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Poll: How do you charge for proofreading projects?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
Miranda Joubioux (X)
Miranda Joubioux (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 10:10
French to English
By the hour Jul 25, 2008

Proofreading can vary a lot. I charge by the hour, which is the only real way of earning a correct sum. What's really hard is estimating the amount of time it will take and that comes with experience.

 
Rebecca Garber
Rebecca Garber  Identity Verified
Local time: 05:10
Member (2005)
German to English
+ ...
hourly and otherwise :( Jul 25, 2008

I got involved in a long-term proofreading job for a friend of mine, which pays 60% less than translation jobs for the same project. Which is itself 25% less than I make on my next lowest priced projects. Some of the translations are good, but the majority are difficult to correct, so I end up putting off these projects because *everything* else pays more (includin... See more
I got involved in a long-term proofreading job for a friend of mine, which pays 60% less than translation jobs for the same project. Which is itself 25% less than I make on my next lowest priced projects. Some of the translations are good, but the majority are difficult to correct, so I end up putting off these projects because *everything* else pays more (including teaching at a summer camp, which is where I've been this week) and *nothing* is more frustrating (including teaching at summer camp...).

For all other proofreading jobs, I now charge by the hour. Which nets me a rate similar to my translation rate. Which really changes my attitude towards proofreading.
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Joan Berglund
Joan Berglund  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 05:10
Member (2008)
French to English
edit/proofread/revise by the hour always Jul 25, 2008

You'd be crazy to do anything else. This way you are covered whatever service the job requires to be decent quality. One of the agencies I do a lot of proofreading/revision for offers many different deadlines and rates to translators, including crazy fast and low, so when I get a bad translation, I just shrug and assume it was one of those. It doesn't matter to me that I have to spend a lot of time because I am getting paid for it. This same agency also has some excellent translators, and I ... See more
You'd be crazy to do anything else. This way you are covered whatever service the job requires to be decent quality. One of the agencies I do a lot of proofreading/revision for offers many different deadlines and rates to translators, including crazy fast and low, so when I get a bad translation, I just shrug and assume it was one of those. It doesn't matter to me that I have to spend a lot of time because I am getting paid for it. This same agency also has some excellent translators, and I feel that I learn a lot from proofreading them, so I generally take a chance when they ask and I have time.Collapse


 
Nikki Graham
Nikki Graham  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:10
Spanish to English
I am getting confused Jul 25, 2008

I don't have a copy, but I thought that according to EN-15038 European Quality Standard for Translation Services, there are the following stages:

1. Translation

2. Revision (which compares source and target and corrections are made)

3. Review (which doesn't involve checking with source, but makes sure translation is suitable for purpose)

4. Proofreading (checking proofs before publication)

Can someone please tell me where editing f
... See more
I don't have a copy, but I thought that according to EN-15038 European Quality Standard for Translation Services, there are the following stages:

1. Translation

2. Revision (which compares source and target and corrections are made)

3. Review (which doesn't involve checking with source, but makes sure translation is suitable for purpose)

4. Proofreading (checking proofs before publication)

Can someone please tell me where editing fits in and what it would involve? Is it supposed to be the same as a revision or a review or neither?

Personally, besides translation, I have done 2 and 4 and charge by the hour. If the agency won't pay by the hour then I charge 50% of the rate I have for that agency. I have successfully managed to convince some clients that paying me by the hour will work out cheaper for them IF the translation has been done properly in the first place and compensate me properly for my time if it has not..
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Fabio Descalzi
Fabio Descalzi  Identity Verified
Uruguay
Local time: 06:10
Member (2004)
German to Spanish
+ ...
A related topic Jul 25, 2008

Hi people

Some time ago, I started a thread concerning rates for translating / proofreading / editing: http://www.proz.com/topic/108520

My general impression is: among professionals, there is a tendency to prefer to be paid by hour; but at the same time, from an agency point of view, it is more practical to charge per word.

A sticky topic...


 
Mary Georgina Hardinge
Mary Georgina Hardinge  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:10
review / edit Aug 17, 2008

I believe that in UK publishing at least, copy-editing is the term generally employed for what the European translation standard calls review. Both can sometimes involve substantive editing and sometimes be closer to proofreading.
Definitely by the hour!

Nikki Graham wrote:

I don't have a copy, but I thought that according to EN-15038 European Quality Standard for Translation Services, there are the following stages:

1. Translation

2. Revision (which compares source and target and corrections are made)

3. Review (which doesn't involve checking with source, but makes sure translation is suitable for purpose)

4. Proofreading (checking proofs before publication)

Can someone please tell me where editing fits in and what it would involve? Is it supposed to be the same as a revision or a review or neither?

Personally, besides translation, I have done 2 and 4 and charge by the hour. If the agency won't pay by the hour then I charge 50% of the rate I have for that agency. I have successfully managed to convince some clients that paying me by the hour will work out cheaper for them IF the translation has been done properly in the first place and compensate me properly for my time if it has not..


 
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Poll: How do you charge for proofreading projects?






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