Translation requires more than knowing the equivalent words in two languages. Writing naturally in the target language, understanding context and using terms consistently are required. Limit your first service to a language pair and subject area you are proficient in; do not accept documents requiring expertise outside of your competence.
Do not give a firm quote before seeing the source text
Check if the file is readable, whether there are tables, whether text in the visual will be translated and whether the term list is ready. Extracting text from a scanned document might be a different matter. For example, in the translation of a product page, the title, description and measurement units must be considered together.
Your first trial: step by step
Choose a short publicly available or licensed text; compare the translation with the source and reread it in the target language only the next day.
- Specify language pair, subject area and delivery file.
- Build a small dictionary for repeated terms.
- Make the meaning, number, name and form checks separate.
Costs and pricing
If you are offering per word, please specify whether the count is based on source or target text. Add editing, research and last reading time. Urgent delivery and complex file preparation can create separate costs. Editing machine translation also requires human review. Do not price it as if no work were involved.
Before publishing or applying
Do not upload confidential client text to an online tool without permission. Check the necessary authorization and acceptance conditions for documents that require sworn or official translation; do not claim to offer such a service if you are not qualified. Get permission to use the translation memory and portfolio.