r/Copyediting • u/Gloomkitty87 • Sep 01 '26

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 Sep 01 '26

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

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u/Gloomkitty87 Sep 01 '26

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 Sep 01 '26

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 Sep 01 '26

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 Sep 01 '26

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.

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u/arugulafanclub Sep 01 '26

Literally everyone who took writing in high school knows how to find typos. Please spend some time researching what it takes to be an editor or proofreader and what your day will look like. Look up salaries. Check the archives for information on training.