Scopists

[EditingEtc]

I am not a paralegal VA. I specialize in editing/proofreading/transcription.

To further my service base, I am thinking of adding "Scopist" to my list.

For court reporters, a scopist takes the raw machine shorthand and "translates" it into a formatted report.

It takes editing/proofing skills to accomplish this, which is my strong suit.

I also think it is a small enough niche that my marketing efforts shouldn't be drowned out by everyone else attempting the same thing.

Any comments, opinions, first-hand knowledge of this specialty?

[AwesomeAssistant]

Finding a niche market is great. If potential clients know what a scopist is, great. Not being familiar with that term, you may want to identify specifically that you specialize in editing/proofreading/transcription.

[Kerans VA]

Hi Bethany Lee,

Having worked in the Courts for a number of years, I know many court reporters have software which 'translates' their shorthand into normal text. However, it is an imperfect system that doesn't recognize many phrases, names and words. I assume you are talking about editing this type of unfinished product and I think it would be a great niche. That being said, I know many court reporters simply do their own editing as they go, so I am not sure of the size of your target market.

It sounds like it could work out very well, especially if you got a favorable response from some overworked court reporters! Good luck!

[CardinalPointVA]

In my opinion it would be important to get involved with court reporters who work with Judges who have heavy trial calendars --- those are the ones who are going to end up behind the 8-ball providing transcripts of dailies during trial and court records for cases on appeal.

Sounds like in the right situation it could be a good area for you. Good luck.

[Kathy Altman]

Thinking that scoping would be a good service for my business, I went to "scoping" school online, which was not cheap. Unless you personally know a court reporter or two who could use your services, I found it difficult to get clients and the couple of clients I did get, did not pay me. I would suggest if you decide to get into scoping, you get 1/2 to 3/4 of the money up front, as it is very common for court reporters to not pay for scoping work and because it is a virtual services, it is practically impossible to collect. Just my opinion...

Kathy Altman
Off-Site Office Solutions