How to Work from Home Proofreading - Work from Home Jobs, Online Jobs & Side Hustles

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Do you want to find out how you can get proofreading jobs from home?

In this blog post, I’ll tell you what it takes to become a proofreader, how much you can expect to earn as a freelance proofreader, 5 ways to get proofreading jobs from home, and how to get proofreading jobs without proofreading experience.

Proofreading offers great work-from-home jobs. The demand for writers, proofreaders, and editors continues to grow because of the high need of web content. You can find many proofreading jobs online and you’ll have many online proofreading jobs to choose from.

Providing proofreading services has a lot of benefits:

You can make good money working as a freelance proofreader. ZipRecruiter mentions that the average income of a freelance editor is $51,417/year.
Work from home or from anywhere.
Work part-time or full-time.
Most proofreading jobs give you are very flexible schedule.
No special equipment is needed (other than a computer)

Want to learn more about getting proofreading work from home, how to become a proofreader, and what’s involved? Check out this FREE workshop for proofreaders.

Who needs proofreaders?

You can do proofreading jobs for many different types of clients.

Writers: While writers often do their own proofreading, some outsource work to freelance proofreaders.
Publishers: The traditional publishing world used to be the biggest recruiter for proofreaders.
Online publishers, bloggers, and websites: This is a great market for proofreaders that provides ongoing work as web publishers and bloggers need ongoing content.
Students: You can work with college students who need their papers proofread and edited. These can be quick money-makers but the work will be seasonal.
Businesses: A large variety of businesses need proofreading of ad copy, web copy, promotional materials, and newsletters. Businesses can provide more consistent proofreading jobs.

You can proofread a variety of content:

Print books
eBooks
Website and blog content
Emails
Magazines
Brochures
Speeches
Letters

Some people specialize in one or more types of content while others take on any work they get.

Skills You Need to Get Proofreading Jobs

Typically, a professional proofreader works on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax errors. Proofreading jobs are not for everybody. It takes work and it can be tedious at times but it can also be rewarding work for the right people.

You won't qualify for all the proofreading and editing jobs that are posted on freelance sites and online job boards. Most companies will require some specific skills and qualifications. Qualification requirements vary depending on the type of proofreading job you'll do and the clients you're working with. And some jobs don't even require proofreading experience.

Here are some requirements you may need to get some proofreading jobs:

Proofreading experience.
Excellent grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills.
A college degree (but it's often not required).
Taking a good proofreading course may help you secure some proofreading jobs. I recommend checking out Caitlin's FREE Introductory Workshop on How to Become a Proofreader.
You may need to take proofreading, grammar, and punctuation tests.
Some jobs require that you are familiar with specific English usage standards.
Your resume (show your experience in editing or other relevant experience).
A list of previous proofreading jobs or projects you've done.
A list of clients you've worked with.
References of previous clients.

NOTE: Proofreading job ads don't ask if you have a degree. They ask for a writing sample and they usually like you to have experience writing in their niche topic or industry.

Keep reading to find out how to get proofreading jobs if you don't have proofreading experience.

Check out Caitlin Pyle’s FREE Introductory Workshop
to find out how to become a proofreader!

When working online proofreading jobs, you'll need a computer and a fast internet connection. It's also important that you have good work ethic and meet deadlines.

You must be reliable and provide accurate proofreading work on time every time. If you do a great job, you will often get repeat jobs from the same clients. Accuracy and reliability are also essential to get referral business and testimonials from existing clients.

The first step to becoming a proofreader

The first step to becoming a proofreader is to have the skills or learn the skills you need to do proofreading jobs from home.

Maybe you have acquired some proofreading experience at a previous job. If you don't have any proofreading experience, I recommend getting specialized training or a specialized proofreading course to learn proofreading skills.

You can take classes at a community college. One of the easiest ways to learn proofreading is by taking a specialized online proofreading course.

To learn more about getting proofreading work from home, how to become a proofreader, and what’s involved, I recommend this FREE workshop for proofreaders.

5 ways to get proofreading jobs

Look for help-wanted ads online. Different proofreading jobs will require different skills or different needs.
List your freelance proofreading services on relevant freelance sites.
Promote your services on Fiverr.
Look at job boards and freelance sites and start applying for some of the online freelance proofreading jobs that you qualify for.
You can promote your services on freelance sites.

Some good sites to find proofreading jobs include Remote.co, VirtualVocations (charges a small fee), Upwork, Freelancer, and others.

ClickWorker is one of the better microworking sites where you can find proofreading jobs.

Amazon Mturk. Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is the best-known micro-task site. They have tons of jobs, including typing, data entry, surveys, website ratings, and more.

See my large list of the best freelance sites here.

WARNING: When looking for proofreading jobs, make sure to avoid scam jobs from companies that require you to pay a fee. Real employers will never ask you to pay to get legit online proofreading jobs.

FlexJobs is a job search board that specializes in listing remote, freelance, flexible work-from-home jobs and freelance work. FlexJobs posts LEGITIMATE remote jobs almost every day. Every position posted at FlexJobs has been thoroughly vetted by a FlexJobs researcher and is offered by a reputable employer.

To find more freelance sites, see my blog post mentioning the best Freelance sites.

Set up a website

It's important to set up a website or blog to promote your services. Having a website or blog gives you the opportunity to showcase your error-free content, provide samples of any work you've done for others, provide testimonials if you have any, and mention any relevant experience you have. Learn more about setting up a money-making blog here.

How to get proofreading jobs with no proofreading experience

So, how can you get started if you don't have any proofreading experience, don't have previous clients, and don't have references?

Many clients do not require an experienced proofreader. Proofreading projects for people with no experience are usually simpler and may pay less but they are great to start your proofreading career.

Some types of proofreading jobs are easier to get than others. For example, it's easier to get jobs for website and blog proofreading than to get work from large publishing or proofreading companies. In fact, a lot of VAs are doing that kind of proofreading work without having to show any degrees or experience or background in proofreading.

One way to get references is by doing a few free proofreading jobs for bloggers, businesses or organizations that you are familiar with.
Offering discounts will help to get your first proofreading jobs. You can increase your rates after getting some testimonials from happy clients.
Social media sites. There are also many opportunities to network online. Be active on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. Network with bloggers, writers, and other proofreaders.

Taking a proofreading course is a great way to start proofreading work from home. It can help you find proofreading jobs easier and faster and help you avoid mistakes. Check out Caitlin's FREE workshop for proofreaders.

Proofreading is a great way to make money working from home and it gives you lots of flexibility. You can supplement your income while working from home. And you can make a full-time income once you've got a couple of regular clients.

Good luck with getting online proofreading jobs!

RESOURCES FOR PROOFREADERS

Taking a good proofreading course may help you secure some proofreading jobs. I recommend checking out Caitlin’s FREE Introductory Workshop on How to Become a Proofreader.

Check out Caitlin Pyle’s FREE Introductory Workshop
to find out how to become a proofreader

RESOURCES FOR FREELANCERS

You should sign a freelancing contract for any freelancing jobs you'll be doing. A contract should mention the obligations of both parties. It should mention the type of work you'll do, what the work entails, any details of how the work needs to be done when it needs to be finished, how much you'll get paid and any other information and details about the job you need to know. Some proofreading clients will have their own contracts they'll want you to sign. If a client doesn't give you a contract, you should give have them sign your own contract.

Don't forget to protect your freelance business with contracts. Check out this Freelance legal bundle for freelancers I recommend.

RESOURCES FOR WRITERS

If you’re ready to start brainstorming on the writing markets you might explore, you can get a free guide called 34 Ways to Profit from Your Writing. It’s a sneak peek into the Writer Help Wanted membership that gives you the training, resources, and handy tools to help you write for a living. Get the free guide here.

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