Simplified information about French Linguistics translation service

I have revised the main page of the French Linguistics translation service, hopefully cutting away much of the clutter and moving some secondary information to other pages.

The automatic translation quotation tool is still available but has been moved to its own page. You may still of course address inquiries about translations directly to me at translation@french-linguistics.co.uk

Automatic translation quoting now possible with docx files

The translation service quotation tool now understands DOCX files. Whilst many clients still submit their documents in the "traditional" DOC format, an increasing number are moving over to the DOCX file. Hopefully this update to the tool will assist those requesting quick translation quotes before deciding whether or not to go ahead with the translation.

If you require a translation of other document formats that are not supported (for example, French translation of a PDF or scanned document), then please make initial contact and potentially e-mail the file for quotation as indicated.

E-mail contact will also be necessary in the case of web site translation, where you may initially send the URL of the site. (A number of options are available: see the separate information page on website information for more details. Key issues are how you are able to provide the copy to be translated, and what workflow is best suited to your needs.)

Translation survey

In addition to the French learners' survey mentioned earlier this week in another blog posting, the French Linguistics is currently runnin a translation survey to find out more about the needs of those who contract translation services (or are looking to do so but have doubts about how such services work). The aim is to improve the French translation service offered by the French Lingusitics web site. As with other surveys, this one is completely anonymous.

Sign up to the translation newsletter

Those who may be requiring the site's translation services are encouraged to sign up to the translation newsletter. This newsletter will be sent out on a regular basis to inform subscribers about translation offers and other news relating to the translation service.

Anybody may sign up. However, the newsletter is particularly aimed at companies and individuals who have regular translation needs (in particular, who typically need at least 1 document translated every month). When signing up, please ensure that you provide an accurate e-mail address.

You're also invited to provide some approximate information about your translation needs. If you can provide this information, then it will allow you to be informed of offers that are suited to your particular requirements. For other translation-related enquiries, please contact translation@french-linguistics.co.uk

New translation submission tool

The home page of the French Linguistics translation service now contains a new tool to make it easier to get a quote and submit that document for translation. The tool appears in the top-right of the page under the heading Instant translation quote. Submitting the document is simple: select the "Browse" button next to the File field to select the document that you need translating. Then, indicate which language you wish to have the document translated into, and enter a contact e-mail, before hitting the quote button. An approximate price for translation will then be displayed on screen, and you will be able to decide whether to submit the document for final approval.

It is important to note that at this point you are not committing to anything. Your document will shortly be reviewed and you will be e-mailed with confirmation of the price and proposed delivery time. At this point, any queries about your document may also be raised. For translation to go ahead, you will then be required to reply to the e-mail with confirmation.

Note that the automated quoting tool is currently available for certain document types and target languages only. If you have several documents or if the document type and/or language required isn't supported, please submit your document manually.

Why are these steps necessary? Well, they're essential to getting you the best possible translation. It is impossible for a translator to give a reliable quote and delivery time without having seen the document first, and no reputable translator or translation agency should do so. (As mentioned in a previous post, be very wary of any company that does give a firm price or deadline commitment without having first seen the actual document to be translated: if they underquote on either price or delivery time, they may be forced to cut corners and compromise translation quality in order to meet the commitment.)