Translation: How to save Time & Money on Translation Jobs

Here are a few tips that will allow you to get top quality translation services without breaking the bank.

• Only translate what is necessary – Before anything else, check if the foreign language version you need doesn’t already exist.
  
  
• Write in a clear and concise style - Don’t oversimplify, but don’t over-elaborate. Use plain English, avoid multiple metaphors, complicated colloquialisms and unnecessary jargon. If need be, rewrite your text.
  
  
• Only send final versions – Tracking last-minute changes is not only a time-consuming and costly chore, it is also prone to errors.

• Always send the source documents when requesting a quote - It will allow the translation company to make an accurate estimate based on the amount of words. Just mentioning "about 10 pages" on the phone puts you at risk to end up with a quote plummeting at twice the price you were told initially.
  
  
• Always request a detailed quote beforehand and read it thoroughly. Look for hidden costs, check the deadlines and make sure you receive the deliverables you need.
  
  
• The price should at least include translation and editing, one set of corrections, the project management costs and the storage of your source and target material on a secure server.
  
  
• Make sure the translators are native speakers living in the country of the target language and that an editor checks every translation (most often a senior translator) for accuracy, terminology, style and typos.
  
  
• Send lots of relevant documentation - Your corporate brochure, company specific terminology, previously translated documents, glossaries, links to you website and industry related resources. It will all help.
  
  
• Be specific about what you want – Who is the target? What about the context? What is the final format? A trade fair, a corporate brochure, a website? The more you provide details, the better chance that the end result will match your expectations. Issues like copyright, ownership of translation memory and non-disclosure should also be taken care of beforehand.
  
  
• Be ready to answer questions – Even if the project team who is in charge of your document is familiar with your specific industry, some questions will arise: should the function names be translated or not, what about specific in-house terminology, etc. This is especially true for large corporations.
  
  
• Be ready to review and validate the translation - Good translation companies include a set of corrections in their prices.
  
  
• Be realistic about deadlines - Translators are skilled experts who love words and want to make sure you get value for money. Producing a good translation takes time so don’t rush them if it’s not necessary! (And let’s not forget the additional 30% for rush jobs). The rule of thumb for non-urgent assignments is about 2,500 words per day and one additional day for quality control.
  
  
• Think twice before you use online machine translation tools, especially for texts that are intended for publication. Currently, these tools mostly produce surrealist gibberish. And if you do, by all means have the result properly edited before you publish it if you don’t want to end up in the middle of a PR minefield.
  
  
• ... And remember - the most expensive translation is the one with a mistake!