What is Proofreading?
Are you a stickler for language? Do you notice mistakes when you read publications?
Do you have an extraordinary skill at editing and noticing grammatical mistakes or errors?
If you have the ability for making things sound good on paper, then, a proofreading job might be an incredible fit for you.
P.S: If you like this article, don’t forget to like us on Facebook and be part of the community! You can also get the latest making money online opportunities sent to you via email for FREE if you subscribe.
Now going back, while you may feel that only the major companies hire a full-time proofreader with their own corporate office, you might want to think again.
Proofreaders are sought after, especially for online businesses and there is a wide range of ways where you can profit from home as a proofreader.
Since you can proofread anything from anywhere, it is a great alternative for profiting from home.
Work-from-home proofreaders can even set their own working hours and they can work at their own pace.
If you think you want to pursue a career being a proofreader, here is what you need to know:
A LOT of people work from home as proofreaders, and there are companies that offer ongoing or contractual work that is readily available.
Keep in mind that companies often prefer hiring proofreaders with experience.
Difference between Editors and Proofreaders
Editors and proofreaders are frequently thought of as interchangeable, however, there are particular differences between the two.
Editors determine the final content of a material.
They prepare the material for publication by going through the material, reordering, polishing, refining, sorting, organizing and enhancing it.
They may change or remove out the contents from the material and they change the tone of voice.
On the other hand, proofreading fundamentally centers around getting blunders in sentence structure, spelling, linguistic structure, and formatting.
Proofreaders review materials just before it goes to publication or distribution.
While editors likewise proofread, proofreaders are not considered as editors.
Proofreaders and editors are proficient and talented, yet proofreading does not require a thorough examination of the material.
Proofreading jobs are abundant, especially in the business world and in the realm of online publishing.
Numerous organizations, authors, and bloggers are searching for a cautious eye to audit their material and catch any undeniable blunders.
How Much Proofreaders Earn
Most freelancers on Upwork may offer their services at an hourly rate of 30 USD up to 60 USD, depending on the individual’s skills and working experience.
Some freelancers offer “Professional Editing and Proofreading”, “Writing, Editing and Proofreading” and even Copywriting.
If you’re an entrepreneur who has experience outsourcing tasks, you can consider hiring an offshore proofreader.
The rate for proofreading in the Philippines may range from 150 PHP up to 900 PHP per hour (that is 3-20 USD per hour).
Proofreading and editing prices may range from 0.9-1.75 cents to 3 cents per word.
The average professional proofreader may charge 0.09 USD per word.
According to Caitlin Pyle from proofreadanywhere.com:
“For a nonfiction novel that’s anywhere from 15,000 – 35,000 words, a proofreader can earn between $100 – $500 for that project. Yes, that’s a bit of a range, but it gives you some idea as to what to expect for that particular type of project.”
What proofreaders earn depends on their pace and they can charge more for rush works.
If you do not have a work experience as a proofreader, you might want to brush up your skill by joining free online proofreading classes or by writing your own samples where it can easily be seen online.
A good portfolio, and competitive rate can compensate for the lack of experience.
Having your own sample online is one of the easiest ways to build an online reputation that will help you in future proofreading jobs since most clients will ask for samples.
Continue reading below and you’ll see 5 of the best platforms to make money proofreading.
Companies Where You Can Make Money as a Proofreader
1. American Journal Experts
The website offers editing services and hires work-from-home editors and proofreaders. They also hire individuals with graduate degrees as remote contractors.
You can check the available positions on their careers page.
2. Upwork
Upwork Is one of the world’s largest online platform for freelancers including writers, editors, and proofreaders.
You can apply for short-term tasks, recurring projects or full-time contract.
Upwork can be a magnificent place to begin to develop your skills while you build an online reputation.
This is also where I first made money online ($11,000+ part time) by working as a freelancer.
Clients from different fields or businesses are searching for talented proofreaders.
You can bid on proposals to proofread logical research papers, survey/questionnaires, promotional materials, eBooks, and literature.
3. Fiverr
Fiverr is also one of the world’s largest freelance platform or marketplace where people offer their goods or services.
It is another incredible option to build experience and online reputation.
While some freelance-proofreader offers 5 USD per gig, other proofreaders may charge more than 200 USD up to 995 USD per gig.
You can proofread documents, resumes, website contents, eBooks, college papers and promotional materials.
If you want to learn more about making money online with Fiverr, you can read my post about Fiverr by clicking this link.
4. Proofreadingservices.com
Proofreadingservices.com offers editing and proofreading services to Academics, Jobseekers, Business, and Authors.
They hire full-time and part-time proofreaders from any country and they offer competitive pay and flexible hours.
When you apply as an online proofreader, you have to complete the 20-minute preliminary test that may consist of 20 questions.
You may take the test by going on this link.
5. Editfast.com
The company offers free estimates to clients and freelance opportunities to proofreaders.
Freelancers can work with clients on various projects that will enhance their skills and experience in different fields.
As a proofreader for the website, your task revolves around checking for the following items:
- Spelling, typos
- Extra spaces
- Extra words (double words)
- Punctuation
- Grammatical, typographical, and style errors
- Word usage
- Line-break hyphenation
- Page breaks
- Figures and tables (Proofed only. No formatting)
- Text footnotes
You can learn more about how Editfast system works for proofreaders by visiting this page.
Home-Based Proofreading Business
On a different note, if you do not like working for someone else, you can start by proofreading for others.
When you start your own proofreading business, it gives you the option to work remotely, choose your schedule and set your own rate.
What you need
When starting this business, you need a good understanding of punctuation, grammar, and writing.
You need to be familiar with major style guides, software and writing apps.
You also need a specific target market and you have to determine the amount you will charge for your services.
Aside from that, you need to create a business name and be ready to start looking for clients through marketing.
Conclusion
Making money online by proofreading is very profitable.
The opportunities are endless as more and more business owners seek this specialism for their business needs.
You can choose to start part-time proofreading at the side, and once you get the hang of it and started to acquire clients and projects, you can then decide to go full-time.
Have you made any money proofreading online? Please share us your stories by leaving a comment below. We would love to hear from you 
