NOW Translations - Language Translation

How Long and How Much?

And Why We Give Free Quotes!

818.716.9112

Great turn-around time and excellent prices! Why didn't you tell me about NOW Translations before?

This page covers how long a given project takes to translate. It also covers what a project might cost. Ticklish subjects.

And you know that while some agencies promise you the moon, others want you to now the facts. We fall under the latter category.

You probably don't want to hear it takes X amount of days to localize (even though you know in your heart it's true); your boss or your client needs it NOW (hey, isn't that where we come in?).

To gain a little experience yourself on what it's like to be a translator, don't forget to visit this page: Find out what it's like to be a translator.

There are Three Dictums We Like to Follow:

1	Life is basically simple
2	It takes longer than you think
3	Preparation is the best band-aid

What follow are the times it takes to handle the various stages of transforming one language into another. Don't worry, you'll have other people saying they can do it in half the time. And maybe they're right! But we're talking about one translator and one editor at the very least. If you have a very large project, we can put more translators on the project, but keep in mind that this is like putting more writers on the same novel; they don't all have the same style, the same sense of timing, the same sense of what the reader wants. In other words, it will read (and sound) as though it was done by more than one person. Not too good.

Translating

Technical, Lists, Software Strings	200 words per hour 200
Advertising	200 words per hour
General	Preparation is the best band-aid

Editing

Technical, Lists, Software Strings	500 words per hour (inc.: incorporating changes and a spell check)
Advertising	500 words per hour (inc.: incorporating changes and a spell check)
General	750+ words per hour (inc.: incorporating changes and a spell check)

Proofing

Most Subjects

1500+ words per hour (may take longer if lists, numbers, tables are involved)

Coordination

Most Subjects

Depends on size of project, keying, phone calls, detail verification by client

Caveat
If the original document is poorly written or uses a lot of jargon (or both), this slows down the translation process. These "challenges" affect editing and proofing as well.

Overwriting an Existing File (primarily word processing documents) and Desktop Publishing (primarily InDesign, Xpress, PageMaker, Frame, etc., files)

Overwriting Simple	Text with an occasional graphic, no call-outs, no charts or tables: 4-6 pages/hour
Overwriting Moderate	Text with occasional tables, call outs, minor bit-map or EPS retouching: 2-3 pages/hour
Overwriting Difficult	Text with many graphics, call outs, charts, etc.: .5-1 page/hour
Creating From Scratch	Depends on complexity of original page, need for scanning, readability of original; this will invariably more expensive than overwriting an existing file.

Caveat
If the original document has pages which had no styles or did not adhere to style sheets; if the layout had DTP errors (formatted using space bar instead of proper tabs, forced returns, non-contiguous text flow, etc.) this affects the time it takes to localize the DTP for a document.

We Want it Yesterday
In the 40s, a staff composer at a big Hollywood studio was given a tough deadline. "How can I create a good score by this time?" he asked the studio's music director. The director replied, "They don't want it 'good. 'They want it Thursday."

Of course, the studio really did want it good. Had the composer taken "they don't want it good" to heart, he'd be out of a job. So he delivered the best he could in the time allowed, all the while wishing he'd been given the film earlier, ensuring not just a met deadline, but better quality, and fewer trips for ice packs and aspirin. Translation agencies are often asked to produce quality work with time-bending schedules. Tight deadlines are sometimes impossible to avoid, but it will help our clients plan their projects when they understand how long quality translations take.

Say you have a user's manual that's 140 pages incorporating 40,000 words. For technical copy, a translator who's knowledgeable about your technology averages about 200 words an hour (general copy, by the way ranges from 200 - 500 words per hour, depending on the complexity of the text, or to put it more honestly, how well the text was written).

This means the translator needs 200 hours on the project. Just as a writer doesn't spend all of his time writing, the translator doesn't spend all of her time translating. Among her duties:

1	original and target texts must be continuously compared
2	books, periodicals, and your company glossaries, sales sheets, and advertising must be referenced
3	conceptual and usage questions must be addressed
4	technical contacts within your company may need to be consulted

When Roger told me he was saving money by using a full-service agency, I had no idea!

How Much?
Ah, the age-old question, what will it cost? And better still, can I have it tomorrow?

"Translation is expensive." This quote is from Developing International User Information; A Digital Guide; Digital Press, 1992. Is it true? And if it's true, why does it cost so much (and how can I make it affordable). Fear not, we're going to answer those questions.

What's the Fundamental Unit for Costing Translations
First-time shoppers for translations invariably think that agencies figure projects by the paragraph or the page. Translation costs and times are calculated by the word. Why not by the page? A page can have any number of words, from a few to a thousand.

What? No Price Lists?
Every job is different which is why we don't publish prices. We need to get detailed information from the client before we can give you an accurate (and we mean accurate - no one likes surprises) proposal.

We liken it to trying to order a tailor-made suit over the phone. The tailor knows you're in the market for a suit, but what do you look like; what are your measurements; what kind of fabrics do you like (or are allergic to); full lining or half; do you need a little leeway in the pants…? You get the idea.

The GRATIS Part
Still, you want to know what a project will cost you and we want to be accurate in our numbers. That's why NOW Translations offers free quotes. All quotes are based on word counts (supplied by the client or done by us), subject matter, the target market and language, etc. If possible, we like to see what the original looks like, especially if there's desktop publishing, film output, or other such elements involved. All of this helps us give you an dependable proposal. It can also lets us get some ideas of how the project can be done more economically for you, something you can't get out of a price list.

Non-Disclosure
If the material you need quoted on is of a sensitive nature, please have us sign a non-disclosure agreement concerning the project.

We're Happy to Tell You What Your Project Doesn't Cost
It isn't free. If someone tells you they're going to "throw in" the translations if they're allowed to distribute the product, you might want to ask them if they think you're an idiot. You've seen above how many hours go into doing a project. Who does this for "free"?

It isn't available for minimum wage, either. Keep in mind that "professional" level language people make real wages, just as writers, artists, and sales personnel do. They don't work cheap (and we'd be suspicious if they did).

Getting an Idea of a Project's Price
If you're required to get more than one quote for a project (not a bad idea), we recommend you contact at least four different companies around the country. All of the agencies should make proposals which are close in price.

If one agency comes in too low or one is too high, you might want to make sure that agency understood what you wanted. Don't automatically go with the cheapest agency (there's that word, "cheap") or even avoid an agency because you're afraid those low prices mean a lack of quality. You also don't want to instantly pass on the higher priced agency. If there's any major quote discrepancy, contact the agencies again to make sure then understood everything involved in the project.

NOW Translations keeps an eye on your projects, no matter the size, from start to finish.