How do I become a proofreader with no experience?

Share this article: Research what a proofreader does and brush up on your core skills. Learn how to use common editing tools in Microsoft Word. Get to know some of the major style guides that proofreaders use. Volunteer your services to build some experience. Take our Becoming A Proofreader course to hone your skills. Oct 25, 2020

How Alaina is Paying Off Debt with a Proofreading Side Hustle (2024)

How Alaina is Paying Off Debt with a Proofreading Side Hustle (1)

I have Alaina Waagner stopping by today to shareher success story as a student of the course Transcript Proofreading: Theory and Practice™. Alaina actually hopped on board earlier when the course was just a single practice transcript and an eBook combo, then transitioned over to the multimedia version when we launched itin February. Alaina works a full-time job and has BIG GOALS to take charge of her financial life. What she’s doing to accomplish those goalsis incredible — she recouped her course investment and made a profit in just three weeks post-course completion. I hope you find her story as inspiring as I did!Enjoy!

So, Alaina, tell us a little about you and your background!

Reading and writing have always made up the bedrock of who I am. I have a BA in English from the University of Florida, and I moved to New York City about three and a half years ago to pursue my dream of working in book publishing. I now work at the world’s largest publisher, Penguin Random House, full-time, and I couldn’t be happier.

When did you start proofreading transcripts, and what made you decide to learn how to proofread transcripts?

One of my major goals for this year was getting my finances under control — meaning, pay down all credit card debt, get an actual savings account going, do a better job of budgeting where my money goes. To this end, I started using LearnVest.com, where I saw an article that featured Caitlin’s story about how she has been able to create a lucrative business out of proofreading transcripts. I had been trying to find a way for a while to supplement my income (as much as I love my job, publishing is well-known for poor pay, and living in New York is EXPENSIVE!), and this seemed like a golden opportunity.

I had previously thought about trying to pick up copyediting work but didn’t know how to go about it. Caitlin’s course offered the promise of walking me through every stage of learning to proof through getting clients, which I couldn’t resist. I completed the course in its earlier incarnation in, I believe, February, and supplemented it with the new course material when that came along.

What was the most challenging part in getting started?

Finding clients and learning to balance how much I can take on. In my zeal to find new clients, I volunteered to turn around 250 pages in 24 hours. Ouch. As difficult as it was, I did gain the reporter as a regular client, but I had to remind myself that I have other commitments, and I have to learn when to turn down jobs.

What was/were the most valuable thing(s) you learned during the course?

I think the course as a whole is incredibly valuable. I had no idea how court reporters functioned before, and the course offered an invaluable window into their world. Additionally, the practice transcripts gave me confidence. I know that I’m a great copyeditor in the traditional sense, but I worried about how well that would translate over to this world. The variety of transcripts, as well as Caitlin’s availability on email and on Facebook, to answer questions and provide support, was the most helpful part for me.

How long did it take you to find your first client? How many clients do you have now?

I think it took about two weeks of concerted effort before I got my first job. I’m still not sure which of the reporters that I have worked with so far will go on to be regular clients, but I think I have one or two on the hook at this point. Since I’m doing this part-time to supplement my 40-hour-a-week job, I’m not looking to take on too much, but I have been able to bill for over $600 worth of work so far this month 🙂

What advice would you give anyone thinking about enrolling in the course to proofread transcripts? Is it worth the money?

My best advice is to just be honest with yourself about your skills going into the course as well as your motivations. If this just seems like an easy way to make money, I’d advise you not to pursue it. While it’s great work in that it can be very flexible and portable, it’s still challenging work and best suited to those who already have an eye for error.

You have to be willing to work hard to learn the ropes, get clients, and then continue to work hard every day to provide top-quality services for your clients. There are times when I was neck-deep in a 500-page job that I questioned my sanity for taking it on. But, I’m on track to pay off my credit card twice as quickly as I was previously, and will be funding a long weekend in Charleston for my friend’s wedding using the money I make doing this. So yes, for me, this is absolutely worth it.

Congratulations on your success, Alaina!

Are you interested in learning to rockit as a transcript proofreader like Alaina? Transcript Proofreading: Theory and Practice™ is the intensive training course Alaina went through to make it happen for herself.Learn more aboutTranscript Proofreading: Theory and Practice™ or sign up for the free 7-day intro course below.

FAQs

Indeed reports that proofreaders average $24.92 per hour, and report hourly pay for top proofreading jobs in the U.S. at $26-$41 per hour. ZipRecruiter says proofreaders average $47,171 annually or $22 an hour on average.

Use social media: Use social media to let people know you're offering proofreading services. Also, join writers' groups on social media, and stay active in those groups as another way of networking. Print business cards: Eventually, you'll run into a potential client in person.

Freelance proofreading and/or editing can be a great part-time sideline, or even a full-time business. No special tools or equipment are required, so it's quick, cheap and easy to get started. It's reasonably paid, and you can work from home at hours to suit yourself.

Vacancies for this career have decreased by 67.90 percent nationwide in that time, with an average decline of 4.24 percent per year. Demand for Proofreaders and Copy Markers is expected to go up, with an expected 3,510 new jobs filled by 2029.

Share this article:

Research what a proofreader does and brush up on your core skills.
Learn how to use common editing tools in Microsoft Word.
Get to know some of the major style guides that proofreaders use.
Volunteer your services to build some experience.
Take our Becoming A Proofreader course to hone your skills.

Oct 25, 2020

Absolutely! Proofreading is a potentially lucrative side hustle for detail-oriented individuals who can help businesses and individuals produce error-free documents. If you have the skill set, proofreading is a great part-time gig work opportunity that you can do from home.

You'll be reading and checking a lot of documents for errors, and that requires concentration. If you're someone who gets distracted easily, proofreading may be difficult for you. At the very least, you'll need to train yourself to concentrate. Distractions around you will be counterproductive to this kind of work.

The estimated total pay for a Proofreader is ₹4,27,510 per year, with an average salary of ₹4,17,510 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users.

Proofreaders fresh out of the gate can expect to earn around $0.03 per word, while proofreaders with a few years of experience under their belt, regardless of if they have industry knowledge or a college degree, often earn around $0.10 to $0.15 per word.

A Freelance Proofreader in your area makes on average $28 per hour, or $0.83 (30.146%) more than the national average hourly salary of $27.65.