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Carolyn Bodley - Legal Verbatim Transcriptionist of Audio, Video & Digital Files
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Services and BLOG
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blog
entries are strictly the opinion of Carolyn Bodley and may not reflect the opinion of others
(to see archived blog
entries, click on the links to the right of the top blog)
Some photos are compressed or removed in archived blog postings,
leaving only a description of the photo. The blog postings remain complete and unchanged.
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Tuesday, November 27, 2012
BLOG - Audio hour is exactly what it says ...
 I don't know why this is such a confusing topic. If someone says they will
pay you by the audio hour, my suggestion is to run the other way as fast as you can.
Assume a client has
an audio recording that is one hour in length and you are told that you will be paid "X" dollars per audio
hour. Let's say they pick a figure out of the air -- $32.00. For some reason, many people would say "oh, my god -- I'm
going to get paid $32 per hour, and if it takes me five hours to transcribe, then I will get paid a total of $160.00."
W-R-O-N-G !!! Whether you are able to type this one hour audio in one hour (which is highly unlikely) or five hours or more,
all you are going to be paid is $32.00 TOTAL. That is the definition of being paid by the audio hour. It is quite the rip-off,
isn't it.
Of course, for the person quoting you an audio hour rate, it is great for them. If you ever consider
accepting a per audio hour, first you need to know how much you can actually type in an hour.
Transcribing from
audio is not the same as typing straight from hard copy. Depending on how the audio was recorded, you can have background
noise, voices that you can't hear because the speaker was not in a direct vicinity to mics, you have air conditioning
noise, electric lights and/or other electrical interference causing a buzz or hum, etc. Heck, you may even be transcribing
from hidden audio where a hand-held recorder was placed in someones purse, coat pocket, pants pocket, or other places I don't
even want to think about. I won't even get into different dialects from different regions of the country. Each time you stop
the foot pedal and reverse the audio to re-listen, you are wasting time and money -- your money.
For a one-hour
audio, you should always consider a minimum of three hours and up to five, six, eight, ten or even more -- again, depending
on the quality of the audio and the number of speakers. Calculate what you want/need to earn per hour -- not audio hour.
If you need to earn $35.00 per hour, then you need to charge a minimum of $105 per audio hour (assuming you can complete it
in three hours). Realistically, you should assume it will take four to five hours and quote $140 to $175 per audio hour (if
you want to earn $35 per every hour that you type). If these figures seem way overboard, first figure the cost of doing business
-- electricity, supplies (paper, toner, etc.), self-employment taxes (quarterly taxes), business licenses, advertising and
marketing, and money put aside for new equipment purchases. No matter what I make on the job, I take between 35 and 50% right
off the very top and put it aside for taxes, supplies and future equipment purchases.
Remember, that what you earn
as a self-employed person, is not FREE money. The next time someone offers you an audio hour rate, think twice about the bottom
dollar you will earn -- if you would be earning more money flipping hamburgers, then an audio hour rate is definitely not
the way to charge.
[end of blog]
Thursday, November 15, 2012
BLOG -- Go home NNA
 Notary Commissions in Colorado last for a term of four years and are issued by the
Colorado Secretary of State. Up until a couple of years ago, you could renew by mail or in-person.
I guess you
can still renew in person, it just costs more. They would prefer you to renew online. My own commission expires in January,
2013. A few weeks ago, I received a postcard from the National Notary Association (NNA) reminding me of my renewal and that
I could contact them and they would walk me through the renewal process, or I could pay them and they would renew my commission
for me. W-H-A-T ??? Why would I possibly contact an organization based in California that can't even tell me correct
notary law for Colorado, let alone in California?
No joke. Google them and you will see complaints galore about
how they get people to join, taking their money while handing out incorrect information. Talk to two different people
in the organization and get 4-5 different answers.
When your notary commission comes due, renew it yourself. You
don't have to go through the NNA as their false advertising/marketing campaign claims.
[end of blog]
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
BLOG - Christmas music NONSTOP three weeks before Thanksgiving
 Here is egg on your face KOOL 105 radio station, Denver.
Are you out of
your flippin' mind -- turning into a full time Christmas radio station THREE WEEKS *BEFORE* THANKSGIVING ???
Okay,
when I first heard you playing Christmas music on Saturday, I thought, fine -- it is cold and sort of snowing outside -- and
the "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" seemed somewhat appropriate at the time. However, when I turned on the radio
on Monday and every song was Christmas and again today on Tuesday -- there is absolutely no way I'm going to listen to Christmas
music for almost nine weeks -- and if you would take the time to read the comments on your Face Book page, there aren't
too many people that are jumping up and down over the idea.
I've quite lisening to you before over what I considered
stupid moves -- but, hey, it's your radio station. However, come January 2013, this listener ain't coming back again.
[end of blog]
Thursday, November 8, 2012
BLOG - If you don't like it here, then move!
 The nasty, mud-slinging, name-calling election is over. If you didn't vote, then
shame on you. Keep your mouth shut because you have nothing to *itch about.
If you voted and you don't like the
outcome, instead of continuing the nasty, hatred comments and opinions, do something about it -- BECOME A PART OF THE SOLUTION
TO FIX THE PROBLEMS -- if you can't or refuse to do that, then I highly suggest you move to another country and say goodbye
to the United States of America. I'm proud to be an American, but I'm certainly not proud of the venom spewing from the
mouths of many individuals.
How I voted is no one's business -- the same as it is none of my business how
anyone else voted. On election night, one woman was interviewed on television and when asked how she voted, she said she wasn't
going to say -- "that there was going to be more to talk about around the Thanksgiving table than politics!" I concur.
[end of blog]
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