Do you like reading but get irritated once you come across mistakes in writing? Then, becoming a proofreader is one way you can be to make an extra income.
Do you want to…
Stop living paycheck to paycheck and have financial freedom?
Go to that family getaway that you have been eyeing?
Not worry about how you will afford the next car payment?
Be able to renovate your bathroom?
Just have some extra spending money each month to spend on yourself?
Proofreading is a flexible and rewarding work-at-home work as it allows you to work at your own schedule.
Do you know a Freelance Proofreader makes $20-$70 an hour for proofreading?
You might think, what’s proofreading and how I can become a Freelance Proofreader? Can I do it full time, and what qualifications I need as a Proofreader?
Well, I have discussed everything in this detailed post sharing the exact steps, tools, and resources needed to become a Freelance Proofreader.
If you’re looking for great work from home job as a mom, student, or looking to add an extra source of income, then Proofreading is one of the best online jobs.
What is Proofreading?
Proofreading is the last step of the text editing procedure. A proofreader and editor don’t have the same tasks.
The work of the editor is to check sentence flow and do the initial corrections while the proofreader makes the corrections to the final paper.
A proofreader should have an eye for detail, and be very thorough in spotting spelling and grammar mistakes.
Therefore, if you’re interested in correcting grammar errors, catching inconsistencies in sentence formatting and structure, or even a keen eye for small mistakes, then proofreading is ideal for you.
Think novels, textbooks, blog posts, newspapers, cookbooks, resumes… even family Christmas letters. You name it, it needs a proofreader!
If you want to have a smooth start to your proofreading business, I seriously recommend that you enroll in the “Proofread Anywhere” workshop.
It only takes 76 minutes and is totally free, so click here to reserve your spot!
What Skills and Qualifications Do I Need?
You don’t have to have a college degree to make money as a proofreader. Having a degree related to writing can be helpful, but it’s not always necessary.
Caitlin Pyle, the mastermind behind ProofreadAnywhere.com recommends having these skills if you want to be a successful freelance proofreader:
Be attentive. A good proofreader has to focus on the details and notice errors when reading through a project.
Having a knack for spotting grammar errors and typos. This can certainly be learned through practice, however, if you have a natural ability to spot errors, this can help you succeed as a proofreader.
Do your own research. For example, if you come to a word that you do not understand, it is important to do dig more and research instead of telling the client that you don't understand it. Use Google to help you out
Other Skills:
Conscious about detailed work
Self-motivated
Good communication skills
Excellent written and oral communication
Ability to meet deadlines
Acquainted with Microsoft Word
Caitlin offers two proofreading courses and says her students love the supportive Facebook groups where they can ask questions and get feedback.
Tools Required For Proofreading
Proofreading tools are a savior that can save a lot of your time and energy. It helps you to find and fix errors quickly which otherwise would have taken time.
When you proofread without any tools, you need to read the whole document to find out the errors. Sometimes, you even miss a few errors unknowingly. This not only consumes a lot of time but also leaves a few errors behind.
In such a case, using tools while proofreading can save up a lot of time. Tools like grammar checkers can highlight most of the errors at once, and all you need to do is click and fix them. It’s as simple as that.
However, it doesn’t mean you have to entirely rely on them because, at the end of the day, human eyes are more accurate. The tools must be used in combination with your meticulous eyes to make the most out of it.
Grammarly Free Grammar & Spell Checker
Grammarly is the best grammar checker software ever, It detects grammatical errors in real-time. You can use it as a browser add-on, integrate it with Microsoft word & even use their text pad.
The free version only supports spelling and grammatical correction, whereas the paid one offers.
Advanced checks for punctuation, grammar, context, and sentence structure.
Vocabulary enhancement suggestions.
Genre-specific writing style checks.
Plagiarism detector checking over 16 billion web pages.
Personally, I use Grammarly to detect most of the errors in between my articles!
How Much Do Proofreaders Earn?
Like most online jobs, proofreading payment ranges from little to lucrative.
According to Glassdoor, the average salary for proofreaders is $36,290 per year.
However, you won’t get a guaranteed income if working remotely. That is because the salary for proofreading is production-based.
That means you are paid by the number of pages you proofread instead of an hourly rate.
Caitlin Pyle, the creator of the amazing proofreading course I mentioned earlier (click here to sign up for free!) says that the average per-page rate for a freelance proofreader is $0.35 per page.
How to Become a Proofreader Online for Beginners?
You don’t need a professional degree to be a successful proofreader. But having a perfect command of English and good learning resources is essential.
Even though you might get short files to proofread, you will also be asked to proofread long documents such as books.
So, you need to have the capability to remain focused throughout the process.
Read through for more insights.
Editing and proofreading certificate courses are offered to anyone who wants to become an experienced proofreader.
The certificate programs cover proofreading fundamentals, magazine and book publishing, copyediting, and online media.
To be a proficient proofreader, you must continue improving your skills every day.
Make sure you do a lot of reading and enroll in proofreading courses that will help you learn more.
The following is one of the popular online proofreading course that has converted many newbie proofreaders into a Freelance proofreader.
General Proofreading: Theory & Practice
This course is created by Caitlin from proofreadanywhere.com. She is a professional Proofreader who has trained many people to start their own freelance business. She made over $33,000 in a year just by running a proofreading business
Whether you’re starting from scratch or knows a little bit of proofreading, you can enroll in her course to hone your skills.
Her course offers the following resources.
40+ lessons in 9 modules
8 grammar-specific worksheets
Bonus resource guides for all types of service-provider markets
40+ real-life example jobs
Student workbook and syllabus
Pep talk videos from Caitlin
8 module quizzes
100-question in-depth vocabulary quiz
3 case studies
Sign Up Here, To Get A Free Workshop Created By Caitlin Where She Burnt A killer Strategies On How To Become Proofreader Whos Making A living From The Comfort Of His Couch!
The free workshop includes
5 signs Proofreading could be a perfect fit for you.
How to be a highly demanded proofreader
learn do's and dont's to start earning money as soon as you start your proofreading journey!
How proofreading can give you lifestyle freedom & financial security.
An easy way to attract your ideal proofreading clients & much more.
Develop a Habit of Reading A lot
To be a successful online proofreader, you must love reading. Try to read several types of writing to be familiar with different styles of writing.
You will also get the required knowledge in a wide range of topics.
Proofreading entails plenty of reading and reading if various materials since you want to ensure you grasp everything.
Where to Get Proofreading Jobs
To promote your proofreading service I recommend that you become familiar with freelance sites and social media sites like Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Freelancer
How to Find Work as an Online Proofreader
There are numerous ways to find proofreading work. So, the way of picking a task should be defined by the kind of work you intend to do.
If you plan to freelance, then you will need to market your services.
If you plan to work for an agency, you will need to apply for vacancies posted on different job boards.
You can as well pitch your services to agencies that hire remote proofreaders.
There are different search words and keywords to use when searching for proofreading work. They include proofreading/proofreader, editing/editor, book editor, academic editor, line editor, and copy editor.
The huge part of your interview procedure will entail editing tests. You will be offered a small text and asked to proofread it
Start Your Own Proofreading Business
Crowdsourcing marketplaces and online companies both have a problem that affects your earning, and that problem is commission.
Usually, both of them take a percentage of your earning as a commission. So, whatever you make until the end of the month, you won’t be getting all of them. But it’s ok when you are a beginner looking to gain some experience.
However, when you are confident enough in your skill and have done several proofreading projects, it’s time to start your own Freelance Proofreading Business.
For this, you can enroll in Caithlin’s General Proofreading course that teaches everything from the beginning till the end. From getting into the right mindset to turning proofreading into a business, you get to learn everything.
As a bonus, you can also join their Facebook community where you can interact and discuss your problem with other proofreaders.
Final Thoughts
Proofreading is one of the legit ideas to make money online working from the comfort of your couch and make a living($40,000/year is too much as a home staying job) working as a full or part-time, and it nearly requires nothing except a laptop, internet access, and a bit of grammar knowledge which everybody has if your tongue is pretty good in English.
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