We calculate translation quotes at a fixed rate based on the length of the original text and its complexity:

• Length of text - we base this on the standard that is generally adopted for translation in Germany, the "(DIN) standard line", defined as every started line of 55 characters including spaces, punctuation and special symbols. You can calculate this with the Word Count feature in MS-Word, for example, by simply taking the number of characters (incl. spaces and special symbols) in the document and dividing this by 55; rounding up any fraction.
• Complexity - a much higher degree of research and consideration is required to ensure an accurate translation of technical and scientific terminology, or for specialized topics and special kinds of text like advertising slogans and headings.

For this reason a quotation is only possible once we have seen the actual document, or at least a representative sample of the text to translate. Please send us your text and we will promptly send you a quotation free of charge (or if based on a sample, our price per line and an estimate for the whole job) without obligation on your part.

Extra charges may arise, say, if amendments are made necessary by customer changes to the original text during or after translation, for the extraction of text from certain data formats or time-consuming layout tasks in the target text. We agree all extra charges in advance, but usually base them on our hourly rate for editing (see below).

For creative writing and editing text we generally charge a rate per hour for actual time taken, or we agree a flat rate in advance based on reasonable estimates of the job.

The amount of time required for editing and proofreading not only depends on the amount of text in the original copy, but also on the degree of correction and other changes required, such as sentence reformulation and paragraph restructuring. For this reason, we can only offer an estimate of costs once we have seen your draft copy. As a rule for proofreading and editing, it is possible to handle between 4 and 8 standard pages (every 1,700 characters incl. spaces) per hour.

For a creative writing job, we can only estimate the costs once a detailed project plan is in place. The most important variables are the kinds of text and length required and the purpose it is intended for, the amount of learning and research involved, the quality and comprehensiveness of the briefing and the number of approval meetings required.

For jobs up to €350 we can generally deliver within 2 or 3 days following your acceptance of our terms or from the time you send us your final text. We are also happy to deliver small jobs of up to €50 within 24 hours at our normal prices. However, should you require a more urgent delivery we may request a surcharge, depending on how tight the schedule is. Please discuss your needs with us in advance, to find out whether we have capacity for express deliveries.

We agree the prices and delivery times for projects individually with you.