How to Become an Online Proofreader

Last Updated: November 25, 2022 References Approved

Online proofreaders help website owners to identify mistakes before posting their web pages, preventing them from alienating prospective visitors to their sites. The ever-increasing number of websites provides opportunities for freelance proofreaders to get paid to correct spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors. If you have good writing skills, an excellent command of the language, and an eye for detail, you can make extra income as an online proofreader. Here are things you need to know to become an online proofreader.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Developing Your Proofreading Skills

1
Be well-read. To be an online proofreader or any proofreader requires a love of reading. You should enjoy reading several forms of writing and become familiar with several writing styles, as well as acquire knowledge in a broad range of subjects.
2
Understand the specific skills required of an online proofreader. Proofing online text successfully requires knowledge of correct word usage and punctuation, spelling words correctly and recognizing common word confusions ("then" for "than," etc.), and understanding what the writer intended to say through careful re-reading of the text.^{[1]
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3
Develop your computer skills. Website text you'll proofread will either be sent to you by email, or you'll be given access to a site where the draft text can be downloaded from or edited directly. If you download the text to your computer, you'll need to be familiar with the proofreading and editing tools in your word processing program, such as Microsoft Word's "Track Changes" and "Insert Comments" features. If you proofread the text directly, you'll have to learn whatever online proofing tool you'll be asked to use.^{[2]
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- Some clients may instead prefer you to print out the text, proofread it manually, then fax it back. In those cases, you'll need to know how to use a printer and fax, as well as the symbols used in proofreading and copy editing manually.
4
Consider formal training as a proofreader. At a minimum, high school courses in English, journalism, and literature will give you a foundation in the language and proofreading skills you'll have to have. You can supplement this knowledge with courses at a college or university, a community college, or online, as well as with online tutorials.^{[3]
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- Online classes are available from such organizations as e-Learners, Universalclass.com, and Mediabistro.com.
5
Familiarize yourself with several stylebooks. While classes can give you a foundation in English, the organizations you'll be working with often adopt an established style guide or create their in-house guide. At a minimum, you should become familiar with the AP Style Guide, used by most newspapers and online news organizations and many websites, and the Yahoo Style Guide, used by many other organizations with a Web presence. Other stylebooks to consider include the Chicago Manual of Style, the New York Times Manual of Style, and the AMA Manual of Style.^{[4]
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- For an overall refresher on usage, read "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk and E.B. White.
6
Build a reference library. In addition to the style manuals listed above, you should have a dictionary and thesaurus and, depending on the clients you plan to work for, specialized dictionaries of medical, scientific, legal, or financial terminology.
- You should also become familiar with and bookmark reference websites such as Dictionary.com; however, it can sometimes be faster or more effective to look something up in a book than online.
7
Practice your proofreading skills on what you read. Look at books, newspapers, websites, and even the text displayed on TV news programs and commercials with a critical eye. This will teach you to spot errors in spelling, punctuation, and usage of words.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Finding Online Proofreading Jobs

1
Decide on the area(s) in which you wish to specialize. If you have particular areas of interest, such as proofreading financial, legal, or medical websites, you may want to concentrate your efforts in these areas. You may need some additional training in your area(s) of specialty, but you may also reap more financial rewards and more personal satisfaction from specializing than from trying to proofread anything that comes across your radar.
2
Use the Internet. You can find several websites offering online proofreading jobs by typing "online proofreading jobs" or "proofreading at home assignments" into an Internet search engine. Not only that, but you can register with these sites, and you can list your services on job boards and freelance marketing sites.^{[5]
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- Websites that specialize in providing proofreading and editing services include Mulberry Studio, Proofread NOW, and Word firm. Some services specialize in areas such as business communications, while others provide additional services such as transcription, indexing, or proofreading in multiple languages. Some services also offer promotional assistance to proofreaders who contract with them, such as the ability to create or link to their websites. You may have to have at least 2 to 3 years of proofreading or editing experience, sufficient computer equipment, and typing speed, and you may also have to take a test to qualify to work with them.
- Freelance marketing sites include Guru and Upwork. These sites list clients with jobs, and you bid competitively with other freelancers to win the job. Freelancers are listed on these sites by the level of experience; some sites also offer enhanced listings for a fee.
- Job boards include Monster.com and Jobs.com. You post a resume with your experience and set up a keyword search for jobs you're interested in. Job boards are devoted primarily to jobseekers looking for full- or part-time work as employees of a company, but they may also offer to telecommute positions or contract work as well.
3
Approach website owners directly. Look for websites with a lot of written content and approach the site owner or webmaster. Look in the Contact Us section of the website for email addresses; you'll want one with a person's name or at least "webmaster" in the address instead of a generic term such as "info."
4
Build your website. Having your website will let you advertise your online proofreading services and show your professionalism to prospective clients. You'll have to develop your skills in search engine optimization (SEO) to help clients find your site in an Internet search, and you'll also have to make sure your site is free of spelling and grammatical errors.
5
Consider volunteering your services initially. You can approach non-profit organizations and start-up businesses with an offer to proofread their websites for free, in exchange for referrals to other, paying clients. Be upfront about your purpose at the beginning so that you receive the kind of referrals you want, instead of other volunteer assignments.

Community Q&A

Question

How long does it take for one to be a professional proofreader?

Community Answer

It depends on how good you are already, but to start fresh, it is about five months.
Question

How much can I expect to make?

Community Answer

You could make probably between $40,000-$50,000 per year, but it varies depending on your abilities.
Question

I'm very interested in the job. What's the next step?

Community Answer

Apply for the job immediately.

Warnings

There is no guarantee that you will land work with any of the online proofreading/editing services once you register with them. You must have the specific background a client is looking for to be considered, or at least sufficient specialized knowledge in that area to be able to quickly learn the rest of what you need to know.

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