Language Services

Are you looking for a proofreader for your written text or a transcriptionist for your audio recording? Below you can find short descriptions of all my current language services as well as information on pricing and available languages. Generally, the minimum charge is €40 (+ VAT 25.5% if applicable), and if the delivery schedule is tight, an additional charge of 50–100% will be added to the base price. Contact me and request a free quote.

Text Improvement

I offer proofreading, revision, and editing services for texts written in English and Finnish. All such assignments are priced on a case-by-case basis.

Proofreading

Proofreading is a light improvement service, which aims to correct all errors related to grammar and punctuation. The proofreading process involves, for example, making sure that all commas are in their correct places and that there are no ungrammatical expressions. The improved text follows the rules of standard language, but the text may still contain features that affect its fluency or readability, such as unnecessarily complicated phrases.

Proofreading is priced based on either the number of hours spent proofreading (hourly rate) or the total number of words in the original text (per-word rate). The minimum rate is €0.05 per word (+ VAT 25.5% if applicable).

Revision

Compared to proofreading, revision is a more in-depth improvement service, which involves correcting all grammar and punctuation errors as well as making sure that the text is as idiomatic and fluent as possible. Common corrections include rephrasing text sections that contain non-standard expressions or difficult clause and sentence structures. The revised text is easy to read and ready to be published.

Revision is priced based on either the number of hours spent revising (hourly rate) or the total number of words in the original text (per-word rate). The minimum rate is €0.07 per word (+ VAT 25.5% if applicable).

Editing

Editing is the most comprehensive of the text improvement services. In addition to linguistic shortcomings, editing also pays attention to the purpose and end user of a text. It is common to change the structure of the text and to ensure that the style and register are suitable for the target audience. This may involve writing a plain-language version for those who have difficulties understanding normal language, such as immigrants.

The price of editing varies depending on how profoundly the text needs to be reworked. Some texts require more changes than others before they are ready to be published. Therefore, editing assignments are priced on a case-by-case basis.

Text Production

Writing is a form of art. A skillful writer has to be aware of the different text types that have their own features and purposes: factual texts convey information; fictional texts express ideas and feelings; marketing texts advertise products and services.

Finding the right text for the intended purpose requires skill and creativity. An experienced writer knows when to follow the rules and conventions of a genre—and when to break them. A successful text achieves its communicative purpose.

I have experience in writing different types of texts, such as articles, reports, and texts intended for websites. My text production service is available in English and Finnish. Writing assignments are priced on a case-by-case basis.

Transcription

Transcription is a process where recorded speech is converted into textual form. This results in a transcript, which is a written copy of the audio (or video) recording. Below are some common types of transcription.

Clean verbatim transcription involves converting an audio recording into a written document that represents the spoken language as closely as possible and contains all significant emotional gestures, such as laughter. However, the transcript leaves out all unnecessary sounds, such as repetitions, stutters, false starts, and filler words. Even whole sections of speech can be excluded if they are deemed unnecessary for the purpose of the transcript.

Full verbatim transcription is a more accurate type of transcription. This process results in a document which follows the spoken speech closely and contains every sound audible on the recording, such as repetitions, filler words, emotional gestures, and background noises. The text also shows word stresses as well as pauses and their lengths.

Edited transcription involves representing the spoken speech in a way that follows the rules and conventions of standard written language. For example, clauses are punctuated correctly and words are written according to their established spelling. In short, the transcript does not contain anything that can be deemed colloquial.

Translated transcription is a two-step process: the audio recording is first transcribed and then translated into another language. The type of initial transcription can be any of the above mentioned, such as full or clean verbatim transcription.

I offer transcription services in English and Finnish. All transcription assignments are priced on a case-by-case basis. The price varies depending on such factors as the type of transcription, the number of speakers, the rate of their speech, and the clarity of the audio recording. The minimum price of transcription is €70 per audio hour (+ VAT 25.5% if applicable).

Terminology Work

The aim in terminology work is to organize knowledge by examining concepts and their names, or more commonly known as terms. This results in a glossary, which usually contains the terms, concepts, and definitions of a particular special field in one or multiple languages. Such a glossary can also contain diagrams that illustrate how different concepts relate to each other.

There are multiple approaches to terminology work. It can be descriptive, when the aim is to just find out how terms are used in a particular field. Terminology work can also be prescriptive, since communication is always clearer when everybody uses the same terminology for particular concepts. This is especially important in the business and academic world.

Terminology projects are priced on a case-by-case basis.

Other Services

Are you looking for some other service that is not listed on this page, such as language consulting or usability testing of texts and applications? I am open to new kinds of assignments. Please read through my profile page and evaluate my suitability for the assignment. My contact details can be found here.