Although I've done lots of proofreading over the years, first as a high school English teacher and later as a proofreader and editor for a non-profit association, one of my favorite types of work is transcript proofreading. I discovered this fascinating type of proofreading in 2016, and I'm so glad I did!

People often ask me what makes transcript proofreading different. Since I answer this question so frequently, I decided to write a post about it.

First, let's talk about the type of client I proofread for: These amazing humans are called court reporters.

Think of court reporters as the word wizards of the legal world. They have the important job of capturing every spoken word during legal proceedings like depositions, hearings, and trials. Using special equipment like stenotype machines or digital recorders, they turn spoken words into written form with lightning-fast accuracy.

The transcripts they produce become the official record of what happened in court. Court reporters are unsung heroes, ensuring that every word is captured accurately and preserving the integrity of the legal process.

Although some court reporters proofread their own transcripts, many of them hire a proofreader. That's where I come in.

Here are 5 ways that transcript proofreading is different from other types of proofreading:

1. Transcript proofreaders can't change anything that was said: Proofreaders and editors typically have the ability to adjust phrases or sentences to clean up a document, but transcript proofreaders can't. If a speaker says "ain't," that word must appear in the transcript; it can't be edited. Instead, a transcript proofreader looks for errors in punctuation, spelling, consistency, and formatting.

2. The formatting of a transcript is different from other types of documents: Most transcripts I read are 25-line pages, and each line begins with a number. This is different from other types of long-form content.

3. Transcript proofreading can be time consuming, and turnaround times are often short: Transcript lengths vary greatly. The shortest file I ever proofed was 5 pages, but the longest transcript I ever read was 621 pages! I typically have three business days to proofread a transcript (and sometimes even less time than that). This is challenging when the files are lengthy.

4. Transcripts include frequent interruptions: Especially in legal transcripts, attorneys object to questions or witnesses ask for questions to be repeated. These interruptions can make it difficult to get into the flow of the content.

5. Transcript proofreaders often start reading in the middle of the story: For example, I might read the transcript of a witness to a car accident but not the transcripts of the parties actually involved in the accident. Because I don't read the whole story (just a piece of it), it can be difficult to follow the storyline. With other types of content, the proofreader usually reads the entire piece from start to finish. Transcript proofreading is different.

🪴🪴🪴

Have I piqued your interest in this fascinating proofreading niche?

If you're interested in becoming a transcript proofreader, I highly recommend the transcript proofreading training my friend Elizabeth has created (note: I'm an affiliate for her amazing training). Her podcast episode about transcript proofreading is great too!

To your success,
Julie from The Proofreader Greenhouse

P.S. If you'd like to read the other articles in The Watering Can, click here. 💦

What Makes Transcript Proofreading Different