Translation Blog

A qualified English to Spanish translator can save your business time as well as bring in new clients with their document translations. But keeping your communication streamlined and clear will expedite any translation job you contract them to work on. 

Below are some tips on getting the most out of your working relationship with a freelancer English to Spanish translator:

1. Remember, you are the expert on the material to be translated and they are the experts in giving you the end product.  You have to put your trust in your translator because you can’t check the accuracy of the final document.  But by hiring a freelancer knowledgeable in the subject matter should be your first priority. 
2. Provide your translator with the final document to be translated, not a draft.  If you alter the document midstream, then you may be opening yourself to extra charges depending on what is in your contract with the freelancer.  Not to mention, the translator may have already rendered most of the English document into Spanish, which wastes time.
3. Keep the lines of communication open!  Just as you appreciate a freelancer who checks in about her progress, make sure that communication goes both ways.  Ensuring a timely response to any emails or calls with questions will allow the translator to continuing working.  What may seem an unimportant question to you could hold up a translator as she waits for an answer.
4. Explain your needs and expectations at the beginning.  The nature of freelance translation requires that translators be flexible, but there’s a point where unclear communication can cause a project to crash.  This could ultimately wreck a relationship with a trusted English to Spanish translator.  Head off a communication breakdown by explaining what you expect before starting a project, and make sure that your translator has all her questions answered so that she can start work. 

Of course, even translation projects that seem simple at the outset can turn complicated.  But by keeping courtesy, clarity, and communication a focus of your partnership with a freelancer, you will reap the rewards of powerful, accurate Spanish translations.