For many of our proofreading course students, freelancing is the ultimate career goal.People who graduate from our online proofreading course are attracted to freelancing because it offers freedom, flexibility and control.

There is plenty of work available – think of all those websites out there! But using your editorial skills to make a living takes a great deal of commitment and hard work. The life of a freelancer is not always an easy one.

Negative aspects can include uncertainty over income, irregular employment, and no paid holiday leave or sick leave. It can take a while to build up work.

Here are a few tips to help our proofreading course students, graduates and anyone else considering going freelance.

  1. Organisation: To be an effective freelancer, you need to organise your week to ensure you have enough time to complete your projects. Don’t take on more than you can realistically handle.
  2. Marketing: It is crucial that you take the time to market your services. In the first few years of freelancing, it’s advisable to spend two thirds of your time finding work, and the rest of the time doing it. Pick one or two marketing methods you feel comfortable with and focus on those. Social media is the best place top start. It’s free.
  3. Focus: Working from home, it’s easy to become distracted. Set yourself daily goals and find a quiet area for your home work-space.

If you want to ‘go it alone’, our online proofreading course will help you develop your skills – not just as a proofreader and copy editor, but also as a freelancer.

See our online proofreading course