A few comments on
currently popular methods of calculating
charges for English editing and English translations:
For translation services, the following methods of calculating charges are usually employed: page count; line count; word count; or character count. But think about this for a few seconds: How can one base charges on word count, line count or page count? Words inherently vary in length, and lines and pages vary depending on numerous factors such as typeface, font style and size, character spacing, line spacing, indentations, tab settings, the formatting of paragraphs, margin settings and the method of alignment used (left, centered, justified).
The only way to cut through and neutralize all of these variables is to use a method which takes character count into consideration (i.e., defining a line as 55 characters and a page as a specific number of such lines) and sets charges on a per line or per page basis. Many professional translators and translation bureaus do exactly this, with the typical per-line charge ranging anywhere from CHF 3.50 to CHF 5.50+ per 55-60 character line of text. (It should be noted that quite often the spaces between words are also included in this character count.) Using this method, one can come up with a fairly exact estimate of what a particular translation is going to cost, though per-line charges tend to increase with the difficulty of the textual materials.
And for post-translation editing in the target language, additional charges will sometimes accrue at an hourly rate. Are you surprised that after paying for a translation you are then expected to pay even more to have it cleaned up? Unfortunately, simply translating words and phrases from one language into another often results in a hodgepodge of words which makes little sense and fails to convey the intended meaning. That is why professional editing is indispensable. And professional editors invariably charge by the hour, with their estimates consisting of guesswork as to how much time a particular project will take.
Confusing? You bet it is! So keep on reading to learn about our simple method of calculating charges for professional English editing and technical translation services.
How EnglishOnline.ch calculates charges for English editing and
technical English translation services:
For professional English editing and technical translations, we charge by the hour - not by the page count, line count, word count or character count. Our hourly rate starts at CHF 55.- and increases on up to CHF 95.-, depending on the technical difficulty of the textual materials being edited or translated (for example, a simple business letter would be charged at the lower end of this range, while a complicated legal contract would be charged at the higher end). We decline to differentiate our hourly charges for editing and translating, as we have found that translating technical materials into English involves extensive editing and, conversely, that professional editing often involves a process of reverse translation - to determine exactly what a person with a non-English mother tongue is trying to say. We adhere to the KISS principle: Keep It Simple Stupid! And to keep things as simple as possible, we keep track of the actual time spent on a project and charge for it at a fixed rate. But we do set some limits on how much we will charge for translation services.
To keep our translation charges within defined and predictable limits, we use a character count of your project to make a maximum charge calculation. We use word processing software (MS Word, WordPerfect, etc.) to run a character count (which does not count blank spaces!), then divide the result by 55 (the character per line figure), and finally multiple the number of lines by a per line charge of CHF 4.5. The resultant figure represents the maximum amount we will charge for the translation (including basic post-translation editing), unless you give us your express prior consent to exceed this figure (e.g., where the project involves highly technical materials and/or extensive post-translation editing).
Although some projects will be completed for less than the amount of the maximum charge calculation, the time required for any individual project will ultimately depend on the difficulty of the subject matter and the extent to which corrections, revisions and rewrites are required. If it becomes necessary to exceed the amount of the maximum charge calculation in order to complete your project, we will seek and obtain your express consent before continuing.
You should keep in mind that our hourly charge is not simply for translating - in many instances you can do that yourself by using one of the free online translation services offered by AltaVista and others (see our links page or e-mail us for a list of URLs for several of these services), or you can get a pretty decent translation by using professional translation software. The real work is in the editing, and that's why some translation services charge in excess of one hundred Franken per hour for editing in the target language (and remember - that's in addition to the charges for the translation itself!). But without good post-translation editing, you are likely to end up with garbled text that neither conveys your meaning nor reflects well on you, your business or your web or WAP site.
All of our English translations include basic post-translation editing. If more extensive editing is required, the above-referenced hourly rates will apply.
For all projects involving professional English editing, we can provide a rough estimate of the number of hours the project will likely require. However, to do this we will need to evaluate your textural materials and receive your input as to how "perfect" the final result must be. For instance, the text for an important public speech or a costly advertising campaign will likely merit considerably more "polishing" than would an ordinary business letter. But the final decision is always up to you. The only limitation we impose is that our minimum charge is for one hour's work.
So how do you find a good professional editor? It's sort of like finding a good novelist - you have to read something they've written. So if you can't find an example of their work on their web site, ask them for one. Then study it, or have someone whose mother tongue is English take a look at it. And if what they've written sounds at all strange to you, keep on looking. Because that's how your materials - your technical materials, advertisements, product brochures and web pages - are going to sound to others.
So wherever in this galaxy you wander:
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