Text Rewriting – Convenient Work Online?

Working in text rewriting – an overview

In other words, it involves transforming an acoustic layer into a visual one, something that cannot simply be copied. This gives audiences the opportunity to read an interview with their favourite star or watch a film with subtitles.

The process of converting recordings into text is called transcription.

For many people, text rewriting may bring to mind the profession of a scribe, which involved laboriously copying books or official documents. Naturally, in today’s world of advanced technology, such a task has lost much of its purpose – after all, copying text requires just one keyboard shortcut. Even so, one of the duties of people in this role may still be transferring manuscripts or printouts into a file.

The benefits of working in text rewriting

Text rewriting is widely used in the media. Various industry websites, newspapers and even advertising campaigns require these services. Increasingly, companies want to reach potential customers through social media, such as Facebook, using video content. The problem is that sound is switched off by default, so subtitles are the only way to hold the viewer’s attention.

Growing demand is not the only advantage of text rewriting. Other benefits include:

• varied recordings – these make the work interesting, and allow you to learn something new every day;
• working from home – there is nothing to prevent you from rewriting content from the comfort of your own home;
• low recruitment requirements – you do not need to meet any special conditions to begin working with a client and start pursuing this career.

Disadvantages of text rewriting

Working online in text rewriting also involves certain inconveniences. One of them is the need for constant concentration, which can quickly turn into mental fatigue. However, the most problematic aspects are pay and the availability of assignments.

For text rewriting, this is usually around £0.50–£0.90 net per 1,000 characters, meaning that an hour-long recording is worth approximately £25–£40 net. This is not, however, an hourly rate, as processing material of this length takes at least three hours. This is because a transcriber’s work involves more than simply typing out the text: it also includes formatting, checking spelling and repeatedly rewinding the recording to understand the context or simply hear an unclear passage more accurately.

When rewriting manuscripts, deciphering the handwriting can be problematic. The less legible the handwriting, the more highly the work is usually priced. It can be extremely time-consuming, while payment per 1,000 characters may not reflect the effort involved.

Other risks associated with text rewriting include:

• low-quality materials – these extend the working time and consequently reduce the hourly rate;
• uncertain assignments – strong competition and a limited number of clients can be a cause for concern;
• no fixed income – the amount depends on the length of the material rewritten, which varies from month to month.

Why are so many people looking for work involving text rewriting?

The high level of interest in this type of work is caused by the widespread belief that text rewriting is easy and enjoyable. It is therefore an appealing option for many people.

Unfortunately, the reality of text rewriting is not as rosy as it may seem to beginners. It is often necessary to play a recording several times in order to write the text correctly based on the supplied material. In many cases, the quality of the recordings leaves much to be desired – it can be difficult even to hear what someone is saying, let alone turn such unclear speech into written language.

Another factor behind the high level of interest among candidates for text rewriting work is the opportunity to work from the comfort of home.

These days, this is undeniably a major advantage: you can avoid crowds, traffic jams and a stressful office atmosphere, while also saving time on daily commuting.

However, when taking into account:

• payment per 1,000 characters including spaces;
• the time required to write those characters;
• additional expenses associated with working from home, such as your own equipment, electricity, water and all business running costs or invoicing-platform fees,

it may turn out that text rewriting not only fails to provide financial benefits, but actually leaves the freelancer out of pocket.

Fortunately, with experience, these issues can be resolved. Securing regular text rewriting work completely eliminates the inconveniences listed above. Even as a freelancer, building relationships with reliable clients can lead to regular assignments and satisfactory pay. What is more, as digitalisation continues to progress, the quality of materials available for rewriting is steadily improving.