What proofreading is not

Many agencies use the term proof reading when they actually  mean  editing or revising or some other form of  checking and correction. Often a agency asks for proofreading when actually the text requires editing, and not understand that a proper editing is going to cost more than a just proofreading. There is a   tendency in translation  industry to equate proofreading with 'just do whatever is needed to deliver the job. The clients should be explained that  editing and proofreading are two different jobs. Proof reading is not Critical revision  or to revise the text, change of word usage, sentence structure, content logic and writing style. All rights belong to ostom, Use of this post is allowed provided this link is present at the end of the article http://getdirectclient.blogspot.com

6 Tips to Get Better Rates for Proofreading

Photo Credit just us-3 Tips to Get Better Rates for Proofreading There are many freelancers who have been in translation but would like to test new waters by taking up projects for proofreading or editing. At this juncture, many of you might be faced up with the trouble of knowing what the ideal rates for this kind of work is and what you have quoted is right or not. The information listed below should help you out while providing quotes for jobs such as proofreading and will ensure that you do not lose out on your earnings. 1. Primarily, you should know the difference between proofreading and editing. Proofreading involves just checking for grammatical, spelling and syntax errors while editing involves checking for expressions in the language. So proofreading is less time-consuming than editing. Look for what the project is asking for while providing quotes. 2. Get a preview before accepting the job. Proofreading should involve very little editing and a well-translated document should take just a quarter of the time required to translate. Refuse the job after a preview, if you see too many mistakes that need to be edited or if there is a need to retranslate. 3. Go through all the details of the contract before you accept the project. Look for the fine print that may spring at you and leave you in an unfavorable position. 4. Negotiate for an hourly rate rather than a per word rate as the former is more profitable if you are handling a document with a lot of errors. 5. If you are not able to negotiate an hourly rate, try to work out a rate that is around 30-50% of the rate you charge for translation. 6. If you are doing a final proofreading, the agency might ask you to do the work for a much lower rate than the first proofing. This should not be acceptable as even this requires equal amount of time and effort as the first proofreading. Keep these simple points in mind always while taking up any proofreading work. This will not only fetch you the right price it will enable you to go through the deal without a second thought.it

Proofreading & Editing- Any Difference?

Proofreading & Editing- Any Difference Many freelancers often take up the work of proofreading and editing in addition to translation jobs. Some may even prefer to do one stream of work alone. There are many instances where the terms “proofreading” and “editing” are used for the same work although there is great deal of difference between the two. Let us now understand the difference between proofreading and editing: 1. While proofreading is mainly concentrated on checking up on grammatical, spelling and syntax errors and is no way concerned with the correct usage of words or terms editing involves mainly checking on expressions of the language. 2. Since language is not of much concern to the proofreader the checking is mainly done with the use of dictionaries to see if spellings are correct. Editing involves delving deep into with specialized dictionaries to check the correct usage of terms. 3. While the proofreader generally makes the corrections that are necessary the editor will suggest the corrections that are considered necessary to the original translator to implement them. 4. Proofreading does not employ the usage of software tools such as CAT but editing will require these in order to correct multiple errors in the text. 5. The usage of proofreading has been reduced as most errors that are corrected by the proofreader can be found out by translators themselves because of the software tools they use but editing cannot be done with these methods. 6. Proofreading is paid at a much lower rate than translation (around 1/4th the price) while editing is paid in par with translation rates (about 50% of the price as it takes lesser time than translation). These rates are preferably paid by the hour if it has to benefit the proofreader or the editor. It is important for every freelancer to know the difference between proofreading and editing and to actually know which job is being offered to them while taking up a project. Since proofreading rates are much lesser than editing rates, a confusion between the two can lead you to do more work for a lesser price.

WHAT METHOD TO USE FOR PRICING PROOFREADING

WHAT METHOD TO USE FOR PRICING PROOFREADING Setting rates for your freelance translation services can be done most easily by using your personal cost of living as a guideline. However, many freelance translators have a problem with pricing when it comes to the ancillary services such as proofreading and editing. Both of these tasks can be just as complicated as translation, but many people do not have this understanding. The way to handle a client who expects an extremely low rate for a proofreading assignment is to educate them on the skills that will be employed to do the job. Professional proofreaders not only check for typographical errors, but also for mistakes in context, formatting, the ordering of and the relationship between the words and other structural elements in phrases and sentences. After these are found the proofreader has to correct the error. When you are asked to proofread a document, you are employing the same skills you would use in translating in a different manner; you have to make sure that the written document makes sense just as if you were writing it yourself. Pricing your proofreading services on an hourly rate works well when your hourly rate is realistically tied to your income requirements, i.e., you need to make $20 an hour and you can read 5 pages an hour. But it also to your advantage to test how many pages of a poorly translated document you can proofread in one hour to arrive at a per page rate. If it takes you 3 hours to proofread a 20 page document of this type, $5-9 per page rate is reasonable. You will find that this is very useful to have two methods for pricing your proofreading services, being prepared with this information will make it easier for you to evaluate source text documents from clients.

EDITING VS PROOFREADING WHAT A TRANSLATOR SHOULD KNOW

EDITING VS PROOFREADING WHAT A TRANSLATOR SHOULD KNOW Freelance translators have to wear several hats to perform their job well, some of the tasks have nothing to do with your knowledge of language; as in the case of listening to the client who is frustrated at a pressing deadline for the translation project. Many times an agency for associate will ask you about taking proofreading or editing assignments in addition to translation. While the fee for these services may not be as much as translations, performing these tasks can increase your fluency and expertise. But these two tasks require different skills, some freelance translators can do both, others prefer one to the other: A proofreader verifies that the text is true to the content from the source. This includes syntax, register and formatting. There is a set of proofreading symbols that are used to indicate errors or reference a suggestion. If you have a critical eye for detail and catch errors quickly, proofreading is a valuable skill that can add value to your services. When you are editing, you are taking the text and re-writing it in a way that gives it a different perspective, while maintaining the integrity of the meaning of the content from the source. Editing may sound like a simple task however keep in mind that the continuity of the context of the subject has to be maintained for the length of the text. In most cases, the good news is that most of these tasks are straight forward and can be done within a reasonable amount of time. On the down side, editing or proofreading a document that is poorly translated can easily turn into a time consuming exercise that results in lost profits for you. If you cannot decide which of these services you want to offer to clients, work with another freelancer as a proofreader or editor to get a better feel for which one you do best.