Keep the source beside the proposed edit.
Choose the kind of text you are creating
A verbatim transcript, an edited quotation and a writer’s summary serve different purposes. Decide which one the reader will see.
For a quotation, retain the speaker’s meaning and send the proposed wording through the agreed approval process. For a summary, use your own narration and keep the supporting source reference.
Do not put a polished marketing claim in quotation marks merely because it resembles something discussed during the interview.
Work through an example
The following material is fictional.
Spoken source: “Before, we were, well, putting the weekly numbers into a few sheets. Now we can get together on Friday and look at one version. That’s the bit I find useful.”
Proposed edited quotation: “We can get together on Friday and look at one version. That’s the part I find useful.”
Writer’s summary: The team now uses one version during its Friday review.
Rejected rewrite: The platform eliminated reporting errors and automated the entire weekly process.
The rejected line adds outcomes the speaker did not describe. It also changes the story from a review routine to a broader product-performance claim.
Keep an edit record
| Source | Proposed use | Review note |
|---|---|---|
| Interview 08:14–08:32 | Edited quote about Friday review | Confirm wording with the customer |
| Interview 08:14–08:32 | Narrative summary of the process | Keep within the described routine |
| No supporting source | Claim about eliminating errors | Leave out unless separately evidenced |
A timestamp helps the next reviewer find the context. Keep the preceding question where it affects the answer.
The FTC’s endorsement guidance explains that endorsements must be honest and not misleading. For an actual advertising use, have the relevant claims and disclosures reviewed in context.
Make the approval easy to review
Send the source passage, proposed wording and intended use together. Ask about the specific change rather than sending a long document with “please approve all”.
Separate a factual correction from a preference for a different tone. If the customer changes a number or narrows a result, update every place that uses it.
Preserve a usable transcript
A story edit should not overwrite the source transcript. Keep the original, the corrected transcript and the approved quotation distinguishable.
For an accessible publication, a transcript may also need the information a reader cannot get from audio alone. W3C’s transcript resource explains that distinction.
Use the existing claims and evidence register for the broader story. The editing comparison helps the writer make readable choices without silently changing what the customer said.