So you’re looking to work with a Swedish speaker with native English for a translation or content project? You’ve come to the right place.
Your questions should hopefully be answered by this post, as I’ve been doing this for years (also from French to English) across 1000s of projects and millions of words in many different formats. I’ve been a full-time translator for nearly 20 years and am a full member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists. Let’s take a look at what’s possible.
Document translation
This may seem straightforward on the surface, but it can soon become a more complex project as multiple editors, formats and deliverables come into play.
But usually you can submit your document in a standard Office format, be it a spreadsheet, Word doc, presentation or otherwise. This can then be worked on in the translator’s CAT tool, which will generate a glossary, termbase and translation memory for your content, improving consistency over time working together.
The text is then sent back to you by email or secure upload and any amendments can be subsequently
Swedish text is usually quite close in wordcount to English, so doesn’t typically need a re-worked page layout. Sometimes a few tweaks, as with any re-wording, but nothing drastic in most cases.
Which brings us on to our second service, a little more specialist:
InDesign and AutoCAD translation
For this service you can submit indx files (or most XML output from Indesign and similar) for us to use directly in our tools, to avoid major layout issues and much copy-pasting in the above method. Same goes for AutoCAD and similar, we can translate text labels directly in our tools, retaining the file structure. We don’t tend to do this much, unless we specialise, but it’s as simple as translating a Word doc at our end.
Copywriting and transcreation
This falls under the more creative umbrella and can involve more briefing and sample sharing than in straight translation. But generally if you need website or product copy, or a slogan translating cleanly and with respect for the target culture, best to call on a native speaker with professional language ability.
We can consider all angles required for a successful translation of your ideas into English, while adding additional value through SEO and conversion considerations.
Transcreation, just to be clear, is a form of translation that involves more creative thinking, such as with marketing campaigns or creative copy where the message needs to resonate with the same tone as the source text, but in a different market.
Proofreading
This one is usually not too complicated! Texts written by non-natives or those who’d like a second opinion can be proofread at a daily, hourly or per-word rate, depending on what best suits the job.
All changes and comments are tracked, references to various grammatical rules and research queries are given, for all proofreading services carried out. Readability is always kept at the fore, as well as the correct register and vocabulary used depending on the target reader.
SEO and content writing
Using the correct keywords in the correct locations, and the right content structure, are variables that could really affect the success and audience size of your text. When writers are trained and experienced in writing for the web, these are considered, alongside the audience and specifics of the subject.
Benefits over working with an agency
As I work freelance, with a small team of colleagues where required, I can offer several benefits over an agency arrangement.
- More direct contact with your translator, tighter feedback loops
- Less overheads and admin
- Faster delivery, with a more specialised consideration
- The same liability insurance as you’d get with an agency
Click here to read more about the service and to get in touch - Swedish translation