FAQ: Style Guides
Why would I need to make a style guide? Aren’t you guys the experts?
Experts use style guides to ensure writing standards are being consistently used across documents. Just like there is more than one way to write a rational number (eg. 5.4 or 5.40) in English, there is more than one way to write the same thing in other languages. Consistency in style helps bring a single voice to your translated documents across all your projects. Any preferences about style is welcomed by the client – especially if they want to approve the final version of the copy.
Who chooses what goes in a style guide?
A style guide should be a “living” document. While some standard sections have already been provided in the BURG Translations Default Style Guide Template, the client is free to add anything of further relevance based unique experiences from live projects or preferences in the source language or target language. In general, the default style of a document is the source document, but if the client has an opinion, we certainly welcome it. To help, we wrote an article on how to create a style guide.
How long does it take to create a style guide?
Technically, you can use our pre-populated template immediately. If you know what information you want in it, adding it takes minutes.
How big should the style guide be?
It’s actually critical that you keep the style guide as short as possible. Translators need to be able to read and retain all the information in the document while they translate it in order to effectively implement it. As you work with the same team, and discover additional instances that are not covered by the style guide, you can gradually add more information.
Who should check the style guide once it’s complete?
At the LSP, nobody really needs to check it. We will implement it as best we can. If anything appears ambiguous or not understandable, we will let you know. More importantly, if a department in your company already has a style guide, the translation style guide should be consistent with any other style guides your company has.
Will this style guide be used for this project only or for future projects as well?
The style guide transcends projects. It’s used every chance we get. The more it’s used, the more consistently the translations will be between files and projects.
How much does the style guide cost?
Zero dollars plus some of your time.
For future projects, do we add to the existing style guide depending on information, or do we create a brand new style guide per project?
You would want to write as few style guides as possible. At the top of our style guide template is a section on scope, since, for example, the legal department may want a different style guide than the marketing department. Other than that, the style guide transcends projects.
If you’d like to learn more about how BURG Translations helps you ensure high-quality translations, contact us today.
