FAQ
Here are some questions you might have about working with me, or about buying translation services more generally.
Working with me
What exactly do your services cover?
My service details are as follows:
Translation:
I offer a translation service from most regional variations of French, Spanish and German into first-language English. I am also happy to work to your house style-guide or any other specific requirements.
For your reference, here is how I will approach your translation:
1. Review the project info and brief
2. Commence terminology research
3. Translation work (usually 2 – 3 drafts)
4. Check translation against original
5. Proofread translation as a standalone text
6. Deliver to client for approval
7. Note feedback and amendments for future projects
Proofreading/ Checking:
This involves comparing a translated, i.e. English-language document against its original. Where necessary, changes are made to the translated document to improve inaccuracies in spelling, punctuation, usage, grammar, capitalisation, and hyphenation, as well as inconsistencies in language, or omissions and additions. Minor textual and formatting difficulties are also resolved.
Editing/ revision:
This generally involves working with a translated, i.e. English-language document only, with a focus on making changes to improve stylistic elements such as clarity, coherence, cohesion and structure.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for more information, contact me now.
Why do you translate into English only?
My clients trust me to reproduce their message in a completely polished and fluent way.
Over a billion people can speak English, but that doesn’t mean they can write it well. It certainly doesn’t mean they can translate. Even within different variations of spoken English there are traps for the unwary - think Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, Meryl Streep in Evil Angels, or Angelina Jolie in Alexander. (Or just about anyone in Alexander, come to think of it).
That's why I specialise in English, and in creating just the right impact for English-speaking audiences.
If this sounds like overkill, or if you just need a general understanding of a foreign-language text, then you might prefer a free machine translator like Babelfish. However if you’re looking for a completely fluent, professional level of translation, then you need a professionally qualified, native-language translator.
If you need your message with all its nuances and complexities faithfully transmitted to an English-speaking audience, I'm your (wo)man.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for more information, contact me now.
For a detailed list of the kinds of translation projects I have worked on, see my Portfolio page.
For information on my working life prior to freelance translation, my LinkedIn profile lists key former employers back to 2001. As you can see, I have spent much of my professional life speaking to and writing for a range of clients in many spheres of industry, from small enterprises and national charities to large multinationals.
I am qualified and professionally experienced to offer top-quality translation services.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for more information, contact me now.
Where else can I read your work?
As a Qualified Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, I am required to treat all work in complete confidentiality and ensure that there is no disclosure of confidential material. This means I generally do not make my translations available online.
However if a client has chooses to make my translations public, I may link to them in my portfolio. You can also read some testimonials on my LinkedIn profile.
Finally you can see a sample of one particular style of writing at my award-winning professional blog for early to mid-career translators.
If you would like to discuss a particular style of translation, or for more information, contact me now.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Payment is generally required in advance by bank transfer to an Australian (dollar), Irish (euro) or UK (sterling) bank account. You will find my full bank details on your quote document or invoice.
I can also accept payments by PayPal. Please let me know if you would prefer this option when requesting a quote.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for more information, contact me now.
Why work with you instead of a translation agency?
I focus on what I'm good at.
I often work with companies who need a wide variety of language-related services. Although I can and do work with subcontractors when necessary, I usually prefer to do most tasks myself.
My hands-on approach means I do only what I'm really good at, and my clients benefit from this.
I’m small.
One reason I stay small is so I can work with a select number of clients. That way I can remain fully up-to-date on their area of business and produce work of which I am proud. In a largely agency-run industry, my clients appreciate this direct interaction and lack of management layer.
I’m quick off the mark.
I don’t need hand-holding or special attention. I ask the right questions then get on with it.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for more information, contact me now.
What do you need from me to do your job?
Any additional material related to or similar to the document you would like translated will help enormously with the translation process.
I can use these other documents to quickly gain context, get a clear idea of your company style and ensure the product I return to you integrates seamlessly into your document workflow.
As a Qualified Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists I am required to treat all your materials in complete confidentiality, so you can be sure that there will be no disclosure of confidential material.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for more information, contact me now.
What is included in your translation service?
There are several stages involved in carrying out a translation (see here for more information).
For most new projects, it's common for a good translator to divide their time more or less equally between researching, proofreading and actually translating. Many cheaper translation services cut corners on one or all of these stages, often resulting in a shoddy translation.
My translation service includes all these stages, plus some after-care in case you have any follow-up queries. In other words, you get a top-quality translation from an experienced professional AND top-quality service too.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for more information, contact me now.
Buying translation services
This depends on a few key factors.
To help build a quote I'll need to see your documents. I'll work out a rough word count, consider the formats and applications I'll be working with, as well as the way the language is used and the services you require. Then I'll calculate how long this will take and send you a free, no-obligation quote.
If your original documents aren't ready, I can provide you with an estimate instead.
My fees are open and transparent, and I'm always happy to discuss ways to manage a project so that it fits your budget and requirements.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for more information, contact me now.
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How quickly can you get it done?
This depends on my availability. Many clients book me several weeks before their original documents are ready for translation, just to be sure I can accommodate them.
If you have a hard deadline looming, it’s a good idea to let me know about it as soon as you do. That way I can clear a suitably-sized hole in my schedule and we can finalise specifics closer to the start date.
Of course it goes without saying that every project is different, and there are no hard and fast rules. But as a general indication, once work has actually started, I find a comfortable level of production for a translation is 1,500 - 2,000 words a day. Formatting or other services can add to the project time-frame.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for more information, contact me now.
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I need a certified translation. Can you help?
There are many different kinds of "certified" or "official" translations. The kind you need will depend on where and how you wish to use your translated document.
This can be a minefield for the translation buyer, so it is important that you are clear on exactly what kind of certification you require before commissioning a translator.
Unlike Belgium, France, Germany, or Spain for example, countries like the UK, US, Australia, and Ireland do not have a system of sworn translators.
If you are applying for an Australian visa, you may need a birth, marriage, divorce or death certificate translated and signed by a NAATI-accredited translator. If you are applying to study at an English university, then you may need a high school diploma or university degree translated and notarised. If you are presenting a document to a department within the British government, then a certified translation generally means a translation signed by a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists and an official letter stating it is a true translation.
There's more: in the United States, translators do not have to be certified by the American Translators Association in order to certify your translation. In Canada however, translators have to pass a certification exam and be a paid-up member of the translators' association in their province.
So as you can see, there are many different kinds of certification. You need to be sure that the translator you commission can provide exactly the kind of certification you need.
I am NAATI accredited in Australia and can provide NAATI-certified translations from French, Spanish and German into English. As a member of the CIOL, I can also certify official documents for use in the United Kingdom.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for any further information, contact me now.
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I need translations from more than one language. Can you help?
I specialise in translating from French, German and Spanish into English.
If your project includes other languages in addition to these, feel free to contact me to talk about how we can work together.
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I want to improve my online presence. Can you help?
I can help internationalise your online presence to create just the right impact among your target audience, and maybe even broaden that audience too.
For example, I can review your website, ebook or information product to ensure it is fully optimised for an international readership.
I can edit or translate blog posts in line with your company style or revise your employees' social media profiles, to ensure your message transcends national borders.
Alternatively, if you want to focus on a particular geographic region, I can offer a localisation service to ensure your language is specifically optimised for that audience.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for more information, contact me now.
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Where can I find out more about buying translation?
The Institute of Translating and Interpreting (ITI) has produced a booklet called Getting it Right: A Guide to Buying Translation. It is available as a free pdf download here.
You can also order hard copies of this booklet free of charge from the ITI office.
To start working together, to have a chat, or for more information, contact me now.
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