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Proofreading is an exciting job to do. If you are planning to perceive a career in proofreading,  you will be more than excited to know what the job holds. The best part of a proofreading job is that you can easily become a proofreader from home. Plus, the earnings in this job are fabulous.

If you are already browsing the internet for beginner proofreading jobs, then that means that you have made up your mind to become a proofreader. Well, we would love to tell you that you can become a professional proofreader within no time. All it requires is a little bit of practice and a whole lot of research.

So let’s begin our guide on how to start proofreading by answering a few of the most asked questions.

How to become a proofreader if I am a beginner?

As a beginner, the first step in becoming a proofreader is to read a lot. The more you read, the better you can get at proofreading. Proofreading also requires you to understand your audience. To see what people like to read, how different people react to different writings, and look at the words which appeal to the readers.

To become a successful proofreader you need to get in the brains of the audience and think like them. And for that, you need to understand the audience.

How to start proofreading professionally?

To begin proofreading at a professional level, start with critically analyzing what you are reading. Write down things that appeal to you the most, and also the things that you do not like. Brush up your grammar skills by watching videos and reading newspapers.

Also, you should know when the usage of passive voice or complex structure is necessary. You also need to learn about the different types of writings.

In fact, start writing down and then proofreading your own articles. You will get a glimpse of how writing and proofreading are different things, and how different types of writings need different analyses.

What is a proofreader’s job description?

Well, initially a proofreader was not of immense importance. The writer analyzed their writings on their own and published them. But when critical reviews gained importance, a proofreader came in limelight. Basically editing and proofreading can be treated like two different jobs or one, depending on the requirements.

But, if you are specifically looking for a proofreading job, the description might require an honors degree in English, journalism, or creative writing. Basically, you must have an inclination towards literature. And if you are from a technical background you can provide some practical work or do an online course to brush your skills and make your resume appropriate.

Can I take proofreading as a side hustle?

Every job requires an inner passion to be pursued and the same goes for proofreading. If you are an avid reader and like critically thinking and analyzing writings then you can easily take up proofreading as a side hustle.

Remember a proofreader’s job is also a tedious one. They need to research various subjects every day and ensure the work that they are editing and proofreading is the best.

They must also do background checks of the content written in the article to make it practically correct. Publishing wrong things and misleading the audience is punishable by the law. And it is the proofreader’s job to check the authenticity of the material that they are editing.

Conclusion

Initially, becoming a proofreader may not let you make big bucks, but this career has a huge scope. Your inquisitiveness to learn new things and give long hours to reading things will certainly pay off if you perform proofreading dedicatedly.

Remember there is no shortcut to success but in proofreading the way to achieve success is to read, analyze and research! It may sound time-consuming but once you get a hold of it, proofreading will be like a piece of cake for you. And in fact, imagine the new things you will get to learn every day?

If you think writing an academic paper is an overwhelming job, try proofreading it. Proofreading academic papers is indeed a very critical job. It requires going back and analyzing all the research work once again.

Academic proofreaders are required to check the typos, grammar, and spellings in the writings, including but not limited to styles, citations, organization, and other checks.

This may sound like a tedious process but requires immense concentration and attention. Thus, when you are editing your writing, ensure that you choose a quiet place, away from all the distractions; as academic proofreading requires 100% attention.

So, how to proofread your own work?

When you are done with your writing and approach the final stages of reviewing, take utmost care while reviewing it.

First of all, take a break for a few days after you have finished writing. This will help you to refresh your mind on the subject. Also, something that made meaning while writing may not have the same meaning now. So this break will provide a new perspective to writing.

Also choose the time of the day, when you are the most energetic. You need your mind to be in full control of your actions as you have to critically check every spelling, grammar, and article in the writing.

Now, what difference is to be done when proofreading academic papers?

When you are proofreading academic writing, be ready with all your references and research on the topic. Also, read the text loudly to ensure that it makes sense. Then read the text backward to check the spellings.

Moreover, when you read a particular piece and notice the same error multiple times, write down the error on a piece of paper and ensure to go through it again. Also, see if the format of references (APA, MLA, etc.) and the overall structure and alignment of the paper are followed.

What special care must be taken while proofreading scientific papers?

When a scientific paper is being proofread, then just like academic papers, ensure that you have all the research material at hand to cross-check. Also, try to let someone else read the paper once and give a critical review. This will help you in analyzing the paper in a better way.

Scientific papers have more technicalities and jargon. So ensure that you have used the right ones in the right place. Also if you are using dates to define inventions or progress, cross-check that they are the correct ones.

Proofreading scientific papers also include polishing the sentences and making the material more interesting to read. Thus, try to break down complex sentences and use short sentences wherever possible. Avoid repetitions and use phrases only where required.

When you are done proofreading, have an outsider’s view on the writing. This is a great way to critically analyze your writing and proofreading skills.

And when you are satisfied with the proofreading, read the paper one last time. If you feel that it requires no more editing and it has covered your idea from beginning to end, you know you have done a good job.

Conclusion

Academic paper proofreading is critically analyzing the paper. It is a difficult, and tedious and job, hence do it when you are fully energized to get the best outcome.

Keep in mind that this is the final effort in your paper writing journey and will yield the best results if properly executed. A proofread paper stands out and keeps the examiner engrossed from start to end!

Reading is a mesmerizing thing. It takes you to an altogether different world. In fact, reading not only diverse your mind but has many other benefits too. A good reader has a great vocabulary and knows to read in between the lines. They can understand the author through their style of writing.

An avid reader can finish multiple books in a day and not get tired. But the best part is that reading not only enhances your skills but it can also make you a great professional proofreader. Plus, you will do what you love and earn money for it!

So, if you are a good reader you are already halfway through, and if you have decided on being a professional proofreader, here are some tips for you on how to be a better proofreader.

1. Know Your audience

The first thing as a writer, reader, or proofreader is that you should know your audience. When you know whom you are writing for, you will get a better perspective of what is written.

So, as a professional proofreader, you should know the audience that the article is written for. The age, expertise level, and knowledge of the audience matter a lot.  Once you know the audience properly, you need to read like them and then try to understand their perspective.

In brief, when you read like the audience, you will be able to proofread the article in the best way.

2. For effective proofreading, read backward

This is one skill that was a secret kept by proofreaders for a long time.

The human mind is trained to read the first and last letter of the words and then frame the sentence accordingly. So, it is general to skip ifs, buts, and many other pronouns, conjunctions, and more.

In fact, when we read a sentence, our mind sometimes reads it properly even though it may be grammatically incorrect.

Thus, to avoid this issue, proofreaders read the text backward. This lets you check the spellings and words professionally. Also, when there are pronouns and conjunctions, we can read the sentence straightforward and see if it makes sense.

But an article can be 100% accurately checked when it is proofread backward.

3. Have a professional proofreading checklist

When you plan to be a professional proofreader, you need to follow a proofreading process. Ensure to follow this checklist whenever you start the proofreading process.

Also, ensure to get all the material required from the writers for effective proofreading. 

Like, first you should know about the audience, then read the entire article, check the tone, mark the mistakes and suggestions in different colors, read backward, highlight when you like something, and so on.

You can add and edit the checklist according to the writings that you check, but ensure the skeleton remains the same.

Additionally, make a list of colors for grammar errors, sentence errors, addition or deletion of ideas, etc. This will help the writers to distinguish between your suggestions and have more clarity.

Conclusion

Now that you have planned to proofread professionally, above are the proofreading tips and tricks that will help you get there. Just follow them and you will be an efficient proofreader. Plus, it is a very interesting job. Imagine so many new things to learn and read every day!

Moreover, just remember that every writer has their own unique style and tone. Be sure not to irritate that tone or put it off course. Proofread the article in such a way that the creativity is not hampered and the idea still reaches the audience!

If you are a professional proofreader, you will require modern tools to run the written work for proofreading. The content editing tools for professional proofreaders have been known to lessen the work for them, plus, these tools are so efficient that every little error can be caught easily.

Moreover, the amount of work that proofreaders do, they certainly require help. And if you want to get the best online proofreading, you must definitely have tools that make the job easier.  Don’t you?

So, what defines the best proofreading software?

A proofreading software must intricately run through every word, punctuation mark, and structure of the sentence to ensure that it goes with the tone of the article. The best proofreading software sees to it that it check the document for the tone, number of works, delivery, and also the audience that you are writing for.

These tools are known to even check for plagiarism. You will be surprised at the type of analysis these tools perform. They even state that the structure of the sentence is wordy or too complicated to understand.

Thus, when you choose a proofreading software, ensure that you look at the aspects that it checks and then go ahead to use it.

Now, which are some of the best proofreading tools?

Some of the tools that you can use for proofreading are;

• Grammarly
• Hemingway Editor
• Edit Minion
• WordRake
• Slick Write

These are some of the best proofreading tools that content marketers use and recommend. In some organizations, the fully paid versions of the software are also available to avail of all the best services.

Though some of them are paid, all the software has basic versions available for the users. These basic versions also provide the best proofreading and grammar checks.

These tools are also the best content editing software. They will polish the content and make it appealing to the readers. They equally ensure that a single tone is maintained throughout the entire article. Also, they help in recognizing duplicate ideas and words.

But, when should one use content editing tools?

One should try and incorporate the tools in the writing process, especially while drafting and proofreading the articles. This is so, because you can write according to the suggestions and work on the changes as you write. But if are not able to incorporate it offline, you can use the online versions and polish the article.

Moreover, try to use the tools for every type of writing as you will definitely see that their use is worth it! You will notice a change in your editing levels and the article will look really appealing.

Plus, these types of software also upgrade your writing and proofreading skills from time to time.

Also if you get a job for content proofreading, it would be mandatory for you to know how to use these tools.

Are the free versions of these proofreading tools better?

Well, the paid versions provide much more checking and options for polishing the content. But the free versions do their job pretty well too. As the paid versions of these tools are on the higher price, proofreader combines manual checking with these tools to produce the best results.

And after all, everything depends on the type of checking you do and for the audience, you work for. If the audience is an expert level one, you may require to go for the paid versions to use the best language.

But seriously speaking, with combined efforts of free version and manual checking, proofreaders are able to deliver the best work. Thus, if you put in some effort, the free tools can also give the best output.

Conclusion

If you are into proofreading blogs, articles, newsletters, or even whitepapers, these tools will ensure that you do your tasks easily. The level of perfection that is achieved with these tools is impeccable.