What system and software do you use?
As a Mac user, I currently work with Office 365, SmartCat, DeepL Pro, Acrobat Reader, and a variety of plain-text editors. If you have specific requirements, like using a particular in-house translation memory or terminology management system, I will be happy to adapt my workflow to meet your needs.
How do you price your work?
I charge for translating and editing based on the number of words in the English source text, while monolingual edits of German texts are based on the word count of those documents. Projects with a mix of translation and reviewing are often charged hourly. Advertising projects, where the emphasis is on creative solutions rather than per-word translation, are charged at a flat rate per job. Very small jobs are subject to a minimum fee. I can therefore give you a fixed price from the outset, unless you need additional services later.
Must every translation be edited?
I believe that all translations intended for publication should be edited (not just proofread, but fully edited) by a human language professional at least once. Quality control is an indispensable part of any endeavor. In the case of translation—a subjective process performed either by a particular linguist or by a particular algorithm, each with its own assumptions and style—a second set of human eyes is vital to catch errors and inconsistencies and to suggest improvements.
How can I contribute?
Please design your layout in a way that allows the text to expand; when an English text is translated into German, the text length can increase by up to 20 percent. Also, please send me an original copy that is easy to read and free of errors and ambiguities, and ensure that I receive any guides to in-house terminology or any illustrations that are relevant to the project. Finally, please allow sufficient time to research problematic terms or passages, and identify a contact person for any translation-related questions.
Why should I hire you in particular?
I would describe myself as a business and marketing expert with a lifelong passion for writing. Someone who likes to work independently, who cares about his clients and their customers, and who remains friendly and humorous even under stress. Since 1996, I have often been the lead German translator for business texts for translation agencies, continuously working on image-sensitive material for well-known U.S. companies. It is important to me that I write both correctly and elegantly – for texts that stand out.