Do you have a hawk’s eye to pick up grammatical mistakes and misspelled words?
Do you know where to use commas, semicolons and where to avoid them?
Are you good at MLA, APA or CLM style guide?
Do you have an irresistible urge to correct typos?
If your answer is yes to these questions then you definitely possess the talent of becoming a proofreader. It is refreshing to find people who care about the apostrophe, grammar, and spelling in this era of text messages and poor punctuation. If you have been searching for information about home-based work opportunities, you must have noticed proofreading job opportunities. Many people want to know more about this gig because they possess an excellent command of language and use of punctuation.
* Courtesy of Mentalfloss
Let’s dig for more information about proofreading jobs.
What is proofreading?
Do you remember five steps of the writing process learned in high school?
Proofreading is the last step in the editing phase to make a document error-free. It is a complete checking of a document for the removal of spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Proofreaders scan for any discrepancies through the post or document. The purpose of proofreading is to make the document as error-free as possible and to eliminate all mistakes, be it a typo, grammar, spelling or punctuation. It polishes the content and makes it ready for publishing.
Who is fit for a proofreading job?
English aficionado? Check. Manually meticulous? Double-check? Efficiently find typographical errors? Test, check and validate. If you possess all these qualities, it looks like you will have a promising career as a proofreader. Your determination and strong self-learning urge would definitely help you become a successful proofreader.
Signing up for Caitlin Pyle’s proofreading workshop will certainly result in polishing your skills of proofreading and successfully landing into the profitable business of proofreading without worrying about the constraints of time and borders.
What does a proofreader do?
A proofreader guarantees the text is free from mistakes including typography, spelling, grammar and punctuation, syntax and formatting. A proofreader finds and eliminates extra spaces, identifies “their” when it should be used as they’re and when a hyphen is not used in a compound adjective.
The aim of a proofreader is to adjust the syntax and diction in one piece to make the content as smooth and original as possible.
Proofreading and editing skills
People frequently equate a proofreader with a copy editor, and who could blame them for that? Both are, in fact, with all intents and purposes kissing cousins.
But there is a clear difference:
A proofreader’s job is to make a document error-free. It does not involve rewriting or revision. Corrections of language and expression must have been made before the document is sent to a proofreader.
What skills does a proofreader possess?
To be an accomplished proofreader, you need to be tolerant and accommodating for the tiresomeness that comes with checking each aspect of every single word and line; ability to go through precise revision of word to word, sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph; and creative originality that any customer needs in each proofreading step.
The proofreader should be:
- Comprehensive and well-motivated about detailed work
- Proficient in written English
- Self-driven
- Keenly focused for long spells
- Excellent communicator
- Comfortable working with IT & publishing industry
Proofreader’s and editors checklists
Proofreader’s checklist:
- Spelling, grammar and typing mistakes are removed
- Consistent language and formatting
- Perfects already good writing
- Makes a publication-ready document
An editor is responsible for suggesting language and expression change to improve the quality of writing. He ensures the consistency and sharpness of language and expression clarity to boost the readability of writing.
Editor’s checklist:
- The quality of writing has improved
- Language used improved
- Clearer expression
- Removal of errors and inconsistencies
- Ensures the maximum impact of writing
What tools does a proofreader need?
Proofreading is one of the great works that can be done from anywhere around the globe online on any device. Work on your tablet, cell phone or laptop as you would be comfortable. There are some tools that can help you in making your task easy.
Google docs are used for doing many digital editing jobs that enable the system to be identified and provide feedback to an original document. Information can also be shared digitally easily.
This is certainly an ideal way to share files with clients who choose Word or other document files.
This is one of the most trusted and excellent online resources to find spelling mistakes. The free version allows us to view Microsoft Office products and Google Docs on WordPress and social media, but for this, you need to buy a premium account. But surely it can be an enormous time-saver. It can also suggest structure and style change of sentences. But it is not going to do everything for you. It also suggests some changes which might not work for you. This means that you can’t rely completely on Grammarly. This is surely a useful tool but of course, it is not a pair of human eyes.
McGraw-Hills Proofreading Handbook
Every aspiring and qualified proofreader should have this proofreading guide. It equips you with many great tips and resources to improve your efficiency and perform your job more proficiently.
What are proofreading marks and symbols?
Symbols of proofreading are the marks created by a proofreader on a document as he edits the document. They serve as a coded instruction to indicate where errors are made and how to improve a piece of writing.
Frequently used proofreading marks are:
How much money does a proofreader earn?
According to a survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average a full-time proofreader earns almost around $36,960. Pay and work level may differ depending upon the availability and workload of a proofreader. A professional proofreader who has several consistent clients can earn more profit; on the other hand, someone who just looks for opportunities to work in his free time earns less. It is dependent upon your time investment, the more you invest, the more you earn.
How can you land yourself in this dynamic field of proofreading?
Although many proofreading jobs do not require any professional degree or course, surely it won’t cost you any damage if you polish your skills. Start proofreading your friend’s essays, assignments, thesis or even their resumes to polish your proofreading skills.
Build a portfolio to reflect your skills and get in touch with a publishing house or a website that includes polishing prose. Having basic skills across a variety of disciplines would make recruiting easier.
Benefits of working from home
Working from home as a proofreader facilitates you in many ways. It provides you with the flexibility to work at any time of day or night to meet your given deadline. It allows you to opt-in as a part-time opportunity with your regular 9 to 5 job. A mom can earn some extra dollars from working at home without disturbing her routine.
How do you find work online as a proofreader?
There are a number of ways to find proofreading work online and the way you select should be decided by the work you are interested in. You are going to sell your services as a freelancer but if you want to join any company then you will applying to different vacancies on different job portals. Through searching on the internet, you can connect with companies that hire remote proofreaders.
Useful keywords to find proofreading jobs
- Online proofreading jobs
- proofreading and editing
- Copy editing
- Academic editor
- Book editor
- Line editor
Typical helpful keywords used for at-home positions:
- Remote
- Telecommute
- Freelance
- work from home
- contractor
If you are on the path of freelancing for individuals, you will probably face less editing tests and prove yourself in other ways. The best way is to show the reviews of satisfied clients. In case you don’t have any, you might do some low-paid or free work for a review.
Online Proofreading Jobs & Services
In all walks of life, quality writing is critical. At the end of the day, quality writing measures the difference between success and failure, be it defending a thesis, selling a book, or reaching a business client. The higher standard of language ensures your clearer and more persuasive argument, and this way, you will be more authoritative as well. The brilliance of your ideas will have no effect if your writing is not fluent, consistent, and also error-free.
Many companies hire remote proofreaders, and each company pays differently. It is always good to check the company’s website to get a better idea about requirements as they continue to change.
Here is the list of a few companies to start with.
1. PROOFREADING SERVICES
PROOFREADING SERVICES. The company routinely hires proofreaders with excellent proofreading skills. There is a small test 20 minutes before starting the application.
2. CACTUS Global (Online proofreading services company)
CACTUS Global. This renowned company provides writing and proofreading facilities specialized in physics and engineering, health, life sciences, nursing, and surgical sciences and likes to hire professional freelancers with post-graduate or doctoral degrees. By working with this company, you can earn $1200 to $ 3000 plus bonus monthly.
3. EDIT Fast
EDIT Fast. This company offers positions for freelance editors and proofreaders. It demands degree and experience and pays 40% of the contract price.
4. WORDVISE
WORDVISE . This company requires a graduate degree and two years of experience as an editor and a proofreader. It also hires telecommute proofreaders and editors.
5. SCRIBENDI
SCRIBENDI. The company demands a recognized university degree and an experience of three years.
6. ProofreadingPal
ProofreadingPal. ProofreadingPal is a famous name in the world of proofreaders. It requires 5 years of experience and a bachelor’s degree. It offers proofreading & editing services for everything.
7. PROMPT
PROMPT. The company hires editors for school essays, resumes, book reports, social media posts, and blog posts. Starting pay is $ 20 per hour.
8. SCRIBE Writing
SCRIBE Writing. This company previously was known as Book in a Box. It requires you to work on a book project from start till the end and a project can last for four months. It offers $60 to $70 per hour.
9. Inago
Enago. This company hires editors for academic papers. It demands a Master’s or doctoral research experience and also membership of a well-acclaimed editing association.
10. Domainite
Domainite. Although this company pays extremely less; it may serve good to test the waters to see if you can successfully emerge as a professional proofreader or not.
11. GRAMLEE
GRAMLEE. The company charges clients $.02 per word.it does not reveal how much of it is going to be your cut. It has a truly unique application process.
12. Polished Paper
Polished Paper. The company demands to pass their 35-question test in order to hire exceptionally skilled editors.
13. Reedsy
Reedsy The company works with authors. It is a freelance marketplace. They deduct 10% of your earning as their fee for using their service.
14. Scribbr
Scribbr. The company hires editors with native languages, including English. You must hold a bachelor’s degree and commitment to work at least 10 hours weekly.
15. Words R U
Words R U. The company demands a Ph.D., Masters, or equivalent degree in an academic field. They prefer candidates with ESL experience. Currently, they are open for academic editors, technical/science editors, and trade material editors who are committed to working on weekends.
16. Flexjobs
Flexjobs. It is an online job portal that only lists telecommute positions. It is well worth the little venture and you will discover leads for every type of work-at-home employment opportunity.
Final words
If you are going to start your freelance proofreading career, then you ought to get the information, tips, and techniques of business. Hunt for openings in places like WAHM.com (an online magazine for work-at-home moms) and freelancing websites like Upwork and Freelancer.
Bloggers always look for editors and proofreaders; this could be your starting point. You will also be able to find more work opportunities on job portals like Indeed.com and ProBlogger.net.
If you are looking for a tool that helps you to manage all these editing and proofreading jobs – you can check Blogely. You might find plenty of useful features to make you more productive,
