Re: Pricing Translation Costs

[Dick Gaskill <dickg -at- AG3D -dot- COM>]

Christine,

The numbers listed below are based on REAL quotes on REAL documents
(on-line [pdf] user's guides, winhelp, and printed quick start guides),
and multiple types of software and message catalogs from multiple
localization vendors located both inside and outside the USA.   Note
that some quotes were given to me in other than $US and were converted
at the current exchange rate.  As the exchange rates do not usually vary
much per day, the quotes are accurate over a period of time.  All quotes
are based on localization by native speakers, mostly located
"in-country".

Most localization vendors charge by the word for localization and by the
page for DTP.  Contrary to other messages I've seen recently on this
subject on this list,  the cost per word to localize ("transate" is only
part of the job) depends on several things:

*       The language to which the document or software is being
localized
*       The type, media, and complexity of the document or software
being localized.
*       The location of the localization vendor's headquarters.  My
experience is that US-based localization vendors seem to charge a bit
more for their sevices than those whose headquarters are offshore.

Further, the cost of DTP also varies per page, depending on the
complexity and media of the document. .   For example, if you ant the
file back in PDF or HTML, they charge more.  There are also charges for
delivering the doc masters in various formats other than electronic.  I
won't go into details here but contact  me directly if you need more
info.  No need to clutter up the list. .  I also have a list of
questions to ask when screening localization vendors.

On a personal note, be careful about using an indepedent "translator"
There is a LOT more to delivering a completed document in another
language than just "translating" it.  But I have a feeling you're about
to find this out for yourself.

I suggest you take the one day seminar, "Managing the Localization of
Documents and Software".   I found it very helpful when I was getting
started in the localization efforts, even though I'd already been
managing pubs for quite a while.

Good luck.

Dick Gaskill
Manager, Technical Publications
AccelGraphics, Inc.


(Numbers are cents(US) per word).

French          25 - 31
German  25 - 31
Spanish 21 - 28
Italian         21 - 28

Dutch           27 - 32
Danish          27 - 32
Norwegian       27 - 32
Swedish 27 - 32
Finnish         27 - 32

Chech           26 - 29
Estonian        26 - 29
Hungarian       26 - 29
Latvian         26 - 29
Lithuanina      26 - 29
Polish          26 - 29
Russian 26 - 29
Slovanian       27 - 30

Arabic          28 - 35
Greek           27 - 37
Hebrew          28 - 35
Turkish         25 - 31

Chinese (simplified)            17 - 21
Chinese (Traditional)   19 - 22
Indonesian              30 - 35
Japanese                33 - 38
Korean                  20 -25
Thai                    30 -35
Vietnamese              30 -35



        ----------
        From:  Christine Lienhart [SMTP:clienhart -at- PREVUENET -dot- COM]
        Sent:  Thursday, March 19, 1998 5:36 AM
        To:  TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
        Subject:  Pricing Translation Costs

        Hi, everyone!  I've been asked to come up with a cost estimate
for
        translating a set of documentation that has yet to be written.
Right
        now it is only to be written in two versions:  English and
        Spanish...doubtful any other languages will be needed.  I don't
know
        much about how many pages or components it will ultimately have,
so this
        is no easy task, I'm sure.  But I have never worked with a
translation
        company or an independent translator so I'm wondering if there
is a
        starting point for estimating, like a price per page?

        I looked in the techwr-l archives and saw where someone
suggested using
        an independent if there is only one language involved, any more
thoughts
        on this?  Also, I'm curious about the hours involved for
translating,
        say, a 50-page user guide for a software application.  (No
translation
        of screen shots would be necessary.)

        I suppose any information about the general translation process
would be
        very helpful, but I'm most interested in how the pricing is
done.  And,
        surprise! --  I'm supposed to have something formulated by this
        afternoon.

        Thanks in advance for all your sound advice.  : )

        Christine Lienhart
        Prevue Networks
        Tulsa, OK

        P.S.  The files to be translated will probably be in Word.