| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | When big is big? Thread poster: Inga Petkelyte
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Inga Petkelyte 
Portugal
Local time: 22:09
Lithuanian to Portuguese
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Sorry if this has already been covered somewhere but I would like to ask what can be considered as a "big" translation.
My wondering was triggered by the following. Today I received an email from an agency I used to translate for, they have implemented some kind of mass emailing system and send mass notifications now and then.
So the email of today stated in the subject: "Self Service BIG - ...1351.00 word(s)".
Normally, I delete such self service emails without opening them. ... See more Sorry if this has already been covered somewhere but I would like to ask what can be considered as a "big" translation.
My wondering was triggered by the following. Today I received an email from an agency I used to translate for, they have implemented some kind of mass emailing system and send mass notifications now and then.
So the email of today stated in the subject: "Self Service BIG - ...1351.00 word(s)".
Normally, I delete such self service emails without opening them. But that big + 1351 words caught my attention. I opened the email to see more. The volume was indeed 1351 words, deadline in 2 days, with a note that "several translators needed, files will be split".
I got completely puzzled about how come a half of an average daily output can be considered as a big job and why on earth to split half-day's work among several translators. Never mind.
For the purpose of "discounts on big volumes", or for any refrences, when big is big for you? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:09
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Size isn't everything | Feb 17, 2016 |
"Big" in my world would be 10K words or above.
| | | | Angela Malik
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:09
German to English
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| Possible typo -- maybe they forgot to add a zero at the end? | Feb 17, 2016 |
Inga Petkelyte wrote:
For the purpose of "discounts on big volumes", or for any refrences, when big is big for you?
My average projects tend to be around 10,000 words. I recently completed about 50,000 words of a project that was about 120,000 words. My biggest job to date was about 400,000 words.
I suppose "big" for me would start at 15,000-20,000 words. But NEVER for the purposes of "discounts on big volumes", which I don't do.
| | | | Inga Petkelyte
Portugal
Local time: 22:09
Lithuanian to Portuguese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Angela Rimmer wrote:
Inga Petkelyte wrote:
For the purpose of "discounts on big volumes", or for any refrences, when big is big for you?
My average projects tend to be around 10,000 words. I recently completed about 50,000 words of a project that was about 120,000 words. My biggest job to date was about 400,000 words.
I suppose "big" for me would start at 15,000-20,000 words. But NEVER for the purposes of "discounts on big volumes", which I don't do.
Angela, I also thought this could have happened. The PM reconfirmed: 1351.
10K - well, may be. But I think I would need more to have that satisfaction in the end: yes, I did something!
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| Big enough for... | Feb 17, 2016 |
The PM reconfirmed: 1351.
...volume discount, I suppose, that´s what they want, don´t they?
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:09
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Matthias Brombach wrote:
The PM reconfirmed: 1351.
...volume discount, I suppose, that´s what they want, don´t they?
Yes - that seems to be the subtext.
| | | | Balasubramaniam L.
India
Local time: 03:39
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Inga Petkelyte wrote:
Angela Rimmer wrote:
Inga Petkelyte wrote:
For the purpose of "discounts on big volumes", or for any refrences, when big is big for you?
My average projects tend to be around 10,000 words. I recently completed about 50,000 words of a project that was about 120,000 words. My biggest job to date was about 400,000 words.
I suppose "big" for me would start at 15,000-20,000 words. But NEVER for the purposes of "discounts on big volumes", which I don't do.
Angela, I also thought this could have happened. The PM reconfirmed: 1351.
10K - well, may be. But I think I would need more to have that satisfaction in the end: yes, I did something!
...he/she probably meant pages, not words.
For me big starts from 20,000+ words. Complexity of the text also matters.
| | | | Inga Petkelyte
Portugal
Local time: 22:09
Lithuanian to Portuguese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Matthias Brombach wrote:
The PM reconfirmed: 1351.
...volume discount, I suppose, that´s what they want, don´t they?
On top of the " Project will be pretranslated with MT" ? Lol. I just didn't go there. I never do, self service system reminds me a vulture race, not a decent business approach.
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| No, the keyword then goes hand in hand ... | Feb 17, 2016 |
"Project will be pretranslated with MT"
with volume discount and "give me your best rate"...
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My average projects tend to range from 5,000 to 10,000 words. My biggest job to date was the translation of an Obstetrics and Gynecology Handbook (reviewed by a medical doctor) with 379,745 words (though I learned a lot, it was very hard work and an experience not to be repeated). I had two big projects last year, both on education, the first had 255,000 words and the other one 88,200 words.
| | | | | Big is somewhere over 10,000 words or characters? | Feb 17, 2016 |
Although I do some English editing, most of my work is calculated in terms of Japanese characters. Anything more than 10,000 seems big to me.
BTW What is the biggest project anybody has been offered?
| | | | Inga Petkelyte
Portugal
Local time: 22:09
Lithuanian to Portuguese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Get serious! | Feb 17, 2016 |
Matthias Brombach wrote:
"Project will be pretranslated with MT"
with volume discount and "give me your best rate"...
Ok, discounts aside, let's get back on the track.
I tend to agree that 20+K words can be seen as "big".
My average volumes come close to that, with lots of small fish on the way.
Teresa, that's impressive - translating books in such a specific field. (I hope it was AFTER you got your kids ).
My biggest one order so far has been an extradition case in several volumes, somewhat above 200.000 words. Not my everyday bread such volumes happen to be.
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| Sorry, I did not know that | Feb 17, 2016 |
Inga Petkelyte wrote:
Matthias Brombach wrote:
The PM reconfirmed: 1351.
...volume discount, I suppose, that´s what they want, don´t they?
I just didn't go there. I never do
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:09
Member (2008)
Italian to English
James Hodges wrote:
Although I do some English editing, most of my work is calculated in terms of Japanese characters. Anything more than 10,000 seems big to me.
BTW What is the biggest project anybody has been offered?
Various books ranging from about 25K to 70K - but I haven't had any since last year
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 17:09
Spanish to English
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I think that the hapless PM who sent you the offer was just trying to make the project sound appealing to you.
The person in question was perhaps so lacking in common sense and tact that he/she didn't realize how ridiculous it was to use "big" to describe a project of less than 2000 words.
I get messages all of the time regarding "huge," "big," "exciting," and "interesting" projects. Sometimes, they live up to their billing, most times not. The purpose of such messages ... See more I think that the hapless PM who sent you the offer was just trying to make the project sound appealing to you.
The person in question was perhaps so lacking in common sense and tact that he/she didn't realize how ridiculous it was to use "big" to describe a project of less than 2000 words.
I get messages all of the time regarding "huge," "big," "exciting," and "interesting" projects. Sometimes, they live up to their billing, most times not. The purpose of such messages seems to merely make the project sound interesting, and to wring the lowest rate possible out of the translator being contacted.
[Edited at 2016-02-17 15:40 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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