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So, you need a translator. As with most things, you might start with a Google search. But Google ‘translator’ and you’ll get about 150,000,000 results. Not exactly narrowing things down.
Once you’ve scrolled past all the automatic translation tools like Google Translate, you’ll start to come across the biggest translation service providers out there (or the ones with the best SEO).
It will be mostly translation companies or agencies taking the top spots, but you should soon start to spy a few freelancers as well. So, should you work with a company or an individual?
Translation agency or freelancer?
Is an individual freelancer or a translation agency (often called a language service provider, or LSP) best? Well it really depends on your situation and your translation needs.
When an agency is best
A translation agency might be just what you need if you:
- need large volumes translated
- need translations into or between several language pairs
- want to be completely hands-off
- need a wide variety of types of text or subject matter translated
When a freelancer is best
A freelancer (or a few!) might be your best choice if you:
- need small volumes translated
- want to have personal contact with the translator
- want to deal with just one person
- want to have input into the final text
- want to track project progress
- want to understand why certain translation choices were made
The best of both worlds
Another option to consider is working with a boutique translation agency: these might have increased capacity through a network of carefully selected, trusted professionals, while staying small and maintaining that all-important personal touch.
Working with a boutique translation agency is great if you:
- need small to medium volumes translated
- need translations into or between a handful of language pairs
- want to have personal contact with the translator
- want to deal with just one person
- want to have input into the final text
- want to track project progress
- want to understand why certain translation choices were made
Where to find a fantastic freelance translator
If you decide to work with a freelance translator, it can be hard to know who to choose. Some people take the ‘the cheaper and quicker, the better’ approach, and contact a few providers from their Google search and then pick the one that can do it within the shortest amount of time, for the smallest amount of money. But if it’s quality you’re after, price and speed shouldn’t be the determining factors.
So, if Google isn’t the place to look, where are all the best freelancers hiding? We recommend looking at translation-specific platforms, rather than generic freelancing sites, which often prioritise speed and price over quality.
Professional translation associations
This is a great place to start. Different countries have their own associations – in Portugal there’s APTRAD and APT.
Generally translators have to pay a membership fee and meet certain criteria, such as academic qualifications and/or years of experience and sometimes pass a test. They’re also often required to complete a certain amount of continuing professional development and abide by a code of conduct. All this means that members of these associations invest in their skills and take their profession seriously.
Most associations allow you to search for translators by the type of service you’re after (i.e. translation or interpreting) and by their field of specialisation (such as financial, medical and legal).
Specialist translation sites
Some people like to use ProZ.com or TranslatorsCafé to search for translators and advertise translation projects. The advantage of these sites is that you have access to a global pool of candidates, and clients can leave reviews on translators’ profiles. ProZ also has their Certified PRO Network, a group of professionals that have to have their background and credentials verified before they can join, which is great for clients who want extra peace of mind.
LinkedIn can be a great way to find a translator. For a start, it has a powerful search tool. You can search for a specific title, such as ‘French translator’ and read over their profiles, work experience and recommendations. You’ll also see who among these people are connected to your network in some way – in other words, you know some of the same people. And you could potentially ask those mutual connections for their opinion. Also, if you’re already connected with a translator, you could approach them for recommendations, as translators generally know plenty of peers working in different languages and specialisms and are happy to help.
Otherwise, if you need long-term translation help, you could actually create a job listing on LinkedIn. Or you could simply publish a post explaining what you’re looking for. You might be surprised how quickly this approach yields results!
How to approach translators
Requesting quotes for your project
Rather than picking just one translator straight off the bat, it’s always best to reach out to a few translators that you think might suit your purposes so you can choose between them. However, whether or not you get a satisfactory and accurate reply will largely depend on what you include in your message. Make sure you give your candidates the following information, so you both know exactly where the goal posts are:
• Document type/format: if you can, send over the file you need translated, or a sample. If you can’t, then give a clear description of the document (a contract, a CV, a presentation, web content, marketing, medical, etc.) and let them know the format (Word, Excel or PDF). If it’s a scan that’s difficult to read or is handwritten, let them know at this stage too.
• Languages: a vital detail that a surprising amount of people leave out. Specify the variants of the source and target languages, such as Brazilian Portuguese, Swiss Italian or American English.
• Delivery date: the date you need it by. Bear in mind that a professional translates roughly 2,000-3,000 words per day for standard texts. But this will be much lower for highly creative texts that require a transcreative approach or for very technical texts. And of course the translator may not be immediately available.
• Purpose of the translated document: this gives the translator context about where the translation will be used and what its aim is, so they can create a text that’s fit for purpose. Based on this information, they may also provide some advice, for instance if it’s going to be printed or published, they may recommend an extra proofreading stage.
What to look for in a translator
In an ideal world, your chosen translator will have an academic background studying languages or translation, combined with additional training or experience in their specific field. But there are also plenty of fantastic translators that take non-traditional routes.
When you hear back from your candidates with their quotes, it’s time to make the big decision. When hiring a freelance service provider, I generally ask myself the following questions to help me decide.
• How quickly did they respond?
• Did they ask relevant questions?
• Do they have a strong social media presence? Professional website? Testimonials?
• Did they provide details about the service they offer?
• Were they enthusiastic and friendly?
• Are they available?
• Are their prices within my budget?
You may well have a few other criteria that will help you make your choice, but if you ask yourself these questions and follow your gut, you shouldn’t go too far wrong.
Next steps
Now that you’ve chosen your translator, all that’s left is to make a formal offer, with a clear project description, send the files off and be available to answer any questions that might crop up.
When you’ve got the finished product, be sure to leave your translator a detailed review to give them a boost and make life easier for anyone else who finds themselves in your shoes in the future.
Find out how to speak translator and write clear project descriptions.
