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Become a Proofreader: Work in Your Jammies
You no longer have to be in a big city to do it. Much editorial work is done over the Internet. Work is plentiful if you're good at both the work and at promoting yourself. There are words all around us, and frenzied writers don't have time to proofread. Some places can't pay professional writers, so they rely on copy editors to polish (sometimes heavily!) their own writing. An excellent book to help you learn the ropes is Mark My Words by Peggy Smith, available on Amazon. It's chock-full of practical info and exercises that will train your eye. It offers a look at various fields including publishing, legal, medical, and technical proofreading. Proofreading doesn't have to be a dead-end job. You can move onto and up to copy editing, editing, and writing. Copy editing is similar to proofreading, but it's more involved and you may use a computer. Copy editors often write short items such as blurbs or article titles. All this is hard work and can lead to eyestrain. You must concentrate for long periods of time and work on short deadlines. Proofreaders are editors and they care deeply about language. They're “fighting the war on error,” and they mean business. If you're not sincere, you won't last. Even if you can spot a dangling modifier from a seventh-story roof, remember that if you get a gig in an office you must comport yourself professionally. The proofreader may be the brains behind the operations, but she's low on the power totem pole. For the at-home worker, pitfalls include distractions, lack of structure, and missing those annoying-yet-comforting coworkers. As a freelancer, the choice is up to you—you could work sometimes in an office and other times at home. Savvy Joining professional organizations such as the Editorial Freelancers Association will give you a jump-start. For that first job, you could try temp agencies. They'll give you a test. You should learn the proofreading symbols, found in dictionaries or on the Web. On the job, you might use only a few. Advertising in online classifieds and editing papers for students or private writers are other ways to break in. Some suggest marking errors in a company's literature (or Web site) and sending it to them with an offer of your services—this could work, but may backfire if the boss is the one who goofed. Whether you end up at home in your flannels or in a frenzied newsroom, proofreading can be a lucrative full- or part-time business. It's not the most glamorous field, but you'll be amazed when you find out how much the world needs you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Y. Rubin has worked as a proofreader and copyeditor for over 12 years. She also writes and illustrates children's books. Her most recent book is a jazzy fractured fairy tale. In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews called it "hand-clapping, foot-stomping romp." Read more about her and her books at www.freewebs.com/vickysbooks. This document last modified Friday, 18-Apr-2008 05:01:35 EDT | |||
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Tidbits & Stuff was born on Thursday, March 9, 2006
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Do you get huffy about hyphens? Are you a connoisseur of commas? Do you find yourself catching typos everywhere you look? If so, you may be cut out to be a 
freelancers earn top dollar by working quickly. One proofreader for medical publishers makes over $100,000 a year! He stresses steady self-promotion as a way of getting clients. Proofreading can pay $15 to $25 an hour and copy editing about $20 to $35.
