Editorial translation deals with any type of publishable material, whether that is in print or in digital format. With such a wide range of possible translation projects under this umbrella it can be difficult to work out how much an editorial translation will cost. We take a look at everything involved in pricing an editorial translation so you know what to expect.
What is editorial translation?
An editorial translation is the translation of any publishable documentation or text. This can range from books to brochures, manuscripts to marketing material. Basically, if it can be published either on paper or online, it can be translated.
This type of translation differs from something like technical translation where the need for an exact representation of the original is needed. Editorial translation, depending on the types of documents involved, can be more nuanced and allow for more artistic licence, particularly when dealing with literary materials such as novels or poetry.
The Editorial Translator
At Espresso Translations editorial translation is carried out by a professional translator who is fluent in the source language and a native speaker of the target language. Each project is handled by a subject matter expert who has a deep knowledge and understanding of the material. Therefore an editorial translator needs to be more than a qualified linguist, they also need to be experienced in the industry that the translated material relates to.
As the editorial translation field covers such a vast range of subjects and possible translation projects, there is a need for a pool of translators who can carry out this type of work. Espresso Translations has a global network of more than 2000 accredited translators who work in over 150 different languages. Each of our translators has more than five years of experience in the translation industry and is a subject matter expert.
Of course, not all of our translators are editorial translators, we have a multitude of translation disciplines including scientific, academic, literary or technical to name just a few. But we do have many editorial translators who specialise in various subject fields and understand how the publishing industry works.
The Needs of Publishing Houses
Publishing houses need to reach as wide an audience as possible and this means tapping into international markets. To access these new revenue streams, accurate translation and localization of the published material is required. For this, most publishing houses will use professional translation companies such as Espresso Translations who have a worldwide team of accredited translators, experienced in the translation industry and with expertise in a wide variety of industries, fields and sectors.
Within each specific field, the editorial translator will create an accurate representation of the original text while maintaining the intention of the author. Depending on the material, the translator may have more or less artistic freedom to achieve this latter requirement.
Literary material can be translated with more nuance to ensure that the author’s intention and emotion are accurately replicated in the new text. Technical or specialized subjects, however, must be translated word for word with no room for interpretation.
How are editorial translation rates calculated?
When a publishing house has found the ideal translation partner for their material, the subject of rates must be discussed. The cost of translation services depends on a number or factors including:
- The source and target languages: commonly used languages such as English, French or Spanish are typically less expensive to translate than less common languages such as Basque or Belarusian.
- Length of the document or text: most translation agencies charge a per-word fee for their services. Average prices in the UK range from £0.10 to £0.16 so for 250 words the price will be £25 to £40.
- Complexity of the content: some material is more complex than others. A scientific journal will take more knowledge and expertise to translate than, for example, a science fiction book and this increases the cost.
- Formatting of the document: the formatting can result in higher fees if it is complex, includes graphics or images.
- Turnaround time: how quickly you want your material translated can affect the cost as an express service will typically incur extra fees.
- Type of certification required: if any certification is needed for the translated text this will add to the overall cost.
At Espresso Translations, we provide all our clients with a free quotation. This means that you know exactly how much you’ll be paying for your translation project. The price we quote is the price you’ll pay as we do not have any hidden fees or charges.
Unit of measurement
The cost of the translation process is most often based on the number of words in a written document or on the length of an audio or video file. Some agencies will operate a per-page pricing policy or provide a cost for a whole project.
Here, at Espresso Translations our transparent pricing system is based on a per word rate for text and documents and a per minute rate for audio and video files. This is why we request access to your material for translation before we can give you a no-obligation quote. From the files you supply, we can work out the cost of the project and send you a reply within an hour.
Price per word to calculate the cost of a translation
When pricing a translation project on a per word cost basis, the number of words in the text is calculated and then multiplied by the quoted rate. For example, a document of 3,000 words, quoted at a rate of £0.16 per word will be priced at £480.
This is a transparent method of pricing a translation job and gives the client a clear indication of what they are paying for. Many translation agencies and freelance translators use this method of pricing including Espresso Translations.
Price per page for calculating the cost of a translation
On occasion, an agency may adopt a price per page when calculating the cost of a translation project. This may be for projects with complex layouts where other methods of pricing would be difficult to calculate, e.g., documents such as passports or brochures.
What are typical editorial translation rates?
The average rates for editorial translation are £0.10 to £0.16 per word although agencies and freelancers may charge more or less than this. As such there is no typical rate and it’s advisable to request a quote for your translation requirements before engaging the services of either an agency or a freelancer.
At Espresso Translations, we work to industry standard rates and our pricing policy is completely transparent. The price you receive in your quotation is the price you’ll pay because we don’t add on any extras or include any hidden fees.
Advantage of word-based calculation
The advantages of having a translation cost based on the number of words in a text is that it is completely transparent. As the client, you will know the word count of your document. Once you have a quoted per-word rate, it’s not difficult for you to work out exactly how much your translation will cost.
This removes any doubt about agencies or freelance translators adding hidden charges to the cost and ensures an honest contract negotiation between translator and client. Any document translation cost can be simply and quickly calculated with this method giving clients the peace of mind of knowing exactly how much they’ll be paying.
Advantage of page based calculation
The advantage of a page based cost calculation is when translation is needed for documents such as identity papers, birth certificates and passports where pricing based on word count is not really possible. Brochures are also a good example of where a per page pricing policy works better than a per world cost basis.
What other factors influence editorial translation prices?
As noted previously, professional translation cost is influenced by a number of factors including the language pair, subject matter, formatting and the required deadline. We briefly touched on the need for certification for a translation project, but what does that entail?
There are four types of translation certification:
- Certified translation: this is accepted by all UK authorities and recognised by most other common law countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Our cost is £30 plus VAT.
- Sworn translation: this type of certification is required in many civil law countries such as most of mainland Europe. It must be carried out by an authorised sworn translator and our cost is £50 plus VAT.
- Notarised translation: a translation that is signed and stamped by a notary to confirm the identity of the translator. Our cost is £90 plus VAT.
- Legalised translation: this type of translation is accompanied by an apostille and can be used in any country that is a signatory of the Hague Convention. The cost is also £90 plus VAT.
Our Editorial Translations
Espresso Translations is one of the UK’s most respected translation service providers with a wide network of accredited translators. We pride ourselves on the accuracy and fast turnaround times of translation projects for our clients. However, we never compromise the translation quality and every completed piece of work is subject to multiple checks.
Your assigned translator will proofread the finished work and it will also be passed to another linguist with the same expertise and qualifications who will also proofread the translation. Finally, your dedicated account manager will carry out final quality control checks and editing to ensure all your requirements have been met.
Communication is a priority for us and we make sure that you are kept informed of the progress of your translation project. If you have a translation project that needs to be done as a matter of urgency, we offer 48-hour, 24-hour and same delivery turnaround.
With the combination of our excellent service and transparent pricing, we are proud to be able to provide high-quality translations to our clients at a competitive cost. We understand that the cost of living is high and businesses and individual clients are conscious of the cost of hiring a professional translation agency.
However, it must be noted that despite machine translation being cheap or even free to some degree, it in no way replaces the professional translator or translation agency. While we do use technology such as translation memory and glossaries, these are only used to support the work of our human translators.
