12. Editing and Proofreading

Editing and proofreading is a job that is in constant demand. Written articles, stories, reviews or even
reports need to be proofread, edited and corrected before they can be submitted.
There has been an increase of work due to the number of freelance sites emerging to assist writers,
publishers and students to be able to submit work that is free from spelling and grammatical errors.
For some freelancers, this can become a full time job although it can also provide an excellent second
income.
In order to make money proofreading, here are some steps you can take:
● You can sign up with freelancing sites, apply for jobs and also provide a profile for others to
contact you to offer you work. Some of the positions ask you to "bid" competitively with other
workers and others you can offer samples of your work to be offered work.
● Register with job sites such as Indeed, SimplyHired and Monster Jobs where you can post a C.V
showing your qualifications and skills, allowing employers to contact you.
● Register on websites which provide editing/proof Reading services to their customers. Websites
that specialize in providing these services include Mulberry Studio, Proofread NOW, and Wordfirm.
Check these sites daily and set up email alerts for suitable positions to be emailed to you.
● Build your own website to advertise your service to prospective clients.
● There are proofreading and editors groups e.g. Editorial Freelancers Association that you can join
which offer help and assistance in looking for work.
What Skills and Expertise Do You Need?
● It is imperative that you have excellent writing skills and a good command of the language you are
editing or proofreading. You need to have a good eye for detail, good computer skills, be creative
and be able to write in different styles.
Dependent on the work you are applying for, you may need specialized knowledge or be confident in
that knowledge.
● You need to have a computer with up to date software and be able to use that software such as
Microsoft Word, with formatting, page layouts, spell checking, and grammar.
● Be able to understand and use words – different meanings and understandings. Be careful to only
submit work that has been checked and double checked.
● To adapt your personal style and replicate the style required.
How much can I make from editing/proofreading jobs?
As mentioned previously this work can become full-time or used as a second income and it is
possible to earn $5 to $40 per hour depending on the work being completed. The work may be paid
per hour or on completion of the work.
Remember if it is a large project to negotiate a sliding rate rather than wait until the end of the
project to be paid.
The rate also depends on how specialized the work is, the higher rates earned with academic
projects with specialized terminolog