Weekly production of number of words Arabic - English (medium non technical)
Thread poster: Nouran Sallam
Nouran Sallam
Nouran Sallam  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:21
English to Arabic
+ ...
Feb 2, 2021

Hi everyone. My client is asking what my weekly word production will be. They can’t reveal the script or send samples because of confidentiality concerns. They are assuring me it is not technical and of standard difficulty. The job is Arabic to English. What’s a rough estimate based on your experience?

 
Sadek_A
Sadek_A  Identity Verified
Local time: 03:21
English to Arabic
+ ...
..... Feb 2, 2021

Almost impossible to set an average, given we don't know your abilities nor do we know anything whatsoever about the project!
That said, how exactly them receiving your "weekly word production" will deactivate their "confidentiality concerns"? Something is NOT right here!
Content doesn't have to be technical for it to be one Herculean effort; some of the simplest-looking bits can make an experienced translator chase their own tail for a while!


Dalia Nour
 
Nouran Sallam
Nouran Sallam  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:21
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks Feb 2, 2021

Thanks. The reason I asked them to reveal more about the nature of the script is to give them a rough estimate of the weekly word number. I also asked for a sample script to help me get back to them with an answer. They refused on both accounts citing confidentiality concerns.

I agree, how technical or non technical is no guarantee but for what it’s worth I’m trying to find out as much as I can to help them out!


 
Gerard de Noord
Gerard de Noord  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 00:21
Member (2003)
English to Dutch
+ ...
You're not entering into a contract Feb 2, 2021

Hi Nouran,

Tell them you can translate 10,000 target words per week. Just never garantuee them that you will deliver 10,000 words per week. That would be part of a contract and then you would have to know more about the work to be done in detail. Your weekly production doesn't equal the amount of words you can deliver to this specific client.

Cheers,
Gerard


Nouran Sallam
Dalia Nour
 
Nouran Sallam
Nouran Sallam  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:21
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Much appreciated Feb 3, 2021

This is a new way for me to look at the matter. Many thanks!

 
Sadek_A
Sadek_A  Identity Verified
Local time: 03:21
English to Arabic
+ ...
..... Feb 3, 2021

Be mindful that a serious client with a serious project simply doesn't just refuse to communicate the source material. They either send it to you in good faith, or ask you to sign a project-specific NDA only after you've both agreed on the rate and all the other payment terms and they've POed you for it with a pending deadline.
Then, what does it mean when a "client" is just hunting for mere info about the translator? They are possibly not serious, and there is possibly no project.
A
... See more
Be mindful that a serious client with a serious project simply doesn't just refuse to communicate the source material. They either send it to you in good faith, or ask you to sign a project-specific NDA only after you've both agreed on the rate and all the other payment terms and they've POed you for it with a pending deadline.
Then, what does it mean when a "client" is just hunting for mere info about the translator? They are possibly not serious, and there is possibly no project.
Ask them about the average output they're looking for and confirm that you're willing to abide by it (you can always negotiate it later on the grounds of the actual source), then see if they will take communication with you to the next proper steps!
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Nouran Sallam
Dalia Nour
 
Arabic & More
Arabic & More  Identity Verified
Jordan
Arabic to English
+ ...
Everyone is unique Feb 3, 2021

There are too many unknowns here to offer a response. In most cases, they should be able to send you a sample of the text (having you sign an NDA if necessary)...even clients with "top secret" projects in sensitive areas are usually able to do this. If this is not possible for some reason (which would be rather unusual for a "general" text), then they should at least reveal the nature of the text and what topics will be involved. For example, is it a history text, a marketing text, or something ... See more
There are too many unknowns here to offer a response. In most cases, they should be able to send you a sample of the text (having you sign an NDA if necessary)...even clients with "top secret" projects in sensitive areas are usually able to do this. If this is not possible for some reason (which would be rather unusual for a "general" text), then they should at least reveal the nature of the text and what topics will be involved. For example, is it a history text, a marketing text, or something completely different?

Other than this, the answer depends purely on your own circumstances, level of experience, and abilities.

How much have you comfortably managed to translate in the past?

Newer translators are often only able to handle about 500 words per day, while more experienced ones might be fine with 2,000+ words per day, but even an experienced translator may work at a slower rate when the topic is one that is difficult or unfamiliar.

You must also take into consideration whether you are currently working on any projects for different clients, and what types of personal commitments you have at the moment (e.g., homeschooling or caring for a family member). This is something that is unique to you as an individual.

I think Gerad's approach is very reasonable, but you are the only one who can determine the specific figure that you feel comfortable with based on your personal situation and previous experiences with this client and others.

I would personally be comfortable with 10,000 words per week in this language pair under most circumstances (assuming it is a truly "general" text that will not require much research), but I have also tested myself in the past to know what is feasible for me. Also, this would be assuming that I did not have any other projects or commitments to tend to at the same time.

[Edited at 2021-02-03 11:41 GMT]
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Nouran Sallam
Dalia Nour
 


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Weekly production of number of words Arabic - English (medium non technical)







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