| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | How to rate a Proofreading Thread poster: Sérgio Santos
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Nicole Schnell 
United States
Local time: 14:27
English to German
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In memoriam | Technically, yes. | Jan 13, 2013 |
Kristian Andersson wrote: Christine Andersen wrote:
I have seen suggestion from a professional body in Denmark for a rate equivalent to about USD 88 or 66 Euros per hour - if you live in Denmark.
I know the Danes make a lot of money, and I have to admit that I'm not quite there yet! USD 88 x 40 hours x 48 weeks = USD 168,960 + 4 (unpaid) weeks off
However: You need to take all those countless hours into account that you spend on communicating with your client or writing invoices for this client. Example: You can not charge a client for 3,5 hours email exchange, yet you can not work on any other project during this time. Therefor those lost and unpaid hours must reflect in your overall hourly rates. Makes sense? Otherwise every second business would keel over in no time - death by email. You need to stay profitable as a business. You are not a temp worker or a day laborer.
| | | | | Nicole, I don't get it, please explain | Jan 13, 2013 |
Nicole Schnell wrote:
- Reviewing (monolingual): You will check facts, contents and figures by means of external sources to make sure that all information is up to date (example: stock market, forex rates, political developments or if Britney Spears is indeed still engaged.) About 60% of your translation rate.
How is this applicable to translation, i.e. a non-original text by definition?
If the original text states that a cucumber is "red with blue polka dots all over", you can't translate it as / correct it to read "dark green"...
| | | | | | | Erm. The asker's hourly rates? | Jan 13, 2013 |
Nicole Schnell wrote: LilianBoland wrote:
Usually 1,000 words of non-technical text can be edited within an hour -- sometimes slightly more, depending on how bad the original text is. I hope it is not related to post MT editing -- then sometimes the whole text has to be redone and the rate is very close to a regular translation rate.
Before taxes, using your very own equipment and your very own office space for which you pay rent? Why would you recommend such a dumping rate?
The rates listed in the asker's profile are EUR 20-25 per hour (approx. USD 26-33 per hour).
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Kay Denney
France
Local time: 23:27
French to English
| red cucumbers | Jan 13, 2013 |
Iza Szczypka wrote: Nicole Schnell wrote:
- Reviewing (monolingual): You will check facts, contents and figures by means of external sources to make sure that all information is up to date (example: stock market, forex rates, political developments or if Britney Spears is indeed still engaged.) About 60% of your translation rate. How is this applicable to translation, i.e. a non-original text by definition? If the original text states that a cucumber is "red with blue polka dots all over", you can't translate it as / correct it to read "dark green"...
But would you ever hand in a text with as glaring an error?
I would point the error out prior to delivery if it's important to the text, if correcting it then makes for a meaningless paragraph below it for example.
If it's a minor error, then I would highlight it in both source and target and either put a translator's footnote or explain in the e-mail when delivering, making sure that the client knows what to do whether they choose to have red or green.
And I would do it whatever my role is actually. If I'm only supposed to check the target file then I'll simply take that much longer to finish.
| | | | | I thought it was quite a high rate, in this terrible market -- about $320 a day.. | Jan 13, 2013 |
Nicole Schnell wrote: LilianBoland wrote:
Usually 1,000 words of non-technical text can be edited within an hour -- sometimes slightly more, depending on how bad the original text is. I hope it is not related to post MT editing -- then sometimes the whole text has to be redone and the rate is very close to a regular translation rate.
Before taxes, using your very own equipment and your very own office space for which you pay rent? Why would you recommend such a dumping rate?
Hi, Nicole. I thought it was a regular rate these days. Of course $45-60 might be better.
An average translation speed is not 1,000 words per hour -- by no means. I meant editing of quite well written text (translation) only. The average translation speed is usually 2,000-3,000 per eight hours.
[Edited at 2013-01-13 16:10 GMT]
[Edited at 2013-01-13 16:11 GMT]
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 14:27
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam | Hourly rate vs. rate per word | Jan 13, 2013 |
Christine Andersen wrote:
If you charge by the hour, then your rate is the same, no matter what you do.
It gets far more complicated if you start charging by numbers of words.
I charge per word only. For several reasons:
- The few agencies for whom I do proofreading/editing/reviewing deliver such a high quality that I would lose money by charging hourly rates because there is hardly anything to correct and I am done in no time, yet I have to read the same amount of text.
- I rarely charge per hour, except for research or consulting - for some reason I like the concept of measurable projects and results that allow me to assess profitability.
- I offer flat fees instead (example: "Dear client, I can do the translation / editing at a flat fee US $xxxx. Will this be OK with you?". For whatever reason, clients like that.
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 14:27
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam | Lilian is located in the US | Jan 13, 2013 |
TranslateThis wrote: Nicole Schnell wrote: LilianBoland wrote:
Usually 1,000 words of non-technical text can be edited within an hour -- sometimes slightly more, depending on how bad the original text is. I hope it is not related to post MT editing -- then sometimes the whole text has to be redone and the rate is very close to a regular translation rate.
Before taxes, using your very own equipment and your very own office space for which you pay rent? Why would you recommend such a dumping rate? The rates listed in the asker's profile are EUR 20-25 per hour (approx. USD 26-33 per hour).
$ 40 is extremely low for a self-employed person in the US.
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 14:27
English to German
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In memoriam | Reviser is indeed an internal position, if you sit in the client's office or not. | Jan 13, 2013 |
I have never been asked for revisions by any other than direct clients. Usually accompanied by a 20 - 30 pages contract for this kind of job.
| | | | | Clients do like a firm quote before they send you a PO and assign you the job | Jan 13, 2013 |
Nicole Schnell wrote:
I charge per word only. For several reasons:
- The few agencies for whom I do proofreading/editing/reviewing deliver such a high quality that I would lose money by charging hourly rates because there is hardly anything to correct and I am done in no time, yet I have to read the same amount of text.
- I rarely charge per hour, except for research or consulting - for some reason I like the concept of measurable projects and results that allow me to assess profitability.
- I offer flat fees instead (example: "Dear client, I can do the translation / editing at a flat fee US $xxxx. Will this be OK with you?". For whatever reason, clients like that.
One or two agencies I work for work on those lines, and I love them!
In other cases we get Scandinavians writing or translating English, and while the quality may be quite good, it is not up to native standard, and it is not easy to tell in advance.
I do use figures like yours as a rule of thumb.
I skim the text and guesstimate by checking a paragraph or two from different sections, and the total number of words... and then set a maximum fee for the job.
It can swing quite a bit, and if I guess way too high, then I say so and invoice for less. Otherwise I invoice for a little less than my maximum, just to keep the client happy! An hour less on big jobs, half or a quarter less on smaller ones.
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 14:27
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam | When the source text says "red cucumber" | Jan 13, 2013 |
Texte Style wrote:
red cucumbers
But would you ever hand in a text with as glaring an error?
but the photo of the particular cucumber in question looks like this:
and the translator wrote "green cucumber", then it is your job as a reviser to write "yellow".
| | | | | Relative poverty | Jan 13, 2013 |
Nicole Schnell wrote: Kristian Andersson wrote: Christine Andersen wrote:
I have seen suggestion from a professional body in Denmark for a rate equivalent to about USD 88 or 66 Euros per hour - if you live in Denmark.
I know the Danes make a lot of money, and I have to admit that I'm not quite there yet! USD 88 x 40 hours x 48 weeks = USD 168,960 + 4 (unpaid) weeks off However: You need to take all those countless hours into account that you spend on communicating with your client or writing invoices for this client. Example: You can not charge a client for 3,5 hours email exchange, yet you can not work on any other project during this time. Therefor those lost and unpaid hours must reflect in your overall hourly rates. Makes sense? Otherwise every second business would keel over in no time - death by email. You need to stay profitable as a business. You are not a temp worker or a day laborer.
I know I'm not a temp worker, I'm a landlord/translator. But I do think that many people could live quite comfortably by charging even USD 40 per hour. It might even be feasible in the US, where I guess you don't work as little as 40 hour per week or 48 weeks per year.
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Nicole Schnell wrote:
$ 40 is extremely low for a self-employed person in the US.
I am not saying it isn't. It would be great if all qualified translators demanded decent rates, but in many cases, they don't. But it's all relative. What's low for one person is not so low for another. Even court interpreting in the US doesn't always pay $40 per hour; in some language pairs the rates are as low as $25-$30 per hour.
I know for a fact that one of the largest agencies in the US does not pay more than $20-25 per hour for 'proofreading' in certain language pairs. They call it proofreading, but it actually includes revision and editing as well. The documents are very specialized and this is the rate for 1500 words!
I actually think that it is great, Nicole, that you speak up. It might help many translators realize that their work/time is worth a lot more than what they charge.
| | | | | Last Friday I worked about ten hours... | Jan 13, 2013 |
I never said I got PAID 66 Euros/ 88 dollars per hour.
I wish!!!
That was a rate for 'chargable' hours, calculated to cover tax and expenses, and allow a professional salary for a self employed person. I can't remember the percentage of 'non-chargable' hours it allowed for - maybe 25%.
British clients pay me 20-25% less on average than Scandinavian clients. I need to work for British clients to get enough work at all, but if I press rates any higher, they find som... See more I never said I got PAID 66 Euros/ 88 dollars per hour.
I wish!!!
That was a rate for 'chargable' hours, calculated to cover tax and expenses, and allow a professional salary for a self employed person. I can't remember the percentage of 'non-chargable' hours it allowed for - maybe 25%.
British clients pay me 20-25% less on average than Scandinavian clients. I need to work for British clients to get enough work at all, but if I press rates any higher, they find someone else to do the job...
Last Friday I worked about ten hours and can invoice clients for seven of them.
I'll spare you the details.... 
That was a particularly chaotic day of 'death by e-mail', but it happens all the time. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | USD40 = SEK258 | Jan 13, 2013 |
Kristian Andersson wrote:
But I do think that many people could live quite comfortably by charging even USD 40 per hour. It might even be feasible in the US, where I guess you don't work as little as 40 hour per week or 48 weeks per year.
@Kristian - according to your profile you live in Sweden. Are you able to survive on USD40 there?
Reuters today: USD40 = SEK258 (and this is a rate mere mortals like us can only dream of).
SEK258 less tax at roughly 32% plus social fees at 25% (they're actually 29% but I'm taking in to account that this is only deducted from profits and that you do get to make a 25% deduction before applying the fees) = SEK111.
Even assuming you have 40 billable hours per week, and who does, could you actually live on this amount? That's just a smidgen above what you would earn flipping burgers at MacDonalds. Deduct the expenses of running your own business and those burgers smell pretty good.
I do hope you business as a landlord is more profitable.
[Edited at 2013-01-13 17:31 GMT]
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