# Dopers who can type AND have time on their hands **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 22, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053 "2010-10-22T23:59:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/1 "2010-10-22T23:59:49Z")
My friend, who I had “hired” to type my “Just OK American Novel” No longer has time (teaching job). So if there are any Dopers typists with the time, PM here or, if we’re “friends” on Facebook, there. We’ll negotiate rate/payment. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/2 "2010-10-23T02:01:50Z")
I wish I had the time. I love to type. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/3 "2010-10-23T02:09:06Z")
Yes please. My next days work is on the 4th of November, so I should be able to squeeze you in. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/4 "2010-10-23T03:28:52Z")
OK, an update: The rates I’m considering 1. 2 payments of $50 2. $0.01/word An offer I can’t quote off top of head! (sorry!)can anyone do better? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/5 "2010-10-23T03:32:11Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > My friend, who I had “hired” to type my “Just OK American Novel” … Are submissions actually typed anymore? I thought everything was electronic these days. If so, aren’t you good to go? You can obviously keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/6 "2010-10-23T03:32:14Z")
If Bam can’t help ya, I’m available. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/7 "2010-10-23T03:34:52Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Are submissions actually typed anymore? I thought everything was electronic these days. If so, aren’t you good to go? You can obviously keyboard. Never saubmitted novel (or anything for that matter0 to a publisher. And I’m a lousy typer w/o printer. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/8 "2010-10-23T03:44:02Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Never saubmitted novel (or anything for that matter0 to a publisher. Well, (and I really do hate to interfere with possible income for Dopers) the first thing I’d do is find out what format the publisher you intend to submit to requires your submission to be. I could be wrong, and if so I expect to be corrected in short order, but I really do have the impression that even the slushpile is electronic today. Not to say there wouldn’t still be work for someone who can clean up formatting and typos. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/9 "2010-10-23T03:44:15Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Are submissions actually typed anymore? I thought everything was electronic these days. If so, aren’t you good to go? You can obviously keyboard. I assume the OP means he has a longhand written copy that needs to be typed into the computer. Is that right? Are you going to mail a photocopy to the lucky typist? Also, your two offers are way different. $0.01/word comes out to almost a thousand bucks for a 300 page novel (depending on spacing, etc.) A hundred bucks at that rate is only 10,000 words, or thirty pages. How many pages have you written? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/10 "2010-10-23T03:49:37Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > I assume the OP means he has a longhand written copy that needs to be typed into the computer. > > Is that right? Are you going to mail a photocopy to the lucky typist? > > Also, your two offers are way different. $0.01/word comes out to almost a thousand bucks for a 300 page novel (depending on spacing, etc.) A hundred bucks at that rate is only 10,000 words, or thirty pages. > > How many pages have you written? Erdo, I came here TO ASK THIS VERY QUESTION! (which is the better deal). I filled a 1 subject notebook with handwritten paragraphs/data. So: which is the better deal? ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/11 "2010-10-23T04:03:51Z")
I’d suggest finding a single page in the middle of your manuscript that looks pretty average. Count how many words you’ve written on it. Count the number of pages and multiply. It sounds like it isn’t too long, but I’d say that it’s almost guaranteed to be longer than 10,000 words. Also, how legible is your handwriting? That could be a serious obstacle to your potential amanuensis. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/12 "2010-10-23T04:37:05Z")
Sure. Just E-mail it to me and I’ll type it up. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/13 "2010-10-23T05:58:43Z")
Rough estimate of word count: 35,000 (would only want the paragraphs, not charts) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/14 "2010-10-23T10:26:01Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Never saubmitted novel (or anything for that matter0 to a publisher. And I’m a lousy typer w/o printer. Well, I _have_ submitted stuff to a publisher (and even been paid for it on occasion!) and I have to say you REALLY need to find out what format the publisher wants it in. That means not only paper vs. electronic but even what software/format the electronic version is compatible with or uses. Last few things I submitted I certainly didn’t need a printer, just the right format and e-mail. If you DO need a paper copy it had better conform to the publisher’s desires in regards to line spacing, font, font size, page numbering, and labeling or else they won’t even read it. And I do mean that - if they open it up and it’s single-spaced instead of double, or in an unacceptable font, or whatever, _they literally will not read even the first page_. In a paper copy, retying is a pain in the ass, and expensive if you’re paying someone else to do the typing. If you’re writing a novel you intend to publish you need to know about how to submit that, which is different than submitting a shorter work. And your two payment offers are so widely divergent that I think you just didn’t give this much thought, and you aren’t aware of and aren’t thinking through how you’re going about this. Thus, although I’m a screaming fast typist, and could use money, and make the time, I do not want to accept your offer because I think it could easily end in tears. I applaud your ambition in writing a novel, but if you have serious intentions of publication you need to do a little research in how the industry actually works. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/15 "2010-10-23T14:00:20Z")
What Broomstick said. With some caveats. Changing font, line spacing and such should not be a problem with any reasonable word processor. It almost sounds like you need a transcriber. Some one that can take your written material and type and organize it. The only reason I know anything about this is because my cousin does it on the side. She transcribed recordings of doctors recordings, and also written notes for college students. If you are serious about this, I would suggest contacting a local college. Perhaps student services and ask about transcribers. It would likely be pretty affordable. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/16 "2010-10-23T15:34:12Z")
I used to do that sort of transcription service (in college, I might add, and before the days when word processors were common - hence my comments about making changes in paper copies being a pain. Even with a word processor, you’d still need to reprint it which, for a novel, could easily be a ream or two of paper.) His payment offers wouldn’t fly with anyone reputable. He needs to do some research and find out what the going rate locally is. I haven’t done such work in years, so I have no idea of what a reasonable rate is these days. I will say, however, that if I was transcribing form poor handwriting, or was expected to make spelling and/or grammar corrections, I’d charge extra. I don’t know if that’s the case with the OP - I have no idea of how his handwriting is and so forth - but I offer it as a warning. And if he’s written it in _cursive_ - there are young adults these days who can’t read it. If he’s serious about doing a lot of writing but doesn’t type well he might even want to look into voice transcription software. But really, if he wants to be an author basic word processing skills are a must these days. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/17 "2010-10-23T16:48:28Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > But really, if he wants to be an author basic word processing skills are a must these days. Don’t disagree. Learn to type. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/18 "2010-10-23T21:52:00Z")
OpalCat is my transcriber. ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/19 "2010-10-23T23:11:22Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > OpalCat is my transcriber. Well then, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053/20 "2010-10-24T00:11:23Z")
I have to admit, I was tempted to take this job just to get a peek at this novel that you’ve started several threads about. It sounds like a doozy. Maybe you can share some excerpts with us after Opal’s done typing it. May I ask what all the charts are in the text? Also, remember to make a photocopy. You don’t want to lose it in the mail. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-can-type-and-have-time-on-their-hands/558053.md?page=2)