Dear customers, this is why we charge minimum fees

As a translation agency, we fully understand that you might wonder why we apply minimum fees even when the word count is low. It’s a reasonable question, and we’d like to take the opportunity to explain the behind-the-scenes work that justifies these fees. While it might appear that small translation projects should require minimal effort, there’s actually much more involved than meets the eye.

The hidden complexity of small projects

When a small amount of content needs translating, it’s easy to assume that it’s a quick task. But whether we’re translating 20 words or 2,000, many of the same steps are required to ensure high-quality results. Here’s a closer look at what’s involved:

– Project management: Even for small projects, our project managers play a pivotal role. Their tasks include finding the right translators and proofreaders for each language, communicating effectively with freelancers, and coordinating the project from start to finish. For multi-language projects, this might mean juggling up to 60 different freelancers at once—a complex logistical challenge, no matter the word count.

– The translator’s work: Professional translators don’t just jump in and start typing. They need to communicate with our team, export relevant translation memories, and carefully review the project’s context. Even for small updates or minor translations, they must ensure consistency with previous work, verify terminology, and check that the translation fits the overall tone. Then, there’s the quality review process, where translators consider feedback from proofreaders (or directly from our client) and adjust the text accordingly. Finally, they invoice the project—another task that takes time, no matter how small the job.

– Strict quality control: Despite the small number of words, we systematically apply the same rigorous quality processes required by our four ISO certifications. Each project, regardless of size, involves multiple stringent quality steps that cannot be overlooked, ensuring that the translation meets the highest standards of accuracy, consistency, and professionalism.

Why translators and translation agencies charge minimum fees

Translators, like any other professionals, charge a minimum fee for small projects. Even when translating fewer than 600 words, the steps involved in completing the work—communication, research, quality checks, and invoicing—remain constant. These tasks require the same attention and effort as larger projects.

In addition, it’s important to remember that translators are professional freelancers whose revenue depends on the time they invest in their work. Just as with any profession, it’s essential to ensure that the time spent on a project is properly invoiced so that they are fairly compensated for their expertise. Minimum fees help ensure that every professional involved in the project earns a fair revenue for the work done and that the right value of any work is correctly remunerated, regardless of the size of the project.

Furthermore, as an agency, we also need to ensure that we cover not only the remuneration of our translators but also our own operational costs. This includes the work of project managers, DTP specialists, and the technology we use, such as TMS (Translation Management Systems), translation tools, and other licenses essential for our operations. These costs are integral to providing the high level of service and quality you expect from us, even for small projects.

Special cases: project updates and additional complexities

In cases where we aren’t translating an entirely new document but updating an existing one, additional steps are necessary. Translators must review the entire document to fully understand the context before they can accurately translate or update the few new words. This ensures that any changes fit seamlessly within the larger document. Although the number of new words may be small, this comprehensive review requires time and effort.

Additionally, if the source document is non-editable, the project requires DTP (Desktop Publishing) work to ensure that the formatting remains intact after the updates, which adds another layer of complexity and time to the project. This step is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the final deliverable, especially when working with non-editable files.

For projects managed in Translation Management Systems (TMS) such as Lokalise or Crowdin, additional steps are also required. Translators and project managers need to lock the correct keys, find the right updates, and ensure they understand the context within the system. These extra tasks increase the workload for both translators and project managers, further highlighting the intricacy involved in what may seem like a small update.

The importance of minimum fees

Given the number of resources involved—project managers, translators, proofreaders, and quality assurance staff—minimum fees are essential for maintaining the high standards you expect from us. Without these fees, it wouldn’t be feasible to provide the level of quality, consistency, and attention to detail that our clients rely on.

For clients with regular, larger projects, we try to be flexible. Minimum fees are often waived or absorbed when they can be balanced against higher-volume work. However, for smaller, stand-alone projects, minimum fees are necessary to cover the comprehensive services we provide and the dedicated attention of our team.

Industry-wide practice

Minimum fees are not unique to our agency. They are a common practice across the translation industry. Professional translation involves much more than simply converting words from one language to another. It’s about maintaining consistency, accuracy, and quality across all projects—large and small. These minimum fees help ensure that we can continue to provide the high standards that our clients expect, no matter the size of the job.

Ensuring client satisfaction

At Novalins, we understand that even the smallest translation can be critical to your business. Whether it’s a brief update to a regulatory document or a few words in marketing material, we treat every project with the same level of care and expertise. By applying minimum fees, we can guarantee that the same high standards of quality, consistency, and accuracy are maintained, ensuring your message is delivered clearly and professionally, no matter the size of the job.

In conclusion

Small projects often come with big expectations for quality, accuracy, and timely delivery. At Novalins, we take pride in meeting those expectations, even when the word count is minimal. While we understand that it might be confusing to pay for what sometimes seems like “just a few words,” we hope you also understand that even those few words can involve quite a bit of work behind the scenes. After all, those “just a few words” still need the same careful attention as a bestseller novel—only with less drama! The minimum fees reflect the expertise, time, and resources that go into every project, ensuring that, whether you’re sending us a brief update or a lengthy document, you’ll receive the same high-quality service.

Feel free to reach out to us if you’d like more information on this topic—we’re always happy to help clarify how we work and why.