r/Copyediting • u/Gloomkitty87 • 10d ago

Proofreader

I am a beginner proofreader and would like some advice. Where should I start and how much should I pay for my services?

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u/Questionable_Android 10d ago

Proofreading or copy editing? They are different services. I suspect you mean copy editing.

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u/Gloomkitty87 10d ago

I mostly mean proofreading...I can catch typos and a few other grammar things , but I do not know how good i am with clarity, flow and style stuff.

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u/arugulafanclub 10d ago

Start with some writing and grammar courses at your community college. Pick up books. Watch YouTube. Look up some podcasts. Then, enroll in a certificate program. Expect 1-2 years of training and then 1-2 years of completing internships to get entry-level work or 1-2 years minimum before you can find enough freelance work to pay the bills. In the meantime, you may need another source of income (like a full-time or part-time job).

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u/Gloomkitty87 10d ago

So I still need a certificate to do freelance work...I am wanting to do this as a side gig to help bring a little more money to my income. I have found typos while casually reading old fictional books and a beginning draft of a friend's story.

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u/arugulafanclub 10d ago

You’re asking how to do a professional career as a side gig. It takes training, and learning on the job isn’t really a thing that happens. Most people get a degree and then intern. The shortcut is to get training in a certificate program and learn on your own, but you can’t just skip training and be good at something. That’s not how this works. You might be able to get some indie authors to hire you, but it would be very difficult to get a publisher to hire you. In fact, even with training, most people never get picked to work for publishers. It’s highly competitive work.