How to Make Money Proofreading Books (2024)

FAQs

Can you make money proofreading books? ›

Can Anyone Learn How to Make Money Proofreading? Yes, most anyone can do it, assuming you learn the proper skills. You will need to be willing to use your spelling and grammar skills properly. Of course, it definitely helps if you naturally have an eye for finding errors.

Average Per-Word Rates

Proofreaders fresh out of the gate can expect to earn around $0.03 per word, while proofreaders with a few years of experience under their belt, regardless of if they have industry knowledge or a college degree, often earn around $0.10 to $0.15 per word.

Absolutely! Proofreading is a potentially lucrative side hustle for detail-oriented individuals who can help businesses and individuals produce error-free documents. If you have the skill set, proofreading is a great part-time gig work opportunity that you can do from home.

Vacancies for this career have decreased by 67.90 percent nationwide in that time, with an average decline of 4.24 percent per year. Demand for Proofreaders and Copy Markers is expected to go up, with an expected 3,510 new jobs filled by 2029.

Rates for Professional Editing Services. As a guideline, you should expect to pay at least $12 per 1,000 words for proofreading, $25 per 1,000 words for copy editing, and $70 per 1,000 words for content editing or rewriting.

You can become a proofreader by taking online courses, brushing up on your grammatical skills, and learning how to market yourself as a freelancer! Most proofreaders don't have degrees or previous work experience, and they are still able to be successful in their field.

The copyeditor is your partner in publication by ensuring your manuscript tells the best story. Let's take a closer look at what a copyeditor does. A copyeditor: Checks for and corrects errors in grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation.

Effective proofreading is a difficult, time-intensive process which requires a specialist set of skills, but it's a crucial step which can save you costly and embarrassing mistakes and safeguard your professionalism.

What is the difference between a book editor and a proofreader? ›

A proofreader will look for misspellings, incorrect/missed punctuation, inconsistencies (textual and numerical), etc. Editing, on the other hand, corrects issues at the core of writing like sentence construction and language clarity.

Of course you can! You don't need a degree to become a proofreader. What you really need is an eye for detail and above-average grammar skills. However, I do recommend getting some training as it definitely pays to hone your proofreading skills before you start charging a fee for them.

Rates typically charged by proofreaders on Upwork are: Beginner: $20 per hour. Intermediate: $30 per hour. Advanced: $60 per hour.

How much can a beginner proofreader make? A novice proofreader can expect to make about $12–$18 per hour. However, this depends on various factors, including the genre of documents you handle, your proofreading speed, and whether you work for yourself or someone else.

We have one simple price for all student/academic/PhD documents. Proofreading price – £13 per 1,000 words – £0.013 per word.

Now, you're likely wondering, “How much do proofreaders make?” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a proofreader's salary entails a median hourly wage of $23.45.

You'll be reading and checking a lot of documents for errors, and that requires concentration. If you're someone who gets distracted easily, proofreading may be difficult for you. At the very least, you'll need to train yourself to concentrate. Distractions around you will be counterproductive to this kind of work.