Pricing

We listen to you so others can

To serve you responsibly, we need to understand the full complexity of your translation project, the precise audience targeted, the formatting required and your timetable for completion. Because no two projects are exactly alike, we give you choices. Our six-tier translation system allows you to configure the levels of service that are right for you and your budget .

There is no charge for preliminary consultation. We are always happy to answer your questions and get to know more about you and your project. Thorough discussion and a copy of your text are required before we can provide you with a price quote.

You will find Marathon Translations' rates to be always competitive but never irresponsible. Your words and your image are too important to compromise. Our in-house staff of multilingual professionals has extensive experience in translating, writing, editing and publishing. All of our translators have been carefully screened for accuracy and subject expertise.

What are your words worth?

While translating typically occurs at the tail end of a project, there is no better example of the tail wagging the dog. Without the translation, there is no international project. And without a quality translation, potential gain can easily turn into lost opportunity.

At Marathon Translations, we take pride in providing precise translations at a reasonable cost. But we also encourage our clients to take translations seriously, to plan them carefully and to budget for them wisely. There are few, if any, stages in a project with so much loss or gain at stake.

The difference between a good or bad medical or legal translation sometimes can be measured in lives and lawsuits. In business, this difference is commonly reflected in Return on Investment (ROI) or Return on Assets (ROA). Studies have demonstrated positive correlation between translation quality and ROI. Marketing materials, surveys, owner's manuals, websites and more--all add to positive returns when translation integrity is maintained.

Conversely, poor-quality translations are the most expensive services you can buy. You pay for them over and over again--in lost sales and lost opportunities, in diminished product usability, in customer dissatisfaction and brand damage, in legal entanglements, and in added service call and technical assisance expenses.

How much will it cost?

Translations are typically billed on a per-word basis, with hourly rates charged for editing, proofreading and other value-added editorial services. The cost of a translation depends on a variety of factors that include complexity of the subject matter, rarity of the target language, translation difficulty inherent in the target language, degree of refinement required, turnaround time and volume. Marathon Translations takes all such factors into account when preparing price quotes. Since no two projects are the same, prices are provided on an individual basis.

It is always senseless to pay for more than you need. Some translations need not be polished to absolute perfection. Examples of that might include routine correspondence, in-house memos and documents with limited circulation.

To ensure that you get all that you need without paying any more than necessary, Marathon Translations lets you choose from the following six tiers of service:

• Tier 1, Preparation of the Original Document
  Obviously, the ultimate translation is no better than the original. We recommend that you have your text thoroughly reviewed and finalized before embarking on translation. Prudent preparation of the original text not only adds to translation quality, it can save you money at the same time. At this stage, every effort should be made to eliminate costly redundancies, to clarify potential ambiguities, to keep terminology usage consistent and to remove any culture-specific references that might be misunderstood by your target audience. Marathon Translations' experienced translating and editing staff can assist you in writing, editing and proofreading your documents.
 
• Tier 2, Translation
  Our translations are performed by native speakers qualified in the document subject area. Marathon's professional translators follow a three-stage process: 1) translation, including research into language-specific terminology, 2) a self-edit of the full translation, and 3) a final self-edit and proofing done with fresh eyes after the translaton has been set aside overnight. (A Tier 2 translation is generally sufficient for routine correspondence, in-house memos and documents with limited circulation.)
 
• Tier 3, Editing
  A second translator with expertise in the document subject area is assigned to conduct a follow-up review of the translation. All appropriate changes will be made in consultation with the initial translator. The document will be reviewed for accuracy and correct usage of technical terms, grammar, syntax, punctuation and style. The translation will also be reviewed for compliance with state language commission regulations if the translation is to be published in one of the many countries in which native language purity is officially enforced. (Tier 3 service is worthwhile for most translation projects and suffices as the final step for many. We recommend specialist editing for all translations to be published in print or on the web.)
 
• Tier 4, In-Country Validation by a Specialist
  A specialist working in the appropriate field within the target country--such as a medical doctor, an attorney, a financial analyst, a chemist, a product distributor or some other industry expert--is chosen to review the document to detect any problematic language that might be obvious only to a native professional. (Tier 4 service adds one more layer of assurance that the translation is completely accurate, terminologically correct and appropriate for its target audience. This service level is sometimes desirable for product instructions or manuals, as well as for medical, legal and other sensitive translations with zero tolerance for even the slightest ambiguity.)
 
• Tier 5, Back Translation
  A bi-cultural linguist is selected to translate the already-translated document back into the original document language as a final test of accuracy and clarity. (Tier 5 back translations are sometimes useful as final checks of same-word-sensitive documents in order to verify full understanding by target audiences. They are commonly used when translating advertising messages or health care and other questionnaires. In some instances, partial-document back translations are appropriate for spot-checking translation integrity.)
 
• Tier 6, Typographical Review
  The translation process does not typically end with delivery of an accurate translation. After the text has been formatted, it is common practice to have a translator proofread the copy before publishing. In multilingual typesetting, glitches frequently occur as a consequence of software limitations or platform changes. Words and phrases, even whole copy blocks, can be misplaced or omitted. Plus, typographical conventions, which vary from one language to another, often are corrupted during formatting. A final pass by a translator is good insurance.

If you are unsure which tiers of service are appropriate, we will gladly review your project and make recommendations. We provide each tier of service independently based on your needs. Please contact us to discuss the scope and details of your project so we can prepare an informed price quote. All information you provide will be kept in strictest confidence.