In the event you’re a professional at recognizing spelling or grammar errors, proofreading might be a good way so that you can make some extra cash. Right here’s Edee’s story for inspiration on how you will discover proofreading jobs.
“Are you any good at proofreading?”
I used to be a second grade trainer on the time and the person asking me was the grandfather of one in all my college students. He was additionally, because it turned out, a science fiction writer with an enormous fan following.
“Sure, truly, I’m,” I replied. I used to be born for it.
The subsequent week, Grampa confirmed up in school with a cardboard field containing a 300-something web page manuscript, a pad of tiny sticky notes and a blue ballpoint pen.
I left the instructing occupation in 2010 and began writing in 2011. I had been proofreading for Grampa since 2006. In 2018 I made a decision I needed to make an actual go at freelance proofreading. I had the spelling, grammar and punctuation expertise, however after Grampa’s sticky-note system, I knew I wanted follow doing it electronically.
I did some analysis and located Caitlin Pyle’s Proofread Wherever. By way of the course, I gained some new expertise, picked up sources I wanted and have become a thousand occasions extra assured that I might truly do that.
Two years later I’m working steadily at a tempo good for me. I’ve discovered my area of interest market, frequently deliver on new purchasers and I’m watching my earnings enhance steadily. (And sure, I nonetheless proofread for Grampa, however now he’s a paying shopper.)
Tips on how to discover proofreading jobs
On the lookout for on-line proofreading jobs?
Earlier than we inform you the place to search out proofreading jobs, there are some steps you may take to make sure you’re arrange for achievement.
Get coaching
Look. I get it. For years, I used to be a faculty spelling bee champ. I cringe once I see apostrophes used for a plural. I’m that individual folks hate in on-line remark sections as a result of I refuse to take a publish critically when there are a ton of spelling errors.
However I additionally knew I wanted some advantageous tuning (When to make use of a semicolon, anybody?). You could have been a champion at sentence diagramming, however there are manner too many grammar guidelines. Nobody can know all of them.
A course like Proofread Wherever can provide the follow, expertise and sources it’s worthwhile to be a top-quality proofreader.
Construct a portfolio
You’ll be able to’t get a job with out expertise, however you may’t get expertise with no job. Gah!
In the event you’re keen to perform a little free work to construct your proofreading portfolio, head over to Mission Gutenberg. Mission Gutenberg takes print books with expired copyrights and places them into e-book type, they usually want a number of volunteers to assist proofread all of them.
If you already know somebody who owns an internet site, ask for those who can proofread it for them. All of it provides up!
Know your value
I can’t stress this sufficient! Twenty years in the past Stacy Brice of AssistU stated to me, “Folks can pay you no matter you suppose you might be value.” More true phrases have been by no means spoken.
Does this imply it’s best to begin out on the highest finish of the size? No. However don’t promote your self quick, both.
The EFA has a complete charge chart for editors and proofreaders. It’s a fantastic place to begin.
Determine what you need to be paid, and keep it up. It could imply taking a go on tasks sometimes, however you’ll have a fatter checking account in the long term.
6 locations to search for proofreading jobs
You’ve gone via coaching. You’ve set your charges. You’ve constructed your web site. You’re prepared.
The place are the purchasers? While you begin in search of proofreading jobs on-line, you’ll encounter a number of firms which can be companies for writers. All of them require making use of and establishing an account.
Some are free, some take flat charges and a few take a share of your gross sales.
Beneath are seven on-line firms that assist you to assist writers put their greatest work into the world. I’ve listed them so as of value to you, which tends to be proportional to the expertise required and the charges you’ll gather out of your purchasers.
1. Fiverr
In the event you’re new to proofreading and trying to construct your portfolio, Fiverr is a good place to get began.
Fiverr is a web-based freelance platform that connects gifted professionals with writers in want of modifying and/or proofreading.
You create a free account, the place you turn into a “vendor” and create “gigs” for your self. It’s a hip manner of claiming you create a profile for your self and get added to their listing, the place purchasers can search you out. You’ll compete towards different proofreaders for work. The extra tasks you full with excessive satisfaction rankings, the extra tasks you’ll snag.
You might not receives a commission the large bucks right here, and you’ll have to navigate genuine jobs vs. shady job, however most locations for locating proofreading work both have an enormous price or have numerous hoops to leap via and require a number of expertise.
Fiverr is free to affix and could be a actually good approach to get your ft moist and begin constructing a portfolio. They will even act as a go-between and make sure you receives a commission. You’ll set your personal charge, however Fiverr retains 20 % of what you invoice.
Expertise stage: Splendid for these simply beginning out
Price to affix: Free
The corporate’s take: 20%
2. Upwork
An alternative choice for novices is Upwork.
As with Fiverr, it’s a web-based freelance platform the place you’ll compete towards different proofreaders for work. You set your personal charge, and Upwork acts as a buffer between you and your shopper to ensure you are paid.
On Upwork, you might be invited to bid on jobs, they usually have a barely extra advanced billing system than Fiverr.
Upwork retains 20 % for the primary $500 you invoice a particular shopper, 10 % for those who earn between $500.01 and $10,000 with that shopper, and 5 % if the quantity exceeds $10,000.
Notice that this doesn’t embody your entire billings, fairly it’s for quantities paid to a person shopper. The higher your rankings, the extra tasks you’ll be capable of bid on.
Once more right here, you might not make the large bucks, however lots of people who undergo the Proofread Wherever course use Upwork and Fiverr to begin constructing a portfolio and earn cash. Ultimately you might discover you’ve bought a properly padded checking account. A fellow graduate just lately introduced she’d hit the $10k mark!
One other benefit to Upwork is the how-to movies that assist you to learn to seek for the proper work, find out how to bid, find out how to write contracts, and extra. What you be taught there interprets to the remainder of the freelancer world, so why not take benefit?
Expertise stage: Splendid for these simply beginning out
Price to affix: Free
The corporate’s take: Upwork retains 20 % for the primary $500 you invoice a particular shopper, 10 % for those who earn between $500.01 and $10,000 with that shopper, and 5 % if the quantity exceeds $10,000
3. Scribendi
Scribendi considers all freelance editors to be impartial contractors. In the event you meet their necessities, you’ll must fill out a rigorous utility, which incorporates employment historical past, references and a expertise take a look at.
You’ll decide and select which tasks you need to tackle. Scribendi covers a broad vary of writing tasks, together with manuscripts, ESL, educational, enterprise, scholar,and private (suppose resumés and private paperwork). Reviewers say they common $15 to $20 per hour.
Expertise stage: Splendid for proofreaders with a minimal of three years expertise
Price to affix: Free
Firm’s take: None
4. ProofreadingPal
Are you in graduate faculty? Do you will have a graduate diploma and a minimum of 5 years of proofreading expertise?
ProofreadingPal gives proofreading for all kinds of writing, together with enterprise, educational, and books and manuscripts.
Apply to work for ProofreadingPal through the net utility the way in which you’ll for some other job. It’s considerably rigorous, however doesn’t require you to have a minimal of revealed titles below your belt.
Ought to ProofreadingPal invite you to proceed the appliance course of, you’ll take a timed take a look at. Do effectively, and also you’re in. You’ll be an impartial contractor, which suggests they take no charges from you. In keeping with their web site, you will have the potential to earn between $500 and $3,000 monthly.
Expertise stage: Minimal of 5 years of expertise with graduate diploma
Price to affix: None
Firm’s take: None
5. The Editorial Freelancers Affiliation
The Editorial Freelancers Affiliation (EFA) is a membership-driven web site requiring annual dues. The dues are a bit steep, however may be definitely worth the funding.
The place different freelance firms both add you to a listing or allow you to bid on job postings, EFA does each.
While you arrange your profile it is possible for you to to decide on various key phrases that can assist you to present up in a possible shopper’s search. Shoppers are additionally in a position to browse the listing. There’s a members-only space the place you may look via job postings, and you’ll choose to obtain every day job postings through electronic mail.
You’ll be able to set your personal charges, because the EFA acknowledges you as an impartial enterprise. Apart from serving to freelancers and writers join, the EFA additionally gives on-line lessons, a lot of that are free to EFA members.
(P.S. That is my favourite place for locating proofreading jobs.)
Expertise stage: Ranges from simply beginning out to extremely skilled
Price to affix: $145 for one 12 months or $260 for 2 years
Firm’s take: None
6. The Web + networking
I do know. It appears broad and oversimplified on the identical time. However networking can get you thus far!
Be part of a bunch for proofreaders on LinkedIn or observe some proofreading associated hashtags on Twitter. Take part discussions. Quote the Chicago Guide of Model. Hyperlink to Merriam-Webster. Generally a proofreader can have a shopper or potential shopper who wants work outdoors the scope of what the proofreader does or has time to do.
In the event you’ve contributed high quality info in discussions about proofreading, you’ll discover one other proofreader will belief her shopper with you. My title was talked about in an article about writing phases and I acquired a flood of inquiries, most of which led to proofreading jobs, and several other of these jobs led to referrals to new purchasers.
Is there a weblog you like, however it’s full of errors? Attain out and ask in the event that they’d be fascinated by having your proofread earlier than they publish. A fast, top quality job might result in extra work with them. They might refer you to different bloggers to proofread for his or her websites, as effectively.
Severely. Do an excellent job for the proper shopper and they’re going to inform all people they know.
No utility, no charges, simply you, your professionalism, and your information.
This publish incorporates affiliate hyperlinks. Meaning if you buy via our hyperlinks, you’re supporting The Write Life—and we thanks for that!
Picture through Pixsooz / Shutterstock