{"id":5186,"date":"2018-11-14T08:29:44","date_gmt":"2018-11-14T07:29:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/?p=5186\/"},"modified":"2018-11-14T08:29:52","modified_gmt":"2018-11-14T07:29:52","slug":"profitable-translation-project-freelance-translator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/blog\/profitable-translation-project-freelance-translator\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Run a Profitable Translation Project with Your Freelance Translator"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to Run a Profitable Translation Project with Your Freelance Translator<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you own a small or medium business, working directly with a freelance translator is a good idea. Not only will you cut out the agency costs, but you\u2019ll also get complete transparency and control. This article will help you manage a successful translation project.<\/p>\n

You as the project manager<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Getting things right first time leads to time and cost savings. This is an objective in your role as a translation project manager. An experienced freelance translator can support and guide you in this role. Ask for their input to help you get the best possible translation results.<\/p>\n

Translation project timeline<\/strong><\/h4>\n

You\u2019ve chosen your professional freelance translator, and agreed rates and payment terms. Now, you want to get the project underway. Below are the steps to follow, to make sure your translation project is a success.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Confidentiality<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Don\u2019t feel embarrassed if you need to ask your freelance translator to sign a confidentiality agreement. Translators do it all the time.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      Complete original text <\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      While you may need to send samples to get quotes, don\u2019t send a text for translation until it\u2019s completely finished. It takes time for the translator to make changes one they’ve started work. So, this may raise the cost of the translation. Changes also generate confusion. They increase the chances of the final text containing errors.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \n

        Word format, if possible <\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        The simpler the formatting, the easier the translator\u2019s job. Don\u2019t send a PDF if the Word file is available. When translators have to mess around with formatting the project takes longer, so the price goes up. Also, difficult formatting distracts from the text, which increases the likelihood of error.<\/p>\n

        If you\u2019re not sure what to do about formatting, then talk it through with the translator. They may have ways of dealing with more complicated formats, like InDesign files.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n

          Structured emails<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          If you need to discuss more than one thing with your translator, use numbered points in your email. The translator can then respond to each point using a different colour.<\/p>\n

          If the project involves lots of emails, keep them all in a single thread. Avoid random messages on apps like WhatsApp as they’re easily forgotten. All this will make life much easier should you need to refer back.<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

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          1. \n

            Specific deadlines<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Avoid stress by asking the translator to commit to a specific timeframe. If you\u2019re translating blog articles, share your planned publication dates. That way the translator will know when you need each delivery. If you\u2019re translating several texts, mention if one is higher priority.<\/p>\n

            \u201cUrgent\u201d is an unspecified amount of time. It\u2019s much more effective to say \u201cI need this by 8:00am Tuesday morning\u201d. \u201cAs soon as possible\u201d creates similar problems. If you say \u201cby 20 April at the latest, sooner if possible\u201d, then everyone knows exactly what’s needed.<\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

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            1. \n

              Information sharing<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              What key information related to the text do you know that the translator doesn\u2019t? Perhaps there are past translations the translator can use for reference. Maybe you want them to follow a specific style guide or spelling rules. Are there any internal acronyms that the translator may never figure out? Information like this can be crucial to help the translator get it right first time.<\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

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              1. \n

                SEO keywords and\/or glossaries<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                If you have any terminology requirements, then tell the translator at the beginning. For instance, one of my clients prefers to use the translation \u201ctownhouses\u201d for the Spanish \u201cadosadas\u201d. This isn’t an obvious translation, and it’s a key term for them. They told me this when we first started collaborating and it lead to us developing a glossary together. If they hadn\u2019t told me, they\u2019d now have 20 published blog articles with the wrong keyword.<\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. \n

                  Clear expectations<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  Tell the freelance translator how involved you want to be. Do you want to see translator\u2019s notes or hear ideas? Perhaps you\u2019d prefer them to take care of the details, and only bring up big issues with you?<\/p>\n

                  A professional freelance translator will have experience with a wide variety of clients. The more information you give them, the faster they’ll be able to adapt to your working process.<\/p>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. \n

                    Email confirmations<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    Ask the translator to acknowledge receipt of your emails and do the same for them. It builds a stronger relationship and stops you worrying about emails going astray.<\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                      \n
                    1. \n

                      Follow-ups<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      If the translator doesn’t write back when you expect, don\u2019t hesitate to send a follow-up email. Several times a client has thought they wrote to me and the email got left in their draft folder. I\u2019ve also encountered issues with server delays and emails going into spam. If you’re worried, pick up the phone.<\/p>\n

                       <\/p>\n

                        \n
                      1. \n

                        Feedback<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                        The translator may need a while to get used to your processes and terminology. Help them by telling them if you’d like them to do something differently.<\/p>\n

                        It\u2019s worth taking a little time to instruct them on the processes and terminology in place in your company. Top professional translators will adapt to your way of working, and be ready to offer guidance.<\/p>\n

                         <\/p>\n

                          \n
                        1. \n

                          Payment <\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                          For a freelance translator, a customer who pays on time is one worth keeping. If you\u2019ve found a good professional, then respecting payment terms is one of the best ways of retaining them.<\/p>\n

                           <\/p>\n

                          A profitable long-term collaboration<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                          These simple steps will help you be as efficient as possible in getting your translation. They\u2019ll also help ensure the highest possible quality from your freelance translator.<\/p>\n

                          Remember that the translator’s words will be the voice of your company in the new language. Treat them as a member of your team, and you\u2019ll have a long-term collaborator who pays for themselves ten times over.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                          How to Run a Profitable Translation Project with Your Freelance Translator If you own a small or medium business, working directly with a freelance translator is a good idea. Not only will you cut out the agency costs, but you\u2019ll […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":5188,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[214],"tags":[447,178,446],"class_list":{"0":"post-5186","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-translation","8":"tag-freelance-translator","9":"tag-translation","10":"tag-translation-project","11":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5186"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5194,"href":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5186\/revisions\/5194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hellotranslator.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}