QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

How quickly do you deliver translations?

We respond to contact requests within 24 hours. We then agree with the client on the execution of the work and delivery date. Depending on the language, the delivery time can be either 1–2 working days for very short texts or an estimated 5–7 working days for texts of a few pages. If there are known translation needs and a set publication date we recommend approaching us promptly as soon as the source text is ready. We strive to be flexible but without compromising quality or the working hours required!

What is your service process for translation and text production?

Our service process for translation and text production is as follows:

Request for quote
Contact (24 hours)
Quote
Acceptance of quote
Producing a text
Internal revision of text by second expert
Delivery
Guarantee: One round of amendments to the text is included in the price when you submit a request within ten days

What is the quality guarantee for translations?

We take our clients’ business seriously and are honoured to deliver texts that are of the highest quality in terms of industry and company-specific terminology and the intended use of the text. For this reason, the client has the right to make suggestions for changes to the text within 10 days of receiving the translation from us. When we receive the request for changes we will review them to see if they are valid for the scope of the task and the original instructions from the client and then edit the text accordingly. If the request for changes introduces the kind of rework that clearly positions the service outside the framework of a translation of the original source text, this step might need to be handled as an additional service. This will be discussed and agreed upon in detail with the client.

How do you ensure that the terminology is correct in the translation?

Much of a translator’s work is industry- and client-specific, source-critical research ensures the correct use of industry terms. Before and during the translation process we familiarise ourselves with the texts of the client’s company and industry, for example on websites, and consult with the client on terminology, usually at the beginning of the translation process. We use reliable, professionally produced online dictionaries, databases and glossaries, as well as critically selected texts in the field. We will also clarify any ambiguities in the source text directly with the client during the work. If the client wants to comment on terminology at the beginning of the process or upon requesting a quote, we are always happy to discuss this aspect! Accurate terminology and interaction with the client not only ensures the quality of the individual text, but also provides a good basis for subsequent work on the same subject where the same terms may be used.

How do you ensure quality and quality control?

The cornerstone of translation quality is the accuracy, precision and the systematic way in which the translator and reviser perform their tasks. This quality baseline is the same regardless of whether the translation service provider is a global giant or a micro-business.

At the translation stage, the translator:

does the necessary background work by getting to know the company and the industry;
produces the translation, with or without the “raw material” provided by the professional-level machine translation add-on;
carries out any information and terminology searches required in the course of the work;
compiles any questions to be sent to the client;
edits the text to make it fluent and easy to read;
ensures consistency within the text regarding special terms and other recurring expressions and also the characteristics of the text type;
ensures consistency between texts by checking how the same topics have been covered in the client’s materials in the past;
checks their own translations by comparing the target text with the source text, ensuring that the content is accurately conveyed;
performs the necessary machine quality checks on the text (QA, QC, QM – many names in industry jargon), and conducts the automatic spellcheck.

At the review stage, the reviewer:

checks the translation according to the scope of the assignment and the agreed contract, either comparing both the source and target texts or by only reviewing the target text, focusing on content accuracy and basic grammar, or on fluency, authenticity, and style, or all of these cohesively;
submits the text with their suggested changes to the translator, who validates the changes either by accepting, rejecting or modifying them and finalises the text for delivery to the client.

Who is the TellWell Translations team?

TellWell Translations has a team of over 30 experts. Most of them are language specialists who translate and/or edit texts, or experienced writers, while others are subject-matter experts. The majority have a university degree (translation/multilingual communication or philology) or have developed their skills in other ways as written communication professionals. As Tellwell Translations produces a lot of marketing translations, we value creative writing skills – that’s why we welcome talented authors from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds.

What are your strongest language pairs and areas of expertise?

We receive most work from international agency clients in the language pairs of English-Finnish and Swedish-Finnish, and the most common target languages for business clients are English and Swedish. We also offer translation services in the following languages to and from Finnish and from English: German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Icelandic. The most typical text genre is marketing – often a website text in the technical or technology sector, where the emphasis is not only on industry-specific terminology but also on a marketing/selling approach and accuracy in localising nuances for the foreign-language reader.

how polished does the source text need to be when sent out for translation?

The more complete the text, the smoother the translation process. If the source text will also be published then we will be happy to help you finalise it. If you have a multilingual project where the text first needs to be produced in Finnish, English or Swedish and then translated into another language, we can also provide you with a text production service in close cooperation with your company.

We don’t want a literal translation that sounds like a translation. How do you make sure the text sounds authentic?

Nobody wants a translation that sounds like a translation! A quality translation feels as if it has been written as a stand-alone text and has been produced with the purpose of the text in mind and to have the desired effect on the reader. For example, a marketing text is intended to serve marketing and sales purposes, which is strongly linked to the emotions and images evoked in the reader. On the other hand, a user manual is intended to guide the reader to act in a certain way and in a logical order without risk of misunderstanding. A professional translation is never a word for word translation but conveys the ideas of the source text in the same way you would if the text was written in the target language only. Sometimes the translation, especially of marketing texts, needs to be so creative that the translation is only faithful to the desired effect of the source rather than individual expressions.

How do you invoice your work?

In the case of a specific one-off project, we will provide you with a fixed-price quote. If you have recurring text work needs and, for example, old texts need minor updates from time to time, the most practical way is to invoice by the hour on a monthly basis according to the amount of work done.

In what format can files be sent?

Translated files are best sent as a Word file but we can also extract the texts from a PDF or website. The use of file formats can be agreed separately with translation agency clients depending on the software used by the different parties and the degree of compatibility between them.

What materials should I send for an optimal translation service?

In addition to the files to be translated, we need to know the language pair, the publication channels and the audience of the text in order to better understand the context of use and the readership. With this in mind, be prepared to brief us on:

into which language (and variant) the text will be translated (e.g. English, global audience);
where the text will be published (e.g. website, intranet, email, mobile interface);
target audience (e.g. laypeople, experts).

In the case of marketing text, you can also:

describe the feeling/effect you want to evoke in the reader;
tell us what style or tone you are looking for;
inform us of the images/associations you wish to avoid;
give an example or two, based on your previous materials, of what successful communication under your brand looks like (or doesn’t look like).

If you wish, you can also send:

a style guide or writing guide that defines the specific stylistic features used in your organisation’s communications;
term lists;
texts on the same subject or links to them;
any other internal information you consider relevant to ensure consistency of terms and your preferred style.

How do I send the file to be translated?

You can send the file by email as an attachment or as a link to a cloud. If you send us a password-protected file, we will also use password protection internally and in our deliveries to you.

What file formats do you handle?

We deliver texts in Word format. When sending texts, we recommend Word format, but PDF and PPT files can also be handled. With translation agency clients, the used tools and file formats are agreed on a case-by-case basis.

How do you ensure confidentiality?

Everyone in the team has signed a non-disclosure agreement, which sets out in detail the confidentiality obligations when dealing with clients’ texts and other business secrets. We will take the necessary technical and organisational measures to ensure confidentiality. You can read about how we process personal data in our Privacy Policy.

What translation technologies do you use?

For translation memory software we use Phrase and other similar software where necessary. For collaborative projects with translation agencies we use tools as agreed on a case-by-case basis.

How do you use AI?

We use ChatGPT as a text generation tool to produce rough drafts and perform surface-level proofreading, gain perspectives and shape text structurally, stylistically and otherwise. Together with critical data mining, ChatGPT is a great tool for creative business writing where efficiency is valued.

Do you use machine translators?

We use machine translation tools integrated in the translation memory tools if the source text is freely available online in the public domain, and otherwise as agreed with the client. However, the material produced by the machine translator is only a draft, which is critically evaluated by the human translator for the project in question and edited and localised as necessary to ensure that the text is of high quality in terms of translation accuracy, terminology, company-specific features, style, cultural appropriateness and readability. In terms of basic grammar and spelling, machine translations are often of very high quality, freeing up the energy of linguists to work on other aspects of the text, for example in marketing translations.

Do you use ChatGPT?

For texts that have already been published on a website for anyone to read, for example, ChatGPT is often an excellent tool for producing different versions on the same topic or versions in other languages. However, texts produced like this need a skilled professional editor so that truthfulness, style and many other aspects are checked and amended where needed. For non-public texts this tool is not used for reasons of confidentiality. TellWell Translations has an openly enthusiastic approach to ChatGPT as a “creative assistant” that, in carefully selected projects, can help linguists come up with new angles and ideas, shape the structure of a text or perform surface-level checks.

How do you choose the right translator for your project?

In addition to the language pair, the most important criteria are timeframe and suitability of subject matter to the translator’s skills. If the text of a project is large and the deadline is tight then the text can be split between two translators and cross-checked between them, for example. Critical information retrieval, terminology work and familiarity with the subject matter of the text are integral to a translator’s work. Translation solutions are not guessed at or pulled out of a hat on the basis of so-called general linguistic knowledge, translators often start out with a very wide range of projects in different fields depending on the amount of specialised vocabulary and the complexity of the subject matter. Some also have in-depth knowledge of certain subjects, gained through work experience, studies or hobbies.

What’s the point of buying an editing service when automatic spellchecks, ChatGPT, and other modern technologies take care of everything?

A modern editor uses modern tools to make their work more effective, and the development of AI tools offers fantastic opportunities for language professionals. However, automatic features and AI functions do necessarily cover deeper-level aspects in communication and automatically produced output often needs close monitoring and input from a professional linguist. This is to make sure the message and voice are conveyed as intended. A human linguist together with suitable tools selected for each individual task is a good combination – and a safe way to protect the client’s credibility and reputation. Ideally, suitable tools allow the writer to focus more of their energy on deeper-level aspects of writing, such as reader experience and impact. It good to bear in mind that surface-level “correctness” of language alone does not determine whether a text is fit for purpose or whether it evokes the desired reaction in the reader. Thus, having an insightful linguist/writer in the process is crucial to designing a culturally relevant text that is easy to read, flows logically and conveys the desired effects. It is also worth noting that no automatic proofreading function is so foolproof that it is safe to run a “blind” spellcheck on a language that is completely foreign to you!

What is content creation needed for?

Businesses usually communicate across multiple channels, which requires quality content suitable for each channel. The content must be factually accurate, linguistically correct, culturally relevant, and pleasant to read so that it serves its purpose and has the desired effect on the reader.