A Guide for Freelance Collaborators.
Thank you for your interest in collaborating with VeraContent! We look forward to creating quality multilingual content with you. To make the process as smooth and straightforward as possible, we’ve created this guide explaining the channels of communication, processes, and tools we use at VeraContent.
Before you begin your first assignment, please take some time to read through the guide. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
A Guide for Freelance Collaborators.
Thank you for your interest in collaborating with VeraContent! We look forward to creating quality multilingual content with you. To make the process as smooth and straightforward as possible, we’ve created this guide explaining the channels of communication, processes, and tools we use at VeraContent.
Before you begin your first assignment, please take some time to read through the guide. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Getting started with VeraContent
To join the VeraContent Talent Database, you must first fill out this web form: Apply Now. If we have any questions about your application, we’ll contact you via the email you’ve provided.
You can send an email to jobs@veracontent.com to check the status of your application. If you would like to add any other details to your application, contact us at the same email address.
We need you to be able to issue us valid invoices in order for you to be a VeraContent provider. This means being able to present a valid identification number and VAT number.
Here’s a breakdown of specific requirements based on where you’re invoicing from:
After joining our Talent Database, our PMs will have access to your profile. If your profile fits the requirements for a project, the PM will reach out to you to offer you a new job via email.
When you receive your first VeraContent Assignment, you’ll get an invitation to join our Podio space. Follow the instructions in the invite email to create your freelancer profile. Next, you should have received an automatic email from Podio giving you access to your Linguist Console.
You’ll use your Linguist Console to send invoices to VeraContent, update VeraContent on your availability, and find all Assignments you’ve accepted in the current month.
Receiving assignments from VeraContent
PMs generally contact Freelance Collaborators via email and provide you with the following information about the assignment:
We calculate rates for Freelance Collaborators based on the total budget available for the project in question (e.g. the total amount the client is paying for the job). For example, if the client is paying a higher rate for urgency, VeraContent will in turn offer Freelance Collaborators a higher rate for the completion of the project.
Yes, you can negotiate a higher rate before accepting the Assignment. The PM will decide whether or not we’re able to offer a higher rate after considering factors including your past quality ratings (when applicable) and what’s possible within the total budget available for the project.
If the PM has offered you the job via email, best practice is to confirm via email first. Then, the PM will assign the Assignment to you on Podio. At this point, review the Assignment on Podio to read all instructions and mark the Assignment Status as “Accepted”. If the job is a translation, you will also need to accept the job in Memsource (see Working On Memsource).
Yes. In most cases, you’ll likely accept the assignment via email before it’s assigned to you on Podio. However, if for some reason this doesn’t happen (e.g. you get an Assignment on Podio you haven’t confirmed) or you’re unable to take the work on after accepting via email, change the Assignment Status to “Linguist Unavailable” as soon as possible.
The Assignment is where you’ll find everything you’ll need to successfully complete the job. In the Assignment, you’ll find your deadline, the amount you’ll be paid, instructions, and additional materials, such as:
If at any point during the job you have any comments, questions or concerns, contact the PM who assigned it to you as soon as possible. You can contact them in 2 ways:
First, make sure you have reviewed the relevant section of our Linguist Checklist (when relevant). Second, make sure any documents you worked on are attached to the Assignment. If you were working on Memsource, make sure you’ve marked the job status as “Completed by Provider”. Finally, change the Assignment status on Podio to “Completed & Checklist Reviewed”.
You’re welcome to message the PM to confirm that the Assignment has been completed, but it’s not necessary. The PM gets a notification as soon as you mark the Assignment as “Completed & Checklist Reviewed” on Podio.
Quality assurance
The Linguist Checklist is a tool designed to outline expectations for Linguists working on an Assignment. It can be used at each stage of the Assignment process: receiving the Assignment, carrying out the Assignment, second editing, and completing the Assignment.
After marking the Assignment as “Accepted”, you’ll find a link to the Linguist Checklist in the comment section of the Assignment.
Yes. All work done at VeraContent is reviewed by at least one trusted editor (an experienced editor who is a native speaker in the target language). Internally, we refer to these trusted editors as “second editors” and this editing step is referred to as “the second edit”.
Yes. At VeraContent, we’ve designed a quality rating system to track quality and ensure feedback is given on every assignment. All second editors are required to provide feedback to the first linguists.
First, the second editor must revise the text they’ve been assigned. Once they finish (but before they mark the Assignment as “Completed and Checklist Reviewed”), they open the Assignment in Podio, and add feedback for the linguist who completed the first part of the Assignment in the “Editor’s feedback for linguist” text field. Next, the second editor selects the “Quality rating” from the dropdown menu.
Selecting the quality rating triggers an email that gets sent out to both the second editor and linguist, sharing the “Editor’s feedback for linguist” and “Quality rating” for the Assignment.
Yes. You don’t need to leave feedback in the “Editor’s feedback for linguist” text field (although it’s strongly encouraged and appreciated by Linguists), but you must select a “Quality rating” from the dropdown menu in order to complete the Assignment.
When you accept a new assignment from a VeraContent team member, you commit to the given deadline and high-quality standards expected. Failure to meet the deadline or appropriate quality standard may result in your profile being removed from our database.
If specific unforeseen circumstances prevent you from completing an assignment as expected you should contact the team member who gave you the assignment as soon as possible so that other arrangements can be made.
Working on Phrase (formerly known as Memsource)
Phrase, formerly Memsource, is a cloud-based CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation) tool that allows us to efficiently translate many file types while retaining the formatting. We use this platform for all translation projects at VeraContent.
For more information on getting started with Phrase:
First, make sure you’ve accepted the assignment in Podio (see How do I accept a new assignment?). If this is your first Phrase translation with VeraContent, the PM will create a user account for you and give you a username (generally: Vera[Your first name][Your last name] e.g. VeraJonathanVanNess). Then, you’ll get an email to the account you provided requesting that you create your own password and sign in.
For quick access to the Memsource login page, click here: Log in to Phrase
You will have to accept the translation before you are able to open it. To accept the translation, select the box beside it, and click on the “Change Status” button above. Then, select “Accepted by Provider” and click “Save”. Now, you can open the Phrase Editor and start translating!
For more information on accepting jobs in Phrase (formerly Memsource), watch How to Accept Work with Translation Assignments in Memsource.
Once you open the translation in the Phrase Editor, you’ll see the source text in the left-hand column. The translated target goes in the right-hand column. At the bottom of your screen, below the source and target text, you’ll often be able to see the formatted original text (as a visual reference). Note that this is not always available as it depends on the file format of the original text.
On the right-hand side of your screen, you can see the CAT panel. Here you will receive suggestions based on past translations that appear in the TM (Translation Memory), and the MT (Machine Translation) offered by Phrase.
For more information on translating in Memsource, watch How to Translate in Phrase (Memsource) Editors.
When a word appears highlighted in yellow in the source text this means that it has been saved to the client-specific Term Base (TB) by a VeraContent team member. This allows us to guarantee consistency in our translation of that word for that client. The word must always be translated as defined in the TB.
Note that if you are confident that a term should be added to the TB (you are specialized in the field, it’s a very repetitive term, etc.) you should message the PM to request access to the TB to add the term.
When blue tags appear in the text this means that the original text contains a hyperlink, or some kind of text formatting (you can generally see what the blue tags mean in the preview). It is, therefore, important that these blue tags are carried over to the target text (you can simply copy and paste the tags over to the target text, or press F8 with the segment highlighted).
Yes. To leave a comment, click on the grey speech bubble that appears on the far-right column of the segment. We strongly encourage translators to leave comments in the following situations:
When you are happy with your translation, click the red “X” or press “Ctrl+Enter” to confirm the segment. Once all of the segments are confirmed and you are ready to submit your translation. Return to the project, click on the “Change Status” button, select “Completed by Provider” and then “Save”. At this point, if you have no other jobs assigned to you, you will receive a pop-up message saying that your account will be deactivated until you receive a new job. Click “Accept”.
The Phrase website contains a number of great resources to learn more about the platform, including ebooks, free webinars, blog articles, and more. Here are some helpful links we highly recommend checking out:
Collaborating with VeraContent
In your Linguist Console, you’ll find a field where you can update your availability to take on new projects. This information will allow VeraContent team members to determine when they can expect to hear back from you about a new assignment, and how likely it is that you will be able to take something new on. You can update this information at any time.
To update your availability, click on the status drop-down menu and select:
If you select options b, c or d. Please let us know a bit more about your availability in “Availability Status”. (“Available in the mornings”, “I’ll be on holiday from xx to xx”).
All details relevant to your invoice can be found in your Linguist Console on Podio. Here, you’ll find links to all of the Assignments you’ve worked on. At the end of each month, we strongly recommend comparing what’s recorded in your Linguist Console with your personal records before submitting your invoice.
The amounts shown in Podio do not include VAT, so you’ll have to add that (and deduct IRPF) on your invoice if you're invoicing from Spain. The total we receive on your invoice is what we will pay you.
For your invoice to be valid it must include the following:
To submit your invoice, follow the “Invoice instructions,” located in the comments section in your Linguist Console and in the email you receive when your Linguist Console is opened. Invoices are paid around the 15th day of each month. The instructions are also outlined below.
Forward all questions about invoicing to admin@veracontent.com. Please refrain from contacting our PMs with questions about invoicing as they will be unable to assist you.
We recommend that you submit your invoice at the end of each month, that way you can include in one invoice all the services completed during the corresponding month and receive the payment around the 15th day of the following month.
Yes, you can share samples of work you’ve produced with VeraContent in unpublished portfolios (e.g. print portfolio, or as part of a job application, etc.). If you want to share a work sample in a published portfolio (e.g. your website), we ask that you first ask the PM who assigned you the job for permission. This is to make sure that the job in question can be shared without issue.
We created a Slack Collaborator workspace on Slack for direct communication with Freelance Collaborators. You can also use the different language channels to ask questions and engage with other Freelance Collaborators. In some cases, PMs from VeraContent will create channels for collaboration on specific projects.
To gain access, a PM will invite you to the Slack workspace using your email.
Getting started with VeraContent
To join the VeraContent Talent Database, you must first fill out this web form: Apply Now. If we have any questions about your application, we’ll contact you via the email you’ve provided.
You can send an email to jobs@veracontent.com to check the status of your application. If you would like to add any other details to your application, contact us at the same email address.
We need you to be able to issue us valid invoices in order for you to be a VeraContent provider. This means being able to present a valid identification number and VAT number.
Here’s a breakdown of specific requirements based on where you’re invoicing from:
After joining our Talent Database, our PMs will have access to your profile. If your profile fits the requirements for a project, the PM will reach out to you to offer you a new job via email.
When you receive your first VeraContent Assignment, you’ll get an invitation to join our Podio space. Follow the instructions in the invite email to create your freelancer profile. Next, you should have received an automatic email from Podio giving you access to your Linguist Console.
You’ll use your Linguist Console to send invoices to VeraContent, update VeraContent on your availability, and find all Assignments you’ve accepted in the current month.
Receiving assignments from VeraContent
PMs generally contact Freelance Collaborators via email and provide you with the following information about the assignment:
We calculate rates for Freelance Collaborators based on the total budget available for the project in question (e.g. the total amount the client is paying for the job). For example, if the client is paying a higher rate for urgency, VeraContent will in turn offer Freelance Collaborators a higher rate for the completion of the project.
Yes, you can negotiate a higher rate before accepting the Assignment. The PM will decide whether or not we’re able to offer a higher rate after considering factors including your past quality ratings (when applicable) and what’s possible within the total budget available for the project.
If the PM has offered you the job via email, best practice is to confirm via email first. Then, the PM will assign the Assignment to you on Podio. At this point, review the Assignment on Podio to read all instructions and mark the Assignment Status as “Accepted”. If the job is a translation, you will also need to accept the job in Memsource (see Working On Memsource).
Yes. In most cases, you’ll likely accept the assignment via email before it’s assigned to you on Podio. However, if for some reason this doesn’t happen (e.g. you get an Assignment on Podio you haven’t confirmed) or you’re unable to take the work on after accepting via email, change the Assignment Status to “Linguist Unavailable” as soon as possible.
The Assignment is where you’ll find everything you’ll need to successfully complete the job. In the Assignment, you’ll find your deadline, the amount you’ll be paid, instructions, and additional materials, such as:
If at any point during the job you have any comments, questions or concerns, contact the PM who assigned it to you as soon as possible. You can contact them in 2 ways:
First, make sure you have reviewed the relevant section of our Linguist Checklist (when relevant). Second, make sure any documents you worked on are attached to the Assignment. If you were working on Memsource, make sure you’ve marked the job status as “Completed by Provider”. Finally, change the Assignment status on Podio to “Completed & Checklist Reviewed”.
You’re welcome to message the PM to confirm that the Assignment has been completed, but it’s not necessary. The PM gets a notification as soon as you mark the Assignment as “Completed & Checklist Reviewed” on Podio.
Quality assurance
The Linguist Checklist is a tool designed to outline expectations for Linguists working on an Assignment. It can be used at each stage of the Assignment process: receiving the Assignment, carrying out the Assignment, second editing, and completing the Assignment.
After marking the Assignment as “Accepted”, you’ll find a link to the Linguist Checklist in the comment section of the Assignment.
Yes. All work done at VeraContent is reviewed by at least one trusted editor (an experienced editor who is a native speaker in the target language). Internally, we refer to these trusted editors as “second editors” and this editing step is referred to as “the second edit”.
Yes. At VeraContent, we’ve designed a quality rating system to track quality and ensure feedback is given on every assignment. All second editors are required to provide feedback to the first linguists.
First, the second editor must revise the text they’ve been assigned. Once they finish (but before they mark the Assignment as “Completed and Checklist Reviewed”), they open the Assignment in Podio, and add feedback for the linguist who completed the first part of the Assignment in the “Editor’s feedback for linguist” text field. Next, the second editor selects the “Quality rating” from the dropdown menu.
Selecting the quality rating triggers an email that gets sent out to both the second editor and linguist, sharing the “Editor’s feedback for linguist” and “Quality rating” for the Assignment.
Yes. You don’t need to leave feedback in the “Editor’s feedback for linguist” text field (although it’s strongly encouraged and appreciated by Linguists), but you must select a “Quality rating” from the dropdown menu in order to complete the Assignment.
When you accept a new assignment from a VeraContent team member, you commit to the given deadline and high-quality standards expected. Failure to meet the deadline or appropriate quality standard may result in your profile being removed from our database.
If specific unforeseen circumstances prevent you from completing an assignment as expected you should contact the team member who gave you the assignment as soon as possible so that other arrangements can be made.
Working on Memsource
Memsource is a cloud-based CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation) tool that allows us to efficiently translate many file types while retaining the formatting. We use this platform for all translation projects at VeraContent.
For more information on getting started with Memsource:
First, make sure you’ve accepted the assignment in Podio (see How do I accept a new assignment?). If this is your first Memsource translation with VeraContent, the PM will create a user account for you and give you a username (generally: Vera[Your first name][Your last name] e.g. VeraJonathanVanNess). Then, you’ll get an email to the account you provided requesting that you create your own password and sign in.
For quick access to the Memsource login page, click here: Log in to Memsource.
You will have to accept the translation before you are able to open it. To accept the translation, select the box beside it, and click on the “Change Status” button above. Then, select “Accepted by Provider” and click “Save”. Now, you can open the Memsource Editor and start translating!
For more information on accepting jobs in Memsource, watch How to Accept Work with Translation Assignments in Memsource.
Once you open the translation in the Memsource Editor, you’ll see the source text in the left-hand column. The translated target goes in the right-hand column. At the bottom of your screen, below the source and target text, you’ll often be able to see the formatted original text (as a visual reference). Note that this is not always available as it depends on the file format of the original text.
On the right-hand side of your screen, you can see the CAT panel. Here you will receive suggestions based on past translations that appear in the TM (Translation Memory), and the MT (Machine Translation) offered by Memsource.
For more information on translating in Memsource, watch How to Translate in Memsource Editors.
When a word appears highlighted in yellow in the source text this means that it has been saved to the client-specific Term Base (TB) by a VeraContent team member. This allows us to guarantee consistency in our translation of that word for that client. The word must always be translated as defined in the TB.
Note that if you are confident that a term should be added to the TB (you are specialized in the field, it’s a very repetitive term, etc.) you should message the PM to request access to the TB to add the term.
When blue tags appear in the text this means that the original text contains a hyperlink, or some kind of text formatting (you can generally see what the blue tags mean in the preview). It is, therefore, important that these blue tags are carried over to the target text (you can simply copy and paste the tags over to the target text, or press F8 with the segment highlighted).
Yes. To leave a comment, click on the grey speech bubble that appears on the far-right column of the segment. We strongly encourage translators to leave comments in the following situations:
When you are happy with your translation, click the red “X” or press “Ctrl+Enter” to confirm the segment. Once all of the segments are confirmed and you are ready to submit your translation. Return to the project, click on the “Change Status” button, select “Completed by Provider” and then “Save”. At this point, if you have no other jobs assigned to you, you will receive a pop-up message saying that your account will be deactivated until you receive a new job. Click “Accept”.
The Memsource website contains a number of great resources to learn more about the platform, including ebooks, free webinars, blog articles, and more. Here are some helpful links we highly recommend checking out:
Collaborating with VeraContent
In your Linguist Console, you’ll find a field where you can update your availability to take on new projects. This information will allow VeraContent team members to determine when they can expect to hear back from you about a new assignment, and how likely it is that you will be able to take something new on. You can update this information at any time.
To update your availability, click on the status drop-down menu and select:
If you select options b, c or d. Please let us know a bit more about your availability in “Availability Status”. (“Available in the mornings”, “I’ll be on holiday from xx to xx”).
All details relevant to your invoice can be found in your Linguist Console on Podio. Here, you’ll find links to all of the Assignments you’ve worked on. At the end of each month, we strongly recommend comparing what’s recorded in your Linguist Console with your personal records before submitting your invoice.
The amounts shown in Podio do not include VAT, so you’ll have to add that (and deduct IRPF) on your invoice if you're invoicing from Spain. The total we receive on your invoice is what we will pay you.
For your invoice to be valid it must include the following:
To submit your invoice, follow the “Invoice instructions,” located in the comments section in your Linguist Console and in the email you receive when your Linguist Console is opened. Invoices are paid around the 15th day of each month. The instructions are also outlined below.
Forward all questions about invoicing to admin@veracontent.com. Please refrain from contacting our PMs with questions about invoicing as they will be unable to assist you.
We recommend that you submit your invoice at the end of each month, that way you can include in one invoice all the services completed during the corresponding month and receive the payment around the 15th day of the following month.
Yes, you can share samples of work you’ve produced with VeraContent in unpublished portfolios (e.g. print portfolio, or as part of a job application, etc.). If you want to share a work sample in a published portfolio (e.g. your website), we ask that you first ask the PM who assigned you the job for permission. This is to make sure that the job in question can be shared without issue.
We created a Slack Collaborator workspace on Slack for direct communication with Freelance Collaborators. You can also use the different language channels to ask questions and engage with other Freelance Collaborators. In some cases, PMs from VeraContent will create channels for collaboration on specific projects.
To gain access, a PM will invite you to the Slack workspace using your email.