Poll: How often do your clients provide you with style guides? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How often do your clients provide you with style guides?".
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I don't need no style guide. I got style for miles, baby. Though most specify "British English", which should be enough of a style guide for anyone. | | | neilmac Spain Local time: 21:52 Spanish to English + ...
Not that I recall. And as far as my regular clients are concerned, I'm their "style guide"… And if they did, I would probably find it a constraint, as if they were saying "here, just slip into this straitjacket and put this bag over your head…"
[Edited at 2018-02-13 09:07 GMT] | | |
In over 40 years only one client has provided a style guide ! I translate a lot for the European Institutions and “The Interinstitutional Style Guide” contains all the stylistic rules and conventions which must be used… http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-000500.htm | |
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For one of my main clients, I wrote their 200-page style manual. | | | Diana Obermeyer United Kingdom Local time: 20:52 Member (2013) German to English + ...
A few agencies primarily keep me working on assignments for the same end client. Most of these end clients have a style guide, some also have an in-house translation team and only outsource certain subject areas. Two of my agencies have an agency style guide. A few direct clients have asked me to set up a style guide as part of the project. This was primarily organisations having material translated for the first time, or having previous translations re-worked and aligned after reali... See more A few agencies primarily keep me working on assignments for the same end client. Most of these end clients have a style guide, some also have an in-house translation team and only outsource certain subject areas. Two of my agencies have an agency style guide. A few direct clients have asked me to set up a style guide as part of the project. This was primarily organisations having material translated for the first time, or having previous translations re-worked and aligned after realising that there was inconsistency in their existing texts. ▲ Collapse | | |
I proofread academic papers for one client, and they often ask me to use the APA style guide. I have the Chicago Manual of Style and use it occasionally - I ought to do so more often! Otherwise I have my UK gurus - updated editions of Ernest Gowers' Plain Words, Greenbaum & Whitcut's Guide to English Usage, and Michael Swan. I have thumbed through them and adopted my own style based on them. If clients question it, I can quote my books, and if the client insists, ... See more I proofread academic papers for one client, and they often ask me to use the APA style guide. I have the Chicago Manual of Style and use it occasionally - I ought to do so more often! Otherwise I have my UK gurus - updated editions of Ernest Gowers' Plain Words, Greenbaum & Whitcut's Guide to English Usage, and Michael Swan. I have thumbed through them and adopted my own style based on them. If clients question it, I can quote my books, and if the client insists, offer them an alternative that we can agree on. ▲ Collapse | | | Mike Sadler (X) United Kingdom Local time: 20:52 Spanish to English + ...
I do a lot of work for UN agencies (as the subcontractor at the end of the supply chain...) and often consult the UN editorial manual at http://dd.dgacm.org/editorialmanual/. I'm so used to it that that's what clients who don't specify any particular style get, though they don't know that, of course. | |
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Mario Freitas Brazil Local time: 16:52 Member (2014) English to Portuguese + ...
Not often, considering a formal style guide. Very often, considering sporadic rules and standards they simply inform in their e-mails, but not in a style guide format. | | | Kay Denney France Local time: 21:52 French to English with you there! | Feb 13, 2018 |
neilmac wrote: Not that I recall. And as far as my regular clients are concerned, I'm their "style guide"… And if they did, I would probably find it a constraint, as if they were saying "here, just slip into this straitjacket and put this bag over your head…" [Edited at 2018-02-13 09:07 GMT] You said it far more eloquently than I could! I usually include my style guide with their company-specific glossary, so that they know how to make any changes. I freaked out totally earlier this week when a client sent me back my "corrected" translation complete with US dates (and mistakes of course but that's a whole different topic) | | | DZiW (X) Ukraine English to Russian + ...
Working for [direct] clients for awhile does require new instructions for specific jobs only, not very oft
[Edited at 2018-02-14 07:48 GMT] | | |
Accented capitals, curly apostrophes, use of uppercase, punctuation, quotation marks, text formatting, terminology/phraseology lists... Style guides are helpful to set the stage and ensure some kind of consistency and "brand identity" across a variety of media (printed, web, UI, marketing, communications...). But past a few "specificities", style guides are all the same and only require translators to write properly. And it's not a given, apparently, because I have seen some... See more Accented capitals, curly apostrophes, use of uppercase, punctuation, quotation marks, text formatting, terminology/phraseology lists... Style guides are helpful to set the stage and ensure some kind of consistency and "brand identity" across a variety of media (printed, web, UI, marketing, communications...). But past a few "specificities", style guides are all the same and only require translators to write properly. And it's not a given, apparently, because I have seen some that contain really basic kindergarten spelling and grammar tips. Sadly, It defeats the purpose by drowning those "specificities" into an ocean of obvious reminders. Philippe ▲ Collapse | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: How often do your clients provide you with style guides? TM-Town | Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business
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