If you are as much a fiend for grammar and the English language as Grammar Girl, proofreading could be an excellent source of extra money for you working from your home. Because of the ever-increasing number of indie writer/publishers these days, good proofreaders are in demand. Most indie authors recognize that they cannot proof their own work and willingly pay someone else to do it before proceeding to publish independently on Kindle or D2D. That someone could be you.
Literary and Business Communications
There is also a whole world of business communications that use proofreaders and editors working remotely. Small businesses, in particular, turn to outside help with their communications because they cannot afford to hire a full time permanent communications staff. Quite often, it is the small business owner who writes the material–a brochure or a flyer–but wants to hire a freelance proofreader and/or editor to bring the work up to professional standards.
If you are not certain about your skill level, take one of the free or low-cost proofreading classes online.
Just to be clear: proofreading and editing are two different skills, but many people combine the two services these days.
Proofreaders primary job is to make sure that a manuscript’s spelling, word usage, grammar and punctuation are correct. Normally they do not make suggestions about re-writing, although sometimes a proofreader may point out that certain sentences or passages–while grammatically correct–are not clear to the reader. This is why a human proofreader is better than an automated online grammar checker, in my opinion.
An editor, on the other hand, may include proofreading as part of her work, but her primary focus is to suggest ways that an author can improve the manuscript with revisions to make it more powerful and give it more clarity so it communicates more effectively.
While on the topic of reading and writing: you may see ads offering work as a book reviewer. Sounds good–right? It is not. With a very few exceptions, book reviewers are “paid” with free books. Do not expect to be paid real money. Just books for free.
What you need: a newish computer with fast internet access. As a proofreader you have to have a passion for the English language and proper usage of it. As an editor, you have to aim for communications that meet professional standards. You may want to take a class on Udemy to brush up your skills.
Where to find these work from home jobs: You will probably start proofreading as a freelance with jobs you find on Upwork or Fiverr. Another way to get proofreading and editing assignments is by joining online writers’ groups. There are dozens of them on Facebook, for example. Many groups have a page dedicated to listing of available proofreaders and editors. If you can get an endorsement testimonial from a well-known author or prominent business person, your freelance business will grow much faster.
