FAQ

.You may have some doubts or be unfamiliar with the process of hiring a professional translator, especially if this is the first time you do it. That is why I have compiled some information that I think you will find useful about how I work and what the services I offer comprise.

 

How is the process of hiring my services?

.The hiring of my language services usually involves three phases:

1. Budget preparation phase.

  • I ask the client for prior information about the project to be translated.
  • I check the quality of the writing, and the consistency, difficulty and length of the document.
  • I communicate some initial observations to the client if necessary: inconsistencies, additional problems in working with the file, how to deal with questionable text passages, etc.
  • I draw up a no obligation quote indicating the best price and delivery time (all quotations are valid for 30 days).

.Once you have accepted the quote and the conditions of the service, the next step begins:

2. Working phase.

  • If necessary, I gather information before I start translating.
  • I start translating according to the client’s instructions.
  • In some cases I will ask you to clarify some doubts, for example if the original text is not clearly formulated.
  • I carry out two reviews of the work done.

3. Delivery phase.

  • I send you the translation and the invoice, and I remain at your disposal to answer any questions you may have about the work delivered.

What does orthotypographical and style correction involves?

.Orthotypographical correction is used to correct spelling mistakes and typographical errors (misuse of hyphenation, italics, capital letters, inverted commas, etc.). In simple words, it aims to detect typos and, as such, it is an objective activity. Therefore the errors are tangible and beyond dispute.

.Style correction is used to ensure that a text makes and is coherent, always bearing in mind that the result must comply with the author’s intention, which is why it requires careful and critical reading. It also includes the correction of grammatical errors and the adaptation of vocabulary, and is a very delicate subjective activity that is often complemented by the intervention of the client himself, who approves or rejects the changes.

What is proofreading and how does it differ from correction?

.Proofreading usually involves the revision of the final text (the translation) and, in addition, its comparison against the original text.

.Correction, whether orthotypographical or stylistic, is carried out without the need to compare the original text with the final text.

.As these services are billed by the hour, you can order one or both depending on your needs, although to guarantee a quality job I recommend ordering both services.

.All the translations entrusted to me are delivered proofread and corrected.

What is localisation?

.Generally speaking, to localise a product is to adapt it so that it is a good fit for a particular market. In the translation sector, localising a text means modifying it so that it is understood by the target market. A good example would be the localisation into Spanish of advertising brochures for a Mexican company that manufactures plastic packaging and wishes to have a presence in the Spanish market. Localisation is a service often used in video games, subtitling and dubbing, software, product documentation, etc.

What are your rates and other working conditions?

.In the no obligation quote you receive, I will indicate the rates applied, as well as the conditions of the service (method and term of payment). The quote is valid for 30 days and you are under no obligation to accept it.

How do you calculate a quote?

.For translations, it is usual to do a word count of all the documents to be translated and multiply the sum by the price per source word.

.For proofreading, revisions and editing I apply an hourly rate.

How do you calculate the hourly rate?

.It is better understood with an example. Let’s suppose you assign me the correction of an article.

.If I consider your text to be of standard or good quality during the preliminary verification, I will send you a quote with a fixed price that includes the price per hour, the final price and the total number of hours worked.

.If the quality of the text is poor, I will warn you about in the quote and about the fact that the text requires a work time that is impossible to quantify in advance. I will therefore send you a non-binding estimate.

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