Why Should You Take an Online Proofreading Course? (2024)

FAQs

Why Should You Take an Online Proofreading Course? ›

If you're new to freelance proofreading, taking an online proofreading course is a great way to get the skills you need to launch your career. A proofreading course teaches you the fundamentals, such as grammar, punctuation, and basic computer skills, as well as how to find clients and advertise your services.

A proofreading course will help you become acquainted with style guides. A class will also let you use your new proofreading skills with numerous documents to find out where you excel and which areas you need to improve.

Proofreading helps to make it easier for others to read. One of the most common writing mistakes is missing out on words. When we write, we know what we're trying to say, so our brains might sometimes skip out words. However, for someone else reading the work, they don't know what you're trying to say.

Proofreading is the final stage of checking a text before it is published or shared. It focuses on correcting minor errors and inconsistencies (for example, in punctuation and capitalization). Proofreaders often also check for formatting issues, especially in print publishing.

If so, then you're an excellent candidate for proofreading. Proofreading is a flexible, low-stress side hustle that you can balance with your full-time job. A lot of my students want to start proofreading because they love to read and have a sharp eye for detail. I think those are excellent reasons.

Your brain knows the final product of your writing and will sometimes skip ahead or make connections between your ideas that you may have thought of but never wrote down. Or, when you're proofreading your work, your brain may automatically know what you meant to write and will skip over a mistake.

AI Can't Elevate Content with Creative Suggestions

For example, proofreaders often have to adjust formatting to improve clarity and coherency — something that requires creative thinking, a nuanced understanding of the intended audience, and knowledge of the author's preferences.

Proofreading your writing on a regular basis can help you identify your own strengths and weaknesses and understand where you make mistakes. If you are aware of the common errors you make, you can learn to look for them during the writing process itself. Over a period of time, will learn to avoid them altogether.

The three main focuses of proofreading are to address and remove grammar and punctuation errors, improve word choice, and ensure writing is correctly formatted to a brief or style guide.

What are the goals of proofreading? ›

It's hard to make money as a proofreader at first if you decide to freelance. Building any business takes a lot of effort, persistence, and patience. You'll have to dedicate a substantial amount of time at the start to marketing your services. You can earn roughly $12–$18 per hour as a beginner.

As of Sep 10, 2024, the average hourly pay for a Proofreader in the United States is $27.65 an hour. While ZipRecruiter is seeing hourly wages as high as $43.99 and as low as $13.70, the majority of Proofreader wages currently range between $20.43 (25th percentile) to $33.65 (75th percentile) across the United States.

A Proofreader's Job Description

You don't even need a degree to work in publishing anymore! Many companies, writers, and publishing houses hire proofreaders based on their skills and knowledge of publishing standards. You can learn the skills you need, and how to meet client expectations, by taking courses.

The Need for Proofreaders Is Real

The rise of content automation has further increased the demand for proofreaders. Automated tools can generate text quickly but often lack the nuanced understanding of language that human proofreaders provide.