I translate from German into English; I edit and proofread texts written in English. If you require translations from another language or proofreading for texts written in another language, you can still contact me – I may be able to recommend a colleague!
I am a native speaker of British English. However, there are no major differences between British and (US) American academic language and style. I am happy to use UK or US spelling for translations and editing projects as required.
Translating and editing complex academic and specialist texts is highly sophisticated work, and thus the work involved in a translation or editing project can vary substantially. For this reason, I quote for each job on an individual basis. As a rough guide, my translation rates for academic projects start at €180 per 1000 words, and editing rates at €50 per 1000 words. For some projects, it may be more appropriate to charge per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces) or by the hour. Further surcharges may be applied for urgency and certain file formats. There is a minimum charge of €75 per project.
As a very rough estimate, I can translate between 1500 and 2000 words a day, and edit up to 15,000 words a day, although this depends very much upon the kind of text involved. In the price quote for your job, I will specify a delivery date. I am usually booked up with work up to a month or more in advance, so often require several weeks’ notice for larger projects. If your project is urgent, I will do my best to accommodate you, although a rush rate may be applied.
Yes! First I will need to see a sample of the text to be translated or edited. On the basis of this sample I will draw up a written price quote for your project, detailing the text to be translated or edited, the word/character count involved, a suggested deadline, the price and any other details (for example, I may ask clients to be available for questions concerning terminology). I require clients to sign the price quote and my general terms of business before I begin with the project.
I need a copy of the signed price quote and T&Cs, and of course a copy of the text in question! I prefer texts to be sent in Word format; surcharges may be applied for PDF documents as these are more difficult to work with.
It is often very time-consuming to make changes to texts during the translation or editing process, so I need to charge extra for this. I always urge clients to make sure they send me the final version of their text!
I will issue an invoice once all questions related to the translation or editing project have been addressed to the client’s satisfaction. Payment is then due 30 days following the date of the invoice. For longer jobs like books I usually ask for payment in instalments; I issue individual invoices for each instalment.
The easiest way to pay is by bank transfer. You can also send me a cheque or pay using PayPal. The invoice will be in Euros or sterling.
I do not accept work from undergraduate students, although I am happy to read work from postgraduate research students. Most universities do not condone the use of proofreading services for undergraduate work. I would recommend that undergraduates contact the graduate skills specialists at their university for advice and guidance.
As a Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, I can provide certified translations. There is an additional charge for this service.
After a translation or edition project has been submitted to the client, I always give them sufficient time to discuss any questions and complete revisions before issuing an invoice. Once the invoice has been paid, I regard the project as completed. If any questions or concerns arise after the invoice has been paid, I am happy to discuss these, but depending on the nature of the queries there may be an additional charge for additional work.