Since I’ve launched this blog a few months ago, I’ve been doing pretty much all the work. From brainstorming ideas, picking the right photos for the blog and Pinterest, to writing the articles themselves.
And let me tell you… the writing part is what takes the most time – which makes sense since it is the biggest piece of the whole process. Being in charge of the whole blog (and not being perfect) also means sometimes I make mistakes in my spelling.
What makes a proofreader so valuable for me is that they can catch my spelling mistakes so I can focus on creating better content. And I’m not the only one who thinks that – from millions of online creators, blogs, news sites, big brand companies – they all need proofreaders to make their content top quality, professional, and free of grammatical errors.
And in today’s world of everything being online, the demand for proofreaders is only going up. So if you’re someone who can catch the difference between ‘they’re’ and ‘their’, a proofreading gig might be the side hustle you can do to start earning some serious cash.
What Exactly Is a Proofreader?
Proofreading is simply reading text and marking any errors in it before the text is published, presented, or shared. These grammatical errors include punctuation, spelling, typography, and formatting. In some cases, it even includes making sure page numbers and line spacing are done correctly.
Being the last part of the writing process, the text will have gone through several editing versions before it’s ready to be proofread. This means you won’t have to worry about writing or revising the text or document.
Proofreading Vs Copy Editing – what’s the difference?
Proofreading and Copy Editing are pretty easy to get mixed up. But they are definitely different – and knowing that difference can help you land a good proofreading job.
Proofreading involves making sure a written text is free from mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and typography. Basically making sure the nuts and bolts of the text are good. It’s one of the most important steps in the publishing process since errors can cause confusion and make the text look unprofessional.
Copy Editing, on the other hand, is making sure the language doesn’t have any inconsistencies or repetition. In other words, copy editors ensure the text flows smoothly so it’s ready for publication.
How much money can you make proofreading?
According to Salary.com, the average Proofreader makes $53,419 per year.
That’s $4,451 each month and $1,027 each week.
As you can see from this chart, the amount of money you make as a proofreader can vary – and that depends on a few things, such as experience level, location, etc.
As a freelance proofreader, you can charge your clients a higher rate as you gain more experience and move up the income ladder.
Even looking at the first page on Upwork.com, the average rate proofreaders are charging is $41/hour. Take note that these people have a few years of experience under their belt, so if you stick to it, you can make some very good money at this.
What Skills Do I Need to Become a Proofreader?
All successful proofreaders have one skill in common – an eye for detail. Having this skill will set you apart and boost your resume so you can start earning the big bucks.
- Other skills that will help you become a good proofreader are:
- Being able to work independently
- Ability to meet tight deadlines
- Computer skills – Microsoft Word mainly
- A good understanding of punctuation, spelling, and grammar
- Ability to focus
How Can I Get Started as a Proofreader?
While the requirements are pretty low for getting into the proofreading game, it does help to have some training under your belt. Whether that’s to show employers that you know what you’re doing or to show your clients you’re the real deal – having something like a training course can help you a lot.
And you’re in luck!
Caitlin Pyle from Proofread Anywhere has a FREE course that outlines everything about proofreading for you. Her course will teach you about:
- How to start making money proofreading blogs and books
- How to attract clients
- How to properly scale your proofreading business if you choose to start one
- How starting a proofreading hustle can help you live the life you want
I highly recommend taking this course as it’ll give you the right information on how to start making money as a proofreader. Don’t miss out!
Ready to Get Started on Becoming a Proofreader? Let’s go.
1. Flexjobs
Flexjobs is an online job search site where you can find freelance, remote, and work from home opportunities. This is your go-to spot to find work if you don’t like going to an office every day and would rather work from the comfort of your home.
Especially these days where more and more people are switching to work from home, Flexjobs is the perfect place to look for just that.
They have their own research team that screens job postings for you so you can avoid being scammed or finding the wrong job for yourself. So when you look for proofreading jobs or any other job, you can be assured they are legit opportunities to make money.
There is a small catch, though. Flexjobs does cost $14.95 a month to search and apply for jobs but you can cancel it within 30 days and get a full refund if you want!
Start applying for proofreading jobs on Flexjobs here.
2. Proofreading Services
Proofreading Services is a great service for finding proofreading jobs online. They offer part-time and full-time remote proofreading jobs that can be done from anywhere in the world.
They’re super flexible too, which means you can work right from your living room or when you’re relaxing on a beach!
You can make a competitive amount of money at Proofreading Services – ranging between $19 to $46 per hour, depending on the turnaround time.
3. Upwork
Upwork is a great resource for finding the right people for a lot of things. I’ve used it myself to hire freelancers to get this blog up and running. I’m planning on hiring a proofreader for this blog pretty soon from Upwork!
There’s a pretty well-done rating system on Upwork – called the Job Success rate, which is the percentage of the freelancer’s jobs that resulted in great client experience. If someone is looking to hire a freelance proofreader, they can see how many hours you’ve worked on projects and what your Job Success rate is.
So if you post your freelance services on Upwork, make sure to kickstart it the right way by providing excellent client service and delivering what you promised so your Job Success rate stays in good health.
When I search for proofreading services on Upwork, there are rates ranging from $35 to $125 per hour depending on experience level. That’s an amazing range set because it shows you the potential you can reach by working as a proofreader.
4. Fiverr
If you haven’t heard of Fiverr, you’re in for a surprise. It’s a huge marketplace for all types of work – including proofreading and editing jobs.
As is the freelance world, the work or tasks on Fiverr are called ‘gigs’ and can start from $5 and go up to $130 or more, per project. The pay range depends on things like delivery times, number of pages to proofread, rewriting options, number of revisions, etc.
It’s really easy to get started, too. Signup takes a few minutes and you can post your proofreading services right away and start making money.
5. Guru
Guru is another great place to find proofreading jobs whether you have no experience or some experience under your belt.
You can find flexible and work-from-home opportunities on Guru, and it works much like Fiverr. You can post your services and start getting paid right away!
You can even set your payment terms – which are Fixed Price, Hourly, Task-Based, or Recurring.
6. LinkedIn
Believe it or not, LinkedIn is a hotspot for finding proofreading jobs.
LinkedIn’s kind of like your professional Facebook profile. You can show your education and experiences to highlight what you specialize in. Once you have your profile set up, go to the Jobs section and search for proofreading jobs.
The pay ranges I’ve seen are between $16 and $50+ per hour.
One of the best things about LinkedIn is that you can usually see who posted the job and message them directly! You can send them a personalized note and tell them why you’re interested in the job and it will help you stand out from other candidates. You can also approach small businesses on LinkedIn and offer them your proofreading services and start building your very own client list!
Find Proofreading jobs on LinkedIn here.
7. Freelancer
Freelancer is an online freelance marketplace where you can find all sorts of jobs, similar to Upwork. You can search for your perfect proofreader job on Freelancer.
Once you set up your profile and list out your skills, you can start bidding on posted jobs that people are hiring for. You can also see how many people are bidding for a job and what the current rate is. This way you can see if the job is worth your time and choose accordingly.
8. Craigslist
Yepp! You read that right.
You can find a lot of very nice proofreading jobs on Craigslist since it’s become very stable over the years. Look under the ‘Writing / Editing’ section in your city and you can start applying for jobs you like!
9. SmartBrief
If you’re into the business news and industry specific writing world, SmartBrief is the perfect option for you.
You can check their Job Postings page to check if they’re hiring for a remote proofreader/editor/writer and they pay quite well – $15 to $22 per hour.
I checked their job postings page myself and I see 17 writing job openings at the moment! Go check them out today.
10. Scribendi
Scribendi lets you offer your proofreading services to clients on their site.
It’s also one of the most flexible options out there – you can apply from anywhere in the world and you can set your own hours, as long as you have a college degree and at least 3 years of work experience under your belt in writing, editing, or document production.
You also need to have an editing speed of at least 1,000 to 1,500 words per hour and have Microsoft Word 2010 or newer installed on your computer.
Even though Scribendi has a little more requirements to join than most other options mentioned on this list, it’s still a great option and you’re able to make a good amount of money doing proofreading work.
11. Domainite
If you’re new to the proofreading biz, Domainite is your answer. They take on beginner level proofreaders so you can build your experience and move on to bigger things after!
This also means the pay will be lower than other options. To get started as a freelancer on Domainite, fill out their application and show them some sample letters to showcase your skills.
Once you’ve gained some experience here, you’ll be in a much better position to land bigger clients.
12. Lionbridge
Lionbridge is your place to go if you’re looking for a full-time online proofreading job.
They offer all types of work from home and flexible writing and editing jobs but most importantly, proofreading!
To get started, you’ll need to register and complete a skills evaluation. Once you’re accepted, you’ll start receiving tasks that you can do from home at your own pace and get paid.
13. Cactus Communications
Cactus Communications has a lot of writing and proofreading options and provides a variety of work for you – full time, contract work, freelance, and even internships.
If the company culture matters to you greatly, Cactus is one of the best out there. They’re rated as one of the Top 100 Companies for Remote Jobs by Forbes and Flexjobs.
They usually look for people with medical and academic backgrounds, but there are some job openings for other backgrounds for their proofreading and editing job openings.
Applying for a proofreading job requires you to take a 10 multiple choice question test that is designed to test your knowledge of word choice, proper sentence structure, English grammar, and some basic editing skills. If you pass this initial test, you’ll be invited to a round of tests, and then an interview. Good luck!
14. Gramlee
Gramlee is an all-around proofreading and editing place where you can find some great jobs.
You’ll get paid $0.03 per word for up to 3,000 words (which is $90 per task). Writing pieces that are more than 3,000 words will go to a senior editor and may cost more, depending on the quality of the writing.
You’ll work remotely from the comfort of your home and set your own hours!
Check out their Job Page to apply and start earning money. You just have to fill out a quick form with basic questions about yourself and your experience.
15. People Per Hour
People Per Hour welcomes entry level freelance proofreaders where you can gain some solid writing and editing experience.
Similar to Upwork and Fiverr, People per Hour is a freelance marketplace where clients can hire for all types of work, including proofreading and editing. You can post your skills and services to get hired and start making money.
Even though the pay will not be so high, it’s a great place to gain experience that you can use to apply for better and higher paying opportunities.
16. Start Your Own Proofreading Business
Personally, I think this is the best option for those who want a true feeling of freelance work. Starting your own business can be very rewarding and challenging – and most importantly, it’s YOURS.
You set the terms, the hours, the business style, and location.
You can start simply by creating a website that offers your services and promote it on social media and with your friends/family. Or you can create a Facebook page and spread the word about your business. Either way, having your own proofreading business will let you be very flexible.
And the start-up cost is very low! If you’re going the website route, all you need is a web hosting provider and a domain name – all under $100.
Market your proofreading business, get clients, and start getting paid!
Other Great Options for Work from Home Proofreading Jobs
17. Scribbr
18. ClickWorker
19. EditFast
20. Polished Paper
21. OneSpace
22. Wordy
23. EditFast
24. Kirkus Media
25. Writer’s Job Shop
Tools Needed to Become an Online Proofreader
If you haven’t already, investing in the right tools will help you do a better job as a proofreader and ultimately help you make more money. There are a lot of tools out there, but here are some of my favorites:
Google Docs – this is a great tool to have to share and edit documents. If you have a Gmail account, just go to your Google Drive and access Google Docs. Your clients can share the link to the document where you can start writing and editing. Once finished, let them know and they’ll be able to see the final work. The client can leave notes on the document as well, so it really helps with the collaboration part.
Grammarly – Grammarly is probably a must-have tool for proofreaders. It helps you write clear, mistake-free writing and even helps with sentence structuring! There’s a free and paid version – pick the one that will help you achieve the best results for your writing style.
Download Grammarly for FREE to help you with grammar, spelling, and the style/tone of your writing. It integrates with Google Docs and can even help you edit emails! Available for your laptop and your phone.
Dropbox – If you and your client don’t use Google Docs, then Dropbox will work just as well for sharing documents.
Hemingway App – This free tool helps you fix sentence structures, tone, text formatting, and improve the flow of the text. It’s a great tool to have to make sure your text is top quality and sounds great.
Is Proofreading a Good Career Option?
Yes!
If you like working remotely or without a boss, Proofreading can be a great career. If you have an eye for details and can spot errors pretty well, Proofreading will be a rewarding career for you – whether you choose to take the online jobs route or having your own business, you’ll find Proofreading can be a very lucrative line of work to get into.
What Qualifications are Needed to Become a Proofreader?
You don’t need any degree or certification to become a proofreader – that’s the beauty of this work!
Some companies will require you to have a certain number of years and an education to apply, but there are many options for you if you’re a total beginner. Start with those and work your way up to make more money.
What many professionals do when starting out is take a course to help guide them in the right direction. If you’re a beginner, a course can definitely improve your chances of getting a job or landing clients since it will show people you know what you’re doing and have a good understanding of what’s required to work in this field.
Ready to Become a Proofreader?
Working as a proofreader from the comfort of your own home can be a great way to make money – as a primary income or a side hustle.
If you’re ready to dive in, start working on the skills that help proofreaders perform at their best. You can take on some sample assignments for yourself to get a better understanding of where you stand and take it from there on what you need to work on to be a better proofreader.
Want to practice here? Take this blog post I just wrote and see if you spot any mistakes in my writing and let me know in the comments!
Don’t worry, I won’t get upset!
