How to Do Remote Proofreading Job Well? Top Tips
Remote Text Proofreading: Proofread Job & Career
Proofreader: a bit of explanation
A proofreader corrects all the spelling and punctuation mistakes in a text, secures that a text has a uniform style, and prepares it for publishing. This is a linguistic profession for disciplined and hard-working people who are capable for long-term concentration on work.
A proofreader is a person engaged in proof reading, i.e. correction of errors of any kind in texts. This can be spelling, typographic and even logic flaws. The mistakes can be made by a text author, they can be omitted by an editor, but there should be no mistakes after proofreader’s check. Consequently, such a specialist possesses advanced linguistic knowledge. This profession suits those people who are passionate about language and related disciplines.
Brief description: who is a proofreader?
The need for proofreader’s services appears when the absence of mistakes in a text becomes decisive. For example, it can be publishing houses (books, newspapers, magazines), printing and publishing enterprises, companies occupied with content creation for websites. A specialist in this sphere not only fixes all the linguistic mistakes but also monitors compliance with all the requirements for text typing and formatting, proper page numbering, titles, images, diagrams and tables.
Features of profession & qualification
What is a secret of a successful proofreader? It is required not only to know how to fix all kinds of errors in texts and be aware of text formatting. It is also necessary to have the sense of correction of mistakes and changing of stylistics, since the last is unacceptable in proofreading work. Such a worker should only “clean” text content from various inaccuracies without touching author’s writing style. If you are not sure you have enough knowledge about different styles, we have a useful post for you: http://essay-editor.net/blog/guide-to-language-styles.
Speaking about proofreader’s duties in greater detail, one can mention the following aspects:
- Reviewing of edited text material with the removal of punctuation and spelling mistakes, as well as stylistic and meaning shortcomings;
- Securing lexical and graphical uniformity of all the elements-components of a text;
- Checking completeness of materials (depending on their specificity, it can be proper formatting of a cover sheet, content, introduction, graphical elements, references, etc.);
- Checking correctness of wordings of the images, uniformity of symbols, abbreviations and terms, as well as all other elements and signs used in a text;
- Checking if formulas, footnotes, tables, diagrams, histograms and other elements of such kind are properly formatted;
- Checking correctness of the links and references to the used sources in a written text;
- Removing stylistic flaws (in agreement with an editor);
- Preparing text materials for typing, printing and publishing.
In some cases (for example, in small publishing houses), one and the same person is responsible for editing and proof reading. However, the specificity of proofreader’s profession allows a specialist to perform one’s duties in the most efficient way possible without mixing them with quite different duties of an editor. That is why it often happens that a text checked by a “universal” specialist is of less sufficient quality compared to the result of cooperation of an editor with a proof reader.
The secrets of internet profession
How to become a proofreader and make real money without leaving your home?
If one of your strengths is excellent language knowledge, attentiveness and ability to quickly analyze text blocks, why not try your hand at proof reading? This profession allows making a good living, and also, if you are a professional, then you will always be demanded in the labor market. We want to tell about how to become a proof reader and what skills are required for quick career growth.
The essence of profession is that a person that occupies this position reviews and fixes the texts from copywriters before their publication. A proof reader, as a rule, is not responsible for the content and message of texts.
It is necessary to carefully check a text for the mistakes of stylistic and grammatical nature. In some companies, it is also necessary to monitor compliance with the specific requirements. However, this is additional responsibilities at a particular company or employer.
Main customers of proofreading services
It does not matter whether you work as a freelancer or as an employed worker, as a rule, proof reading services are demanded in three spheres.
- News media: newspapers, news websites, glossy magazines, internet journals;
- Organizations and resources that relate to advertising and promotion: advertising agencies, copywriters;
- Publishing houses or content studios on the internet: creators of educational blogs and different courses, content managers.
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What skills a proof reader should have
In order to become a text proof reader, it is necessary to have an analytical mind and the following skills:
- Attentiveness;
- Ability to sit still;
- Stress resistance;
- Perfect knowledge of grammatical and punctuation language rules;
- Perfect knowledge of text correction technique;
- Knowledge of typographic principles (how to format a text correctly, what is categorically forbidden to publish, etc.);
- Ability to work with additional programs, manuals and other resources that help improve the quality of text check.
This is the main set of skills. Additional points depend on the specificity of a particular employer that is why one should be ready to adjust to the format of a particular company or publishing house. Also, a specialist most likely will have to have a higher linguistic or philological education.
Pros and cons of the profession
Proofreader’s profession is a good opportunity to make money for people who prefer to perform their duties in a quiet and calm atmosphere. Its specificity also allows working remotely. All one needs is internet access and a laptop. Also, some workers use tablets to work.
Profession pros
- Opportunity to work remotely;
- Steady income that does not depend on the circumstances;
- Respected profession;
- Demand in the labor market;
- Scope of work is much smaller compared to the scope of work of content writers.
Profession cons
- Monotonousness of work;
- If you have just started, it will be necessary to spend much time to dive deeply into language learning;
- No much perspective for career growth (unless one gets employed at a more serious company or studies simultaneously additional directions of work).
A few words about our company
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What customers get with us
- Professional team
- 100% satisfaction of request
- Work with the most urgent and complex assignments on any subject matter
- Compliance with the deadlines
- Cheap prices
- Discounts and bonuses
- Convenient payment methods
- Guarantee of high quality
- Total privacy
- Work with a personal assistant
- Individual approach
- Friendly atmosphere
What proofreaders get with us
- Honest salary
- Pleasant atmosphere
- Transparent terms of cooperation
- Interesting tasks
How much does a specialist earn?
As a rule, a good specialist who works in a publishing house or an editorial office makes good money. It is interesting that two persons that have approximately same knowledge and skills can have a very different income working as proofreaders at different companies.
An important factor that influences one’s wages when applying for work is the ability to “sell” oneself. As a rule, the main point on which one’s salary depends is experience and relevant education (higher education and various training courses for proofreaders).
Where to study
A lot of linguistic specialties are a good basis for working as a proof reader. For example, one should consider such specialties as linguistics, publishing or philology. Usually, the required exams are language and literature, foreign language, social studies or history (the list of subjects varies depending on an educational institution and specialty). Education will take about 4-5 years, also depending on a university or college.
Workplace
A specialist in proof reading can work for a book publisher, in media, be occupied with the check of texts for publishing on the websites and social networks, work at a company that manufactures printing products, an ad agency, a translation agency, and so on. Also, such a specialist can work as a freelancer and find customers on the internet.
How to get quick career growth in this profession
In the end of this post, we would want to share a small recipe of quick development in proofreading sphere:
- Read more. You need to read until the moment when you get true love for reading. Study difficult texts, analyze the usage of punctuation points in them and other tiny details. Read different texts and try to detect mistakes in them. Do not feel shy to send your remarks and comments on author’s articles and books. Maybe they will be your future employers, no one can even know.
- Learn perfectly the specificity of proof reading activity. Continue consulting with more experienced colleagues about the subtleties of the profession. Try to memorize the most common mistakes and work on getting rid of them. Work on concentration and attention.
- Learn to use a computer. One will have to work with a computer all the time. That is why it is important to know how to use it at the highest level. Do not stop and learn new programs, services, hotkeys that can facilitate the working process. Learn new techniques in Word, know how to use a printer, try to use other programs, etc.
- Take additional courses. It is quite difficult to get a direct proof reading education. Nevertheless, try to find a couple of information resources where they publish information about different useful webinars, seminars and lectures about proof reading. It would be also useful to learn about the system of earnings from one’s own blogs. Maybe once you will want to open your own resource to teach others or share some helpful information.
- Improve language knowledge. We strongly do not recommend sticking to the strategy of a “know-it-all” person. The deeper you dive in the language specificity, the more mistakes you will be able to see in a text. Revise materials all the time, even if you know it well. Having learned one language well, you can proceed to another one. In such a way, you can secure higher demand for your services in the labor market.
Thank you for having read the post till the end. Now you are better informed about the profession of a proof reader and know how to act to get a position in a good company or to start working as a freelancer. You can start your career as a proofreader with our team.
If you think that this profession does not suit you, you can try other directions, for example, website creation.
In order to get more useful information about proof reading in general, visit our website, read our posts, or contact our professionals. We are there for you round-the-clock.
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