Translators'FAQ

[Translation orders]

What is different about YAQS from receiving work from a translation agency?
As there are no coordinators or editors/proofreaders as intermediaries; the translation goes directly from the translator to the client. Although there will be no inquiries from the client after delivery, you run the risk of losing evaluation points should the translation quality be bad or difficult to understand. You might want to consider adding client-friendly helpers such as supplementary explanations.

What is the maximum volume for a single request?
The maximum for Japanese to English is 15,000 characters; the maximum for English to Japanese is 7,500 words.

What is the average volume for a single request?
The average is about 1,200 characters for Japanese to English and 600 words for English to Japanese, with the smallest requests being about 100 characters and 50 words respectively: a convenient opportunity for professional translators to put any idle time to use.

In what form do translation requests come?
Once a text for translation is uploaded to the web, an email notification is sent to the registered translators. You can also check via the website on all requests that are in the process of being matched.

Can I freely choose which translation requests to take and which to decline?
Which requests you take as well as how often you take them is up to you. There is no quota or anything else to force you into taking requests.

How many translators can work on a single request?
Only one translator can take on a request. Requests are taken on a first-come-first-served basis.

Can I take on multiple requests at the same time?
No. You can take on only one request at a time, so as to focus on the job at hand.

How is a deadline set?
The delivery date is set according to the volume of the original text, but with leeway. The standard criteria are as follows:
English to Japanese, 600 words: 10h
Japanese to English, 1,200 characters: 10h

Can I cancel a request already taken?
If you clicked on the “Take request” button by mistake, due to a misunderstanding, or similar reasons, there is the option to cancel that request. This does, however, incur penalties, such as a drop in evaluation score, temporary access denial or even revocation of membership.
But please be aware that continuing a project for fear of a penalty, even though it may be beyond your abilities, resulting in mistranslations, omissions or a missed deadline, brings even greater penalties.
Please take on a project only after having sufficiently checked its content."

What form do deliveries take?
Deliveries are made by uploading the translation to the website via a web browser.

What should I do if I am running unavoidably late with a delivery?
Please cancel the request you took on. Although you will receive a penalty, this penalty may be eased if there is still a lot of time left before the deadline. Penalties include a loss of evaluation points, temporary access denial or even revocation of membership. As a rule, please take on a request only after having first carefully considered whether or not you can meet the deadline. This way you can avoid cancelling a request you have already taken on.

Can I correct a translation after delivery?
No.

What happens if a client is not satisfied with the quality of the translation?
As long as none of the penalties below apply, you will be paid according to the set rate.

How is a translation evaluated and feedback provided after delivery?
The client can give a rating on an evaluation scale from 1 to 10 and provide a comment.

Can I take on requests only for the rate for which I am registered?
You can also take on requests for a rate lower than the one you are registered for.

How am I up- or downgraded?
Upgrades and downgrades are determined by an evaluation system that incorporates clients' evaluations and the judgment of the YAQS Quality Management Team. Please understand that the details of this system are not made public, in order to maintain fairness.

How can I provide an even better translation?
Together with the translation request, the comments column may contain the translation’s intended purpose, background etc. This can serve as a reference and help further raise the quality of your translation.

Every time I click on the URL in the translation request notification mail, the status “Translation already in progress” appears, making it impossible for me to take on projects.
At YAQS we value equal opportunities for all translators. When a new translation request comes in, a notification is sent to all appropriate (i.e. level and language combination match) translators simultaneously. Only the translator who replies fastest can take on the project.
On average, a request is assigned to a translator within 5 to 10 minutes. If a considerable amount of time has elapsed after receiving the translation request notification, please feel free to ignore it.

[Penalties]

What happens if I miss a deadline?
This will be counted as non-delivery, resulting in cancellation of the request. The request will be re-opened for matching and assigned to another translator.
In such a case, as no delivery has been made, no remuneration will be made. Also a penalty will be incurred for missing the deadline. Penalties include a temporary access denial or even revocation of membership.

What happens if my translation contains omissions?
If a clear omission is evident, a penalty will be incurred. Penalties include a temporary access denial or even revocation of membership.

What happens if my translation contains mistakes?
If a clear mistranslation is evident, a penalty will be incurred. Penalties include a temporary access denial or even revocation of membership.

[Payment]

How is translation remunerated?
Payments are made via PayPal. Please open a PayPal account if you do not already have one.

How can I transfer remunerations to my PayPal account?
The remunerations you receive in your YAQS account for translating can be transferred to your PayPal account (150 yen transfer fee). Transfers can be processed anytime. Please note however that the actual deposit to your PayPal account will be made on the 25th of the next month (e.g.: If you perform transfer procedures on a date in January, the deposit to your PayPal account will be made on February 25).

What about tax withheld at the source?
If you selected “Residing in Japan” during the registration process, tax will be withheld at the source.

How much is translation remuneration?
Translation remuneration (the rate) is based on the results of the trial translation. Rates differ, with the maximum rate being 9 yen/Japanese character for Japanese to English, and 9 yen/word for English to Japanese.

I have delivered a translation and am expecting remuneration, my account, however, shows zero yen.
The system takes about a week after delivery to process remunerations. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience and ask for your understanding.

[Translation trial]

How long does it take until I receive the results of the translation trial?
We will notify you in about a month.

What do I have to look out for when doing the translation trial?
・ Omissions and mistranslations are critical mistakes. Take the greatest care to avoid them.
・ If something looks like it could be a proper noun, be sure to run a check on the web to find the official translation. Be careful not to translate them as common nouns.

[Cancellation of membership]

How do I cancel my membership?
Please contact the YAQS Translators’ Registration Desk.

I forgot my password and can no longer log in.
Please click on “I forgot my password” and follow the instructions.