How to get started as a proofreader and how to find proofreading jobs online with no experience needed.
If you’re googling for terms like “proofreading jobs online no experience required” then this article has everything you need to know if you want to find online proofreading jobs for beginners or even start your own proofreading business at home.
Proofreading has been in demand for ages. Nowadays, with the continuous growth of businesses, proofreading jobs are needed in every corner of the world and you can make a lot of money working as a proofreader.
Lots of people think that in order to become a proofreader you need prior experience or even a degree of some sort. Lucky for you, this is not true at all.
With the right tools and some basic training, anyone can become a proofreader and start making money from it.
In this article, I will answer every question you might have on how to become a proofreader from home, including all the steps you need to take on how to get started as a proofreader and how to find proofreading jobs online.
Best sites to find proofreading jobs online
- Sites for online proofreading jobs
- Job boards for online proofreading jobs
- Sites for online proofreading jobs in Canada
This article may contain affiliate links. Please read the Disclaimer to learn more.
What is proofreading?
Proofreading is simply the act of reviewing and correcting errors in a text document. These errors can include grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, and inconsistencies.
In other words, proofreading is the procedure that ensures that a text is error-free.
It’s a really important procedure for every company/business out there, and you can make a lot of money from it if you decide to start your own proofreading business.
Taking into consideration the large quantity of online content today, proofreading is in high demand and that’s why anyone can find online proofreading jobs without experience pretty easily.
Who hires proofreaders?
Proofreaders are needed every single day by thousands of people and that’s why it can be a very lucrative job if you decide to become an online proofreader.
Just think about how much online content is created every single day and how important it is for it to be error-free before it gets published, handed over, or gets seen by people.
Today, many businesses and individuals hire proofreaders because let’s face it, no one looks professional when their content is full of grammatical errors/typos, and depending on the content length, proofreading can be a really time-consuming thing to do on your own.
Let’s dive in some more, and check out examples of who uses proofreaders below:
- Organizations
- Bloggers
- Students and academics
- Website Owners
- Authors
- Small and Large Businesses
- Social Media Owners
- Marketing teams
- Individuals for personal purposes
Proofreading is so important because, without it, readers will most likely misinterpret your point and what you actually wanna get across, resulting in a total waste of time and money.
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What exactly does a proofreader do?
As we mentioned above, proofreaders are responsible for the final check of a piece of text to make sure it’s free of grammatical errors, typos, or any other inconsistencies.
They often find themselves working with digital text documents on Microsoft Word or Google Docs every day. Each day is different and can include one or multiple projects depending on the number of clients they have.
A typical day for a proofreader includes checking your email first thing in the morning. As with most online jobs, this is required to see if you have any new client inquiries and schedule new client projects.
After that, you can choose a time when you can start working on the current project while making sure you don’t miss the agreed-upon deadline.
When you proofread for a long period of time your brain can get tired so taking breaks is of utmost importance. Moreover, make sure to work in a peaceful and distraction-free environment so that you can really be as efficient as possible while proofreading.
When you’ve finished all the work for the day, you can check for new online proofreading jobs to apply for and also check your email before you go to bed for any new work-related emails.
Some of the stuff proofreaders can work with include:
- Proofreading essays
- Proofreading blog articles
- Proofreading magazine articles
- Proofreading resumes
- Proofreading books/novels
- Proofreading website content
- Proofreading biographies
- Proofreading user manuals
- Proofreading legal documents
- Proofreading business documents
- Proofreading screenplays
- Academic proofreading
- Student proofreading
The good thing about being a work from home proofreader is that you can work whenever and wherever you want while staying and spending time with your family/friends or loved ones.
Proofreading can be a part-time night job from home or even a full-time job that you can actually turn into a business over time.
How much money do proofreaders make?
As stated on salary.com, proofreaders make around $56,191 per year on average.
When you first start as a proofreader though, you can expect to make somewhere around $15 – $30 per hour. With time, as you get more experience you can start charging more per hour.
Proofreading can be a very lucrative work from home job and that’s why many people choose to start a freelance proofreading career in the first place.
Not to mention that you will be your own boss and you can work from anywhere with just a laptop and an Internet connection.
Can you be a proofreader without a degree?
You may wonder “What qualifications do you need to proofread?” and the answer is that in most cases, you won’t need any qualifications to work as a freelance proofreader.
Many people think that to become a proofreader you need a graduate or at least English degree, but in reality, anyone with good grammar skills and an eye for detail can start working as a proofreader.
If you know how to use a computer and consider yourself good at grammar all you need is a basic training/guide to help you get familiar with proofreading.
The best training course that can show you how proofreading works and how to get started as a proofreader is Proofread Anywhere by Caitlin Pyle.
In this FREE 76-minute workshop you can learn if proofreading is for you and how to create a freelance work from home proofreading business just like Caitlin.
After completing the course and passing the test, you will be ready to apply to lots of entry-level proofreading jobs and start making your first money as a proofreader.
It is truly one of the best proofreading courses you can take because it teaches every aspect of working as a proofreader online and making a living from it.
How do I become a proofreader with no experience/degree?
If you are interested in knowing how to get started as a proofreader but have no idea where to even start, don’t worry, I am going to break it down for you in 4 simple steps.
You may think that becoming a proofreader online is complicated but the truth is it’s pretty straightforward. So much that you may question yourself why didn’t you start sooner.
In the last few years, more and more people are becoming freelance proofreaders by starting their own proofreading business and searching for proofreading jobs online. And so can you!
Okay, enough talking. Let’s see how you can get started as a beginner proofreader.
1 Take a proofreading course
The first and most important thing to do is take an online proofreading course that will teach you exactly what you need to become a proofreader.
This online course made by Caitlin Pyle has helped thousands of people successfully start their proofreading business and make a living out of it and I highly recommend it to anyone serious about becoming a proofreader.
You can check out her free 76-minute workshop where you can learn about how Caitlin started a successful proofreading business and what you need to know to do the same.
The Proofread Anywhere course will teach you in theory and practice everything you need to know on how to start your proofreading business, create a resume, market yourself to potential clients, set your rates, best places to find proofreading jobs, and more.
2 Choose a proofreading niche
Next, you will need to pick a proofreading niche/field in which you want to provide your proofreading services.
Choosing a specific niche will help you build authority faster in that field because you will have a targeted audience and that will also help you make more money as a proofreader.
Moreover, choosing a niche will eliminate a lot of your competition. People in need of proofreaders that are in a specific niche will want to hire a proofreader who specializes in the field instead of a generic proofreader.
As a result, your chosen niche should be something you are interested in and passionate about. This will be the key factor that will contribute to a successful online proofreading business.
Besides, the more you know about a niche the easier and more enjoyable will be for you to proofread your assigned documents.
Some of the proofreading niches include:
- Finance
- Religion
- Technology
- Science
- Fitness
- Education
- Medical
- Law
- Health
If choosing a proofreading niche seems too hard for you at the moment, you can always start as a general proofreader and as you gain more insight into the kind of online content you are interested in, you can slowly start niching down.
3 Search for freelance proofreading jobs
The Internet is full of places where you can find remote proofreading jobs without wasting a lot of time.
You can search for proofreading jobs online no experience required on freelance platforms, Facebook groups, freelance job boards, proofreading companies, and more places.
I would highly recommend you bookmark your favorite websites where you can find proofreading jobs on your browser for easy accessibility.
For example, make a folder named “proofreading jobs online no experience required” or “online proofreading jobs for beginners” on your browser bar and save your favorite sites there.
4 Don’t stop practicing
Practice, practice, practice.
The only way to acquire more experience and become a top-notch proofreader is with lots and lots of practice.
Take it slow and steady and don’t rush when proofreading because that’s when you skip or make mistakes.
Also, make sure to stop for a break at least every hour so you can unwind a bit and return to your proofreading with a clear and focused mind.
I would also advise you to write down your most common mistakes on a piece of paper or in a .txt file on your computer. Knowing your weaknesses and trying to improve on them is what will shape you into a professional proofreader.
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How to find proofreading jobs
Once you complete your proofreading training, set up your workspace, and everything is ready to go, it’s time to start searching and applying for legit proofreading jobs from home.
There are hundreds of places where you can find work as a proofreader, and if you want to land clients every single day you have to be active about it.
You will have to be persistent and not get disappointed if you don’t find a job right away.
With time, and as you complete more jobs, you will get more and more experienced and you will be able to land proofreading jobs much easier, so keep that in mind.
Without any further adue, let’s take a look at the best places where you can find proofreading jobs online no experience required.
60 best online proofreading jobs no experience required
- Scribbr
- Proofreading Services
- Scribendi
- Kibin
- Proofreading.org
- Reedsy
- Edit Fast
- Domainite
- Wordy
- Gramlee
- Quality Proofreading
- Sibia Proofreading
- Polished Paper
- Click worker
- R3ciprocity
- Toogit
- Virtual Vocations
- Jobsforeditors.com
- The Write Jobs
- Babbletype
- Resume Edge
- American Journal Experts
- Word Vice
- Book Editing Associates
- Proofread Now
- Proofreading Pal
- Cactus Global
- Scribe Media
- Edit My English
- Jobilico
- Words RU
- Writer’s Relief
- Cambridge Proofreading and Editing
- Book Editing Associates
- Managed Editing
Job boards to find proofreading jobs from home (no experience)
- Problogger
- Upwork
- Get Editing Jobs
- FlexJobs
- Contena
- Lionbridge
- Fiverr
- Indeed.com
- Media Bistro
- Guru
- Writing Jobz
- Remote.co
- Kelly Services
- Editorial Freelancers Association
- Get Editing Job Board
Proofreading jobs from home Canada
Best Facebook groups to find freelance proofreading jobs
Facebook groups can be another great way to connect with potential clients. Below I have listed the best Facebook groups where you can find proofreading jobs online with no experience required.
As a matter of fact, the more proofreading Facebook groups you join, the more people you will reach, and the more remote proofreading job opportunities you’ll discover.
- Transcribing, Editing & Proofreading Services
- Beta Reading/Proofing/Editing
- Freelance Content Writers, Content Editor, Proofreader, & Digital Marketers
- Proofreader Needed Today (general proofreaders and editors)
- Proofreading and Editing Jobs/Services
- Proofreader Needed Today (Proofreaders for Court Reporters)
- Binders Full of Remote Proofreading and Editing Jobs
- Proofreading and Editing Services
- Proofreaders Group
What proofreading skills do I need as a beginner?
If you are someone that often cringes from typos in commercials, magazines, or books then you might have the potential to be a great proofreader.
As in every profession, every successful proofreader needs a set of proofreading skills to be suited for this job.
The first and most important skill is to have a thorough understanding of the English language or any language that you wish to proofread for.
Below we will take a closer look at the basic proofreading skills you need to have if you want to become a proofreader.
- Great grammar skills
- Good research skills
- Familiar with computers
- Being able to focus for long periods of time
- Ability to spot formatting issues
- Attention to detail
- Time management skills/Ability to meet deadlines
If you think you got what it takes to be a proofreader then I would highly encourage you to watch this free 76-minute workshop that will teach you everything on how to become a freelance proofreader and find online proofreading jobs for beginners.
How to become a successful proofreader?
As with every job, if you want to be successful as a proofreader you have to be good and smart about it. Moreover, the better of a proofreader you are, the more money you will make over time.
You may ask yourself the following “How to make a lot of money as a proofreader?” and the answer is simpler than you might expect.
The key to becoming a successful proofreader and making a lot of money from it is to be consistent with it.
What I mean by that is you will have to actively practice, search for entry-level proofreading jobs, promote your proofreading services on social media, and practice every single day to become a better proofreader.
Hard work always pays off but there is also the saying “work smarter, not harder” and that’s where proofreading tools come into the picture.
Proofreading tools can include Microsoft Word Add-ons, Chrome extensions, online proofreading tools, desktop apps, and mobile apps.
Below you can find some of the best tips that will help you be as effective as possible while proofreading and thus get more work done in less time.
- Microsoft Office 365 (Most used text editor)
- Google Docs (Another popular text editor)
- Grammarly (Microsoft Word Extension) (Most used grammar tool)
- PerfectIt (Microsoft Word Extension) (Another great grammar tool)
- Hemingway App (For correcting grammar, fluency, and sentence structure)
- Microsoft To Do (For organizing your daily tasks as a proofreader)
TIP: To land more proofreading jobs online and thus make more money, I would highly recommend you sign up for more than one freelance website and be active on social media. If you want more exposure you could also consider promoting yourself via paid advertising.
How to start your own proofreading business
Today, starting an online business of any kind isn’t as expensive and time-consuming as it used to be, and that’s no different for starting an online proofreading business too.
All you are ever going to need is a laptop/desktop computer, an internet connection, and a website. Besides the latter, the majority of people already have those things in their daily lives so it’s not a big deal.
Buying hosting and building a website is also super easy and affordable and it can be done in minutes, so don’t worry about that. You can literally start a website with as little as $1.99/month.
Below, we’ll see the fundamental steps you need to take if you want to start your own proofreading business from scratch. After those steps, you’ll be ready to search and apply for online proofreading jobs without experience.
1 Set up a proofreading website
Everyone who wants to start a proofreading business from scratch should have a website. A proofreading website will showcase your services/expertise and your proofreading portfolio.
You can also have a blog on your website and write articles about proofreading topics that can help you rank high in Google results and generate lots of organic traffic and thus new clients.
The first thing you will need to do is buy hosting for your website. Hosting is basically renting space online to store your website and have it available 24/7.
I always recommend Bluehost hosting for anyone who wants to start a new blog/website.
They are super affordable and they offer everything you need to kickstart your new project without emptying your wallet.
You can check my step-by-step guide on how to start a website, and have yours live today.
2 Set up your proofreading rates
After you are done creating and designing your website, you will want to showcase your proofreading services and set your rates.
As a beginner proofreader, I would strongly advise you to set your rates somewhere on the lower end. This will help you land more clients and thus build your portfolio and trustworthiness faster.
Setting your rates high right from the start will make clients more hesitant and you will find it harder to get hired for entry-level proofreading jobs.
Once you have built some trust and a decent following online, you can go ahead and increase your rates accordingly.
People will always choose value for money (VFM) when it comes to buying services online and you should have that in mind when you set up your rates.
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3 Set up social media accounts and promote your online proofreading business
If you are wondering how you can promote yourself as a proofreader, social media is a great way to do so.
Creating social media accounts and using them to promote your services is going to get a lot of new eyeballs into your freelance proofreading business.
Moreover, networking with proofreaders, online creators, and editors on social media will help you make new connections and that will also help bring new people to your website.
Once you create accounts on the social media platforms of your choice, you should be active and post consistently. This will help you get found by more people and as your following grows, so will your monthly income.
For example, Pinterest is a very good choice to market yourself as a proofreader. By pinning consistently you can build a targeted following and find many opportunities for online proofreading jobs without experience.
If you want to learn how to create and optimize your Pinterest business account for maximum reach, check out my “how to make money on Pinterest” article.
You can also promote your proofreading business with paid ads but I would suggest you build a following first if you want paid ads to have an effect.
Best proofreading tests to test your skills and abilities
If you want to take some quick tests to see if you have the potential of becoming a good proofreader you can check out the following links.
- https://editingtests.com/proofreading-tests/free-sample-proofreading-tests.php
- https://www.ciep.uk/resources/test-yourself
- https://www.freelancewriting.com/copywriting/proofreading-exercise/
How much should I charge for proofreading jobs?
The price you set depends on your experience and the proofreading jobs you apply for, meaning that the more demanding the project the more money you are likely to charge for it.
Typically though, amateur proofreaders charge anywhere from $15-30 per hour.
When you first start as a freelance proofreader you won’t have much experience and client reviews. That’s why your rates should be on the lower end until you gain experience and build a trustworthy portfolio.
Cold pitching for proofreading jobs
Cold pitching is simply the act of sending emails offering your services to businesses or individuals that you think could be your potential clients.
That requires some research on your part, in order to find the appropriate people that could actually need your proofreading services.
This usually takes time and it’s not something you should try right from the beginning.
Before you start cold pitching for proofreading jobs, you should already have a website showcasing your proofreading portfolio so that people can check out your work and decide if they want to hire you or not.
The more professional-looking your proofreading portfolio is, the more the chances people are going to actually pay for your services.
If you decide to give cold pitching a try, I would recommend you build an email template and save it on your computer. That way you don’t have to write every email from scratch. You can just change some key parts of the template to make it appropriate for each sender.
It’s also important to have a good-looking and professional signature at the end of your emails that preferably has a link back to your website. You can do this by adding a clickable business logo. (in other words just a picture with a link)
If it’s done right, cold pitching can actually land you remote proofreading jobs that are really worth your time and effort. Moreover, reaching out to people this way can help you increase your connections further.
FAQs on proofreading jobs online no experience
How do I become a proofreader with no experience?
All you need to become a proofreader without experience is a good training course like Proofread Anywhere, which will teach you the fundamentals of how to become a proofreader.
Things like how to create your own proofreading website, how to set your proofreading rates, how to market yourself as a proofreader, how to land your first clients, all about proofreading taxes, and more.
How do I get my first proofreading job?
You can search and find many online proofreading jobs for beginners on freelance platforms like Freelancer, Upwork, Fiverr, and FlexJobs.
Moreover, you can land your first proofreading job on Facebook groups related to freelance proofreading, freelance editing, and remote proofing/editing jobs.
How much can a beginner proofreader make?
Beginner proofreaders can expect to earn around $15 – $30 per hour. More experienced proofreaders can charge even more depending on their level of expertise and the project at hand.
Searching and applying for beginner proofreading jobs online no experience required is the only way to get more experience fast and start charging more for your proofreading services.
How do I become a proofreader at home?
Nowadays, you can start your own proofreading business from home and find remote entry-level proofreading jobs online if you are a grammar geek and also familiar with things like using a computer and common editing tools like Microsoft Word and Google Docs.
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Final Thoughts
Proofreading is a legit business to get into if you want a lucrative and flexible work from home job and want to be able to apply to lots of proofreading jobs online no experience required.
Today, anyone can start their own proofreading business with the right training course and start working part-time or even full-time depending on their financial needs.
Also, because of its high demand, you can find hundreds of entry-level proofreading jobs/remote proofreading jobs to apply for every single day.
If you are someone in search of a side hustle that’s worth it and can literally become a full-time job in the future, I highly recommend proofreading.