Eva Plajh Slovenia Local time: 22:45 Slovenian to German + ...
Jun 17, 2011
Hi,
I have to complete a form for a client where I have to state my rates for QC. As I have never done the QC, I have no idea how much to charge - more or less than for editing?
Any advice would be really helpful.
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Rebelo Júnior Brazil Local time: 17:45 Member (2011) English to Portuguese + ...
QC equals to proofreading plus reviewing doc alignment
Jun 17, 2011
Eva, for QC is just another way to say do the proofreading (and editing if necessary) plus adjust document format (if you’re not using a Cat tool), so I would charge same as the usual rate for proofreading. Hope it helps.
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Michaela Müller Germany Local time: 22:45 Member (2004) English to German + ...
More than for proofreading
Jun 18, 2011
Hi Eva,
I'd suggest you ask the client what exactly they mean with "Quality check" since each client might understand this differently (as you know, the same applies to the term "proofreading" which some agencies use when referring to editing tasks). This is not a dumb question, but the client's reply will help you with setting your rate.
I often do "OQA" (online quality assurance), which takes double the time than plain proofreading since you have to take screenshots, test all website functions or play all levels of a game or check against the source website/text.
Quality check sounds like either editing a translation or reviewing a colleague's translation and grading his/her work (i. e. spelling, grammar, style, translation mistakes, omissions, terminology etc.).
Michaela
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Anton Konashenok Czech Republic Local time: 22:45 Russian to English + ...
Just state your hourly rate
Jun 18, 2011
I don't think it makes sense to express the rates for proofreading or quality checking on a per-word basis - you can only do it when you know how good or bad a particular translator is, otherwise your effort is too unpredictable. Personally, I consider a translation good when proofreading takes 1/4 of the time needed to translate this text from scratch, excellent - when it takes 1/10 of that. However, I've seen translations so bad that it would take longer to fix them than to throw them away and do again. Go figure.
Also, I think that a linguist is entitled to earn roughly the same amount per hour regardless of the type of work, whether it's translation, proofreading, reviewing, quality check, or anything else, so the hourly rate can be figured out from your word rate and your average hourly throughput as a translator.
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Cilian O'Tuama Germany Local time: 22:45 Member German to English + ...
Sound advice from Michaela
Jun 19, 2011
Michaela Müller wrote:
I'd suggest you ask the client what exactly they mean with "Quality check" since each client might understand this differently...
Michaela
It can mean a lot of things - from just assessing whether a text reads OK to completely rewriting a botched "translation".
Ask your client what they need exactly.
Anton wrote:
However, I've seen translations so bad that it would take longer to fix them than to throw them away and do again.
Indeed, they're rampant. A tough task sometimes is to explain this politely and nicely to clients.
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Sumit1970 India Local time: 02:15 English to Bengali + ...
hourly rate is the best option
Jun 19, 2011
I agree with Anton. In my experience, correcting a very badly done translation may take as much time as freshly translating it. Once I agreed to a flat rate for a translation. But on my surprise found the tranasltion worst of its quality. Even some of the lines were left untranslated. I asked my client to give a rate similar to freshly translating it and he agreed.
For every practical purpose, rates of proofreading, editing, reviewing and QC however be it termed, could be addressed best if charged on hourly basis.
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Eva Plajh Slovenia Local time: 22:45 Slovenian to German + ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks
Jun 19, 2011
Thank you all for your suggestions. I've alredy asked the client what exactly he means with QC and I am waiting for the answer.
I always charge proofreading and editing on hourly basis - for all the reasons you've mentioned. You never know what you will get.
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