Criteria for choosing a freelancer

To select the language professional best suited to your needs, we advise you to consider several criteria – and not just cost. Ask the freelancers on your shortlist the following questions; their answers may help guide your final choice:

  • Which types of text do you usually work with (commercial, academic, literary, etc.)?

  • What is your experience as an editor/translator/writer/teacher (formal credentials, certification)?

  • Are you familiar with the subject in question? What makes you qualified to deal with the material?

  • Can you supply the variant of English (British, American, Australian, Canadian, etc.) I require for my text? Are you a native speaker of this variant of English?

  • How soon are you available to work on my text, and when could I expect to have it back?

  • Can you use the software required (MS Word, PowerPoint, HTML, LaTeX, Trados, etc.)?

  • Do you have a word rate, an hourly rate, a day rate or a project rate?