Need tips for selecting a translation agency that will take your translated text from bueno to excelente?
Read the guide below for criteria to consider:
1. Look for pharma or biotech experience. That sounds like a given, but it can’t be stressed enough. Prior experience in translating pharmaceutical collateral is especially important if the document you’re looking to get translated is prescribing information. You want a translation agency that knows the foreign language translation must stick extremely close to the English in this instance, as the language has been approved by the FDA and cannot be heavily tinkered with.
2. Opt for companies that make all revisions, from manuscript through final layout. A company that can take your project from start to finish will save you and your team from a collective headache, making sure you don’t confuse an accent aigu with an accent grave in French when making changes, or incorrectly space a series of Chinese characters. Leave that work entirely to the language experts.
3. Express a need for communication on unexpected changes. You are expecting a manuscript to have the same wording when it makes it to layout. You are expecting each round of layout changes to mirror the last, except where you’ve asked for changes to be made. You don’t expect surprises to come up. Set an expectation that the company will discuss with you any changes it feels strongly about, outside of what you’ve requested.
4. Ask for a certificate of translation. Once your text has been finalized and approved, you’ll want the translation agency to provide a certificate attesting to the accuracy of the translation. Discuss with your translation agency candidates whether this is a standard practice, or if you must make a request for the certificate.
Your marketing collateral has been vetted internally through the copy approval process, and your key pieces have been approved by OPDP. It’s time for the world to see all of your hard work—the entire world. Selecting the right translation agency ensures that your message accurately impacts all of your key markets in words they can understand.
