Frequently Asked Questions

Our workers are the (not-so) secret ingredient of CastingWords.com! They do the transcribing, editing, QA and more. They can work from anywhere they have a computer and Internet access, and on their own time. No obligations!

Our workers are freelancers, also known as independent contractors, and as such are responsible for their own tax reporting under the tax laws of their respective states and countries.

In the US, being an independent contractor means you are self-employed. See this IRS page on Self-Employed Individuals for helpful information on US tax requirements.

What are the requirements?

You must be at least 18 years of age.
You must live in one of our supported locations. (see below for details).
You must be able to receive the type of payments we issue (see below for details).
It must be legal for you to work for us as an Independent Contractor under any applicable employment, tax, or other laws.

If you meet the requirements, see the Signing Up section to get started!

I live in __. Can I work for CastingWords?

CastingWords is currently registering new freelancers in the United States only. A few US states are not supported, and residents of some other states will need to provide additional documentation when signing up.

We do also have many valued international workers whose accounts were approved when our registration was open to residents of other countries.

Please note, it must be legal for you to work for us as an Independent Contractor under any applicable laws in your location, and you are responsible for meeting IRS and state requirements for tax reporting (or those of your country, for preexisting international workers).

Why isn't my US state supported?

Our workers are Independent Contractors, not employees. The labor regulations of certain states define "Independent Contractor" in ways that are either difficult to comply with, or difficult to document effectively, so we are unable to work with freelancers from certain states at this time.

Similarly, applicants from some supported states may be asked to provide additional documentation, such as an Employer Identification Number.

If asked for an EIN, please note that this is not for tax purposes, but as a means of documenting your status as an Independent Contractor. As such, a Social Security Number is not an acceptable substitute.

Please see the Sign Up page for details on supported US states.

Do I have to do a certain amount of work?

No. As an Independent Contractor, you set your own schedule, hours, and frequency. You can check in all the time, or just here and there, as you like. You can even subcontract to others. See Can I share an account with someone else?

Can I close my account?

Yes. Log in, click on the My Account tab, then on the Edit Profile button (or click here to jump straight there. Then click the Close Account button to permanently close your account.

Please note that once you do this, you will be unable to log back in. If you change your mind and want to reactivate your account, you will need to email Support for assistance.

Do you use rejected work?

We never use unpaid work.

If your assignment is graded 4 (or lower), that means in the approver's judgment it would cost us more to fix it up than to get it redone. The work is discarded and the assignment is sent back out immediately to be redone.

In some cases the system may send a transcription job for a preliminary edit before it receives its final grade.

It is possible for an assignment that has gotten a preliminary edit to receive a grade of 4 (or lower) depending on the quality of work present, but since the work was edited and used, you will still be paid the base rate (equivalent to a grade of 5) even if the work itself receives a lower grade.

If you were not paid, we did not use your submission.

See the Grading Guidelines for more info on what constitutes a passing or failing grade.

Getting Paid

How much does CastingWords pay?

For transcription, the short answer is anywhere between 8.5 cents and a bit over one dollar per audio minute. Read on to see what this means.

Pay varies widely based on a number of factors, including what type of job you do, what level you have reached, and what grade you earn.

We have different categories of assignments, including grading, editing, and transcription. Within each category, jobs at different skill levels have different pay rates.

Editing and most transcription work is bonus-based, meaning that the better you do, the more you get paid.

Rejected work (grade 0-4) is discarded and redone, so it is not paid
Work graded 5 gets the base pay amount
Work graded 6 gets a total of 1.5 times the base pay amount
Work graded 7 gets a total of 2.0 times the base pay amount
Work graded 8 gets a total of 2.5 times the base pay amount
Work graded 9 gets a total of 3.0 times the base pay amount

Every bonus-based job includes a list showing the exact pay for that assignment, for each possible grade.

How do I get paid?

PayPal is our only payment method. We do not offer bank transfers, Payoneer, or any other payment option. In order to work with us you must have a PayPal account that belongs to you personally and is able to receive our transfers.

We issue payment via the PayPal Mass Payment system. We pay the PayPal fees, so you get the full balance of your account when we transfer your funds.

We have scheduled transfers every Friday at 10:00 AM Pacific Time (GMT-7 or GMT-8, depending on the time of year). You can let your earnings accumulate from week to week, or request a transfer any time prior to a scheduled payout.

During periods of high workload, there may be a 3-5 day delay for transfers, due to the time it takes to transfer additional funds to PayPal. In such cases, we will post a notice in the "Payment" section of your Dashboard.

If you have at least one dollar in your CastingWords account, and have been a member of the Workshop for at least one week, you can request a transfer. Click the Request Transfer button on your Dashboard any time during the week. Your transfer will include the full balance of your account at the time the transfer goes out, including any money you have earned since clicking the Request Transfer button.

What kind of PayPal account do I need?

The only financial information you ever provide to CastingWords is your PayPal address -- meaning the email address associated with your PayPal account. The PayPal address you provide must belong to you personally.

You are responsible for providing the correct PayPal address, making sure that your PayPal account can receive the money we send you, and that you can then access that money, for example by transferring it to your bank.

You should set up your PayPal account so that PayPal considers it fully verified. You will provide PayPal with your address and bank account information, and assure that what you provide to them exactly matches the information that your bank and credit card companies have on file. You might also provide PayPal with your SSN, EIN, or other information depending on where you live.

Make sure you follow all of PayPal's guidelines, such as having only one PayPal account linked to your bank account, credit cards, SSN, name, etc. Failure to follow the guidelines could lead to them locking your PayPal account.

Depending how much money you make (from CastingWords and other sources), you may also want to check with PayPal to see whether there are limits on how much money you can accumulate in your PayPal account, how you can access that money, or how much you can transfer out in a given time period. Some people have had their PayPal accounts locked because they reached a limit they didn't know existed.

Can I use someone else's PayPal account?

No, the PayPal account must belong to the person who owns the Workshop account.

Do I need to fill out an IRS Form W-9?

CastingWords is a US company and obeys US tax laws.

While PayPal is considered the payer of record for tax purposes, CastingWords is required to keep a W-9 on file for any worker who qualifies as a "US person" according to the IRS.

For federal tax purposes, you are a US person if any of the following apply to you:

You are an individual who is a US citizen or US resident alien.
You are a partnership, corporation, company, or association created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States.
You are an estate (other than a foreign estate).
You are a domestic trust (as defined in Regulations section 301.7701-7).

If you are a US person, you need to send us a completed W-9 for our records. See below for details.

I need to send you a W-9. What do I do?

Click here to download a blank copy of the W-9 form.

Fill out, sign, and date the form, then send us Page 1 in one of these two ways:

Save the completed PDF, or scan or photograph Page 1, and email a clearly legible copy to us at support@castingwords.com. Be sure to send it from the email address that is associated with your Workshop account.
Or, mail a hard copy to the address below. Be sure to include a note to let us know the email address associated with your Workshop account.

CastingWords, LLC
2144 41st St
Unit A
Los Alamos, NM 87544

Will you send me an IRS Form 1099?

No. Per IRS rule changes that went into effect in 2013, PayPal is considered the payer of record for your earnings, so CastingWords does not send out 1099s.

PayPal may send you a 1099-K, depending on the total amount of your earnings. See PayPal's Tax information reporting for online sellers page for more information.

For your own tax purposes, you can find your total earnings from the Workshop site, broken down by calendar year, under the Pay section of your Dashboard.

Signing Up

Where do I start?

If you are at least 18 years of age and live in one of our supported US states, you can create an account. Click here to get started.

Can I share an account with someone else?

Yes. As an Independent Contractor, you are responsible for the work submitted on your account, but you may produce that work as you see fit. You may choose to subcontract to others, or let them submit assignments on your account as long as the process fully safeguards the confidentiality of our customers' information and materials.

However, keep in mind that both payment and performance/score tracking are handled on a per-account basis.

Any work submitted on your account affects your track record. Since our system values consistent performance, having a mix of skill levels contributing can keep the entire account from advancing to higher levels.

Can I have more than one account?

No. For tax reasons, each Independent Contractor is limited to a single Workshop account. Opening multiple accounts could cause you to lose all access to the platform.

Do I have to take a test?

Maybe. When you create an account, you will be asked to provide basic information and fill out a brief bio. Then, some workers are directed to a transcription test, which involves transcribing a short audio file.

The test serves as an introduction to our assignment format, and also allows us to verify that your work is accurate, displays correct English usage, and that you have read and understood the style basics outlined in the Quick Start Guide.

If the system does not direct you to the test, but sends you directly to your Dashboard, that means you are not required to take the test. In that case, please check your email for your welcome message, which will provide further info and provide links to the Style Guide and other resources.

Please note that whether or not you take the test, you will need to read and understand the full-length Style Guide before working on paying assignments.

Using the Site

I was approved. Now what?

Once your account is approved, take a few minutes to click around the Workshop interface and become familiar with the different parts of the site.

The three parts of the Workshop site that you will use the most are your Dashboard, the Available Jobs list, and your My Jobs tab.

The Dashboard

The Dashboard provides an overview of your account and jobs. Here you can see your badges, read the feedback on your most recent assignments, and check how much you've earned.

What is the Streak?

The Streak figure on your Dashboard shows how many days in a row you have worked. Some of our freelancers like to keep track of this or compete with themselves.

The Streak is for your reference only, and has no bearing on your grades, rank, badges, track record, etc.

What do the Completed / Pending / Approvals / Rejections numbers mean?

These are pretty much what they look like! Each of these numbers links to a folder with info on the assignments that fit that category.

The folder contents are organized by month. The number showing on your Dashboard corresponds to the current calendar month, so it will reset to zero on the first of each month.

When you open any folder, you will find ◄ Previous Month and Next Month ► links at the bottom, so you can navigate to the time period you need.

Assignments in the Pending Approval folder continue to process normally, even if they are moved to the "Previous Month" screen before they have been approved or rejected.

The Feedback Panel

This section of the Dashboard shows the feedback on your most recent assignments.

Use the All feedback ► link to see a chronological list of all your assignments, and their grades and feedback.

Use the All transactions ► link to see a chronological list of all payments into your account, and withdrawals you have made from it.

The Payment Panel

This section of your Dashboard shows how much money is currently in your Workshop account, as well as a summary of how much we have transferred to your PayPal account to date, broken down by year.

The Today's Potential Pay figure is an estimate only, based on the average pay for the jobs you have turned in today. Your actual pay may be higher or lower, depending on the grades you receive, and if any jobs are rejected. Pending jobs that were completed on previous days are not included in this estimate.

See How do I get paid? for details on using the Request Transfer button.

The Available Jobs List

Can I sort and filter the Available Jobs list?

Yes. You can sort and filter the Available Jobs list in several ways. You can also combine the sort and filter tools to zero in on just what you want to see.

Use the Category Drop-Down to show only one type of job (All / Grade / Transcribe / Edit / Other). This defaults to "All."
Type in the Search Field to show only jobs that contain a particular word or phrase in the title.
Click the All Jobs and Available Jobs links (located below the search field) to toggle back and forth between showing every job currently posted, or only those that you are personally eligible to accept.
Click on any Column Header to sort by the values in that column into alphabetical or numerical order. Click again to reverse the sort order.

Important note: The Available Jobs list does not auto-refresh, and jobs get picked up quickly, so be sure to reload the page from time to time to make sure you're looking at the most up-to-date listing.

What does the "Avg Pay" column show?

A lot of our assignments are bonus-based, meaning that the pay will vary widely depending on the grade you earn.

The Avg Pay column shows the total pay you will receive for the assignment if you earn an average grade, which is a 7. On a bonus-based job, a grade of 5 or 6 will earn less than the amount shown in this column, while an 8 or a 9 will earn more.

What does the "Pay/Min" column show?

The purpose of this column is to help you find higher paying jobs more quickly by showing you the per-minute return. This allows you to compare the earning potential of different jobs, even if they are not the same length.

Like the Average Pay column, Pay/Min is based on an average grade, meaning a 7.

This column shows how much you will earn per minute of audio if your work receives the grade of 7. On bonus-based work, a grade of 5 or 6 will earn less per minute than the amount shown in this column, while an 8 or a 9 will earn more.

The Pay/Min column only applies to jobs such as transcription and editing, where pay is based on the length of the audio file. Some assignments, such as grading and approvals, pay a flat rate regardless of the length of the audio.

I don't know if I'll get a 7. How can I tell how much I'll REALLY earn?

The main Available Jobs list allows you to compare different assignments to each other, by showing you the pay based on a grade of 7.

Open an individual job and look for the Understanding Bonus Based Pay box on the Instructions tab for a breakdown of exactly how much you will earn for each possible grade on that specific assignment.

When will you add more assignments to the Available Jobs list?

New assignments are posted automatically as soon as a customer places an order and we get the audio processed.

More orders do tend to come in during business hours corresponding to US time zones, but the system operates 24/7 and new jobs can and do come out at any time.

The My Jobs tab

Get used to checking this tab! The My Jobs tab shows every job currently assigned to you, along with a live countdown clock showing the time remaining on each.

If you lose power or close your browser while working on a job, this is how you can get back to the assignment.

Especially when you are new, it's a great idea to access all your work via this tab, to avoid mistakenly working on a job that is not actually assigned to you.

Any time you return or submit a job, you can refresh this tab to make sure it went through; if a job is no longer showing in My Jobs, then you successfully submitted or returned it (or it expired).

Check your My Jobs tab before signing out or shutting down for the day, just to make sure there's nothing assigned to you that you don't intend to complete.

Important note: While you can always get back to the assignment page of a job that is assigned to you, your browser may not save your work. We have coded the site to save your work where possible, but browsers do differ and different types of assignments perform differently. You may want to work in an environment that will allow you to save as you go, such as Word, Google Docs, Notepad, TextEdit, etc.

Furthermore, while your browser may save a version of your work, with the exception of the Save button on "Fix Incorrect Words" jobs, the system itself does not receive or save your work until you submit the assignment.

The Leaderboard

Leaderboard categories include Streak, Transcription, Editing and Overall. The Leaderboard is updated every hour and includes jobs that were approved in the last 7 days. Leaderboard position does not affect grades, badges, track record, etc.

The My Account Tab

What is the bio for?

The short professional bio is currently used inside the Workshop so we get a taste of your writing skills, and so we and your co-workers can learn something about you.

In the future, we may allow our customers to see the freelancers on their projects, tag favorite workers, and request specific workers. Bios will be shown to CastingWords customers as part of that process.

You can edit your bio (and other account info) by clicking on the Edit Profile button on the My Account tab, or click here.

How can I update my email/PayPal info/password/bio?

From your Dashboard, visit the My Account tab, then click the Edit Profile button (or click here to go directly there). The account update page allows you to edit your physical address and bio, update your email and PayPal addresses, change your password, or close your account.

There are two email addresses listed on the update page; the top one is your login, and the bottom one is your PayPal address. These may be the same or different, but they must both belong to you personally.

Be sure to click the corresponding "Submit Changes" button to save your updates.

Getting to Work

How do jobs work?

When you click an assignment from the Available Jobs list it will open in Preview mode. If you are eligible to work on it, you will see an orange Work On This button at the top of the page. If not, there will be no orange button and you will instead see a message indicating that you do not have the necessary rank.

If you are eligible and want to work on the job, you click the Work on This button to assign it to yourself. After completing and reviewing the work, you submit it to us.

All work has a time limit and must be completed or returned before the deadline, or the assignment will expire and you will be unable to submit your work. Allowing work to expire may result in a reduced badge score.

If you change your mind or can't do the work for any reason, you may Return the assignment.

Once submitted, work is then graded by other freelancers, CastingWords staff, or our auto approval system. If it's up to snuff, we approve the job and pay you. This can take a while, especially when you are new, because newer workers' assignments go through more review and editing processes.

Certain jobs are bonus-based. On these, any passing grade receives the base rate of pay, and then a bonus may be added depending on the grade you receive. The minimum passing grade will receive the base rate only, while the highest possible grade receives a total of up to three times the base pay.

Jobs may receive one or more preliminary grades, but it is the Approval grade that is used to calculate your bonus, counts toward your track record, and may also cause your badge level to rise or fall.

What kinds of jobs are there?

We post a variety of jobs, including: transcription, improving and editing transcripts produced by other workers, improving and editing computer-generated transcripts, grading transcripts and edits, approving transcripts and edits, and reviewing disputed grades. Some assignments require higher badge levels than others.

How can I tell which jobs I can accept?

When you look at the Available Jobs list, you can use the "All Jobs" and "Available Jobs" links (under the search box near the top of the page) to switch between showing the full list and only those jobs you are personally qualified to accept.

There is not always work available at every level, but new assignments are posted automatically when orders come in.

Why aren't there any jobs for me?

There are two possible reasons:

There may not be any work available at your level at the moment. Weekends, US holidays, and the US summer months can see fewer orders coming in, meaning that there may be fewer jobs posted, and more competition for the ones that do come out. Entry level jobs in particular tend to get picked up very quickly.
If you have done some work and had an assignment rejected, gotten low grades, or let one or more jobs expire, it may be that your badge score has fallen below the level required to do any work at all. See the "What do I do if I lose a badge?" entry for more information.

I'm ready to try my first assignment. What do I do?

Go to the Available Jobs tab, then click the Available Jobs filter below the search box to view the list of jobs that you're qualified to accept.
Choose a job and click the title to open it. After closing the Preview warning message, you can view the job and listen to the audio to decide whether you want to work on it. It's a good idea to stick to short jobs (1-3 minutes) and clear audio for your first few assignments.
When you find one you want, click the orange Work On This button at the top of the page. Do not work on a job without accepting it!
Click on the Instructions tab and read the instructions.
Click on the Transcription Job tab, read the Notes from customer and/or CastingWords section and familiarize yourself with the page.
You can either play the audio right in the player on the assignment page, or download it and play it on your computer. See the next question for download instructions.
Your browser might not save your work, so consider doing your typing in an environment that will allow you to save as you go, such as MS Word, Pages, Google Docs, Notes, Notepad, TextEdit, etc. You can always return to the assignment page via the My Jobs tab on your Dashboard if you lose power or close your browser.
Once you've transcribed the audio, paste your text into the Transcribe (or Transcribe Verbatim) field.
Use the tools on the assignment page to double check your work. If you make any changes after pasting the work into the box, click the Refresh Stats button to update the spellcheck and other tools.
When you are satisfied with your work, click the View & Submit tab to see your transcription in its final format. Review it one more time and type any relevant comments into the Comments field. It's always a good idea to leave comments about anything you were unsure of, confirm that you have researched proper names, etc.
Before you click Submit Job, please look over the spellcheck & statistics boxes on the Transcribe tab one last time, to make sure any flagged words are spelled correctly, and that all speaker labels are correct. Make any needed changes, review again, and submit.

How can I download the audio?

While you can use the player right on the job page, many workers like to download the mp3 file and use a player that provides more options and controls, such as Express Scribe, iTunes, QuickTime, Windows Media Player, VLC, etc.

To download, right-click the Get Audio link to bring up your browser's context menu, then choose Save As or Save Link As. Once downloaded, you can open the file in the player of your choice.

How much time do I have to complete the job?

The time allotted for each assignment is shown (in hh:mm) at the top of the Preview screen. Once the job is assigned to you, this becomes a live countdown clock showing the time remaining. You can also check your My Jobs tab to see the time remaining on all the jobs currently assigned to you.

You must either submit or return the assignment within the allotted time. If you let a job expire, you may lose a badge point.

This isn't working out. Can I return the assignment?

You can return any assignment, at any time, for any reason, as long as you don't let it expire.

Click the Return Job button at the top of the assignment page to open the drop-down, then select the button that best matches your reason for returning the job. All reasons are valid; we just like to keep track. (For example, if a job is returned multiple times because it is very difficult, we want to know about it.)

The one caveat is for workers at the Expedited level, since those are our most time-sensitive jobs. You can still return Expedited assignments, and there is no penalty for doing so, but you are expected to do so in a timely manner so someone else can get to work on it ASAP.

I need a little more time. Can I get an extension?

Extensions are not generally available to beginners, but once you have some experience you may begin to see Request an Extension as one of the options in the drop-down under the Return Job button.

If the option is there, clicking it will add more time to your assignment deadline. If it is not there, then no extension is available to you on that job and you will need to either submit or return the assignment before the deadline.

Extensions are meant to be used to get you out of a tight spot -- maybe a job turned out to be more time consuming than expected, or something came up and you were interrupted for a while. Extensions are not intended to be used routinely.

I speak _. Is there any work in my language?

Almost all of our work is in English, but we do occasionally have assignments available in French or Spanish.

If you are a fluent or native speaker of French or Spanish and would like to be able to work on jobs in your language, email Support to request the appropriate badge.

Please note that in addition to having the corresponding language badge, you must also have the Transcriber, Editor, or Grader badge(s) required for the job in question.

Badges

How do badges work?

You will automatically receive the New Transcriber badge, and some others, when we activate your account. You will get the Beginner badge after your first approved assignment, and a Working Hard badge after completing 10 assignments.

As you submit assignments, your badge levels will rise or fall depending on the quality and accuracy of your work. Consistently good work will eventually earn you higher badges, which will allow you to access more assignments and higher pay rates.

How can I earn more badges?

Consistently good grades are the key!

Higher-level badges give you access to more time-sensitive work, so doing consistently good work is the most important factor in advancing to higher levels.

We need to know not only that you can turn in great work, but that you do so reliably.

Is it possible to lose a badge?

Yes. In most cases, having an assignment rejected will cost you a badge. Low grades and letting jobs expire can also result in badge loss.

What do I do if I lose a badge?

Low grades, rejected assignments, and letting jobs expire can all cause you to lose a badge. If you lose all your badges in a given category, you will no longer be able to work on jobs of that type.

The New Transcriber badge is a co-requirement on every type of assignment, so if you lose that you will be ineligible to work on any jobs at all.

If you want to continue working after loss of the New Transcriber badge, you will need to email Support to ask about getting a second chance.

We will review your work and your initial transcription test (if you took one), and determine whether to restore your badge so you can try again.

Your work must meet certain basic standards and demonstrate a good-faith effort to follow our guidelines, or the badge will not be restored.

How many badges can I get?

Triangular badges represent your rank in each of the three main categories: Transcription, Editing, and Grading). There are a total of five badges in each category: New, Senior, Expert, Master, and Perfect, and a special "Trifecta" badge if you reach the top level in all three.

The triangular badges are the only ones that affect your eligibility to work on assignments.

Badges of other shapes are awarded based on your Workshop activity. Some are earned simply by signing up or doing a few assignments. Others may come and go in response to your activity on the site. These are symbolic in nature and do not affect your eligibility to accept assignments.

If you are fluent in a language besides English, you may also request a Spanish or French language badge, which will give you access to assignments in the corresponding language, provided your normal Transcription or Editing badge also meets the requirements of the assignment.

Transcriber Badges:

Editor Badges

Grader Badges

Other Badges

Grades and Feedback

What does my grade mean?

See the Grading Guidelines for information about the types of issues that may be present in assignments that receive a particular grade.

Why does my transcription job have more than one grade?

A transcription assignment may have several suggested grades from different sources, but it will have only one final grade. The final grade is the one that counts toward your overall track record and is used to calculate your pay for that assignment.

Workers of different skill levels can provide feedback and suggested grades, while final grades are issued only by highly experienced graders, CW staff, or the auto approval system.

When you are new, we generally put your work out for several "Review and Grade a Transcript" jobs, so you can get feedback from different perspectives, and so new graders can try out their skills by evaluating real assignments.

Grades from inexperienced workers appear under the "Comments" section on your feedback page, and are considered suggestions. The approval grade at the top is the one that counts toward your stats and determines your pay.

Your work may also go through an "Improve a Transcript" job, where it will not only get more feedback and another suggested grade, it will also be individually edited before being combined with the other Transcript Chunks into a complete transcript ready for its final edit.

Click the All feedback ▸ link on your Dashboard, then click an individual assignment to see the feedback for that assignment. You can see any preliminary feedback you've received so far, even if the assignment does not yet have its final grade.

If it has received a preliminary or final edit, you can see what changes were made at each of those stages. The First Edit can be useful, but remember things may be changed again (or changed back) in the Final Edit, which is the version that is actually sent to the customer.

Do I have to get certain grades to remain in good standing?

Most workers get a few low grades at first; that's normal! There is a lot to learn, and nobody gets everything right, right away.

However, you will want to review your feedback, check the final edits of your assignments (when they become available) and figure out what you need to work on in order to earn higher grades so you can begin to earn more money and work toward higher badge levels and access to higher-paying assignments.

Your track record also affects your future grades. Consistent grades have a stabilizing effect, so if you get lower grades for a long period of time, it may be harder to break into higher ones on assignments where the auto grading system is involved.

Similarly, if you have a job rejected or downgraded and lose your badge, you may be less likely to get a second chance if you have been working for a while but your grades have remained low.

Of course the reverse is also true; you are less likely to get low grades if you have a history of high ones, and if you do lose badge points due to a low grade, expired job, or rejected assignment, the system is likely to bump you back up quickly if you have a strong track record.

How long does it take for a job to be approved?

Approvals can take anywhere from a few seconds to a maximum of 30 days.

If you are new, your work goes through more grading and approval processes, and may receive a preliminary edit as well, so the whole thing takes a bit longer. A week or so is common, and longer than that is still normal.

You may already have some feedback, though. From your Dashboard, click on the All Feedback link, then on the assignment number of one of your jobs. You may have suggested grades and some initial feedback, even for assignments that are still waiting on final approval.

Can I see what changes the editor made?

Yes, and it's a great way to learn more about our style and format! When it becomes available, you will find a link to the final edit on each assignment's feedback page. If your work received a preliminary edit before the final approval, you can see that too.

Pay close attention to what is changed, especially where inaccuracies have been corrected, but remember that not every change an editor makes necessarily means you did something wrong.

The editor is taking transcript chunks completed by many different workers and creating a single, cohesive document. They remove overlap (usually 15 seconds at the beginning and end of each TC), and may remove or restore filler words, change punctuation and paragraph breaks, and update speaker labels for the sake of consistency among the different sections.

Why did the editor replace a word with the same word?

If the "diff" view seems to show that a word was removed and then simply added back in, that means that the editor changed the punctuation, paragraphing, or spacing adjacent to that word.

My assignment was rejected. Does that mean I just gave you my work for free?

No. If your assignment is rejected, that means in the approver's judgment it would cost us more to fix it up than to get it redone. The work is discarded and the assignment is sent back out immediately to be redone. If you were not paid, we did not use your submission.

See the Grading Guidelines for more info on what constitutes a passing or failing grade.

My grade is unfair! What can I do?

You can request a grade review by clicking "Disagree with this grade?" on the assignment's feedback page and filling out the form to explain your objection or ask for clarification. Try to be brief but clear.

There is no need to quote the Style Guide or Grading Guidelines in your review request; the approvers and reviewers are already familiar with these documents, and can refer to them if needed.

Your work will be reviewed on its own merits (accuracy and adherence to CW guidelines). The fact that an editor did or did not make changes doesn't factor into the grade your work deserves.

The reviewer can raise, lower, or maintain your grade. If the grade is increased, you will automatically receive the additional bonus pay (if applicable). We do not currently dock your pay if the grade is reduced. In either case, the new grade is the one that will count toward your track record.

The grade review will not revert badge points that were lost due to the low grade, because depending on the timing and work you have done since the points were lost, the system may already have restored them. If it has not, you can Email Support to ask whether points can be restored manually.

What is Auto Approval and why does it keep giving me 7s (or 8s)??

The whole purpose of the tiered badge setup is to allow the system to identify workers who turn in consistently top-quality work, so they can be trusted to handle more time-sensitive jobs, with less supervision.

It takes a while to reach the top tier, and that's by design.

One sign that you're getting there is that your work will begin to be auto-approved with a grade of 7 or 8. This means that your work has been consistent enough that the system is beginning to trust that it will stay that way.

You will get auto-7s or 8s for quite a while, while the system verifies that the quality is consistent and your assignments aren't being downgraded at the edit stage. Eventually, if the quality is there, you'll start getting higher auto-grades.

Troubleshooting

My assignment expired before the deadline!

If a job expires before it should (or shows as expired as soon as you accept it), check your computer's time and date settings. In addition to showing the correct local time of day, your computer must be set to the time zone where you are physically located.

This setting may be incorrect if you get a new computer, or move or travel to a different time zone. It can also be affected by a power surge or power outage if your CMOS battery is beginning to fail.

I submitted the wrong/blank/incomplete text, help!

Email Support as soon as you discover the problem.

If you have the correct text, include it as an attachment in Word or TXT format so we can update the job with the right material.

If you don't have the right text, you still need to let us know as soon as possible so we can get the job back out for retranscription and prevent incomplete or incorrect text from moving on to the next stage.

Be sure to identify the job in question. The Assignment number or TC number is ideal. You could also provide the URL of the assignment page. Even the filename of the MP3 would likely allow us to find the job in the database.

The title of the job is not a very helpful way to identify an assignment, as different TCs will share a title, and completely different transcripts often do as well.

My computer crashed/power went out/Internet died and my job is about to expire!

If you can, log into your account using a different device so you can return the assignment before it expires. If you can't log in but can send email, email Support to ask us to return the job on your behalf. Be sure to email from the address associated with your account, so we can find you in the system.

If you can't do either of those things and the job expires, let us know when you're back online, and we will restore any point(s) you lost due to technical difficulties.

Can I get a job back after I return it or it expires?

Usually not. Assignments that expire or are returned go back out into the Available Jobs list immediately so someone else can get to work on them. If you find the job listed, you can try to take it again, but the system may or may not allow you to.