Freelance Translator or a Translation Agency?

by Target Language Translation Services

- October 04 2021

If you intend to have a document translated, you have several options. Either have it done by a colleague who appears to be quite a linguist or outsource it. When outsourcing it you either choose a freelance translator or a translation agency. What are the differences between a freelancer and an agency? What to consider when choosing the one to work on your translation? And what potential challenges will this quest create?

There are many thousands of both of them so you will find them by just typing ‘I need a translation’ in the search box. And it’s the good news. The bad news is that there are thousands of translators and translation agencies from any country, city and location imaginable and you need a perfect fit for your perfect case. And there is a limited amount of time.

So it’s necessary to know what goes on behind the walls of a translation agency and how dose a translation freelancer work.

Translation companies usually hire the most experienced, specialized translators in a variety of languages, industries and subject matters in order to assign them to specific projects. The translators’ experience in various sectors is a key factor when choosing the right resource for each project.

Working with a freelance translator might look like the better, most financially reasonable option. However, freelancers don’t always provide the best solutions in the long run and in many cases can end up costing you more.

If you’ve never worked with translators before; it can be difficult to decide which option will work best for your project, and how to manage them in an optimal way. There's something you should consider.

Finding the proper one

There is no one-fit-for-all approach and a lot depends on your project’s ins and outs - its size, the deadlines, the target language, the source language, the industry you work in, etc. All these things could be the cue for you to hire a freelancer or a translation agency. Knowing your details is the key to find the perfect match in this game.

Freelance translation

It’s pretty easy to find a freelance translator online. But have you ever checked it? This is because anyone who speaks two or more languages and has a computer can call themselves a freelance translator.

If you want a translation done in a professional manner, it’s not so easy. You need a translator who is fully fluent in both the target and source language; and who has years of experience translating in their industry of expertise. You need someone who is more than just bilingual for your translation project. Also, you need to make sure that the translator is native in the target language to ensure that the translation is of the upmost quality.

Meanwhile, if you like a personal approach, your deadline is not that deadly, and you like to talk to people, then a professional freelancer is what you’ve been looking for.

Most freelancers are very flexible when it comes to their customers’ requirements and are always ready to meet them in the best way possible. Many freelancers are passionate about what they do and therefore they are really good in a specific niche.

Working with freelancers could be in your interests too since if you hit it off you could get yourself an in-house translator who would work for your business. Which is a good thing. The thing is, you may not have enough patience to comb through the global translation community to search for the one and only professional perfect for your projects.

Translation agencies

A translation agency is a complex organism with many translators at work and many jobs being done all at once.

The right translator is working on your translation.

Translation agencies usually have an extensive roster of qualified and vetted translators, editors and proofreaders for many languages and subject matters. All of translators, editors and proofreaders have the ability to demonstrate their proficiency in the languages they translate. When you hire a translation agency, you have access to a whole team of translators, editors and proofreader with extensive experience in your subject matter.

Freelancers can do it too but good luck finding them on the vastness of the Internet. Or when you hire just one person to meet all your translation needs in one specific language, you might find that he or she struggles to do it all in an efficient and timely manner.

Comprehensive quality control for translations.

Translation agencies usually stand for quality. At Target Language Translation, all our translations are subject to a strict quality control process that includes translation, editing and proofreading/review.

As soon as the translation is ready, a reviewer will check the complete translation. Once your translation has been reviewed, it will be forwarded to your project manager. If the project manager discovers an issue, the next step is to send it back to be revised. A project manager will address any concerns for translations delivered and provide corrective measures.

Context is a vital part of translation quality assurance. The formality rules and context of the overall product affect the translation. When it pertains to a subject with specific terms, the language can change, and QA ensures appropriate compliance. Target Language Translation verifies that all translators and editors are always native speakers in the target language.

Freelance translators don’t do this or not in a very extensive way – and they often don’t have those three pairs of eyes at their disposal either.

We always recommend having your translations checked before actually publishing them. If you’re going to work with a freelance translator, look for a second translator. Or be aware of the risk that you may not have an error-free translation.

A translation agency ensures that all deadlines are met.

Translation agencies are okay with tougher deadlines and large sizes because they have the resources to pull it through. They can assign a dedicated team to work on your task, which equates to faster turnaround times so you never miss a deadline. That’s something freelancers can’t usually do. If the speed is your thing, go with an agency to be on the safe side to make sure the deadlines are met. And since translation agencies can do all the mentioned above, they can assign proofreaders and other professionals so you don’t have to do it yourself. It guarantees you get the output in a timely manner, proofread and maybe even dubbed or subtitled.

The difference in price between a freelance translator and a translation agency

If you request a quote, the final total will tell you that a freelance translator is often cheaper than the translation agency. However it is quite necessary to review or inquire what exactly you are paying for. Here are some points you need to consider whether the higher price of the translation agency worth it.

--At a translation agency, the check of the reviewer and project manager is already included in the word rate. As is the work that your project manager takes off your hands. A freelance translator often charges a word rate only based on the translation itself. If, when choose a freelancer, you also want to engage a reviewer, these costs will be added.

--Translation agency usually makes use of translation memories which will lower your investment. It is not self-evident that a freelance translator does the same or is able to, so be sure to ask.

--From the first assignment onwards you will receive a discount on repeated words. If certain words appear more often in a text, you will receive a discount – and you have our specialist software to thank for that.

You probably want a high-quality translation which both a freelance translator and a translation agency can arrange for you. It’s up to you to determine what you consider to be “high-quality” and which is a fairly easy process. Search for references, read about the working method and feel free to ask about the experience the freelance translator or translation agency should have. Define your needs, learn which skills you want your hire to have, set the deadline and the rest will follow. Your life would be much easier if you know what you need to get things done. Now when you have the information, it’s up to you to decide what works better for you.

This article is reprinted from Euro-Com, Global Arena and PoliLingua.

If there is a copyright, please inform us in time, we will delete it right the first time.