The Sticker Shock behind Translation Services
A handful of times each year, a potential client responds to my quote for their project in a way that can only be described as sticker shock. I am effectively asked, “Why is translation so expensive?” The explanation requires little ado, so let’s jump right in:
1. Translation is an actual profession. It requires years of studying and practicing not only to gain the required skills, but also to become proficient in translation itself. People sometimes ask specifically why professional translation costs so much when there are programs that can do it for free. Frankly, this question baffles me – the adage you get what you pay for sums it up nicely.
2. I mentioned required skills in the previous point, but what does that actually entail?
a. Intimate knowledge of the source language (the language being translated from)
b. Intimate knowledge of the target language (the language being translated into), including:
i. Grammar
ii. Orthography (spelling and punctuation)
iii. Style (diction, tone, register, etc.)
c. The ability to write very well (clearly, with appropriate and varied vocabulary, etc.)
d. Proficiency in word processing software, at the level of a professional editor (not your average high school student)
e. Proficiency in translation software (I am not referring to machine translation programs, such as Google Translate – see What is a CAT Tool? to learn more)
f. Intimate knowledge of the subject matter of the translation (see The SME Translator: Why Industry Experience is Critical)
3. There’s so much going on behind the scenes in addition to translation in its own right!
a. If you have a style guide that lays out your company’s rules for formatting, writing style, etc., your translator takes the time needed to study this in earnest. If your company is like most, your response to, “Do you have a style guide?” is, “What the heck is that?” In that case, your translator is likely developing one for their own reference so everything stays polished (e.g., date formats and capitalization will be consistent within the text, and they’ll be consistent in the next translation you commission).
b. Research, research, research. This can take as long as the translation itself. Your translator will review everything they can find on your company so they match your tone of voice and keep terminology consistent. For any terminology in the translation that isn’t already defined within your company, the translator is scouring resources to make sure they choose the most accurate word.
4. And there’s an abundance of non-translation work happening “in front of the scenes”…
a. If your text has typos or other errors (I catch at least one error in most source texts), the translator will draw up comments and questions accordingly.
b. If your text has ambiguities, the translator will work with you to untangle the intended meaning.
c. Have questions or revision requests for the finished product? The professional translator will be there for you to handle it all.
d. “I just have one quick question”: Although translators differ in their policies, I’m happy to answer the odd question posed by my clients. Sometimes they want to replace a single phrase in the source text of a website I translated some time ago, and they’d like the equivalent phrase in English. Maybe they have a native English speaker on staff who wants to change a word in the translation, and the client wants my opinion first. I generally don’t bill for such work, which is part of the value I give my clients – and I’m happy to do so, but just remember that your translator is not getting paid for this time.
5. Expenses. I suspect that this category will be less palatable than the others, but I can offer two different perspectives for justifying it:
1) From the perspective of a consumer: You pay for the expenses listed below any time you buy anything. The difference is that I’m one person – it’s easy to focus on the dollar figure I’ve quoted and to forget that I don’t have the funds and profit margins of a corporation to dip into.
2) From the perspective of an employee: All of the following expenses are covered for you by your employer (with the exception of the first one, which I give an explanation for including). As for me, they come out of my profits – basically, my paycheck.
What belongs in the following list will vary somewhat from freelancer to freelancer, so I’ve included what applies to me in particular:
a. Taxes: Everyone pays taxes; however, as I alluded to above, I think it’s easy for people to forget that 15.3% goes straight to the IRS when paying an individual. Shave off a little more for business taxes.
b. Health, disability, dental, and life insurance: Freelancers don’t have corporate insurance plans. We have to cover these plans out of pocket or be prepared for the expenses they would otherwise take care of.
c. Hardware: That IT department you call when you need a new computer? Yeah, I don’t have that. I am the IT department. And the budget for that department is…my savings account.
d. Software: Same as above, but software license costs get more outlandish year after year. Even without considering translation-specific IT costs, there’s plenty to cover: Microsoft Office, Adobe, my website, my business email account, etc.
e. Marketing: Business cards and the like come out of my profits as well.
f. Training: There is no manager simply instructing me to log into some continuing education portal – I cut the check for further education.
g. Currency exchange & transfers: My operations cross borders, meaning I have losses in currency exchanges and bank fees. And if you found me through a freelancer platform, know that a substantial portion of the cost of my services is going straight to the platform (generally ~20%).
I think it’s important to clarify that I’m not complaining or seeking pity – I love what I do and love being a freelancer! And I’m happy to accept all the work I have to put into it, including the expenses that get stacked on top of life as a freelancer. My goal is simply to help people understand the price tag that accompanies professional translation. Now, to explain even further…
It’s important not to lose sight of the value of an effective translation. The translator is your means of accessing an entire market – at least one country, if not more, depending on the language.
If it doesn’t make economic sense to hire a professional translator, then by all means, run your text through a machine translation program. Even most translators will admit this is an appropriate solution for certain cases, such as your overseas coworker’s out-of-office message. Just keep in mind that these programs are prone to errors (see The Robots Are Coming – But Not for Me) and are thus inappropriate for any customer- or public-facing text, at the very least.
Think of free (i.e., machine) translation like the coupon that gets you a second free entrée when you buy the first. The laws of economics dictate that quality is not the objective.
The next step up would be a cut-rate translation by a shoddy translator, which could be likened to a large number nine with fries at a fast-food joint. Gets the job done, but it won’t be a job well done.
Professional translation: That’s the Michelin 3-star restaurant. It’ll cost you, but it’ll be worth it. And your business is worth it, right?
Updated: September 7, 2023