#SPEECH TO TEXT SOFTWARE SOFTWARE#
#SPEECH TO TEXT SOFTWARE PROFESSIONAL#

You record yourself talking and send the completed audio files to the service for transcription. In contrast, transcription services convert your words to text after-the-fact.

#SPEECH TO TEXT SOFTWARE SOFTWARE#

You have to speak slowly and clearly for it to work.įor many people, trying to use dictation software slows them down, which can interrupt their train of thought. If you’re a fast speaker, most live dictation software won’t be able to keep up with you. Other dictation software comes embedded in a word processor, like Apple’s built-in dictation in Pages or Google Docs’ built-in voice tool. Some dictation software comes as a standalone app you use exclusively for converting speech to text. In other words, they’re good at transcribing a shopping list, but they won’t help you write a book. Those are AI virtual assistants that use voice recognition software, but they aren’t true dictation apps. That’s how dictation software works.Īlthough, I should point out that we aren’t really talking about Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, or Microsoft’s Cortana here. With dictation software, you speak, and the software transcribes your words in real-time.įor example, when you give Siri a voice command on your iPhone, the words pop up across the top of the screen. If you know you want to talk out your first draft, you have 2 options: What’s the Difference between Dictation & Transcription? The goal is to have a text you can work with.

You might even have to overhaul the organization of the sections.īut remember, the goal of a first draft is never perfection. You’ll have to edit out all the “uh”s and the places you went on tangents. Of course, your spoken words won’t be the same as a book. Your ideas can flow without your brain working overtime on grammar, clarity, and all those other things we expect from the written word. When you talk, you don’t have time to agonize. That’s why speech recognition software is the perfect workaround. It’s a lot easier to edit words that are already on the page than to agonize over every single thing you’re writing. In the end, they still go on to become highly successful books. As the Author of 4 New York Times bestsellers, I can tell you: first drafts are often garbage. Your vomit draft can be-and possibly will be-absolute garbage.īut that’s okay. You should spew words onto a page without worrying whether they’re good, how they can be better, or whether you’ve said the right thing. We always tell Scribe Authors that their first draft should be a “vomit draft.” Speaking will also help you finish your first draft faster because it helps you resist the desire to edit as you go. Readers relate to Authors’ authentic voices far more than overly-crafted, hyper-intellectual writing styles. And when you speak, rather than write, it can help you keep a relaxed, confident, and personable tone. When you keep your attention on the reader you’re trying to serve, it helps quiet your fear and anxiety. What do they want to know? What can you help them with? What tone do you use when you talk to them? Imagine you’re speaking to a specific person-maybe your ideal client or a close friend. Your best bet is to ignore all those thoughts and really focus on your reader. When that thought is in your head, of course you’re going to freeze. It’s much easier than thinking, “I’m writing something that thousands of people are going to read and judge.” There’s a lot less pressure in those situations. Just think of how easy it is to sit down with colleagues over coffee or how excited you get explaining your work to a friend. Many Authors can talk clearly and comfortably about their ideas when they aren’t put on the spot. In this post, I’ll cover why dictation software is such a great tool, the difference between dictation and transcription, and the best options in each category. Sure, at some point, you’ll have to put the words on a page and make them readable, of course.īut for your first draft, you can stop focusing on being a perfect writer and instead focus on getting your ideas out in the world. If you’re more comfortable speaking than writing, there’s no shame in dictating your book.

You’re publishing a book because you have knowledge to share with the world.

#SPEECH TO TEXT SOFTWARE PROFESSIONAL#

Who ever said that you have to write your book? Why not speak it?Īuthors don’t need to be professional writers. And the best way to do that is to talk it out. In order to break the pattern, you have to get out of your own head. They may come back, but if so, it’s with less and less enthusiasm, until they eventually just stop. Or they get intimidated by the prospect of writing more and give up. They might get a few words down, but they hate what they’ve written, harshly judge themselves, and quit. Authors sit down to write and end up staring at a blank page. A lot of Authors give up on their books before they even start writing.

Speech to text software