Editorial translation covers a wide range of publishable content, ranging from books and brochures to websites, magazines, and marketing material – even subtitles. With such variety in the project scope, it can only make sense that clientele are unsure what to expect in terms of prices. Everyone understands, as they would like to know what to expect and manage their finances accordingly. This article’s purpose is to break down key, influential factors that may influence the cost of an editorial translation and thoroughly explain how pricing structures generally work.
What is editorial translation?
Editorial translation refers to the translation of materials intended for publication. It doesn’t matter if it’s print or digital. This would include, but not limited to:
- Books (fiction and nonfiction)
- Marketing collateral
- Brochures and leaflets
- Magazines or journal articles
- Web content
Unlike technical translation, which prioritizes accuracy and precision with little room for interpretation, editorial translation often involves a more nuanced approach. Like a surgeon with a small surgical knife, the tone, style, and emotional resonance of the words are critically examined and reviewed. This is especially true and vital for literary or creative content – so translators may exercise more a more artistic license to preserve the intent and voice of the original author.
The Editorial Translator
At Espresso Translations, editorial projects are handled by linguists who live and breathe the languages they represent and work with. These are native speakers of the target language with a high level fluency in the source. This is also not to mention they have a deep, core, understanding of the subject matter they are translating.
It is necessary that editorial translators wear as many hats as they can fit on their head. They are not just experts in language for that is never enough. They’re steeped within the confines of the specific world of content they need to interact with, whether that is literary, journalistic, academic, or otherwise.
We work with over 2,000 qualified translators spread across 150+ languages on a global scale at Espresso Translations. Each and every one of them has, at minimum five years of experience and a specific area of expertise. Not all of them focus on editorial, but we have plenty who do and know the publishing world the like the back of their hands.
The Needs of Publishing Houses
Publishing houses are always on the lookout for new audiences, and that means translating books and content for global markets. To get it right, they need translators who not only know the language but also the tone, cultural context, and stylistic goals of the piece. Professional translation companies, such as Espresso Translations who can provide advanced translation services thrive in the publishing world because the expertise of every translator has been vetted and approved on some of the highest levels globally. That level of credibility is not only hard to come by, but sets Espresso Translations as an authority within the space to provide translators that can handle almost anything you throw at them and make the projects shine.
In truth, this is where a skilled editorial translator can really let loose with their skills. Especially true for literary projects that need more than just accurate and well-placed grammar. When a creative license is called for, the translator becomes a pseudo co-author in a sense for the new language. The point is to preserve the “essence” or “soul” of the original and carry it through.
That said, not all projects allow for that kind of freedom. Technical topics, for example, leave very little room for that artistic flair. Accuracy of terminology and information is the name of the game in this instance.
How are editorial translation rates calculated?
Once a publishing house finds the right translation partner, pricing comes into play. Naturally, it may seem this way, especially when budgets are tight (we have all been there), but believe it or not, translation rates aren’t really pulled out of thin air. There are quite a few factors to consider:
- Language pair: Translating between widely spoken languages (like English and Spanish) is typically more affordable than working with less common ones (like Swahili and Latin). The translation cost will always become affected by this.
- Length: Most agencies charge using a per-word rate model as it is an easy metric to both understand and calculate in an attempt to showcase what the “best value” will look like. U.S. rates tend to range from $0.12 to $0.22 per word, so a 250 words per page might cost around $30 to $55 for each standard page based on the translation.
- Complexity: The more specialized or technical the material, the more it’ll cost. A medical journal takes more effort to translate than a lifestyle article. Such is pretty standard within the translation industry.
- Formatting: Documents with tables, images, or tricky/unique layouts may require extra work and that can impact the price. You may be surprised how much you need to research in order to get the right formatting to apply to a text.
- Time complexity: Need it tomorrow? Rush jobs or expedited services usually come with additional fees on top of the text translation. It is always good to make sure you know when you need a project to calculate the best value for your budget.
- Certification: If your translated material needs official certification, that’s another layer and will cost extra. Here it is less about the number of words and more about the content itself and what it legally needs.
Espresso Translations understands just how daunting it can be to realize you need editorial document translation services that have a certain set of requirements where additional costs may apply like the options mentioned above. But, you’re in luck! Once you contact us, we offer free quotes with no hidden surprises. It is only fair you know the exact cost of professional translation services for your needs. What you’re quoted is what you’ll pay. No fine print or unexpected fees.
Unit of measurement
Pricing is usually based on rate per word (for written text) or length of time (for audio and video). Some agencies might charge per page or offer flat rates for a complete project, but often times that has been found to be unreliable because they can charge higher rates for a complete project without proper breakdown in the price of services tailored for the users or the rates themselves will vary greatly across their service spectrum.
We at Espresso Translations prefer, transparent and dedicated action. That’s the true reason as to why we charge per word for documents and per minute for multi-media. To get you an accurate quote, we’ll ask to see the material first. Once it has been reviewed, you’ll have a quote in your inbox within the hour.
Price per word to calculate the cost of a translation
Here’s how it works: Let’s say your document has 3,000 words and the rate is $0.22 per word due to the language combination you wished to use for a general translation. That puts the cost of translation to $660. Straightforward and easy to understand with minimal hassle.
Many translators and agencies, including us, use this method because it’s clear and gives both parties confidence in what’s being paid for. This establishes a bond of trust between agencies and their clientele.
Price per page for calculating the cost of a translation
It must be stated that some projects simply don’t work well with the “per word” pricing model. If you’re translating a passport, certificate, or design-heavy brochure, we might go with a “per page” rate model instead. It’s often the better fit when formatting is a big part of the project.
What are typical editorial translation rates?
Most editorial translation jobs fall in the $0.14 to $0.22 per word range. That said, prices can go higher or lower depending on the specifics. That’s always why we heavily recommend getting a custom quote. It ensures you get a fair, accurate cost for your unique project. Even if you believe it is just an average translation and should be treated as such, we have professionals at Espresso Translations that will gladly share all of the items and caveats you might be missing for your project. This is not done to increase cost of services – it is a direct means of supporting your translation because it is highly likely there was an angle that was missed which could lead your translation to not become entirely accepted where it needs to go.
We stick to industry standard translation rates, and our quotes are all inclusive. No hidden charges, no last minute fees. What you see, is what you pay at Espresso Translations.
Advantage of word-based calculation
Word-based pricing services like this makes things very clear. You know your document’s word count, and once you have a rate, you can do the math yourself with your handy-dandy calculator. No guesswork, no surprises, no hassle.
It tends to make negotiations smoother as translation projects often get muddy as there can be many requirements and nuances to interacting with the source material. You get clarity, and we get to focus entirely on delivering high quality work.
Advantage of page based calculation
Per-page pricing makes more sense when dealing with documents that aren’t text-heavy or visually complex, like a birth certificate or promotional flyers. In these cases, word counts don’t really capture the scope of the work, so page-based pricing helps keep things fair and practical.
What other factors influence editorial translation prices?
Though we had touched on this earlier, let’s examine some types of translation from a different perspective, most notably, when it comes to certified translations. These aren’t just translated texts. They are a type of legal translation of legally recognized versions that meet specific official standards.
Here is a quick overview:
- Certified translation – Accepted in all U.S. authorities and other common law countries. Cost: $40
- Sworn translation – Required in the U.S. and also required in several EU countries and must be done by a legally certified sworn translator. Cost: $68.
- Notarized translation – Includes a notary’s stamp confirming the translator’s legal identity. Cost: $122.
- Legalized translation – Comes with an apostille for international use. Cost $122.
Our Editorial Translations
At Espresso Translations, we’ve built a reputation for delivering editorial translations that are both accurate and culturally on point. Whether you’re a publisher, author, or agency, our team is here to support your project with speed and precision.
Each and every translation goes through a multi-step quality check throughout our process. First, your translator will proofread the final version. Then, a second linguist, one who is equally qualified, will take another look at it. Finally, your dedicated project/account manager will do a last round of quality assurance to make sure everything is polished and ready to go.
We stay in touch every step of the way, and we offer flexible delivery options, including but not limited to:
- 48 hour
- 24 hour
- same day (if needed)
We know hiring a translation agency is an investment. But when you work with a professional team from Espresso Translations, you’re not just getting words converted for some kind of relevant context. You are getting the meaning, message, and more, fully compact and driven through the new language anew.
While machine translation tools are tempting, they just don’t cut it for editorial content. It is like giving a hammer to an accountant and giving the same hammer to a trained and experience carpenter to create a bookshelf. The human touch by a highly coveted professional behind the wheels of “tech-like” translation memories and glossaries has no equal. The real work is always done by that experienced human translator who know their craft inside and out. We understand, they are cheap and sometimes free – but that quality will be worlds apart from what it could be. Nothing beats a professional translator with a translation process they live and breathe in their everyday life.
