Online Proofreading jobs (Tips for a beginner)

 

Are you quick to pinpoint grammatical errors whenever you read anything? If you are that person who knows where to insert commas, and where to omit, then you are a proofreader in making. If you also understand APA, MLA, or CLM writing styles, you are well equipped to start online proofreading as career as there are distint jobs available on the internet.

If you have been looking to work as a proofreader, you must have come across proofreading jobs. There are many people who would want to work as a proofreader, as they have the command in the English language and they know the correct way to punctuate a piece of writing. If you are one of these people who have been looking for gigs to work from, stay with me and learn if you have what it take to become a proofreader.

What is proofreading?

In high school, you learned about the writing process. If you can remember, way back in high school, it was one of the requirements in English classes.

When you are writing anything publishable, you must go through five phases to publish something impeccable.

If you can remember well, proofreading was the final phase and it is editing part needed in your writing process.

Writers start with the prewriting stage, then brainstorm through the research session. Then the content is written in a structured form of development by first making a draft copy. After this phase, the content is revised and any major error corrected to get a desirable flow. And comes the final stage which is proofreading and editing.

When you come to the proofreading phase, this is the time to polish all the mistakes on the content for purposes of preparing for publication.

The proofreading includes correcting all the typographical mistakes in the content, checking the style, and spelling mistakes.

Everyone who is a writer and produces content that ought to be published needs a proofreader. This includes all freelance writers, bloggers, copywriters, business writers, and more. Many of these proofread content for themselves, but there are still some who look for professional proofreaders. For instance, big brands and some individuals want a second eye to check on their content before it is published.

If you are working as a proofreader you may be asked to check various types of contents. This includes checking a post on social media before it is published, an email, blog posts, or e-books or general books. Mostly, the majority of proofreaders focus on one type of content. It may be in:

• User manuals
• student essays
• legal transcripts
• court transcripts
• Restaurant menus
• Self-published novel and e-books
• User Manuals
• Newsletters
• Press releases

You may also choose to focus on one specific client who has a specific type of content needs. The main focus of various clients could be:

• Bloggers
• Local Brick and mortar businesses
• court reports
• Coaches and consultancies
• Restaurants
• Real estate agents

There is another type of proofreading that goes deeper which is known as copy editing. The copy editors may suggest having a larger change in a script. They recommend making change beyond grammar and punctuations and they go deeply to check on clarity, consistency, and brevity in content. A copy editor may specialize in things such as a self-published author or in a specific field like a technical field dealing with software. Normally, copy editing takes place before editing and the final copy is proofed before its published.

Advantages of working as a proofreaderfrom home

There are numerous advantages associated with working from home as a proofreader. In this post, you will learn several of them and they are coved in detail.

If you choose to work from home, there is the flexibility that comes with it. When working from home you can choose the time to work as long as you meet your client’s deadline. Whether you work during the day or at night, it doesn’t matter. With this, it is possible to take your proofreading job alongside your 9-5 day job. It is also a perfect job to stay at home mums raising their kids and in return make some income.

Compared to many home-job opportunities, proofreading can be done on simple gadgets such as a tablet or a min-device, unlike some jobs that require you to work on a desktop. The good thing about it nowadays is that the advancement of technology has made it easier to work remotely and share files across the globe.

Similarly, the proofreading job doesn’t require a fast internet, hence you can work with normal connectivity. The work is not like that of working or sharing videos, but files and text, so there is nothing to worry about in terms of connectivity.

As long as there is no need for the internet with high speed from your client’s end, proofreading is perfect for anyone connected via a satellite or wireless connectivity. With this, it means anyone can work even if located in a small town or on the outskirts of a town.

We have just talked about not needing strong internet connectivity, you also don’t require dedicated phone connectivity doing proofreading. And nor will you require any special equipment such as a printer, headset, or any type of application. Instead, you need your knowledge and grammar flow and a portable device.

The other good thing about it is the proofreading job is plenty since there are many contractors. They are constantly looking for people to help them polish their work. It is because some may have no time to proofread their work or they might want a second eye. This is to check on their work for any error that might have bypassed their eyes.

How much can you be paid to work as a proofreader form home?

Unlike many online jobs, proofreading rates may start low to lucrative pay along the way. This depends on the specialty, work experience, or regions.

According to Glassdoor reports, the average pay for a proofreader may start from $40,000 annually and hike up depending on expertise, competence, and time. However, its good to note that there is no guarantee to make a certain amount as a given time as a proofreader.

Mostly, the work is paid per the workload and not on an hourly basis.

What is the flexibility of hours as a home-based proofreader?

The biggest perks that come with home-based proofreaders are the flexibility of time. It is normally driven by the set deadline. This is opposed to an hourly job that you have to sit around the clock to meet specific working hours. Home-based proofreading jobs are structure to offer flexibility as one works as an independent contractor.

As long as you meet the set deadline, you choose to work at your pace.

In most cases you don’t have to set your clock, rather you need to work at your time as long as you submit your work on time. As you embark on working as a proofreader, you will gradually gain needed experience, you will be able to work faster and earn more.

If you are working as a proofreader in a traditional proofreading company, your flexibility, might be different, your work might be set on a specific schedule that ought to be met at the set durations.

Another thing is, there are some clients who might need the work on a specific time frame. At this point, you will need to set yourself and work as quickly as you can. Some may ask you to turn the work within 12 hours to 24 hours. This is not normally the case, but you might come across such a client if you start working as a proofreader.

The important thing is to manage your time well, whether your work is flexible or not. It is essential to meet the deadline no matter what to maintain your reputation.

What skills do you need to work as a proofreader?

Time management is one thing coupled with some other essential aspects to succeed as a proofreader. First, you must be good in vocabulary and have a topnotch grammar. Proofreading is not just about pinpointing grammatical errors, but proper knowledge of comma usage, standard proofreading marks, and subject verbal agreement.

At times when you are applying for a proofreading job, you may be required to have a degree in English or your experience evidence. If you don’t have either, you may want to reach small businesses and online publications that may help you gain some experience you may later use as a referral.

If you are targeting to work in large brands such as new centric sites or production online houses, you may need advanced experience. Many of the content mill or popular brands follow the AP style guide or Chicago manual style as their main style of writing and publication.

In instances where you are proofreading academic work, you will need to be conversant with the MLA style guide of writing.

Tools needed by a proofreader

Proofreading is great home-based work that anyone willing can work from any place with any favorable digital device. Apart from a device, there are other tools needed to make your work easier. They include:

#1 Google docs

Many of the online proofreading jobs are done on Google docs. It is because it allows the markup procedure hence allowing adding in comments to an original document. The documents can also be shared easily online using docs.

#2 Dropbox

This is another important tool to share documents with your clients who prefer to use the word document format.

#3 Grammarly

It is an excellent tool anyone in proofreading ought to consider using. This helps in spotting grammatical mistakes, spellings, and contextual errors. There are two versions one is free and it only helps you to sport basic errors. We have the premium version and it helps you point various mistakes on your WordPress or anywhere on the internet.

It is a great time saver since it makes suggestions for you when collecting your content. But one thing for sure, it can not correct everything a human can, hence you will need to input some effort.

#4 McGraw-Hill’s Proofreading handbook

This is a must-have tool if you are planning to become a professional proofreader. It has all the tips you may need to run your processes efficiently.

#5 APA and Chicago manual guides

They are an important requirement, hence you need to familiarize yourself with them if you are aspiring to venture into a proofreading career.

How to Find Work as an online proofreader?

There are several ways to look for proofreading jobs on the internet. This is determined by the type of job you want to do. For instance, if you want to be a freelance proofreader, you will need to market yourself actively, but if you want to work for a specific company, you will need to look and fill in positions as advertised on job boards.

It is easier to find gigs or companies that may be looking for independent proofreaders if you actively research on the internet.

There are specific keywords you may consider if you are trying to find a proofreading job online. Learn the most common ones below:

• Copy editor
• proofreader or proofreading
• Book editor
• Line editor
• Academic editor

You may also check on typical keywords that are mainly searched for home-based jobs. They include :

• Freelance
• Home Office
• Telecommute
• Remote
• Contract or contractor

If you get an interview, it will include a series of editing tests. First, you are given a small sample and asked to proofread it. This is performance-based, hence if you have an engaging personality, it will be of great help. However, you cannot perform as needed on the tests, it’s certain you will not get hired.

If you choose the freelance way, you will still meet editing tests even though they will be fewer. Still, you will need to be prepaid to prove your skillset.

The best way is to use testimonials from your happy clients. If you don’t have any yet, you may offer to give free or lowly paid services from gigs and in return get testimonials.

List of proofreading job boards

There are a series of websites that frequently hire online proofreaders. For instance:

#1 American Journal Experts

The company hires experienced editors who mainly edit the manuscripts of non-natives. The editors here are mainly Ph.D. holders and they produce impeccable work. You must guarantee the quality, to output 100% satisfaction

#2 Babbletype

This is another company that offers proofreading jobs. It frequently looks for contractors' experience in editing and proofreading the field of transcription. The jobs are most;y posted at 6 PM EST, hence you can check what is posted and pick your assignment. They offer you a full day to complete your work.

#3 Book Editing Associates

The company frequently advertises for copy editing jobs, proofreading jobs, and publishing consultants. The good news is they are currently hiring for any of the three positions. To get hired, you will need five-plus years of experience in all the mentioned fields.

#4 Cactus Global

This is another company that hires specialized editors and proofreaders who are Ph.D. and masters holders. They also look at the experience in subjects such as healthcare, physical science, life science, surgery, or engineering. If you get lucky and get a position, it likely to get paid $1200-$3000 per month couple with a series of bonuses.

If you feel that proofreading is something you can partake, take practice tests and it will help build your passion. Get started here as these are great courses to familiarize yourself with, and you will build your proofreading business.

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