Proofreading Task and Rate
Thread poster: schmeichel38
schmeichel38
schmeichel38  Identity Verified
Thailand
Local time: 01:19
Member
English to Thai
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Dec 3, 2012

Last week, I got the proofreading project and when I finished proofreading the translation and reverted back to the agencies. They then requested me to reproof the content again as they put the content into DTP and they never mention about this before. Also the fee is for the normal proofreading only.

Normally when I got the proofreading tasks, I just proof or edit the translation content and revert back to the clients/agencies. And my task would be finished.

So I wonde
... See more
Last week, I got the proofreading project and when I finished proofreading the translation and reverted back to the agencies. They then requested me to reproof the content again as they put the content into DTP and they never mention about this before. Also the fee is for the normal proofreading only.

Normally when I got the proofreading tasks, I just proof or edit the translation content and revert back to the clients/agencies. And my task would be finished.

So I wonder for the mentioned project, this is the normal practice for proofreading tasks? If I get the proofreading tasks, I need to keep proofreading until the project is finished? (if I have the 3 versions of DTP to be proofread, I need to keep proofread them till fulfill the clients' or agencies' satisfaction?)

Please help advise.

Thank you,
Kat
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OG Pete
OG Pete  Identity Verified
United States
Russian to English
+ ...
Normal Dec 3, 2012

Hi Kat,

Yes, I do this too. Sometimes my clients want me to double-check their DTP work and make sure that everything is in the right place. Yes, sometimes there are several versions involved.

Kind Regards,

Peter


 
schmeichel38
schmeichel38  Identity Verified
Thailand
Local time: 01:19
Member
English to Thai
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
SITE LOCALIZER
Thank you Peter! Dec 3, 2012

Thank you for your answer. So I will follow this practice ^_^

 
OG Pete
OG Pete  Identity Verified
United States
Russian to English
+ ...
You're quite welcome Dec 3, 2012



 
Jan Willem van Dormolen (X)
Jan Willem van Dormolen (X)  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 19:19
English to Dutch
+ ...
Not normal Dec 3, 2012

I'm afraid I'm going to disagree with Piter. It is OK if after proofreading the client asks to check a PDF too for layout errors. But to send a new version of the text and expect that to be reviewed for the same fee, is simply not OK. You wouldn't translate a new version of an older text for free, so you don't have to review a new version for free either.

Jan Willem


 
Michelle Kusuda
Michelle Kusuda  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:19
English to Spanish
+ ...
Proofreading rates Dec 3, 2012

Kat,

If it is a direct client then 1/3 the translation rate.

If it is for an agency then 1/4 translation rate (they have to keep a commission).


Hope the above helps.

Good luck.

Michelle


 
alessandra bocco
alessandra bocco  Identity Verified
Local time: 19:19
Member (2006)
English to Italian
+ ...
Yes but paid Dec 3, 2012

I alway do this kind of "second" or even "third" proofreading for one of my clients, but I'm paid some extra time for it (depending on the next it can go from 1 to 5 hours).
Alessandra


 
lindaellen (X)
lindaellen (X)

Often and PAID Dec 3, 2012

I generally work on scientific articles for publication. Usually I translate the article for the main author, who then sends it around to the co-authors, changes and additions are made - I re-translate or revise, as the case may be - sometimes 10 times! Each step that I do, is paid work. I charge by the hour for revisions and short translations that are part of revisions. Naturally I'm pretty fast after working on the same topic from start to finish - but it is work and it is paid. Just as my de... See more
I generally work on scientific articles for publication. Usually I translate the article for the main author, who then sends it around to the co-authors, changes and additions are made - I re-translate or revise, as the case may be - sometimes 10 times! Each step that I do, is paid work. I charge by the hour for revisions and short translations that are part of revisions. Naturally I'm pretty fast after working on the same topic from start to finish - but it is work and it is paid. Just as my dentist charges for every appointment, although she is working on the same problem tooth.

I have never had a complaint.
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Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 19:19
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Michelle Dec 3, 2012

Michelle Kusuda wrote:
If it is a direct client then 1/3 the translation rate.
If it is for an agency then 1/4 translation rate (they have to keep a commission).


Are you saying that you believe it is okay for a client to hire you to do "proofreading" of e.g. an MS Word file, and then expect you to reproofread the PDF version of it later (possibly several times, and pay you only for the proofreading task you originally agreed to?


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 19:19
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Common but not normal Dec 3, 2012

schmeichel38 wrote:
Last week, I got the proofreading project and when I finished proofreading the translation and reverted back to the agencies. They then requested me to reproof the content again as they put the content into DTP and they never mention about this before.


Some of my clients do this, yes. I have no opinion on whether it is right or wrong of the client to expect that of you, but I do believe that the rate you are paid should compensate you for the amount of work that you do. Some clients take it for granted that the translator be available to respond to comments by the proofreader, for example, without any additional payment, or that the translator should be the one to accept/reject edits made by the editor, without any additional payment. If your arrangement with the client is not spelled out beforehand, then you're taking a risk that the client's opinion of what your task is might be different from your opinion about it.

Some of my clients regard translation, text editing, formatting editing, and DTP checking as four distinct tasks, and although editing is sometimes paid per word, the DTP checking is always paid per hour, because the client knows that it may take several readings before the product is print-ready. Other clients of mine believe that the DTP checking is "part of" the editing and they pay nothing extra for it.

I think what you should do is to either stipulate precisely what you'll do for the amount you get paid (though I'm not sure if agency PMs often read such statement), or: simply try your luck with new clients, and if such an event occurs, simply adjust your fee for subsequent jobs, after explaining to him the reason for the price hike.

==

Since when does "revert" mean "to mail back" or "to send back"? This phrase is getting more common with agencies these days (though I was baffled when I first encountered it).

Samuel


[Edited at 2012-12-03 11:48 GMT]


 
Steve Kerry
Steve Kerry  Identity Verified
Local time: 18:19
German to English
No thanks Dec 3, 2012

I never take on proofreading - to me the rate paid is not worth the effort involved. When I have done it in the past, the material submitted was often of such a poor quality that re-translation was the only sensible option.

 
Michelle Kusuda
Michelle Kusuda  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:19
English to Spanish
+ ...
Proofreading of my work after they DTP, yes Dec 3, 2012

Samuel Murray wrote:

Michelle Kusuda wrote:
If it is a direct client then 1/3 the translation rate.
If it is for an agency then 1/4 translation rate (they have to keep a commission).


Are you saying that you believe it is okay for a client to hire you to do "proofreading" of e.g. an MS Word file, and then expect you to reproofread the PDF version of it later (possibly several times, and pay you only for the proofreading task you originally agreed to?



Samuel,

Yes, I have clients who send me the file in MSWord and after I provide the translation in MSWord, they then send it to someone for DTP and sometimes that person drops the accents on Spanish words. They send it over to me again for a "look over" before they invest lots of money on printing the materials for distribution.

By the way, that is what proofreading should be, checking for typographical errors, not retranslating or checking someone else's translation.

Michelle


 


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