How to Find Entry Level Proofreading Jobs Online

Do you want to find entry-level proofreading jobs online? Whether you are looking to work for someone else as a proofreader or start your own proofreading side jobwe’ve got you covered with the information you need in this blog post.

I see it all the time: people who have side hustles or passions and want to know how to make a living working from home. My advice is always the same: discover a secondary talent, other than your primary passion, and improve yourself in this area – even if it means being able to earn an income from it.

And if you’re a Type A personality like me, online proofreading jobs for beginners might be right for you.

Working in an entry-level position doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have a part-time or low-paying job; In fact, working as a remote proofreader can be very lucrative, especially if you have this job in addition to another job, or if you own your own business.

If you care about proper grammar usage and can proofread in your sleep, then this may be perfect for you! Read on to find out how to implement a new career role in this field.

And don’t forget to subscribe to my free weekly newsletters while you’re here (you can put your email here to start receiving them), I’ll send more info like this for FREE when I find it.

No proofreading experience? No problem.

Be a remote correctoryou really don’t need to be certified. You don’t even need to be certified in most writing functions to call yourself a writer!

And you may have more experience than you think. Have you worked as an administrative assistant and proofread your boss’s emails? Or maybe you’re just out of college and your English class is still fresh in your mind.

If these or similar examples apply to you, proofreading could be a viable option for a work-from-home career.

Build your website and start small – even on platforms like Cinqrr could be useful to a beginner proofreader.

Other websites you may want to check out that often offer remote work are Freelancer.com And Preparatory work (see our Work review for more details on how it works).

Whenever regular people talk to me about freelancing, they usually suggest I check out Upwork, a service I’m very familiar with.

However, having been a paid professional writer for over 12 years, I’ve already found that Upwork isn’t the best fit for me (although I’ve heard that some freelancers make a living purely from the website – and it’s a good living, too!). I’ve found that it’s more suited to people who are just starting out as freelancers, which might be the perfect fit for you, dear reader!

Where to Find Entry Level Proofreading and Editing Jobs Online

There are several other platforms available that beginner remote proofreaders can go to and see if they can attract new clients.

Some of my personal favorites include: Scribal writingQuick editing and ProofreadingServices.com. All enjoy competitive pay and flexible hours – in particular, ProofreadingServices.com jobs are available to anyone who passes the 20-minute application test.

Then, of course, there’s the old-fashioned way, which is to use the aforementioned services (like Upwork or Fiverr), or just use Craigslist.

My tip for using Craigslist to find work is to look for remote work in cities with a higher standard of living – cities like San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, etc.

Even if you live in a small town, if a San Francisco company likes you and thinks they’re getting Small Town USA pay rates, they might at least meet your hourly minimum and feel like you’re getting a good deal (while you feel like you’re getting paid what you’re worth!).

Some of the previously mentioned companies may prefer experienced proofreaders, but fear not, that’s why we’ve compiled an additional list of companies that hire entry-level proofreaders (to help you out if you’re truly starting from scratch!):

• Type of babbling – Read Babbling Type Review – The Babbletype team is looking for native English speakers only for transcription editing projects (which goes without saying for most of these companies), but is not “looking for perfection”.
• Guru – I’ll be honest – Guru is a lot like Fiverr or Upwork; which is not to say that it has no value, because there certainly is! Again, especially if you’re just starting out, this can be a good option to get your name out there and build a reputation for being reliable and good at what you do. Payment varies depending on your own rates.
• Indeed – A bit like LinkedInCraigslist or any other job site, Indeed is flooded with the same jobs you’ll see on the above; However, even though the competition may be higher, just because many people use these types of online platforms to search for jobs, that doesn’t mean you can’t find viable proofreading jobs on these forums. I find that a large portion of my regular clients work on job boards or in specialized social media groups.
• People per hour – This is another general job board type website (again, much like Fiverr), but it can work really well for some job seekers! This is a startup that’s been around for a minute, so you’ll probably be able to find work. Payment also varies depending on your own rates.
• Proofreading Buddy – Read Proofreading ReviewPal – To work for this company, you must have a college degree or be in the process of obtaining one. However, you don’t necessarily need to have the professional experience that many proofreaders have. The website claims that publishers can earn between $500 and $3,000 per month.
• Life advice – This company publishes content produced by independents. The website offers salaried employment and comprehensive medical benefits – so that’s definitely a plus! They ask for a resume, but no specific experience or education requirements are mentioned.
• Scribbr – Read Scribbr Review – Although this website says you need a bachelor’s degree and some “academic editing experience”, it seems that editing your own academic papers in college can count as experience, so give this one a try for sure.
• Our newsletter – Subscribe to our weekly work from home updates to see more companies (and companies hiring for other work from home positions) as we find them.

Additionally, I always suggest reaching out to people on LinkedIn for information and feedback on how you can break into the profession.

Find proofreaders whose career paths you admire, send them a LinkedIn connection request, and ask if you can have 10 minutes to pick their brains. Networking in any industry never hurts! I believe that before you can strike out on your own, you need to learn from the best.

Plus, these networking conversations could turn into job opportunities, especially if you’re talking to a director-level (or even manager) decision-maker.

Do not hesitate to ask your interlocutor if their company is recruiting; people like to hire people who they can give a name, a face and a voice to, so don’t be shy!