Our become a proofreader course
The course will detail how you can become a proofreader in the UK. It is the only course of its kind available in the UK.
Note: This is not a proofreading course, we DO NOT deal with how to proofread and edit. Our course is much more holistic and shows you how to go from having a passion for the written word and a desire to become a proofreader to generating a full-time income from proofreading.
So who am I?
So who am I and why am I qualified to advise you on how to become a proofreader? Well, my name is Michael and I am the founder of a leading UK proofreading company – London Proofreaders (Google it!). I started out years ago as a freelancer along side my day job and then went self-employed and set up my own company. I interview, hire and fire proofreaders on a monthly basis. I know what proofreading companies look for, I know what skills you need.
What is included in the course?
- 6 video training modules
- Downloadable pdf workbook summary of each module
- Access to our private mastermind group on Facebook
Module 1: The personality, qualifications, experience and skills you need
This is our introductory module that breaks down the basics of what kind of personality and what to do about getting the experience and qualifications you need.
- Personality
- Qualifications
- The approach if you don’t have any qualifications
- Free proofreading courses: Worth it?
- UK proofreading courses: The best ones to take
- Experience and skills
- Jobs with transferable skills
- How to get experience if you don’t have any?
- How to prove this experience?
- Tools and technology
Module 2: The proofreading market: An overview
The proofreading market is broader than at first you may think. To become a proofreader you need to decide which niche you are going to focus on, as the qualifications and experience can vary greatly.
- Differing definitions of ‘proofreading’
- Academic documents
- General versus specialist academic proofreading
- Business/corporate documents
- Novels
- Publishers
Module 3: Working for an agency vs. getting your own work
Now you have the qualifications, experience and niche you want to focus on we explore the important concept of being a price-accepter versus a price-setter. This will influence how much work you get and how much you will be paid.
- Price-accepter versus price-setter
- The pros and cons of being a price-accepter
- The pros and cons of being a price-setter
Module 4: How to find work
Next we drill down in to the nuts and bolts of how to find work, including online proofreading jobs. We divide this in to two sections, either through a company or on your own.
Through a company
- Finding work with academic proofreading companies
- Finding work with publishers
On your own
- Finding your own academic proofreading clients
- Finding your own business proofreading clients
- Finding your own self-publishing author clients
Module 5: The life of a proofreader
Now that you know how to find work we look deeper at the realities of life as a proofreader, both part-time and full-time.
- Working part-time versus full-time as a proofreader: pros and cons
- Feast versus famine: Seasonality of the work
- How much you can earn
- How many hours you will work
- Types of documents: PDF and Word
Module 6: How to make yourself more marketable
Want to set yourself apart or carve a niche out for yourself? In this module we consider ways to make yourself even more attractive to potential employers.
- What additional skills you should develop to stand out in the competitive proofreading market