If you are a freelancer looking for proofreading freelance jobs online, then you are in the right place.
No matter how carefully you write, mistakes happen. Who better to point them out than another pair of eyes? And who better to fix them than a real live proofreader?
Every piece of written content on the web needs to be proofread. There is no such thing as a “perfect” piece of text, and every word has the potential to be misunderstood.
For this reason, it’s essential that everyone gets their content proofread before they hit publish. That’s why, in a nutshell, there are so many proofreading freelance jobs online.
In this article, we’ll talk about what proofreading is, the skills a proofreader needs, and the best places to get proofreading freelance jobs online.
Related: Top Freelance Services to Offer From Home
But first, what do we mean when we talk about proofreading?
What is Proofreading?
The words proofreading and editing are mentioned together and can cause confusion, but they don’t mean the same thing. Spelling and grammatical problems are the primary emphases of proofreading skills.
Proofreading involves checking for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, formatting, and style guidelines. They also correct mistakes when needed.
Sentence rewriting and reorganizing texts is not a requirement for proofreaders but for editors.
A proofreader needs to understand the difference between the two when looking for proofreading jobs online to avoid messing up your gigs.
Frequently, job adverts use both terms interchangeably and you need to be very clear about what the client actually wants you to do.
Transcription jobs are examples of jobs that require a lot of proofreading, especially when dealing with machine transcription scripts.
Now, let’s take a look at what skills you need to perform proofreading jobs.
Skills required to do proofreading freelance jobs online
You don’t need to be extra qualified to get a proofreader job, you will need the following skills;
- Great spelling and grammar skills
- Reading and comprehension skills
- A firm command of the language you will proofread in — for example, a native English speaker if you will do English proofreading jobs
- Some knowledge of the subject matter being discussed
- Be keen on details
- Fast typing speed
That’s it for you to work as a remote proofreader. It’ll suffice to help you start a job as a proofreader online.
The great thing is that if you have some basic education, these are skills that can easily teach yourself by taking some online courses or watching YouTube videos.
If you would like to pursue proofreading as a career, you’ll need something more, like experience or qualifications, to back up your talents. Some high-paying jobs may require a degree for you to do proofreading work.
When pursuing a freelance career, you soon realize that there are many high-income skills that you can teach yourself to increase your income streams as a freelancer.
How Much Can You Earn Doing Proofreading Freelance Jobs Online?
According to Salary.com, an experienced proofreader can expect to earn an annual median salary of $53,900.
An entry-level proofreader with no experience can earn anywhere from $10 to over $30 per hour. The more experience you gain, the better placed you are to bargain for higher pay.
Best Online Proofreading jobs for beginners
1. Proofreading freelance jobs online at ProofreadingServices.com
ProofreadingServices.com is the place to go if you’re looking for online proofreading jobs. They have a vast database of jobs that are updated daily.
You can peruse their database of jobs by category or location, or you can just let the search bar bring up jobs that meet your criteria.
There are jobs for every level of proofreader at this website, and they update their database daily. You really can’t go wrong here.
2. Proofreading jobs on Upwork
Upwork is a website that hosts freelancer job listings in an enormous variety of categories, including proofreading. If you are just starting out, there are plenty of entry-level proofreading jobs on this platform.
If you are looking for short-term proofreading freelance jobs online, Upwork is great because it is free to use and lists a lot of jobs in a wide range of categories and you can start there.
3. LinkedIn proofreading jobs
Most people do not realize that you can get jobs on LinkedIn.
Click on “jobs” and then type proofreading in the search bar. Linkedin will show you a list of all available proofreading jobs.
Scroll through the jobs noting the requirements and then apply to as many as you are qualified for.
The thing with LinkedIn is that you may not get a job as soon as you apply. You may have to keep trying.
However, there are many high-paying clients on LinkedIn and once you land on a few good clients, you may not need to look elsewhere for clients.
4. Flexjobs proofreading jobs
Flexjobs is a huge remote jobs marketplace where you can get any freelance job, including proofreading.
Just type in proofreading in the Flexjobs search bar and scroll down to see all the listed jobs. You may have to create an account on the platform to apply for the jobs.
5. Make money proofreading online at Click Worker
Click Worker is another website that lists jobs at all skill levels.
When you sign up for an account at Click Worker, you take a test that determines your skill level. If you pass, they automatically approve your account for one of the lowest-level jobs listed on the site.
Once you complete your first job, they determine your skill level again. Once you move up to one of the higher levels, you can apply for more advanced proofreading jobs.
6. Fiverr Proofreading jobs
If you’re experienced and are looking for better-paying proofreading job sites, you can always try your hand at Fiverr.
Fiverr is a website where you can sell your services online, and it’s also a good place to find proofreading jobs. You can choose different jobs from several skills, including proofreading.
If you have proofreading experience, you can charge more.
7. Freelance proofreading jobs on Guru
Guru is like Fiverr, but it’s geared more toward larger jobs. You can charge more per hour than on most websites, so you’re more likely to find proofreading jobs online that pay well.
If you are an experienced proofreader looking to make a decent living while doing something you love, this is the place to go.
8. Proofread for money on Freelancer
Freelancer is a more general job board, but there are still some high-paying proofreading jobs available. Keep in mind that you will need to be qualified and experienced to apply for these jobs.
Your clients at Freelancer will want to know that you are qualified, so make sure you have some proofreading samples to share. The pay is better than some of the other freelancer sites, but the expectations are higher as well.
9. Earn by proofreading on EditFast
EditFast is another place to look for proofreading jobs online that pay well.
This website has a database of over 10,000 online career opportunities, including proofreading. They also have a search function on their page where you can narrow down the type of job you’re looking for.
This website is free to use, and they have an extensive database of jobs at all skill levels.
10. Craigslist proofreading gigs
Craigslist is another place to look for proofreading jobs online. Just be careful what ads you respond to.
Some gigs on Craigslist are scams, so proceed carefully. You’ll also need to be careful about where you are posting your resume.
Craigslist has a jobs section, but it’s also full of job scams. If you choose to look for proofreading jobs on Craigslist, make sure you are diligent about checking out the company first.
11. Remote proofreading jobs on People Per Hour
People Per Hour is another website to check out when you are looking for proofreading freelance jobs online. This website is absolutely inundated with jobs, but it’s easy enough to filter through them to find the jobs that are best for you.
Some people prefer this website over Fiverr because you have a greater selection of jobs, and they have a higher payout.
12. Scribendi
If you are looking for proofreading jobs online with experience, Scribendi is a great place to look.
Start by creating your own profile and then post a resume of your experience.
You’ll need to be qualified and experienced to apply for the jobs on this site, but Scribendi is an excellent place to start your proofreading job search.
13. SimplyHired
SimplyHired is an aggregator of jobs from other sites.
It’s not the most obvious place to look for proofreading jobs online when you’re just starting out, but it has an extensive collection of hundreds of jobs.
It’s also free to use this website, so it’s a great place to start your job hunt.
14. Indeed proofreading side jobs
If you’re looking for proofreading jobs online with experience, Indeed is a great place to look. You can search by location as well as by skill level.
Indeed has a lot of jobs available for all different experience levels.
15. Gramlee
Gramlee claims to always be in search of proofreaders. What you do here is you fill out their employment application and wait to hear back from them.
They will bring the work to you, and that means you won’t have to hunt down clients. However, it’s unknown how many people they hire or how many people are currently working for them.
16. MediaBistro proofreading gigs
MediaBistro is a website that’s geared toward writers, but they have a jobs board that includes proofreading gigs.
This portal aggregates job postings from all over the web, so if you’re just getting started in the proofreading industry, you can start here.
17. Proofreading Pal
Proofreading Pal is a service that offers proofreading and editing services to professional writers.
They think of themselves as a mix between a freelance service and an employment service.
You can apply for jobs on this site and wait to hear about the positions. When they get back to you saying they have hired you for the job, you can choose to take the job or not.
18. Proofread for money with Reedsy
If you’re looking for proofreading freelance jobs online, this is another place to look.
Reedsy offers a platform for freelance writers and editors to connect with their clients and actually do the editing and proofreading work.
19. Find proofreading jobs on Google
It may surprise you that doing a simple Google search for proofreading jobs might unearth several jobs that are not listed on other job boards or freelancer sites.
I have personally done this and been surprised to get a job I could not have known existed otherwise.
Try it yourself and see what comes up.
19. Create a proofreading business
The thing about creating your own business is that you are fully in control in terms of how much you charge, when to work, how to work, etc. You are also in control of the type of clients you choose to work for.
Besides that, you can create employment by employing others in your business.
The easiest way to create a business is to create a website and then advertise your proofreading services there.
How to start a proofreading career
The first thing you want to do is build up some experience if you have none. Even if you are an experienced proofreader, you can always use more samples to show potential clients before you start creating accounts on a few of the websites we have mentioned above.
Once you have some experience under your belt, start contacting the companies that hire proofreaders. If you find a company that seems like a good fit, send them some samples and ask for the opportunity to do the work.
If you don’t hear back from them, check back in about two months just to follow up on your earlier application. If you still don’t hear back from them, then it’s safe to assume that the company is not interested in your services.
Be flexible with your schedule when looking for proofreading freelance jobs online if you don’t have any experience yet. However, if you’ve been doing this for years, you’ll want to be choosier about the jobs you choose.
If you go the freelancing route, be aware that you’ll need to constantly look for work.
If you’re good at what you do, the work will eventually come to you. However, in the early days, you’ll need to pursue customers to make enough money for the effort to be worthwhile.
It’s also a good idea to start out by working for free on shorter pieces of work. This will get you some experience, and it will help you gain a client base you can work with in the future.
You can use the work you did for free as samples to show future clients. Almost everyone who hires you will want some proof of your abilities as a proofreader and the only way most newbies get it is by working for free for a few clients.
However, don’t fall into the rat race of constantly lowering your prices.
You will be tempted to keep lowering your prices to get more work. The problem with that is you’ll be competing with all the other proofreaders who are also lowering their prices. A high-quality proofreader is hard to find, so perfect your skills and charge more as you become better.
Charge what you feel is a fair price and find customers who are willing to pay it. A race to the bottom is something you’ll never win, and many people will take advantage of you if you go that route.
Final thoughts on proofreading freelance jobs online
It should be clear by now that if you have a way with words and you have a keen eye for detail, proofreading is a job you can start with no experience.
With experience, you can easily land well-paying clients or even start your own proofreading agency.
Let me know which company you would like to start with as you kick-start your proofreading career.