How do you send your transcript to a proofreader, and how are they paid?

I heard in school that reporters must use a proofreader. How are your transcripts sent to the proofreader? I know you e-mail it to them, but do they have to use the same software as the reporter? Also, how are they paid? Do they send you a bill at the end of each job or each month? Sorry if these seem like silly questions, but I can't seem to get a straight answer at school.   

I will answer the first question, and I'm sure someone else can answer the others.  No, court reporters do not HAVE to use proofreaders.  It is a choice.  I have been working for 15 years and have never used a proofreader by choice.  Some agencies require their court reporters to use a proofreader. 

I didn't know we had a choice (unless the agency I end up working for requires it) We've always been told that we had to have one. Thank you for clearing that up! 

No, you do not have to have a proofreader, but I would suggest using one for the first year.   I e-mail my transcripts to my proofreader who then prints out.  A proofreader does not need software since they are not scoping your transcripts (i.e., actually editing your transcript).  My proofreader sends me a bill each month for the previous month.  I send a check out within one to two days. 

You first create an ASCII of your transcript, then save it on your thumb drive or in a separate file on your computer or on your desktop, which makes it easier to retrieve for email attachment.  Attach the file on your email.  It will open up in a Notebook format by your proofreader.  They can either proof the transcript on their computer, or they can print it out and proof it that way.  Having Microsoft Word is pretty much all they need to do the job. 

Sounds like it's pretty easy to send them the transcript!  Thanks! 

Both of my proofreaders get an ASCII file from me.  One sends corrections back on an MS Word table indicating page and line number plus the correction.  (Initially I had to pick up physically corrected pages, which was not the most convenient setup.)  I pay that proofer by mailing a check after receiving a monthly invoice.

My primary proofer sends back a PDF file of my transcript with his corrections in red and surrounded by brackets.  (The brackets are for easy searching within the file).  I pay that proofreader via PayPal.

Good rule of thumb (although not a requirement) - use two sets of eyes, one set being your own.  So if you scope, use a proofer; if you use a scopist, proof your work.  I personally use proofers who have been proofing longer than I have been reporting, and I get good advice and style options from them.

My past life involved public relations and television production.  I also have a lot of friends in the print industry.  I have written scripts and press releases, etc.  No matter what you do, an extra pair of eyes is always a good idea.  

ASCII, discussed by some of your responders, is the fallback method.  The best way is to find a proofreader who has the proofreading and editing software for the computer-aided transcription program used in your stenotype machine.  That eliminates some time-consuming steps.

For instance, I proofread CaseCatalyst and DigitalCat transcripts, which are sent to me via email, usually along with the steno notes file and/or or audio file, and I proof and make the final corrections in the transcripts using the software for those programs, and return them to the reporter, ready for delivery.

Some of my clients pay me after each job is returned, some pay me every two weeks, some once a month.  Some use PayPal, some osesend me a check, some make a deposit into my bank account.

Some agencies don't require you to use a proofreader, but even if you can do it yourself, it is usually cheaper to use a proofreader and use that saved time to take more reporting work.