Transcription Question...Thanks!!

[Kailu]

Dear Forum: I was just sent a referral form a friend of a current client, for transcription work. It would require me taking a manuscript, and typing into Microsoft Word. This is right up my ally, but this would be my first client for this type of work.

I need help from the forum. What is the going rate right now. Do I charge per page, or do I just charge my normal hourly?

Any and all input would be welcome. My mom of course says not to talk price until I see the work.

Thanks, Kailu

[AwesomeAssistant]

I think before finalizing on a price, you'll want to see the work. For this type of work, I'd charge either a set price for the whole job, or per page. The per page charge would depend on just what all the job entails; which means you'll need to see the work first.

[Kailu]

Thanks Sue, that actually helps a lot, and backs what my mother said. My mom used to type papers for other college students when she was putting herself through school, and had actually typed a book for someone, but that was over 20 years ago.

What would you normally charge for either set price? Or page work? I would even appreciate a suggested price from you, if you are willing to give me that information?

I will request to see the work first, but would like to at least have a slim idea, in case they ask me.

Kailu

[SAGreene]

How much do you want to make per hour?

What I would suggest is -- ask to see a sample of the work, type up a few pages, and see how long that takes you. Then you will have an idea of how many pages you can type in an hour and use that information to determine a price per page. If it is technical material or if the person's handwriting is sloppy, make sure to add an appropriate mark-up for the extra time it may take you to figure out certain things.

Just a thought. There may be some different and/or better ideas.

[AtlanticVA]

When I do something like this I charge by the hour. I use myhours.com to keep track of my time. I figure that by the time you type, proof, and make it pretty, it is just as easy to go by the hour.

Hope this helps.

[AwesomeAssistant]

Kailu,

Believe it or not my husband and I bid for a huge transcription job earlier this year. We're getting a resource book ready for a state nursery board and they'll be giving us hand-typed or hand-written documents that we are then going to transcribe into a web document. We actual did a quick word count on one page, figured how many words are in the document total, how many wpm I can type, how many approximate hours that would take, then bid a set price based on our hourly rate.

It's not as hard as it sounds. If we thought it would take 10 hours, we multiply that by $50/hour and bid $500. Of course my husband is a math whiz, so that helped.

I probably wouldn't do a per page price; but a minimum of $1 per page is what I'd consider charging, depending on the size of the job.

[MoragB]

I'd advise against charging per page: after all the number of words on a page of Arial font 10 is going to be different to Arial Font 14...

IMHO the best way to charge is either by the hour or by the final word count with a set charge per 500 words for example.

[Prime Admin Solutions]

I'd do it on a straight hourly basis - I think per page goes back to the BC (Before Computer) era when you knew exactly how much you would get on a page. If it were me, I would give an estimate, but advise them that an estimate is only that and that I'd be billing them for time actually spent on the job.

[boopluvr]

Hi just wanted to put my 2 cents worth in here. Which is funny because I have done this and I have charged per word and after seeing the project I have come up with a contact price for the whole job and added a contingency in case it ran into more time or work. I hope that this helps.

[marnz_06]

Charging per page is not an accurate basis...Usually, trends are by the hour or by lines which is word with spaces/65