If you’re looking for a flexible way to make extra income from home, then these proofreading jobs could be right up your alley. Are you good at English grammar? Have people always told you how well you speak? Do you catch mistakes in written content you read easily? If you have a knack for spotting errors in written text, then you should give proofreading a try and make extra money in your spare time.
What Does Proofreading Entail?
Proofreading is essentially the closing stage of content creation before a post, text, or article gets published and reaches its intended audience. The job of a proofreader is to conduct a final review of a document and make sure it’s free of mishaps and spelling mistakes. This means scouring the text for errors missed during the editing process and marking them for correction. Usually, proofreading jobs involve looking for spelling mistakes, incorrect punctuation, formatting errors, improper grammar, or typesetting issues.
Proofreading vs. Editing / Copy Editing
Proofreading and editing often get confused one for another and they do have some similarities. However, these are two different tasks in the process of preparing a text for publication. The focus of proofreading, as mentioned, is mainly on smaller edits, such as correcting spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes. On the other hand, copy editors are more concerned with the big picture and their job usually entails making major changes to the text and sentence structure and analyzing the overall clarity and tone of the written content. Additionally, the proofreader only reviews the final draft, while the copy editor is involved from the early stages of content creation and reviews several drafts of writing.
Pros & Cons of Working as a Proofreader
Proofreading jobs bring numerous advantages, especially if you prefer working from home. For starters, becoming a proofreader requires almost no investment. The costs of starting your own proofreading business are very low, particularly compared to some other freelance jobs. Furthermore, it doesn’t necessarily require experience or a degree and there are plenty of jobs available for beginners. As there’s an endless supply of writing material on the internet, proofreaders are always in high demand. Plus, the working hours are flexible and you can organize your schedule as it best suits you.
However, being a proofreader also comes with some drawbacks. Pay for beginners is often not that great. Some jobs, commonly those that pay more, may require additional education or more experience. There are usually strict deadlines you’ll need to adhere to, so it’s a job for those who can handle the pressure. Furthermore, there will be jobs that seem boring and tedious, but, nevertheless, you must have the ability to focus and not get easily distracted.
How Much Money Can I Make Proofreading?
How much you can earn as a proofreader is determined by several factors like your prior experience and education. The pay may vary depending on your past jobs, who you worked for, and ultimately, how fast you can do the proofreading jobs. Salary.com lists the medium yearly salary for proofreaders at $54,520.
Usually, the earnings per hour start at about $12-15 but hourly rates can go up all the way to $50. As you gain experience, improve your proofreading skills, have recurring clients, and build a respectable track record, the better-paying gigs will become more available.
Can Proofreading Be Done from Home and Online?
One of the best things about proofreading is that you can do it from anywhere. You can do proofreading online from the comfort of your own home or from anywhere in the world. This makes it perfect for stay-at-home moms or those who already have a job and are just looking for a side hustle. You can also work on your proofreading and grammar skills while at home as there are plenty of online proofreading courses available.
Skills Needed to be a Freelance Proofreader
While you don’t need excessive experience or a master’s degree to start your career in proofreading, you’ll still need certain skills. Of course, excellent grammar and spelling skills are a must.
Some proofreading jobs, mainly those that pay better, will require knowledge of common style guides such as APA, MLA, or the Chicago Manual of Style.
It also helps to have good time management skills as you’ll likely work without a supervisor so you’ll have to organize your own schedule. Being a great communicator will make your job easier as you’ll often interact with your clients while you work on a project.
Finally, getting familiar with editing software, including Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word, will help you work faster and more efficiently.
How to Get Started Proofreading
To start working as a part-time proofreader on a beginner level all you need is a computer, internet connection, good command of the language, and a willingness to work. However, if you’re serious about this job, it’s a good idea to learn something about the industry, particularly how to run a proofreading business and how to find clients.
Pro tip, try to take your proofreading to another level by enrolling in online proofreading courses. Once you feel that you’re ready to take on jobs, you can join one of the numerous platforms and boards offering proofreading gigs and start making money. The more you work and the better your track record is, the more job opportunities will become available.
Best Job Boards to Start Working as A Proofreader
Here are the best proofreading job boards and websites to look for your next proofreading gig!
Flexjobs
Flexjobs is a huge online marketplace offering job opportunities to freelancers. It has a whole section dedicated to editing and proofreading jobs. Here, you can choose between various part-time and full-time jobs. Unlike some other platforms, Flexjobs has a membership fee. This is not necessarily a bd this as it means less competition for job postings.
Upwork
One of the largest freelance platforms in the world, Upwork features numerous clients posting projects and jobs. It’s a great place to start your proofreading career as it features jobs for all experience levels. Nevertheless, due to the number of freelancers working on Upwork, you likely face stiff competition as you bid for jobs. Take the time to create an eye-catching profile that will help you showcase your skill to a potential client.
Fiverr
Fiverr works a bit differently than most other platforms. Here, instead of bidding for projects, you offer your services at a certain price and clients seek you out, instead of the other way around. As the name says, you can start offering gigs at $5. It’s a great platform to get your first clients and get your first proofreading jobs. Still bear in mind that most clients come to Fiverr looking for cheap service, so it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to make a lot of money here.
ProofreadingServices.Com
Unlike most freelancing platforms out there, ProofreadingServices.com specializes in editing and proofreading jobs. They offer a variety of jobs in the field, both part-time and full-time, flexible work hours, and competitive rates, even for less experienced proofreaders. The pay rates range from $18 to $45 per hour. While previous experience is not necessary, all potential members must pass a 20-minute preliminary test.
ProofreadNOW
ProofreadNow is a great resource for freelance proofreaders who already have some mileage behind them. They pride themselves on the quality of service they provide and thus have rather strict requirements for their proofreaders. To become a member, you’ll need at least five years of experience, complete a couple of very difficult tests, and have software tools such as have Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Professional. On the plus side, they usually offer high-paying gigs.
People Per Hour
Another large freelance marketplace, People per Hour allows you a chance to offer a variety of proofreading services to thousands of clients. It’s not the most lucrative of services, but it’s perfect for entry-level proofreading jobs. You can send up to 15 job proposals per month unless you purchase extra credits.
In addition to classic freelancing platforms, you can try building your proofreading career on the largest networking site for professionals, LinkedIn. This may be a rather underused strategy for finding new gigs, but it offers great job-seeking potential. Landing your first project here may take some time, but once you start building connections, you’ll find job opportunities to grow.
Scribe Media
Scribe Media is a freelancing platform dedicated to helping authors write, publish, and market their works, and this includes providing proofreading services. They hire both part-time and full-time proofreaders but don’t always have jobs available. Still, you can sign up and receive an alert when a job opportunity comes along.
Contena
Besides jobs for freelancing proofreaders, Contena also provides a fantastic community of professionals where you can get all the help you may need when it comes to this field of work. Membership at Contena provides you with access to all of their resources. Make sure to check out their Contena Academy. This is a paid platform and they offer several different membership options.
Scribendi
Scribendi is a platform offering proofreading services to their client and, for those purposes, they hire proofreaders both on a part-time and full-time basis. They have rather strict hiring criteria, asking for a university degree and at least three years of previous experience working on proofreading jobs. Scibendi allows you to work on your own schedule but requires that you proofread at the speed of 1,000-1,500 words per hour.
Wordvice
Wordvice is a proofreading platform offering writing, translation, and editing services from a diverse clientele, including customers from the world of business and academia. They also have a worldwide network of clients for whom English is a second language, so there’s always a need for quality proofreading. To maintain the level of service quality, Wordvice usually only hires proofreaders with experience and at least a college degree.
Gramlee
Gramlee is an online platform specializing in editing and proofreading services. High turnaround means that there’s always plenty of work. They usually have open positions for proofreaders who can apply on the Gramlee site after they complete a short test. The pay for beginners is not that great, but there’s a chance to move up the ladder to higher-paid proofreading jobs.
Book Editing Associates
As its name says, Book Editing Associates is a service that finds clients in the ranks of self-published writers. If you have experience with this kind of proofreading work, you can apply for a role. All applicants must first pass the short proofreading and editing test. Book Editing Associates only offers full-time positions and requires at least 5 years of previous work in the field.
Prompt
Prompt is a platform geared towards college students and applicants who use their proofreading services to sort out their essays. The platform only hires former or current university students and requires at least 4 hours of work per week. They offer rather competitive pay, starting at $20 per hour.
Editor World
Editor World is a company based in Virginia providing editing and proofreading for articles from different fields, including business, art, education, and others. If you plan on applying for proofreading jobs here, be aware that they require previous experience, at least a bachelor’s degree, and only accept candidates who are native English speakers.
Wordy
Wordy provides its clients with fixed-fee proofreading and editing services. They hire proofreaders of various levels of experience, even beginners. However, the more experience you have, the more likely you’ll be assigned to work on the project. During the application, you’ll need to complete a series of tests evaluating your proofreading expertise and command of the English language.
Scribbr
Based in the Netherlands, Scribbr mainly provides services to college students who wish to improve their theses, essays, and dissertations. They’re hiring proofreaders for several languages, including English, Italian, German, and French, but only accept applications from native speakers. On average, they pay $20-25 per hour.
Cambridge Proofreading
Cambridge Proofreading employs more than 150 editing and proofreading professionals mainly focused on academic subjects. To work here, you must hold a bachelor’s degree, be a native English speaker, and be capable of working on a minimum of 10.000 words a week. They hire proofreaders both on-site and remote.
English Trackers
English Trackers is another platform mainly dealing with academic editing and proofreading. They don’t hire all the time but have open positions from time to time. Their proofreaders must have at least 2 years of experience and a college degree.
Cactus Communications
Cactus Communications focuses on editing and proofreading in the medical field. However, they also occasionally offer general proofreading job opportunities. The salary is very competitive and you can earn up to $4,000 per month for your editing and proofreading work. Plus, high-quality work is rewarded with an extra 20% on top of regular pay.
Proofreading Pal
Proofreaders working for Proofreading Pal are expected to constantly deliver high-quality work, but the company matches their expectations with a more than a decent salary. They only accept applicants with a degree from accredited US colleges and require a 3.5+ GPA. Proofreading Pal ensures a high level of their service by applying the two-proofreader method.
Freelancer.com
Freelancer is a job board that provides opportunities for clients and freelancers to cooperate. Among other projects, the platform always has numerous proofreading jobs on offer. Once a client submits a project, they can usually choose between multiple bids based on credentials and pricing. So, keep that in mind when bidding for a job.
Writer’s Relief
Writer’s Relief is an organization gathering remote editors and proofreaders that mostly work on novels, poems, essays, and short stories. They’re known for a strict hiring policy and competitive rates. So keep an eye for any potential job opening.
Polished Paper
Proofreaders at Polished Paper work on a variety of interesting projects, including screenplays, books, and academic essays and dissertations. To be in the running for the job here, you must complete an online test based on MLA, APA, and Chicago style guides. However, they also have opportunities for beginners, mainly in proofreading the blogs.
Sibia Proofreading
Sibia Proofreading is a service focused on high-quality academic editing and proofreading. In line with that, they only hire experienced and highly educated candidates. The company mainly looks for editors with a science background in the given field for every project.
EditFast
EditFast provides skilled editors and proofreaders with an opportunity to find clients in their preferred field. The service is free, but EditFast charges 40% of the total project price once the job is completed.
Edit 911
The focus of Edit 911 is on a premium editing and proofreading service for books and dissertations. It’s not an easy job to get as they require their proofreaders and editors to have a PhD in English or a similar field, plus a notable previous experience.
WordsRU
WordsRU has rather high criteria when it comes to hiring proofreaders and editors. They require their applicants to have a Master’s or PhD degree, or comparable academic and working experience. The main focus of the company is work on academic, business, and science editing.
Tools to Help with Proofreading
These tools can help speed up your proofreading job assignments.
Grammarly
Grammarly is probably the most useful proofreading tool and the best helper a proofreader can have. It finds and corrects most of the common writing mistakes, like spelling issues and improper sentence structure. It is easy to use and can be installed as an add-on in your browser or text editor. Grammarly features both free and premium versions.
Hemingway App
Hemingway App points to the issues within the text that have to do with general readability, word choice, and sentence structure. The app pinpoints pieces of content that need improving and suggests potential fixes.
Copyediting and Proofreading For Dummies Book
The Copyediting and Proofreading For Dummies book is a well-written, easy to understand, and extremely helpful guide through editing and proofreading jobs. Reading this guide will help you polish your proofreading skills, teach you how to work in different content industries, and answer any questions you may have about this profession.