle the commercial aspects.

Pricing and quotations

I price translations by the line or by the hour, or as a mix of the two, as appropriate. Please contact me if you would like a cost estimate or quotation for a particular project. Where possible, I also agree standard pricing arrangements with long-standing clients, saving time and effort on both sides.

Translation inquiry checklist

Having as much as possible of the following information at your fingertips will help me respond to you as quickly as possible. Of course, not all answers may be available at the beginning or be relevant for all jobs. Nevertheless, the checklist below will streamline the process for you.

Please let me know:

  • The subject of the text to be translated
  • The target audience and objectives
  • The planned volume/length (the total number of characters with spaces)
  • The desired delivery date
  • File types and any preparatory work required
  • The current draft of the text, if possible
  • How elements such as graphics or tables should be dealt with
  • Change management arrangements for texts in process
  • Query handling procedures and contacts
  • Proofreading requirements for layout versions
  • Any past versions, reference materials, or other resources
  • Any other wishes