Re: Pricing Translation Costs

Subject: Re: Pricing Translation Costs
From: Dick Gaskill <dickg -at- AG3D -dot- COM>
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 14:10:20 -0800

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.




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