Comments on: Writers Worth: Getting Down to Business

By: Cathy Miller

Cathy Miller — Tue, 17 May 2016 13:38:59 +0000

Catching up on my Writers Worth month posts. Nice to meet you, Elizabeth. I admit, I am bad about heeding this advice. And I need to. Personal commitments have recently stepped up so it's more important than ever to be smart about my time. I've often wanted a virtual assistant to handle some of the administrative hassles. Thanks for the reminder, Elizabeth.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Tue, 17 May 2016 00:55:25 +0000

Jake- Yes, unfortunately sometimes the timing just doesn't work out. When it does it is helpful, though!

Lori- Thanks for having me and thanks for your kind words! In terms of timing: Most transcribers give the option of a 24-hour turnaround for an extra fee. I have to imagine some may offer it even quicker. Luckily, I've only ever needed a 48-hour turnaround, but I still like to contact them ahead of time to check availability. I know I already sent you one name, but I can send you one more if you'd like!

By: Lori Widmer

Lori Widmer — Tue, 17 May 2016 00:10:33 +0000

I love the idea. Elizabeth, Jake brings up a good point. Do you get help quickly or is there a wait for it? I'm about to get hit with a need-it-now project and the transcription is going to slow me down.

By: Jake Poinier

Jake Poinier — Mon, 16 May 2016 18:58:11 +0000

Oh, man. I would dearly love to hire out transcription on a more regular basis, but it always seems like deadlines and slow-to-respond sources are tag-teaming me. A good reminder that it's a smart way to save time, though!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Mon, 16 May 2016 18:07:58 +0000

Sharon- Exactly, that's why I love it!

KeriLynn- I hate listening to myself, too. Try to skip those parts as quickly as possible. Glad I'm not the only one. ;)

Paula- I've loved learning more about you through Writers Worth month! My digital recorder exports WAV files, which I then upload to Google Drive and send a link from. I've had my recorder almost 10 years now and see it's no longer on the market, so I'm dreading the day I have to find a substitute.

Ashley- It's awesome that you enjoy all the different work facets. :) My husband takes a look at some of my work, too--love the free help! Your barter idea is interesting; I'll have to think about that and see how it can work for me. Thanks for the suggestion!

By: Ashley Festa

Ashley Festa — Mon, 16 May 2016 16:26:30 +0000

Great, great advice that I never, ever take ;-) Thankfully, I don't have much work that I don't enjoy at least to some extent, so it's never been a matter of not wanting to do it. But I sometimes do want someone to read over my work and see whether anything sounds weird or isn't explained well. Luckily, my husband is also a writer/editor (though not freelance) so I get the extra help for free!

It's also worth considering using the barter system with fellow freelancers if you can't afford to pay someone. There may be things that you do faster than other writers, and vice versa, so trading tasks would be time well spent. Or even if you aren't faster at the other task, you might hate it less than transcribing, for example. So that's a viable option.

By: Paula Hendrickson

Paula Hendrickson — Mon, 16 May 2016 16:09:02 +0000

Nice seeing you here, too, Elizabeth. You're now officially more than just a Twitter friend for me, too!

I've been in situations where I would have loved to hire someone to transcribe some interviews, but discovered my digital recorder won't export Mp3 files for me to send. Upgrading the recorder will probably be one of my next "investments."

By: KeriLynn Engel

KeriLynn Engel — Mon, 16 May 2016 14:49:53 +0000

I always get interviews transcribed because I hate listening to myself 😀

By: Sharon Hurley Hall

Sharon Hurley Hall — Mon, 16 May 2016 12:56:32 +0000

Great advice, Elizabeth. I got some interviews transcribed this past year and it was a revelation because I managed to get rid of a task I hate and become more efficient at the same time. Who wouldn't love that?!