How to Become a Proofreader

Oct 05, 2023
12 min read

Would you like to become a freelance proofreader? If you long for a better work-life balance, crave flexibility, and have a passion for the written word, then a career as a freelance proofreader could be the perfect fit!

In this post, you’ll learn what proofreading involves, the skills you need to succeed, and the steps you can take to launch a freelance proofreading career. We’ll also discuss how to prepare for working remotely, how much you can earn, where to find clients, and how to keep growing your new business over time.

At the end, we’ll show you how Knowadays can help you on your journey with our comprehensive proofreading course – two lessons of which you can try for free!

What Is Proofreading?

Proofreading is the final stage in the editing process and takes place after copy editing. A proofreader checks for any errors that may have slipped through previous editing stages. They look at grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and may also fix inconsistencies in formatting (although some freelancers offer formatting as a separate service).

What Does a Proofreader Do?

Day-to-day, a proofreader’s role is to review documents for accuracy and consistency. This usually involves:

Checking grammar, punctuation, and spelling
Correcting usage issues such as numbers, dates, and abbreviations
Flagging or fixing formatting inconsistencies (headings, fonts, spacing)
Ensuring the style, tone, and voice of the document are consistent
Applying the conventions of the relevant English dialect (e.g., British, American, or Australian English)

Tasks may vary depending on the type of document or client. For example, proofreading academic writing will also involve checking that sources are correctly cited and that subject-specific or technical language is used appropriately.

Do You Need Qualifications to Be a Proofreader?

The short answer is no. There aren’t any formal or universal qualifications required to become a proofreader, and anyone can give it a try. However, you’ll need to develop key skills if you want to succeed (more on that later!). Clients typically want to see proof of your abilities – whether that’s via a track record of experience or a recognized certification in proofreading.

Many people do choose to take online proofreading courses, and many of these courses provide a certificate you can share with potential clients. Look for one that is CPD-accredited to show it meets certain standards of quality. Our own Becoming A Proofreader course offers in-depth, flexible training you can complete at your own pace.

How Much Can a Proofreader Earn?

Many proofreaders are freelance, meaning their income can vary a lot. Factors that can impact what you earn include the following:

Market rates: Proofreading has become a global industry, so what you charge will depend partly on what other proofreaders charge across the world, not just locally. Don’t go too low because price is often equated with quality, and don’t go too high, or you’ll price yourself out of the market. The major proofreading professional bodies around the world – like the CIEP in the UK and the EFA in the USA – have recommended rates to guide you.
Experience: Your rate will also reflect the level of your experience. As you progress and take on more specialist projects, you should be able to increase your rates.
Project timings and deadlines: Some proofreaders charge extra for tight deadlines, and some contracts contain penalties for late completion, so ensure you negotiate the detailed clauses carefully.
The client’s sector: Small charities and indie authors often can’t pay standard fees while major corporations can, so tailor your rates according to the type of business. Offering pro bono work with charities can be a great way to raise your profile and get good reviews.
Your well-being: This is often overlooked, but don’t forget to factor in breaks. Time away from the screen helps your overall output rate.
Project complexity: If you offer extra services, such as proofreading or editing for clients whose first language isn’t English, or if you offer more than one read through of a project, you may wish to increase your rate or charge separately for additional services.
Seasonal variation: Remember that freelance work is often termed feast or famine! Some months will be great and others not so great. You need to have funds in hand from the good times to help pay your bills in the slimmer months.
Your own financial needs (and don’t forget the taxman’s needs!): Your personal circumstances will impact your earnings. If proofreading is a side hustle for you, it may not matter if you earn less than you expect. But if it’s your main income, you’ll need to budget carefully and build up some savings for those rainy days we all face and for your tax bill.

New proofreaders will typically charge lower rates than those with more experience and gradually raise their rates to match their experience. In our blog post, How Much Can a Freelance Proofreader Earn?, we discuss the average annual income from several different sources (which, in the United States, ranges from $46,844 to $59,076).

5 Steps to Becoming a Proofreader

Below are five practical steps to help you transition into a proofreading career.

1. Make Sure You Have the Right Skills

You don’t need a particular qualification to work as a proofreader, but you do need certain skills. These can be divided into hard (technical) and soft (general) skills:

Hard Skills

Understanding of the English language: You’ll need an excellent command of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A broad vocabulary and a grasp of style conventions (e.g., formal vs. informal tone) are also key.
Familiarity with digital tools: Most proofreading today happens on a computer. You should be comfortable with using Microsoft Word features such as Track Changes and Compare and have some familiarity with other document preparation systems and formats (e.g., spreadsheets, PDFs, and PowerPoint presentations). You should also be comfortable with using communication tools like email and video conferencing.
Ability to follow a brief: Clients will usually provide you with a brief. Your job is to make sure the document matches your client’s chosen style guide or personal specifications. You can, of course, raise an issue if you disagree with their choices. This is where communication becomes key, as you need to do this sensitively.

If you want to specialize in a particular area, you may need experience in that field. For example, if you want to specialize in medical writing, you’ll need to be familiar with the relevant terminology and writing styles.

Soft Skills

Attention to detail: As a proofreader, no mistake can get past you. You’ll need a keen eye for detail to spot every last error your clients leave behind. Likewise, you need to be good at concentrating. After all, it’s easy to let your mind wander if you’re reading through hundreds of pages of dry text!
Communication skills: Proofreaders need to be able to communicate clearly with clients. This includes clarifying expectations, giving feedback to clients, and maintaining a professional tone. Clear communication is especially important if a client isn’t a fluent English speaker.
Organizational skills: As a freelance proofreader, you are your own boss. This means you’ll need to be able to organize your own time, manage your own workload, and track your own finances.
Self-motivation: Working from home or anywhere else outside a traditional office means you need to be self-motivated. It’s your responsibility to find work, manage your relationships with clients, and keep on top of multiple projects and deadlines – and try to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

You might feel confident about the above already, but it never hurts to polish your existing skills either. Think about what you might need to improve to succeed in your new career.

Take Some Time to Train

There are some excellent books and other resources out there to help you, but have you thought about taking a proofreading course? A top-quality proofreading course will address all the areas of work and the necessary skills that we’ve already touched on in this blog post.

Our Becoming A Proofreader course takes an in-depth approach to all aspects of proofreading, and its modular structure means the information you need comes to you in a logical order to make learning as easy as possible. In addition to rules governing spelling, grammar, and punctuation, we cover specialist areas such as proofreading academic papers, creative writing, business reports, and job applications. We also give you the skills you need to use a range of digital tools in your work and insight into getting your freelance proofreading career off to a flying start. Sign up for two free lessons to find out more!

2. Plan the Details in Advance

Many new freelancers find it useful to set up the basics of their business while they’re still employed. This might include:

These help you define your services, marketing plan, and target transition date for going full-time freelance. Of course, you don’t need to complete all of these at once. Think of them as a checklist of tasks you can tick off as you approach freelancing full time.

3. Create a Budget and Start Saving

Though freelancing can offer more flexibility than traditional work, that freedom comes with the caveat of an irregular paycheck. You may find yourself busy with multiple projects in one month and then have much less work the next.

You can make sure you’re prepared for financial insecurity, though, by building up some savings before you make the switch – and creating a budget for after you do.

Track your current expenses and compare these with what you’ll be spending as a freelancer. Consider:

What you’ll save on. For example, you probably won’t be paying for transport to and from work.
What you’ll spend more on. You may need to invest in software, workspace equipment, or professional memberships.

Financially planning for the highs and lows of freelancing will help you focus on the work itself, rather than worrying about making ends meet.

4. Volunteer For Experience

Rather than quitting your nine-to-five right away, you can take on small or occasional proofreading jobs alongside it. This approach helps you:

Gain real proofreading experience and confidence
Begin building a portfolio of completed work
Secure client testimonials you can use on your website or social media profiles

When you first start out, it might be tricky to find paid work. But you can usually volunteer your services somewhere as a way to get valuable experience.

To get started, ask family and friends if they’ve got anything you could proofread, such as CVs, cover letters, and student essays. Alternatively, look online for charitable organizations, local businesses, or authors seeking a beta reader. These experiences can help you refine your skills and develop a reputation, even before you go full time.

For more information on gaining experience as a freelance proofreader, take a look at our blog post How to Gain Experience as a New Proofreader.

5. Research Where to Find Proofreading Jobs

Once you have some experience, you can start to look for paid freelance work. Some common options for finding proofreading work include the following:

Signing up with proofreading agencies: An example of a proofreading agency is our proofreading partner, Proofed. You can get guaranteed work opportunities with Proofed if you pass both Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor with a high enough grade at the end of each course (80% or higher).
Joining proofreading and editing societies: These typically feature an online directory where members can advertise their services (as well as access other benefits).
Using freelance marketplaces: On these platforms, you create a profile and advertise your services or bid for particular jobs.
Using social media sites: Networking sites such as LinkedIn can be a great way to advertise your services and find freelance work. Other platforms like Facebook and Instagram can also help you build your brand, establish your network, and find clients.

Here are 10 companies that hire remote proofreaders to get you started.

How to Grow Your Proofreading Business

Once you have a bit of experience under your belt, you can start thinking about the future and how to grow your freelancing business. This might include:

Putting together a proofreading portfolio to impress potential clients
Gathering client testimonials to demonstrate the quality of your work
Being more active on professional social media networks
Researching clients you’d like to work with and contacting them
Making useful contacts by networking with other proofreaders and editors

If you can do at least some of these, you should find it much easier to establish yourself as a freelance proofreader. It’s just a matter of where you choose to focus first!

Becoming A Proofreader

We hope we’ve encouraged you to make the leap into a career in freelance proofreading. There’s a lot to think about, so here’s a list of the key points to consider:

Do you like the idea of what a proofreader does? Does it sound like a good fit for you?
Do you have a reasonable number of the necessary skills, or could you acquire them?
Can your finances cope with a period of reduced earnings while you build up your work?
Does setting up in business excite you?
Is your resume relevant? Does it shout, “I’m the person you need”?

If your answer to these questions is yes, then take a look at our Becoming A Proofreader course. We’ll help you take the first step toward your new career. Sign up for your free lessons today!

Updated on March 25, 2025