FREELANCE PROOFREADING OPPORTUNITIES

This takes the form of two processes, copy-editing and proofreading, both of which are very often carried out by freelance copy-editors and proofreaders from home. This is more cost effective for the publishers, given that the volume of work can be unevenly spread throughout the year, and will require specialists from differing fields.

Like any other freelance work, check out any company if you are taking on a large quantity of work, as freelancers and other contractors are always the last to be paid in times of economic difficulty for a company, or for less scrupulous companies. A particularly high risk sector is vanity publishing (eg former company Minerva Press Ltd)

Whilst no formal qualifications or previous experience are necessarily required, a good command of English, a systematic approach and an eye for detail are obviously necessary.

The copy-editor's task is to remove any errors or inconsistencies in the author's copy prior to publication. This doesn't just mean spelling mistakes, but also punctuation and grammatical errors, inconsistencies and even factual errors.

A typesetter will then produce a proof copy of the item prior to publication. This proof, together with the copy-edited manuscript, will then be passed to a proofreader who will check that the typesetter has not made any errors and also check for any mistakes the copy-editor may have overlooked.

You can expect to earn in the region of £12 an hour as a proofreader (the SfEP recommended minimum is now over £15), although the more specialist knowledge you have, the higher the fee you will be able to command.

Age and location are no barrier, with work usually sent by post or courier. Although there are no formal qualifications you can obtain, you will find many training courses advertised in the press - home study courses, one-day workshops and residential courses, together with books and guides to get you started. None of these courses and guides can guarantee work, so be very wary if you see any that claim to provide work at the end. Below are details of some of the recommended guides and training courses available to you, together with details of useful contacts.

'It must be emphasised that this is a difficult field to break into, and only the best (and most persistent) will succeed in finding regular work. This is NOT a quick-fix career change.'

As  mentioned above, I would strongly recommend the following book as a starting point.

"Freelance Proofreading and Copy-editing - A Guide" by Trevor Horwood.

It covers the book production process, how to read and correct proofs, copy-editing, rewriting and project editing, reference books and training options and a glossary of publishing jargon. Once you've mastered the theory, there is a section of exercises, complete with analysis and explanations, together with chapters on how and where to find work and 101 potential customers (with addresses and telephone numbers).

What makes this guide unique is its link to a web-site. Like any other, the publishing world experiences constant change. Companies may move or be taken over, and information requires updating. To address this problem, any changes, together with links to the websites of organizations mentioned in the book, are made available to owners of the guide.

Take a look at all the 5 star reviews it receives at Amazon

You can order it from Amazon or through your local bookshop.

Freelance Proofreading & Copy-editing - A Guide

Looking for a proofreading home study course? The only courses recognised and recommended by many publishers in the UK are those run by The Publishing Training Centre at Book House, an educational charity dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in publishing. Once you have successfully completed one of The Publishing Training Centre's distance learning courses, your services can be listed on The Publishing Training Centre's Freelance Directory which gives publishers access to freelancers. Visit their website at http://www.train4publishing.co.uk or telephone 020 8874 2718 for more information on their courses and good advice on working freelance within the sector.

Biz-banana.com has an excellent report on proofreading, together with reviews of various courses and guides on the market. Updated and expanded for 2006, it takes a good look at the fascinating process of book publishing and the potentially lucrative rewards available to the successful freelance proofreader/copyeditor.

In addition to http://www.train4publishing.co.uk mentioned above, one website I recommend you check out is for The Society for Editors and Proofreaders. The SfEP is a non-profit-distributing organization with the twin aims of:

• promoting high editorial standards
• achieving recognition of the professional status of its members

There are currently around 1400 members (mostly in the UK), providing a wide range of freelance editorial services to the publishing community and beyond. Among the Society's publications are a monthly Newsletter called CopyRight and the annual Directory, which provides details of services provided by members. On their website is a long list of companies that use freelancers and the type of specialist fields where freelancers are needed. http://www.sfep.org.uk/

Online Proofreading Employment

Global Company sometimes seeks qualified freelance proofreaders. You must be completely equipped for handling work through the Internet. We are only interested in those who are professional, highly skilled with at least three years of practical experience. Apply by filling out our online application. You will be asked to provide the following information:Your resume in Microsoft Word or Acrobat PDF format, Two professional references, Areas of technical expertise, Minimum hourly rate, Style manuals used and titles of publications copyedited. Contact Name: Dale Adams.Apply online for proofreading vacancies. http://www.edserv.com/applications/default.asp

ACADEMICWORD seeks people with OUTSTANDING English writing skills to proofread and copyedit academic and technical texts. We seek applicants from a wide range of academic backgrounds, including the natural sciences, social sciences, health sciences, engineering, law, and the humanities. Projects can vary from 10-page research papers up to thousand-page book manuscripts.

Editors are paid per assignment and work from their own computers, with assignments delivered and returned by e-mail. ACADEMICWORD offers competitive compensation and flexible work schedules.

If you are interested in applying, please use the form at http://www.academicword.com/et1.asp. You will subsequently be sent at a preselected time, a timed 30-minute editing test.

Promoting Your Services

If you want to offer your proofreading services, consider creating your own website. For ideas, take a look at the following sites:

English Proofreading and Editing Service English Proofreading provides a one-to-one personal proofreading service to help your written text make the right impression.

Site Build It - This site shows you how to use the Net to build a list of quality clients whether you've been selling your services for years, or thinking about starting regardless of whether your business is primarily online or off, and no matter whether your clients are from your neighbourhood or from another continent.