What if I told you that you can make $50+/hour drinking coffee and correcting the errors of other people from the comfort of your home?
You won’t believe me right?
If you’re looking to make some extra money, or even start a new career, then proofreading may be the perfect option for you.
Proofreading is a great way to make money online, and there are plenty of companies and individuals who are always looking for proofreaders.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best online proofreading jobs for beginners. We’ll also be giving you some tips on how to get started, and what you can do to increase your earnings.
Table of Contents
What Is Proofreading?
A proofreader is one of the last steps in content creation, where someone makes sure written content doesn’t contain grammatical errors. It includes spelling, typography, and formatting.
You can imagine that many people are looking for proofreaders online. There is so much content published online. The content creators who have published this content need a critical eye to see if there are any spelling or grammatical errors.
When you are writing your own content, you could accidentally leave small mistakes. You often don’t notice them and need someone external to check it.
How do I start proofreading?
Sometimes it’s pretty intimidating to start something new. How many of us have been in that place? This begs the question of whether you need freelance proofreading training.
The simple answer is that no matter how good your grammar is, there are some industry standards that you need to learn. This includes concepts such as proofreading marks that help editors to decode changes to be incorporated in a document.
Luckily, you won’t have to figure it out alone. I want to show you an opportunity that you can’t say no to!
Caitlin Pyle (former freelance proofreader), over at Proofread Anywhere, is one of the most talented proofreaders out there… and she has compiled all of her knowledge into a comprehensive course. And, fortunately, you can gain access to her workshop for FREE.
She’ll teach you the basics of proofreading to make sure you’re a word-skills SUPERSTAR. After you master the skills, she’ll show you how to turn this newfound knowledge into a profitable business. You’ll learn exactly how to find clients, structure your workdays, and how to run a successful proofreading business.
With her FREE 76-min Workshop, you’ll be able to decide if proofreading is the right option for you, and learn about the steps needed to accomplish your dreams and start living the life YOU deserve. Here’s what you can expect:
- More about proofreading as a profession — including one great place to find work
- A FREE introductory tutorial on how to use the most popular proofreading tool on the market
Check out Caitlin’s FREE 76-minute Workshop to Kick-start your Proofreading Career NOW!
Best Places Online for Proofreading Jobs
Are you ready to start proofreading from home? If YES, then here are 11 Online Proofreading Jobs For Beginners:
1. FlexJobsbb.
Flexjobs is an online portal for remote, work-from-home, and freelance types of jobs that’ll allow you to make money online at the comfort of your home.
I guess this is true for any work from home/remote job, you need a comfortable place at your home and a reliable internet connection.
Flexjobs offers a plethora of freelance jobs including proofreading and editing jobs.
But a little disclaimer, Flexjobs do have a $15 monthly membership fee (which you can cancel anytime) that gives you an all-access keycard to all the good jobs available on the platform.
So if you’re serious about snagging a good (or a few) job(s), maybe the $15 monthly membership is worth considering.
2. Fiverr.
Fiverr is another popular option to find clients for your freelance proofreading services. This has an advantage in that you can get started immediately. This makes Fiverr a great platform to test the types of assignments that you like to do.
Fiverr began as a website where you can get tasks completed for $5, but it has evolved into one of the top freelancer platforms. It is easy to complete a few assignments, and you will be able to get testimonials from your happy clients in other areas of your new proofreading business.
3. Upwork.
Upwork is one of the largest freelance websites in the world. There are freelancers from everywhere in the world on this site, ready to be paid low rates for jobs. It means people bid extremely low rates for jobs, which may result in lower rates than they deserve.
The benefit of using Upwork is that you can begin your proofreading freelance career on this site and gain the experience needed to apply to other jobs that require more experience.
4. Proofreading Services.
Proofreading Services has full and part-time online proofreading jobs.
ProofreadingServices.com is an ideal job because they offer flexible hours, which means you can work from anywhere.
They have very competitive rates between $19 and $46 per hour depending on the turnaround time.
Once you apply, you must pass a 20-minute screening test to be able to get any assigned work.
5. LinkedIn.
Some proofreaders and editors underestimate the power of LinkedIn. It’s a platform that lets you publish your resume for other professionals to see.
With the right information and keywords, you could have clients and employers reaching out to hire you.
You can display your proofreading and editing skills by writing short essays and articles and publishing them to your profile. If you don’t have an account yet, make sure to get one set up and start seeking proofreading jobs there.
6. Freelancer.
Freelancer is an Australian-based marketplace where employers post opportunities that freelancers bid to complete.
Complete your profile and share your skillset to find jobs that are suitable for you. You can also find online proofreading jobs posted by different companies here.
7. ProofreadNOW.
Proofread Now provides professional proofreading and editing services. They only hire experienced proofreaders, require five years’ experience, and will be required to pass a difficult test.
A reliable internet connection, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Acrobat Profession are required for the job.
8. Editor World.
Editor World usually hires people with bachelor’s degrees or more with experience in professional editing and proofreading. But currently, they are considering the ones with Ph.D. or with a science background.
To apply register on their website.
9. Scribbr.
This online proofreading company caters primarily to academic proofreading. Their clients are mostly students who need their thesis, manuscripts, and papers proofread efficiently.
Based in the Netherlands, Scribbr has over 500 online proofreading freelancers from all over the world. The application starts with a language quiz that gauges your ability to quickly spot errors.
You then move on with the application where a senior editor gives feedback on your work, and then proceed to the academy where you complete simulation orders in 24 hours. After passing all these rigorous steps, you can join the editor community where you can actually start getting paid for work.
According to the Scribbr website, editors earn an average of $25 to $35 per hour.
10. Proofreading Pal.
They require you to have a minimum of 5 years of work experience and you can earn up to $3,000 a month. If you are eligible to apply, there is an online independent contractor form that needs to be completed and you should hear back from them within 5-10 business days.
11. Writer’s Relief.
Writer’s Relief is a website for writers, and for writers to come up with the best materials, the company hires proofreaders. As a proofreader for Writer’s Relief, you will be dealing with a variety of content across different genres, including poetry, books, and essays.
The company is quite picky with its workers, and only hires the top applicants. Still, you’d want to give it a shot as they offer competitive rates.
Proofreading FAQs.
What Skills Do I Need As A Proofreader?
Although each project will be different, there are some skills that you will need to apply for proofreading jobs. These include:
- A Good Understanding of Grammar: One of the main reasons why businesses, students, writers, and other professionals hire a proofreader is to spot any punctuation, grammar, or formatting mistakes. To identify these mistakes, you will need a solid understanding of the rules of grammar and a superb command of the language you’re working in. Most freelancers typically look for proofreader jobs in their native language, but if you have strong linguistic skills, you may be able to deliver a high standard of work in your second language.
- A Solid Vocabulary: If you lack a solid vocabulary or lack a passion for words, then online proofreading is not a side gig or new career for you. Most proofreaders sharpen their skills, reading books, articles, and other writing to ensure that they continue to grow their vocabulary.
- Patience: If you find yourself skimming an article because your attention drifted partway through or you skip over chapters in a book, then you’re not likely to have the patience for proofreading. You need to have the temperament to take your time to fully absorb the words on the page, so you can spot any mistakes or errors.
- A Degree: While not a skill, as we have touched on above, there are some companies and projects that specify that they require a proofreader who holds a degree. Most clients or recruitment sites will state in advance that you must have a certain level of education, so you can check if you have the qualifications needed to apply. However, if you have the experience, skills, and expertise, some clients will make an exception.
What Proofreading Tools Do I Need?
You will need a desktop computer or laptop to work on, ideally, but it’s up to you what you work best on (I love a laptop personally!).
There are some other tools that you can use to help make your proofreading job faster. Although it is worth noting that you shouldn’t rely on the tools to do your job for you as they won’t pick up everything.
Google Docs
You won’t regret using Google Docs as it’s so easy to use, and you can easily store lots of your documents within it.
You can easily share your work once it has been completed, and your client is able to add comments that you can then resolve.
Grammarly
This is a must-have for proofreaders as it is essentially an online tool for proofreading.
Grammarly is an amazing, time-saving tool for proofreaders and writers alike. Grammarly will scan the work and let you know of all grammar and spelling errors.
You will be able to decide if you want to change it or not, as there may be things that
Dropbox
If your clients don’t use Google Docs, then they may have Dropbox as an alternative, so make sure that you get an account set up and you know your way around it.
it picks up but you are happy with it due to the style of the writing.
Final Thoughts
Becoming an online proofreader is an amazing opportunity to make some great money online. It can be a perfect job for stay-at-home moms, students, or anyone who would like to earn some extra money.
If you’re serious about making some extra money as a proofreader or even turning it into a full-time job, we highly recommend you take Proofread Anywhere’s General Proofreading course.
You got this! Now go get your first client!
