Working an agency translation project as a freelancer
A freelance translator's agency project depends on an agreed brief, communication about terminology, time for review and feedback after delivery.
Requirements and reference material
Translation agencies supply most medical translation projects, with end clients needing documents such as summaries of product characteristics, drug leaflets, informed consent forms, patient questionnaires and marketing material. The end client, agency and translator should agree the project's requirements to avoid misunderstandings and support translation quality.
The translator should clarify these requirements at the outset:
- Identify the end client, or, where confidentiality prevents this, its type, such as a pharmaceutical company, health agency, clinical research organisation or patient.
- Ask for useful reference documents, including previous translations of similar documents, glossaries, a multilingual website, a style guide or a feedback log.
- Establish the deadline for each step involving the translator and whether the agency has negotiated a reasonable deadline with the end client.
- Establish the quality the client wants in relation to the translation's purpose and audience: the translator's preferred quality may exceed what the client requires for an internal document that will not be published.
Translators should treat agency clients as direct clients. For a new client or a new type of project, a prepared question list sent after reviewing the instructions can save time for both parties. Clearly written instructions also provide evidence if a disagreement arises later.
Source review and terminology queries
The translator should open and read every file supplied by the agency, including references, instructions and glossaries, then read the source and prepare any questions. Questions can cover the following:
- Does related content need translation first? For a software user manual containing screenshots, ask whether the software has been translated; if it will not be translated, common practice is to retain English interface terms for usability.
- Where a term is uncertain, suggest options and ask which the client prefers.
- Where an existing translation seems wrong, ask why it is used before challenging it with solid references, such as doctors' or specialists' opinions, and ask whether the client's glossary can be updated for future projects.
The translator must ultimately comply with the client's wishes and instructions, and should ask before substituting another term. Asking shows involvement, positions the translator as a partner and can reveal whether the client is willing to communicate and build a working relationship.
Review and delivery
The following review practices are recommended:
- Have the translation proofread by another translator in the same specialty; another pair of eyes is essential under short deadlines, this is common industry practice, and sometimes a second revision takes place. If the agency does not arrange review, ensure the agreement permits subcontracting it.
- Set aside enough time to check the translation even when the deadline is short.
- Ask whether the agency has an internal reviewer who will proofread the translation after delivery.
Where tight deadlines prevent review, the translator should still use other ways to improve quality, such as applying client feedback to future projects. Before delivery, the translator should review the instructions and answers to queries to confirm that all agreed changes have been made. Remaining uncertainties should be mentioned in the delivery email, with an offer to make the client's final requested changes.
Feedback
Working mainly alone, communicating with clients by email and telephone, and meeting tight deadlines leaves little room for a debrief. In freelance practice described in 2021, more than nine times out of ten the only feedback was confirmation that the translation had arrived. Asking for feedback nevertheless shows commitment to quality.
Feedback requests can range from general to specific:
- Is the client happy with the translation?
- Were any issues found, and does anything need changing or improving?
- What was the final decision on the capitalisation of a term discussed during the project?
- Should specified abbreviations remain in English for French readers in future projects?
- What final file went to the end client, so that it can be compared with the translator's delivery?
Continued collaboration and negotiation
Translators should continue making suggestions while respecting the client's preferences, even where they consider their own translation more suitable. Translators should consider the following when maintaining the working relationship:
- Avoid arguing for the final say on a term, which may push the client towards another translator.
- Question requirements with solid references from doctors or specialists rather than personal opinion.
- Prefer agencies willing to discuss terminology, style and the end client's preferences, even when nothing changes.
Translators can reduce their workload and should negotiate realistic deadlines, even when agencies request the earliest delivery. Fair rates should allow the translator to spend the time needed without losing profit. Explaining that a good translation of 7,000 words cannot be delivered in 24 hours can help end clients understand the time required and stop seeking the fastest, cheapest translator. A realistic guideline for specialised medical translation is 1,500–2,500 source words translated and reviewed per day, depending on the source text's specialisation. Regular negotiation helps translators understand agencies' and end clients' needs, refine services, deadlines and rates, and seek clients with compatible quality criteria.
The following bad practices warrant negotiation and, if it fails, consideration of refusing further work with the agency:
- Deadlines requiring more than 2,000–2,500 words translated and reviewed daily, leaving insufficient time for research and quality assurance.
- Badly written sources, such as rapid COVID-19 test documents written by non-native speakers that made little sense to the translator handling them.
- Questions unanswered or answered late, or successive project managers requiring the translator to explain the same issues repeatedly.
- Clients unable to identify the audience or purpose of a translation or answer questions about it.
- Clients changing the delivered translation until it no longer makes sense, such as before publishing it online.
Freelancers and agencies should cooperate in meeting client requirements and conveying a meaningful message: clients benefit from better translations, agencies from loyalty, and translators from fairer working conditions.