Proofreading is classified and popularly known as a job that gives room for flexibility; however, it being popular doesn’t make it easy to get work. Here, you will find the best platforms to acquire proofreading jobs online with no experience.
The best proofreading jobs online that don’t require experience of any kind can be found only on a few platforms. You will be shown where to get work, how to start, and how much you can earn per platform. It’s important to note that proofreading jobs discussed here aren’t ghostwriting, editing, or document re-writing.
Where Can You Find Proofreading Jobs Online?
Freelance platforms
On these platforms, you will be able to bid on proofreading jobs and also bill the client as much as you want. Corporations hire proofreaders, and they work as an employee or as self-sufficient contractors.
Crowd-sourcing platforms
On these platforms, all you have to do is select any suitable proofreading tasks, execute the tasks, and get paid nearly immediately.
However, proofreading comes with responsibilities that are outrightly stated here.
Understanding Proofreader Duties
Misspellings, incorrect grammar, and missing or misused punctuation are all things that proofreaders search for and rectify. You don’t rearrange paragraphs or rephrase phrases; that’s what editors do. After all of the editing has been completed, proofreading is the final stage before a document is published.
When it comes to editing, the terms proofreading and editing are frequently used interchangeably, yet they serve different purposes. For every editorial process or structural or copywriting comes the necessity of proofreading. What does a proofreader do?
Easy, a proofreader corrects mistakes by double-checking to avoid errors like
- Typographical errors;
- Awkward page and word breaks;
- Inconsistencies in style and layout;
- Missing punctuations and spelling mistakes; and
- Any other possible issues that may disrupt the reading flow or experience.
Why Is Editing Different From Proofreading?
Editing means altering the sentence structure and rearranging the paragraphs to make them flow better. Proofreading, on the other hand, is the final act on a document to look through and ensure it is free of mistakes. Proofreading is based on a wide range of contents, not excluding eBooks, short narratives, and articles, but proofreading for blogs is quickly becoming the most popular employment for newcomers.
Qualifications Needed To Become A Proofreader
No special qualifications and certifications are needed to be a proofreader; however, having a bachelor’s degree in fields such as Journalism, Linguistics, and Communication. Of personal interest, you can venture into other fields of study, especially if you want to work on academic or technical content.
Proofreading Jobs Online That Requires No Experience
Highlighted below are the best platforms to get proofreading jobs online with no experience; you can make use of these platforms from the comfort of your own home, even if you have no prior expertise. They are, in fact, the only sites that feature true proofreading work rather than editing jobs, making them the only ones worth your time as a beginner.
1. ProofreadingServices
Pay: Pay ranges from $19 to $46 per hour, depending on the speed with which the task is completed, and they also provide flexible full-time and part-time positions.
Proofreading Services is a well-known organization that employs Proofreaders to analyze written material for a wide range of clients. While most proofreading organizations need a bachelor’s degree, ProofreadingServices place a greater focus on their 20-minute proofreading exam. As long as you pass their admission exam, they will hire you as a rookie proofreader (more on that in a minute).
ProofreadingServices.com provides a straightforward application procedure: Simply visit their careers page, click the ‘Apply To Be An Online Proofreader’ option and fill out the application. The test includes questions on fundamental English grammar and spelling, as well as a brief essay part.
You have 20 minutes to finish the assessment, which they say the majority of individuals pass in under 15 minutes. You become a Proofreader when you score at least 95% on the exam given.
The assessment consists of a segment of multiple-choice questions concentrating on your grammar and English abilities, as well as a section for you to identify any professional experience you may have, such as transcribing, resume writing, or teaching. Do not skip this section. If Proofreadingservices.com determines that you are not a good fit for proofreading, you may be offered a position in transcribing or teaching.
2. Upwork
Upwork differs from the other two alternatives in that it allows you to start your own proofreading business. It’s a fantastic freelance employment site with plenty of proofreading chances, even if you don’t have any prior experience. The bulk of proofreading jobs I’ve encountered is with blog owners that require someone to proofread their entries.
The first thing you should do is create an account on Upwork. Then, establish an Upwork profile that highlights your proofreading expertise. After you’ve completed your profile, go ahead and look through the available jobs, narrowing them down to those that are relevant to proofreading. Send the customer a proposal, and if they approve it, you may begin working.
3. Fiverr
You will receive 80% of the agreed-upon fee, meaning you will receive $4.00 out of every $5.00 gig or more if add-ons are included.
This is a most sought-after platform with limited accessibility. Fiverr has about 16,000 active verified vendors and 3.42 million active customers. Fiverr is a standard freelancing marketplace where you search for and bid on jobs that interest you. And mostly, you get proofreading jobs online with no experience.
You’re a ‘Seller’ on Fiverr, and you sell your proofreading skills so that individuals or businesses may contact you with their assignments. The projects are typically modest and simple to do, and if you’re skilled, you may earn a lot of money.
The platform is simple to use and navigate, and you can see what other Proofreaders are doing for their clients and how much they charge right away. This gives you a nice place to start when creating your profile and makes you get proofreading.
Ways of Getting Proofreading Jobs on Fiverr
Follow these basic steps to get started as a seller on Fiverr:
- You must register on its platform to have an account.
- To set up your gig, click Create a New Gig and fill up the fields.
- Choose a Service Type to have your gig appear in the Fiverr search.
- Choose a delivery time when you can complete your proofreading job.
- Choose your gig’s pricing, which starts at $5.00.
- Upload a profile photo.
- To make your gig visible to Fiverr buyers, click Publish Gig.
Fiverr provides comprehensive beginner’s instruction that is well worth reading.
Here are some ideas to pique people’s interest in your proofreading job:
- Be specific in your gig description. Make sure the title and description indicate the type of job you’ll be doing, such as proofreading.
- Take a peek at other Seller jobs to gain some inspiration.
- Set your fee to reflect the value of your service. Charge less if you’re doing basic proofreading on a 500-word blog post than proofreading a 2000-word piece.
- Make sure the delivery time for your performance is reasonable. Is it possible for you to deliver within the time stated? The major reason you aren’t being hired is that your profile is terrible.
- Make sure your profile photo is clear, your title is relevant, and your description is grammatically correct and accurately conveys what you do.
4. Clickworker
This is the best place to look for crowd-sourced proofreading jobs. The backbone of Clickworker is the crowd-sourcing technique. In other words, people and businesses advertise proofreading jobs, and employees, known as Clickworkers, pick and complete the work. There is no interview, no long application to fill out, and no hiring procedure.
You may register as a ‘Clickworker,’ which is based in the United States and accepts employees from all around the world, and start performing minor proofreading jobs online with no experience projects right away (more on that in a minute).
One thing to bear in mind is that progress on Clickworker is intermittent at best. There might be multiple proofreading tasks one day and none the next.
As a result, if you’re seeking a way to supplement your income, Clickworker is the way to go. However, if you’re speedy and can complete a large number of proofreading projects in a month, you can earn several hundred bucks.
How To Work As A Proofreader on Clickworker
The concept is straightforward: you go into your Clickworker dashboard, browse the available proofreading gigs, start working, and get paid. For their crowdsourcers,
Requirements To Work On Clickworker:
- Understanding your native tongue is paramount.
- Excellent use of English is required.
- You take pleasure in rectifying others’ errors.
- You must be able to remember all of the job instructions.
- To get started, you must first register and provide basic information about your language abilities.
- Then, head to the Assessments section and take the tests offered on the platform. This will show you have the necessary skills to be a Proofreader.
To obtain insight into the internal processes involved in subsequent proofreading work, every proofreader must first gain experience as a texter.
Before you can take the proofreader evaluation test, you must first qualify as an author and complete a few text production projects. If you have proofreading experience, you may be able to get work online because these platforms typically recruit remote Proofreaders with some expertise; here’s what you can do:
To begin, do some work using one of the ‘no-experience-required’ organizations I mentioned previously. Even if it’s only a little, doing so will offer you some experience. Then, take a look at one of these locations to see if you think you’d be a good fit. Finally, look for a job and earn money.
5. EditFast
EditFast recruits competent Proofreaders, Editors, and Writers as Independent Contractors on a case-by-case basis. Before you may start working, you must first register and pass the EditFast approval procedure. A profile page is created as part of the registration process, allowing EditFast clients to view and select you as their Proofreader.
6. ProofreadingPal
ProofreadingPal recruits work-from-home Proofreaders who are employed by or enrolled as graduate or postgraduate students at a recognized US university. Graduating with at least a GPA of 3.5 is non-negotiable to be considered for a position OR have a bachelor’s degree.
Tips For Becoming A Successful Proofreader
We discussed how these platforms are among the finest freelancing sites for finding proofreading tasks for novices, but it is also terrific place for experienced proofreaders to obtain work. Here is how to establish yourself in the industry and get a proofreading job online with no experience.
Specialize In A Niche
Do you wish to give particular proofreading services for bloggers, for example? Is resume proofreading the field that you major in? Has it stated boldly you have a niche?
Provide Additional Services
The more proofreading-related services you can provide, the more business you’ll be able to obtain and the more money you’ll be able to charge. You may, for example, provide services as a plus, such as formatting and conducting exquisite research.
Improved Language Proofing
If you speak another language fluently, be sure to mention it in all of your proofreading profiles, whether you’re seeking a job or doing freelance work on any of the platforms.
Test Your Proofreading Skills (free)
I recommend taking a few proofreading exams to see how you perform before starting work to determine whether proofreading is something you’d like to pursue or even get proofreading jobs. You may repeat the exams as many times as you like, boosting your score each time.
Keep Upgrading Your Portfolio
In no time, you’ll start getting jobs with ease and commanding higher pay. But, never forget: always improve on yourself and consistently upgrade your résumé! Which should contain the latest projects you think are relevant to your proofreading career goals.
Conclusion
Proofreading, like any other publishing job, is not without its difficulties. Proofreading jobs online with no experience might first attract low earnings; competing for employment possibilities and long hours are all prevalent problems for newbies. Achieving it as a proofreader will be worthwhile in the long haul if you set your mind to it and truly engage in your profession.
