What's the best way to get a hand written manuscript typed up?

January 28, 2016 10:49 AM

I have a nearly completed manuscript of a novel that I'm writing that is entirely handwritten. I need to get it typed up, but it's over 400 handwritten pages and I'm a.) overwhelmed and b.) trying to finish the novel with a limited amount of free time, so I don't want to spend all my time typing instead of writing. How do I get this thing typed up?

Details:
- Yes, I think I can get it completely scanned fairly easily, but I haven't yet.
- I have a limited budget, so money is a constraint.
- There are pages with passages crossed out, re-arranged with arrows, etc. that might be hard for someone to interpret that can't read my mind.

How do I get this thing typed up? I'm wiling to spend money, but I have a limited budget.

Thanks!
AM

posted by coolguy#1 to Writing & Language (8 answers total)

jobs.metafilter.com
posted by phunniemee at 10:51 AM on January 28, 2016 [10 favorites]

Are you planning on editing the manuscript further after it is transcribed? If so, think of your typing it up as "editing" instead of "transcribing". Otherwise you may spend time & money on getting a manuscript typed up that is going to need substantial rewriting anyway. The options you mention - scanning and paying someone to type - will both require you to edit the work again anyway. Do it yourself, edit as you go - transcribing and editing is just as valid as fresh writing towards the goal of finishing your novel.
posted by gyusan at 11:00 AM on January 28, 2016 [2 favorites]

Amazon Mechanical Turk should do the trick and won't bankrupt you.
posted by yellowcandy at 11:08 AM on January 28, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks gyusan. I really want avoid transcribing and editing simultaneously. I think it would take me months and I need to get the raw form of the manuscript in a digital format soon so that I can share it with others.
posted by coolguy#1 at 11:11 AM on January 28, 2016

Get it scanned ASAP and put it on a cloud backup service. You have a lot of work there that has no backup copy.
posted by demiurge at 11:19 AM on January 28, 2016 [11 favorites]

Contact a transcription or stenography service and ask about their rates. They generally work from voice, so be sure to let them know that its hand written.
It could be to costly but it won't hurt to ask.
posted by SLC Mom at 6:22 PM on January 28, 2016

Contact your local college's English department and ask if they have a student that might want to earn a little cash.
posted by myselfasme at 7:38 PM on January 28, 2016

You could read it to a dictation software like Dragon Naturally Speaking. It might go a little slow the first page or two until you get the hang of each other, but then it should be pretty smooth going.
posted by Dragonness at 7:24 AM on January 29, 2016