Midnight Oil Transcript Proofreading: the process

Contact me to see if I am available to proofread for you. Please include the type of document, the number of pages, and the turnaround time you need.

I will respond to your inquiry and confirm the number of pages, the turnaround time, and my rate for the job. New clients are asked to complete a Reporter's Preference Sheet prior to sending work. I will send it as an attachment with this response. Please save it to your computer, open it in Acrobat Reader, fill out and save, then attach it to an email to me. Thank you. The preference sheet is a valuable tool for me to get to know your style quickly.

I proofread PDF transcripts using a laptop and PDFAnnotator. Transcripts received as PDFs allow me to make suggestions directly onto the pages and lines where they apply. If you need a way to convert files to PDF, I recommend the free CutePDFWriter.                                                                         

If the job is large, please send it in 40- to 50-page chunks so we can both be working on the job simultaneously for efficiency.

I will let you know that I have received the PDF file and again confirm your turnaround time. Time begins when I receive the file.

*Please Note:  I work at night; therefore, if I receive the file after 2:00 a.m. (in the morning) Pacific Time, the job will be "clocked in" at 2:00 p.m. (in the afternoon) of the following day.

I'll then go to work proofreading your transcript. I will check for and mark the following:

misspellings; incorrect words; incorrect names and dates; generic vs. brand names of drugs and products; consistent use of terminology and style; correct punctuation; missing or transposed words; spacing issues; and readability.

I will return the annotated transcript PDF by the agreed-upon deadline. To read the annotations in PDF, you will need to have the latest version of Adobe Reader so that all corrections will be visible. I will send only the pages with corrections, with all suggestions clearly marked. This saves you time by not having to search through every page.

After you receive the corrected transcript, please follow up with any questions or feedback. I value your feedback and will utilize it to refine your individual Preference Sheet, providing an even better experience for you each time we work together.

If this is the first time that I've proofread for you, or for one-off jobs, I will send you the invoice for my services immediately after returning the corrected transcript PDF.

If you are an established client, I will send you an invoice on the 1st and the 15th of each month.