Do you want to work from home and make money? Have you always loved to write and read? If so, think about becoming a proofreader. In 5 easy steps, I’ll show you how to become a proofreader. What’s the best? To get started, you don’t need any experience or a degree.
If I began this blog by discussing the good things it will do, would that be too much?
If the last sentence jumped out at you—yes, I used affects, to, too, and bare in the wrong way—I have good news for you: writers will pay you to find and fix mistakes like these.
It’s true that proofreading is one of the best jobs you can do from home that involves typing.
To become a freelance proofreader, you don’t need special skills, degrees, or experience.
You just need a few key tips, tricks, and tools.
And that’s why I’m here!
Follow the five easy steps below to learn everything you need to know about how to become an online proofreader.
So let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What does a proofreader do?
First, many people think that proofreading and copyediting are the same, but they are not.
Copy editors work with authors all the way through the writing process. Of course, they check spelling and grammar, but they also oversee rewrites and big changes to the work.
Proofreaders, on the other hand, are the last step in the writing process. They look over a piece one last time before it’s published, looking for mistakes that may have been missed by earlier editors.
If you think about it, it’s kind of exciting to be a writer’s last line of defence against something bad happening.
How much do proofreaders get paid?
Ziprecruiter says that full-time proofreaders make an average of $52,110 per year, but those who work in a speciality area that is in high demand can make more than $105,000 per year.
Don’t worry if you’re not looking for a full-time job. Proofreading is one of the best ways to make extra money on the side.
To become a proofreader, do you need to know anything?
Spoiler alert: you don’t need a bachelor’s degree or a degree in English to be a good proofreader. In fact, many people who work as online proofreaders have never been to college.
Also, as Proofread Anywhere’s Caitlyn Pyle put it:
“In the United States, there is no official proofreading certification right now.”
That means you can’t become a certified proofreader in the same way you could become, say, a chartered accountant.
So, you can start today, no matter what your background is.
Five easy steps to becoming a proofreader (even if you have NO experience)
1. Make sure you have the skills you need.
As a proofreader, you need a lot of different skills, but there are two that stand out.
- Very good at writing in English
Written English is different from spoken English. Just because someone can speak English doesn’t mean they can write it. Proofreaders need to know how to use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation, as well as the rules and best practices for style and formatting.
- Strong attention to detail
Proofreaders must have what the business world calls an “eagle eye.” This means being able to go page by page, paragraph by paragraph, and sentence by sentence to find grammatical mistakes that no one else can see, like an eagle spotting its prey from a high place.
Also, good proofreaders must be able to:
- Manage time well – because proofreading jobs can come at odd times of the day or night and need to be done quickly. It is important to be able to make and stick to a plan, work on your own, and meet deadlines.
- Have great communication skills – The best proofreaders will be able to tell a writer exactly what is wrong with their work and why. It’s important to be able to tell writers, for whom writing is often a personal project, about their mistakes in a fair way.
2. Figure out your niche
I know what you’re thinking: “Ok, I have all these important skills…” Who needs a proofreader, then?
Proofreading in general
Consider this:
- Students – Before turning in their work, students want it to be checked for mistakes.
- Writers – Before sending their work to be published, writers want to make sure it is perfect.
- Content creators – Proofreaders can help people who make content build their brand.
- Businesses – For marketing materials, press releases, and company reports, businesses need people who can check for mistakes.
There are so many options!
Publisher proofreading
Even though more and more content is available online, traditional publishing houses still need proofreaders for books and other works that are printed. Do you like to read things that are long? You might want to work at a publishing house.
Pro Tip: You don’t have to start with well-known publishing houses. Try smaller names or publishers in your area.
Proofreading by Experts
But wait, didn’t you just say that you could make more money if you specialized in something?
Yes, it’s great that you’re listening!
In short, you can expect to make more money if you proofread in specialized fields like law, medicine, science, or technical fields.
This means proofreading detailed transcripts and legal documents made by court reporters during legal proceedings, as well as proofreading medical reports with language that could change someone’s life, academic papers, and so on. If you already know a lot about one of these areas, don’t be afraid to look for specialized work that pays more.
3. Find out the rules.
Rules are the tools that proofreaders use.
Every good proofreader should have the following skills in their toolbox:
- Correct spelling and grammar –Obviously, you should use correct spelling and grammar.
- Understanding punctuation errors – Understanding things like commas, colons, and semi-colons are important. You should be able to tell right away that “let’s eat, Grandma” is different from “let’s eat, Grandma.”
- Hyphenation and capitalization – When do you capitalize “president”? When do you use a hyphen? How about the word “long-term”?
- Verb tenses – Did you see why this isn’t right?
- Sentence structure – especially being able to spot run-on, broken, and comma-spliced sentences.
- Commonly misspelled words – Think they’re/their/there, bear/bare, and affect/effect are words that people often get wrong.
- Formatting – Formatting means how headers, page numbers, and bullet points are put together and how much space there is between paragraphs. Here, you should learn about the different formatting styles, such as Chicago, AP, APA, MLA, and so on.
Even though it sounds like a lot, don’t worry! You don’t have to learn every rule by heart.
Proofreaders need to be able to spot mistakes, even if they aren’t sure why they are mistakes. This is more important than knowing all the rules by heart. Once a proofreader finds the mistakes, the details of how to fix them can be looked up, just like a doctor would do when he or she sees signs of a disease and then looks it up.
4. Do things over and over
No matter how well you write in English, the language is always changing, and even the best writers can pick up bad or out-of-date habits.
You have no choice but to learn how to be a proofreader.
How?
First, try it out! Try reading as many books and articles as you can, but keep an eye out for mistakes and read as if you were a proofreader.
Then, put your skills to the test. There are many free tests online that will show how well you can spot key mistakes as a proofreader.
Start by taking the tests here, here, and here.
Most importantly, if you want to take proofreading seriously, you should think about taking an online proofreading course to improve your skills and build your toolbox.
If you are just starting out, a course can help you get past the first problems that so many people have. But no matter where you are in the process, courses will give you and your customers more confidence. Even if there is no such thing as a certified proofreader, putting the certification of a course on your resume will help you get clients and make more money.
5. Find the best jobs for proofreading
Today, the best way to learn how to become a proofreader is to look online for clients or jobs. The online market for proofreading services is booming, and there is a place for you to succeed whether you have no experience, are an expert, or are somewhere in between.
Beginner
Check out freelance marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork if you are just starting out and want to learn how to proofread.
These are free to join, and anyone can start advertising their services to customers around the world in just a few minutes. The only problem is that more entry-level jobs mean more entry-level salaries. If you want a high-paying job, this is not the place to look.
Intermediate
If you want to take your proofreading business to the next level, you might want to invest in a monthly-fee platform.
- FlexJobs is a great place for people who want to work on their own time. They list a lot of part-time and remote jobs, and it only costs $14.95 per month to join.
- Contena is the place to go if you want to put money into a community. A membership, which starts at $42 per month, gives you access to their many freelance and full-time job opportunities and, most importantly, to their Contena Academy, which is full of resources for proofreaders, editors, and freelance writers.
Advanced
You can apply to high-level platforms once you have more experience as a proofreader.
ProofreadNOW is a place for professional proofreaders who have worked in the field for at least five years. To join, proofreaders must undergo a series of difficult tests to prove their capability.
Edit 911 hires the cream of the crop of proofreaders and editors – those with PhDs, published scholars and professors, master book and copy editors. It is where the most experienced people in the business go.
The tools to become a successful proofreader
Here are the best tools every good proofreader should have handy:
- Google Docs: These days, Gmail is pretty much a must-have. And if you use Google Docs, you can easily share documents with clients and get feedback from them.
- Microsoft Word: Microsoft Word is a classic tool that you should have in your toolbox. It’s a great place to edit your work and look at the small details.
- Grammarly: Grammarly is a great way to start editing your basic grammar and sentence structure.
- Hemingway App: This amazing, free tool helps you improve your sentence structure, word choice, and overall readability.
- McGraw Hill’s Proofreading Guidebook – This handbook is an inexpensive handbook that gives a step-by-step look at the proofreading process.
- A style guide: When editing, you should think about which style guide to use, and having a set on hand will help make sure there are no mistakes. Here is a list of styles to help you get started.
Things to think about if you want to become a proofreader
Now you know what you need to do to become a proofreader. You only need to decide how you want to get into the business.
Become a proofreader at your own office.
For books, magazines, and other published works, publishing houses hire full-time proofreaders. Businesses that make a lot of content often have a proofreader on staff. This choice isn’t very flexible, but it makes up for it with safety.
As a free agent, you can launch your own company.
Here, you decide who you work for, when you work, and how much money you make. You will run your own business doing proofreading.
Start by using one of the platforms we talked about in the last section. Many people make a good living just by doing this.
The next step is to build your own website and get a group of customers together. Make sure to grow your network by getting in touch with student groups and local businesses and putting up ads on social media. Check out Facebook groups for freelancers, talk to people, and you’ll have your first job proofreading in no time.
Tip: As a freelancer, you have to keep track of your own finances, but you can also deduct expenses like software, rent for a home office, and even training and courses from your taxes.
Now is the Time!
The amount of written content being made is at an all-time high, and almost everyone needs a second pair of eyes to look over their work.
Are you ready to use your writing skills to get a job you love, one that lets you choose when, where, and how much you work?
