{"id":3872,"date":"2016-06-15T09:04:20","date_gmt":"2016-06-15T07:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.invoiceberry.com\/?p=3872"},"modified":"2016-10-03T21:56:17","modified_gmt":"2016-10-03T19:56:17","slug":"freelancers-guide-successful-proofreading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/freelancers-guide-successful-proofreading\/","title":{"rendered":"The Freelancer’s Guide to Successful Proofreading"},"content":{"rendered":"

Proofreaders have been around in some form or another for centuries\u2014perhaps all the way to when the first book was published<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Or maybe even earlier, when the first caveman in Africa scratched \u2018GAAAR!\u2019 into the cave walls, his brother was watching over his shoulder saying, \u201cActually, you only need one \u2018A\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Possibly also the first homicide.<\/p>\n

Proofreading is usually the art of checking a finished document before it heads out to the readers, and it’s gaining in popularity in the US<\/a> and the world.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s different from editing\u00a0(which it\u2019s usually confused with) because copywriters and editors are involved in the creation of the document and they discuss many things, including offering creative help and deciding what images to use and where.<\/p>\n

Proofreading comes in at the end.<\/p>\n

Anytime anyone is going to publish something, they\u2019ll probably need another set of eyes to make sure the grammar and spelling are fine, and that the document is consistent throughout.\"The<\/p>\n

Some proofreaders can go further into the copy editing field by discussing style, mood, and offering some other editorial changes.<\/p>\n

Proofreading is usually the more popular option for freelancers and clients because it doesn\u2019t require as much involvement. \u00a0The client sends you the document, you check the document, and voila!<\/em> You\u2019ve just proofread. There may be some more back-and-forth, but that\u2019s about the gist of it.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re just beginning proofreading (or you\u2019ve been doing it a while with limited results), how can you ensure your success?<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been doing freelance proofreading for a few years now, so I\u2019ve had some experience in almost every area, including the successes, failures, and danger zones.<\/p>\n

So in our guide today, we\u2019ll look at some important parts of freelance proofreading and how you can make your little business grow.<\/p>\n

The Ups and Downs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"TheFreelance proofreading is great<\/em>. The biggest benefit is that you get to set your own schedule and decide how much you want to work.<\/p>\n

Feeling energetic or want to save up for a big purchase? Go ahead and proofread as much as you can this month and rake in the big bucks.<\/p>\n

Christmas time is rolling around and you want to relax a little? Do less work and enjoy the holidays. You are your own boss and you have total freedom over your work and income.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also great that you can work-from-home, work-from-coffee-shop, work-from-the-park-bench\u2014you can pretty much work from anywhere and<\/em> at anytime.<\/p>\n

\"TheOn the other hand<\/em>, proofreading has some not-so-nice parts too.<\/p>\n

With your own freedom comes your own unpredictable schedule and therefore an unstable income.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you\u2019ll have a lot of clients, and you won\u2019t even know how many more coffees you\u2019ll be able to drink. And then other times the only activity will be the sound of crickets as tumbleweed rolls across your lawn.<\/p>\n

Also, you\u2019re pretty much working alone, so if you\u2019re more introvert on the personality spectrum, you\u2019re good. But if you enjoy a little social contact now and then, it can get a bit lonely.<\/p>\n

After a while, you\u2019ll either be having passionate philosophical arguments with yourself about the color of a dress<\/a> or looking into getting your tenth cat.<\/p>\n

\"There<\/p>\n

So be aware, as with everything else, there are some ups and downs to the freelance proofreading industry that may impact you in big ways later on.<\/p>\n

The Right Stuff<\/strong><\/h2>\n

So now that you know the goods and the bads, there\u2019s some other stuff you need in order to succeed.<\/p>\n

Personality<\/h3>\n

First of all, you have to have the right internal stuff<\/a>. Here I\u2019m talking about the right kind of personality, which mostly boils down to patience and focus.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll be sitting down at your computer for hours and days on end, checking over the document with a fine-toothed comb to make sure everything is 100% perfect.<\/p>\n

You cannot skip a period, or switch between the decimal point and decimal comma (which clients love to do in Europe), or confuse homophones, or the thousands of other things that normal eyes will miss. You\u2019ll need patience and focus to catch all of it.<\/p>\n

Knowledge<\/h3>\n

Besides the personality, you\u2019ll also need to have the right knowledge.<\/p>\n

If you often mistake there<\/em> for their<\/em> or they\u2019re<\/em> (why not?), you may want to consider a different profession. Or if you hate reading for a long time or have never taken or enjoyed a writing class, this may not be your cup of tea.<\/p>\n

In addition, you need to be a sort of polite Grammar Nazi<\/a>, keeping your eyes always open for possible mistakes.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t mean you have to correct your girlfriend\u2019s spelling when she writes you a break-up letter that she sent you through Facebook (thanks, Lisa!), but you should have a strong knowledge of grammar rules.<\/p>\n

For me, I attended workshops and got some qualifications, but it wasn\u2019t until I started teaching English abroad that the grammar became second-nature (especially when kids and frustrated adults constantly hound you about some rule).<\/p>\n

You learn to know your stuff.<\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

Focus on one area<\/h3>\n

Also, it\u2019s probably a good idea to focus on one or a few related areas.<\/p>\n

Starting out you\u2019ll want to do everything, anything, but keep in mind you\u2019ll eventually do this a lot, everyday, so it has to be at least tolerable or hopefully enjoyable.<\/p>\n

For example, I cannot do medical texts<\/a>, I have never studied medicine, in fact I don\u2019t even know where my lungs are at this very moment.<\/p>\n

So instead I just focus on academic texts, which I enjoyed in college, and business-related things like marketing and reports, which are usually not too technical.<\/p>\n

Software<\/h3>\n

Lastly, you\u2019re probably going to have to have access to some software.<\/p>\n

The golden standard is a pretty easy standard\u2014Microsoft Word. Most proofreaders I know just use the Track Changes<\/a> and Comment functions, and that pretty much takes care of 99% of your proofing needs.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had a few jobs that required Adobe\u2019s Track Changes, but the clients always had a Word version as well.<\/p>\n

Finding customers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Now, to the good stuff.<\/p>\n

Finding new customers is hard, especially if you\u2019re just starting out.\u00a0 Later on, word-of-mouth<\/strong> will be your best marketing strategy, but when you\u2019re a beginner, you just don\u2019t have the reputation yet.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had various successes over the years, but the best method for me was either personal pitching<\/strong> or cold-start proofing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s personal pitching?<\/h3>\n

\"PersonalPersonal pitching is that annoying thing that people do when you talk to them and they try to sell you something.<\/p>\n

I could put it in a nicer way, but you\u2019ll need to get market-y<\/em> at some point to grow your business.<\/p>\n

As a teacher, I\u2019ve had business students who have websites or print materials, and in the course of our conversations, I\u2019d slowly find out who does their proofreading.<\/p>\n

If they say no one, I act really shocked and recommend they get a proofreader, just to be sure<\/em>, and then, wouldn\u2019t you know it? That\u2019s exactly what I do. Get outta here! And I can look over some materials for you if you want.<\/p>\n

I look over their materials, I find mistakes\u2014there are always<\/em> mistakes\u2014and I let them know. Usually it\u2019s a small sample, and if I do it well enough, which I always<\/em> do, I\u2019ve caught a client.<\/p>\n

I do the same thing with people I know that have businesses, or my wife\u2019s colleagues and friends.<\/p>\n

The trick is not to be pushy, but not to be too relaxed. This is your money, so sometimes you\u2019ll have to be a bit\u00a0annoying now to have clients and income later.<\/p>\n

OK, so what\u2019s cold-start proofing?<\/h3>\n

\"Cold-startTo be honest, I just made up this term like, right now.<\/p>\n

Pretty much, I was sitting at home and passively waiting for all the clients and money to roll in.<\/p>\n

But while I was waiting, I decided: let me check some websites and just see how their content is. Because I was in Lithuania at the time (this works great for non-English speaking countries), I went through a business website listing and clicked around.<\/p>\n

The result was that almost all of the websites had mistakes ranging from the small and insignificant to the large and unprofessional.<\/p>\n

So I screenshot the website, did some danger-red circles with my fancy Microsoft Paint skills, proofread one or two pages on the screenshot then sent it to them. I even added a Word document with it if there was a sizeable amount of text or just to show how an example of how it would work.<\/p>\n

\"An
An example of my early cold-start proofing days.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The results were very good. I must\u2019ve done about 100 sites over the course of a few days, in between episodes of Breaking Bad<\/em>, and at the end of that trial week I got about 7 responses.<\/p>\n

7%!? <\/em>you\u2019re probably screaming now.<\/p>\n

Yes, 7%, and that\u2019s good. Because at the end I got 5 clients (two were too cheap) who helped me start my freelance proofreading.<\/p>\n

Combined with my personal pitches, those clients through word-of-mouth led me to my other clients, who led to my other bigger clients, and after a while the system became self-sustaining.<\/p>\n

It’s important to realize that\u00a0it doesn\u2019t really matter where you are in the world. Because proofreading requires no physical contact, and because the internet is borderless, you can have clients as far away as Kathmandu, and as long as they pay you, no worries.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to restrict your proofreading to clients in your zip code.<\/p>\n

Keeping your clients<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Your clients will immediately ask you one thing: what are your rates?<\/p>\n

You should probably know the answer to this question either before you do your marketing stuff, or while you\u2019re waiting for your replies.<\/p>\n

Know Your Rates<\/h3>\n

Proofreader rates come in a few different varieties: by characters, by word, by hour, by page, or by project.<\/p>\n

It’s important to remain competitive in any business, so you should check comparable rates from your competition. Comparable meaning, for someone of my level and experience, what are they charging? Especially considering that this is\u00a0my first client?<\/p>\n

You shouldn’t charge too high, but also don\u2019t charge too low.<\/p>\n

\"Sample
An example of American-based rates. Remember to adapt your rates to your location.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Charge Differently for Urgent Jobs<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s also important to have a rate (or multiplier) for urgent jobs. Urgent jobs are usually much smaller than regular jobs, but you\u2019ll need a separate rate for these in order to keep your own sanity and to ensure your clients don\u2019t take advantage of you.<\/p>\n

In general, clients don\u2019t like rushed jobs, so they\u2019re absolutely fine with you taking a few days or a week to get back to them.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t expect anything faster. If you advertise that you\u2019ll get it back to them within a few hours, they may think that it will be rushed and sloppy.\u00a0Either they\u2019ll be skeptical when they get the document back, or disappointed when you don\u2019t get it back to them in time.<\/p>\n

Even if I can do it in a few hours, I always give myself an extra day or two. This also helps with my time management, to make\u00a0sure I can do all the jobs I promised within the promised time.<\/p>\n

So, make sure you give yourself enough time<\/strong> and charge different rates for urgent jobs<\/strong>. For me, anything is urgent if it\u2019s needed in less than two days. For jobs of more than 15 pages, I\u2019ll need at least 3 days, and 5 days for 25 pages.<\/p>\n

Usually the clients are fine with this, and if they want it faster, they\u2019ll have to pay a premium for that.<\/p>\n

Manage Your Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For a proofreader, your presence or lack of organization will determine your success.<\/p>\n

Make Yourself a Schedule<\/h3>\n

Time management is important<\/a>. That\u2019s why it\u2019s best to make yourself a schedule of all the jobs that you\u2019re supposed to do, when you want to do them, and when they\u2019re absolutely due.<\/p>\n

This will help you to plan your tasks in a very accurate and responsible way.<\/p>\n

And let\u2019s be honest, if you\u2019re freelancing, and you\u2019re working by yourself, you\u2019re not going to be so busy that you\u2019ll need tons of other help to manage your time.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

For me, a printed schedule is fine. However, if you\u2019re tech-friendly, there are tons of project management apps and software available that are highly customizable and will send you useful reminders. I\u2019ve used Asana<\/a> before, and I\u2019ve had good results with it.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t make a schedule, you\u2019ll run into trouble sooner or later.<\/p>\n

Proofreading is not just about the big jobs, where you\u2019re spending three weeks working on one project or half a year on someone\u2019s novel. It\u2019s a mixture of usually medium to small jobs with larger ones interspersed throughout the year.<\/p>\n

If You Don’t Have a Schedule…<\/h3>\n

\"If<\/p>\n

When you don\u2019t have a schedule, you could easily lose track of those smaller jobs.<\/p>\n

For example, you know you got an email from someone asking you to check this, and you replied and gave them a date\u2014but what date did you promise? Did you already do it?<\/p>\n

Or you plan your vacation or weekend away, and in the middle you receive an email from your client asking very politely if you\u2019ve had a chance to check her document, but you left your computer at home.<\/p>\n

What do you do? Go all the way back home, if you\u2019re still in the same city, or try to use a hotel or library computer? Can you do the job with the same quality in 1\/10th<\/sup> of the time?<\/p>\n

Probably not.<\/p>\n

Trust me, I\u2019ve been there, relaxing with my wife on a beach in Egypt, getting that email and hoping the hotel had Word on their computer.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t make you happy, nor your client, nor your family or friends.<\/p>\n

Make a Schedule for Your Personal Time<\/h3>\n

\"Dedicate<\/p>\n

But while you\u2019re setting your work schedule, go ahead and set some time for yourself.<\/p>\n

The problem with proofreaders is that they know that time is money, and their time is virtually unlimited, so by extension their money should be unlimited as well.<\/p>\n

So they sacrifice sleep, work irregular hours, and cancel social engagements just so they can Rihanna<\/a> (work work work work work<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t do it. Don\u2019t fall victim to that cycle.<\/p>\n

Schedule some time just for yourself, or your friends and family, without any work whatsoever. Meet people, take a shower, learn how to paint, whatever, but don’t forget to\u00a0take care of your own emotional and psychological needs.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Manage Your Money<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Finally, we come to the\u00a0money. The great engine of the world.<\/p>\n

Because you\u2019re a freelancer, everything is on your shoulders, including taking care of your finances. With proofreading, it\u2019s very simple. If it\u2019s a one-time job, you finish the proofing, send it back to the client, and they pay you.<\/p>\n

Use Software for Easier\u00a0Invoices<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve got an on-going gig with a company, you\u2019ll probably be sending invoices to them regularly at the beginning or end of every month.<\/p>\n

When you have a lot of these\u2014first of all, congratulations, you\u2019re succeeding\u2014it can be overwhelming and very<\/em> time-consuming to count up all the words or characters and create separate invoices.<\/p>\n

I had one client, wonderful people by the way, who had some strict rules at their company. They required me to make them separate invoices for each department and each type of proofreading.<\/p>\n

Working with four departments in their company and a whole lot of small to medium jobs throughout the month, I was usually cursing halfway through making their invoices and I had to dedicate a whole day for that. And that was only one of my many clients.<\/p>\n

\"Use<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t have InvoiceBerry<\/a> back then, so it wasn\u2019t an automated process for me.\u00a0 For the on-going projects that are the same amount, there\u2019s a recurring invoice that can be sent automatically.<\/p>\n

Or for different amounts, you can set up your separate client profiles and rates and simplify the entire process. It\u2019s a really great software for the independent freelancer.<\/p>\n

Pay Taxes and Separate Finances<\/h3>\n

Besides that, you\u2019ll also have to check your local taxes<\/a>\u00a0and make sure you\u2019re complying. Just because you\u2019re not working for a company doesn\u2019t mean you can just stop paying taxes.<\/p>\n

Pay them on time, every time, and you\u2019ll never have any problems.<\/p>\n

\"Manage<\/p>\n

Additionally, you should make sure that you take care of your personal and professional finances. Because you\u2019re self-employed, there are a few items that are tax-deductible which you\u2019re probably using.<\/p>\n

If you need to print your documents and check them with the ol\u2019 red pen, or you talk on the phone with your clients, or you use some paid software or even a new laptop, those are technically deductible.<\/p>\n

But in order to prove it, it\u2019ll be best to keep your personal expenses separate from your business\u00a0ones.<\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re at the store buying printer paper and want to get some gummy bears, you should probably buy those two separately and confuse the cashier.<\/p>\n

She\u2019ll be a bit annoyed, but correct financial knowledge is very important for any successful businessperson.<\/p>\n

To sum up:<\/h2>\n

Proofreading can be a comfortable profession if you do it right and follow these steps to success.<\/p>\n

Remember:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • proofreading lets you set your own schedule and make money as you wish<\/li>\n
  • you can do it from anywhere in the world<\/li>\n
  • but unfortunately it is unstable and can get a little lonely<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    In order to succeed, you\u2019ll need to:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • have the right personality, skills and talents, and software<\/li>\n
    • find your clients either by personal pitching <\/em>or cold-start proofing<\/em><\/li>\n
    • set your rates in advance and set realistic expectations for your clients<\/li>\n
    • create a professional schedule for yourself to manage your time, and a personal schedule to get away from work<\/li>\n
    • use an invoicing software like InvoiceBerry to manage your invoices<\/li>\n
    • separate your personal finances from your professional finances<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      With these suggestions and a love of proofreading, you\u2019ll be sure to make money in no time.<\/p>\n

      Do you have any other tips or recommendations for our readers? Let us know in the comments below!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Proofreaders have been around in some form or another for centuries\u2014perhaps all the way to when the first book was published. Or maybe even earlier, when the first caveman in Africa scratched \u2018GAAAR!\u2019 into the cave walls, his brother was watching over his shoulder saying, \u201cActually, you only need one \u2018A\u2019.\u201d Possibly also the first […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[91,345],"tags":[92,283,58],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/freelancer_guide_to_success.png?fit=828%2C348&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5m6q6-10s","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3872"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3872"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3872\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4080,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3872\/revisions\/4080"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}