Are you good at grammar and tend to find the smallest mistakes in any text? Have you thought about becoming a proofreader? It may sound like a very simple job – and it actually is. However, proofreading services are always good to recheck. Any text has to go through a proofreading process before publishing it. It makes sure that there are no errors left as we’re all humans after all. If you’d like to find out more about proofreading services, you can visit this website. But first, let’s check what it takes to become a professional proofreader.
What Is a Proofreader Actually Doing?
Proofreaders check texts for errors, such as:
- Errors in punctuation
- Grammar mistakes
- Word usage errors (e.g. insure and ensure)
- Layout format
- Strange use of words
- Overly long sentences
Every text, be it an essay, a blog article or webpage content requires proofreading services. Such texts could also be required for print media. Once it’s printed, it’ll take a huge effort to correct a typing mistake (the first print run was basically for nothing). Companies need content for their webpages and could get a bad reputation for having typing errors. Students need their work checked or they could get a bad grade for their essay (just for missing a comma).
Proofreading is usually the very last step before publishing text or is handed in at university/publishers. In some cases, publishers engage proofreading services before the final edit. Whatever the case, it’s crucial and you could take on the most important part of a writing process.
Isn’t Proofreading Like Editing?
In fact, proofreading and editing are two different pairs of shoes. Proofreading only checks content for typing and grammar mistakes. Some sentences might be restructured if they’re overly long. That’s all the ‘editing’ there is to proofreading.
Editing can change the whole structure, the tone of a writer and the word flow. Quite large chunks of text might be deleted. It ensures the text is well written and great to read. Usually, editing takes place before proofreading.
How to Become a Proofreader – Your Guide
# Step 1 – A Degree
Contrary to common belief you do not require any degree to become a proofreader. All you need is a good command of the English written language. And a keen eye on detail, of course. However, it’s helpful if you do have a degree. Some companies and especially academic proofreading services prefer proofreaders with a degree.
In addition, you can take a proofreading course online. Let’s imagine you studied biology and want to take on a career at proofreading services on the side. With a certificate from a proofreading course, you can demonstrate your skills. Also if you don’t have a degree you take one of those online proofreading courses. Keep in mind that it’s not an absolute must.
# Step 2 – Which Niche Would You Like to Proofread?
There are different niches for you as a proofreader of which you can pick one. If you enjoy reading novels, you may want to pick novels. But even within that area, you may want to choose a genre. If you don’t you may get requests for genres you don’t enjoy. If you don’t enjoy it, your quality of work may suffer. You could choose academic proofreading as your niche since there’ll definitely always be enough work. The point of choosing a niche is to build up a reputation. Once you’ve got that sorted, you can turn into a particular magnet for future clients.
# Step 3 – Improve Your Skills
To get a foot into the door of proofreading services, you should never stop polishing your skills. You can start by reading random texts and trying to find any errors in it. Next, you can offer your friends to proofread their letters, essays or even their e-books. You can already take these as an example of your work to showcase. Last, but not least, you may want to take some proofreading tests. Those don’t only improve your skills but can also prepare you for a test proofreading services may want you to take when applying.
# Step 4 – Learn Style Guides
Style guides apply to different kinds of niches. They determine the layout, the particular language style and other formatting details. Most cannot memorise all of them and that’s absolutely okay. Get familiar with the different style guides at least. You can download style guides or print them out for your reference. Most common are the following style guides:
- APA (American Psychology Association)
- AP (Associated Press)
- CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style)
- MLA (Modern Language Association)
As language evolves, style guides are updated regularly. Make sure you’ve always got the most recent version at hand.
# Step 5 – Determine Your Fees
The beauty of becoming a proofreader is that you can set your own price. If you’re working with an agency or proofreading services, your fees will be fixed. As a freelancer, you can determine it yourself. Try not to underrate your skills and charge too little. Though, if you charge too much, clients may want to seek someone else. Of course, clients prefer to pay as little as possible. It’s a very narrow path to balance in this case. You have to consider that you’ll have to be able to cover your bills by proofreading. Just charging $ 0.01 per word may not earn you enough. In the beginning, you may have to take on those lower-paid projects to build a portfolio and a reputation. To give you an idea of the fees you can charge, proofreading services are at $ 0.03 – $ 0.06 per word.
You have the option of setting up your own proofreading services or working as a freelancer. Companies often outsource proofreading to freelancers as it’s more cost-effective for them. In both cases, you will require a professional webpage. For proofreading as a freelancer, you can additionally take advantage of freelancing platforms such as fiverr or Upwork.
