My expertise
My strength is my use of language—English, with all its wonderful complexity, beauty and illogic. Your strength is of course your expertise in your field. Together we create an ideal text for your purpose.
You and your team put a lot of thought and discussion into the material you submit for translation. The translator wasn’t a part of that process. Give me the opportunity to get to know you and your company, so I can be sure I say what you want to say.
Specialty
With that said, different translators have different specialties! A good translator knows their limits and will let you know if the topic is too far from their comfort zone. And we can usually recommend someone with the right skills.
Reference material
It’s always a good idea to provide the translator with as much reference material as possible to facilitate the translation process and ensure the right terminology.
How long will it take?
A general rule of thumb is that a translator can deliver 2,000 words a day (calculated from the source language). Of course this varies—if there is very little terminology to check, and often if the copy is well-written in the source language, translation can go much faster. The opposite is also very true! Complex technical writing can definitely take longer. But the 2,000 word rule is a good estimate.
Consider that sometimes expressions and phrases need to “mature.” Short turnaround times can lead to a risk of poorer quality.