| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4] | Do you charge per source or per target word? Thread poster: Thomas Rebotier
|
|---|
| Same here - but I sometimes charge different rates for source or target | Apr 30, 2013 |
George Hopkins wrote:
Although I would prefer target -- because in my pair there is a difference of almost 20%...
I normally charge a rate for source words. I may go along with a lower rate for target words on a straightforward document that simply does not exist in electronic form. (A letter where the client has only received the printed version, for instance.)
The agency where I worked in house certainly had different rates for translation into English from Scandinavian languages and for translation from English the other way.
They discussed and explained this very carefully when they changed over from charging for target words to source words (and paying freelancers).
In-house translations were monitored as comparisons, and the aim was to keep rates per job the same for the time being at least.
I don't always go along with a lower rate when I have to count target words, for instance if the reason for counting target words is a fiddly or time-consuming format!
It does actually take me longer if I can't feed the file into Studio and use Multiterm and so on ... so most agencies accept the same rate.
When negotiating source rates, however, I always point out that they get something like 1200 target words per source word.
| | | | KHALDUN ALQAYSI
United Arab Emirates
Local time: 01:22
English to Arabic
+ ...
Interesting subject.
I charge per target word, it is better for the translator and even for the outsourcer.
| | | | | per source word | Oct 26, 2014 |
per source word
| | | | Rolf Kern 
Switzerland
Local time: 23:22
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
The Agencies in Switzerland ask me to charge per target line of 53 signs and spaces.
The Agencies abroad ask me to offer a fixed price calculated on source words. I assume that 9 source words are a source line.
My direct clients I charge per target line of 53 signs and spaces.
Rolf
Zurich, Switzerland
| | |
|
|
|
| Most of them per source word, some per target | Oct 27, 2014 |
90% of agencies I work with pay per source word. I guess this is standard practice.
Some agencies pay per target word, which in my case turns out to be better. No matter how hard you try to compress the Spanish text, it will use more words than Russian or English.
By the way, I read some opinions that some translators will be tempted to use more words in the target text if they are paid by target word. I strongly disagree. I cannot imagine a professional translator may... See more 90% of agencies I work with pay per source word. I guess this is standard practice.
Some agencies pay per target word, which in my case turns out to be better. No matter how hard you try to compress the Spanish text, it will use more words than Russian or English.
By the way, I read some opinions that some translators will be tempted to use more words in the target text if they are paid by target word. I strongly disagree. I cannot imagine a professional translator may even think about doing it, due to two main reasons:
1. Most of us have long-term collaboration with agencies and I personally will not compromise it adding extra target words where not necessary.
2. I think it is not about getting paid only. It is also about being proud of the work we do.
To summarize: 90% per source word. 8% per target word. The remainder of the 2%, strange non-standard payment methods (occasionally).
Bear in mind that there are languages that use less target words. If you translate from Spanish into Russian (I do the other way round), the target text will contain less words. Therefore, the agencies / translators are not better off in all cases when charging per target word to their customers.
[Edited at 2014-10-27 08:21 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | xxLecraxx (X)
Germany
Local time: 23:22
French to German
+ ...
| per source word | Oct 27, 2014 |
I charge per source word only!
Some shady German agencies want me to charge "per target word", knowing that my target language counts much less words than my source languages. I used to accept this in order to get bread on the table, but I don't do it anymore. So: either per source word or per target line. Per source word has a lot of advantages. You can tell the client right from the start how much it will cost him (and you know what you will get, too). Per target line has the adv... See more I charge per source word only!
Some shady German agencies want me to charge "per target word", knowing that my target language counts much less words than my source languages. I used to accept this in order to get bread on the table, but I don't do it anymore. So: either per source word or per target line. Per source word has a lot of advantages. You can tell the client right from the start how much it will cost him (and you know what you will get, too). Per target line has the advantage that you get paid for what you actually produce. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Per source word. | Oct 27, 2014 |
It's just so much easier to have the total word count (source) and total amount to be invoiced written on the PO each time you accept the job!
| | | | John Fossey
Canada
Local time: 17:22
Member (2008)
French to English
+ ...
| Always per source word | Oct 27, 2014 |
Because I never start a job without having agreed on the price first, which by definition means the source word. Unless you agree on the price before beginning the job you don't have a contract.
| | |
|
|
|
Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 02:52
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | I charge by source word | Oct 27, 2014 |
That is because the word structure of both English and Hindi, the languages in which I work, are very similar and you usually get more less the same number of words in the source and translated text.
But if I were translating from a different type of language, say Sanskrit or German into English or Hindi, I would consider charging by target word. This is because in the former two languages, language elements like suffixes, prefixes, prepositions, conjugation words and the like can c... See more That is because the word structure of both English and Hindi, the languages in which I work, are very similar and you usually get more less the same number of words in the source and translated text.
But if I were translating from a different type of language, say Sanskrit or German into English or Hindi, I would consider charging by target word. This is because in the former two languages, language elements like suffixes, prefixes, prepositions, conjugation words and the like can coalesce with the main word to give mega words - I have heard that there are cases in Sanskrit where a whole several page long treatise is technically a single word! So in these cases you will make very little money if you charge by source word.
I have some clients in Germany who send me texts to translate which were originally written in German, then translated into English, which is then sent to me to translate into Hindi. They always under estimate the word count in the source because for them the source is German, and for me it is English and when the German text is translated into English, the word count in the English version is more than the one in the German source. In almost all cases, when I dispute their word count estimates, these clients agree to go by the word count in the intermediary language English, which is for me the source language.
I have also had a few clients, again from German speaking countries, who have asked me to quote by character or by line. I find both of these cumbersome and illogical, though I am a firm believer in the dictum "client knows best" and usually go by what the client wants.
With clients insisting on fuzzy discounts these days, the character level quoting might be a very bad idea, as most words in any language will have the same characters, and clients might want a discount on the repeated characters! But quoting by line might favour us, as only in very rare cases would a whole line get repeated in any document. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Preferably per project or per source page | Oct 27, 2014 |
Words are comical in costing pennies and running up in thousands. They're kinda good for small marketing materials, but at some point it gets ridiculous.
When you price per source, you price the document, the body of text your translate, only its length being expressed in a number of small units. When you price per target, you kinda make it look like you're producing words by the thousand.
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Do you charge per source or per target word? | CafeTran Espresso | You've never met a CAT tool this clever!
Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer.
Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools.
Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free
Buy now! » |
| | Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
