How to Find Proofreading Jobs Online

You’ve decided to work as a freelance proofreader. But have you thought about how to find proofreading jobs online? If not, don’t worry! We have five suggestions to share:

1. Sign up to work for a proofreading agency.
2. Check job listing sites and freelancing marketplaces.
3. Contact potential clients directly to offer your services.
4. Build a strong online presence with a professional website and social media profiles.
5. Join professional proofreading and editing societies.

For more advice on finding proofreading jobs online, read on below.

1. Work for a Proofreading Agency

Proofreading agencies take the legwork out of finding clients by bringing proofreaders and clients together. All you need to do is sign up (this may involve passing a test), then you’ll be able to download documents to proofread via the agency’s platform.

This makes agency work a great choice for new freelancers. Other advantages? You have a choice of what to work on, minimal admin, and access to quality resources and support.

For example, our partner company, Proofed, employs hundreds of skilled proofreaders, has an expert support staff available to help freelancers, and offers guaranteed work to anyone who passes both our Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor courses with a mark of 80% or higher.

2. Check Job Listing Sites and Freelancing Marketplaces

Jobs sites such as Indeed and Monster sometimes list proofreading jobs. These include in-house and freelance positions, so have a look and see if anything suits your needs.

Alternatively, you can try freelancing marketplaces, such as Freelancer.com, PeoplePerHour and Fiverr. On these sites, freelancers can advertise their services or find jobs posted by clients. They can be quite competitive, with jobs often going to the lowest bidder, but they’re a reliable source of work if you need to build up a little experience as a new freelancer.

3. Contact Potential Clients Directly

Did you spot several errors on a friend’s blog? Is there a publisher that you would love to work for? Don’t be afraid to reach out and offer your services. This kind of cold contact may seem intimidating, but it also can be an effective way to find proofreading work online. To do this:

1. Write a basic resume outlining your experience and qualifications, plus a cover letter to explain why you’re getting in touch and the services you offer.
2. Do a little research on potential clients (e.g., webmasters, bloggers, publishers). Look for the person in charge of the content in each case and find their contact details.
3. Tweak your resume and cover letter to optimize them for each client (e.g., emphasize your most relevant experience), then send a polite, professional email offering your services.

You can do the same thing offline if you notice local businesses with badly written content.

4. Build a Strong Online Presence

A strong online presence will help potential clients find you online.

Many view having a website as necessary for freelancers. It gives potential clients a way to check out your services, view your prices, see answers to common questions, contact you, and read reviews. It also makes you look like a pro, which we all want.

Social media (e.g., LinkedIn) can play a big role, too. Not only can you share helpful content and connect with potential clients, but you can also join groups related to proofreading, editing and writing, and connect with other members of the professional community.

Why is being part of a community important? Because other freelancers may pass on work to you if they trust you to do a good job, put you in touch with clients they can’t help, or ask you to collaborate on a big project. And speaking of being part of a community, that leads us nicely on to the final point in our list of ways to find proofreading jobs online…

5. Join Professional Societies

Professional proofreading and editing societies offer numerous benefits:

• Being a member of a professional society shows clients that you know what you’re doing and adds an extra level of respectability to your online profiles.
• Many societies offer professional training courses.
• You will be able to connect with fellow professionals.
• They typically feature directories where clients can search for a proofreader.

So, while most societies do cost money to join, they are well worth the cost.

Some well-known freelance editing societies include:

• The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), formerly the SfEP, in the UK.
• The Editorial Freelancers Association (EfA) and the Society for Editing (ACES) in the US.
• The Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd) in Australia.

The best group to join will depend on where you live and work. You may even be able to find smaller regional societies or chapters of the big groups if you prefer something more local!

Build Those Proofreading Skills

Want to get a head start in your career as a freelance proofreading? Then sign up for a free trial of our Becoming A Proofreader course to learn you all the skills you need to proofread. After that, you’ll be ready to look for proofreading jobs online and set to work!

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5 Tips on How to Find Work as a Proofreader 5 Ways to Promote Yourself as a Freelance Proofreader 5 Tips for Designing a Freelance Proofreading Website 5 Tips on Using Social Media as a Freelancer