Many leading corporations including British Gas, Lloyds Bank, Virgin Holidays, Royal Mail and American Association for Cancer Research have used this practical proofreading and editing course to train their writers. And many individuals testify that it is effective and great value for money.
So what exactly does a proofreader do?
People often confuse a proofreader with a copy editor.
But there is a major distinction: a proofreader ensures content is free of errors. There is no rewriting or revising involved.
Corrections at the sentence and word level should have been made before the text lands on the proofreader’s desk.
A proofreader ensures content is free of typographical, grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and other such errors.
This is the person who notices the extra space after a period, the “there” when it should be “their” and the compound adjective missing a hyphen.
What does it take to excel in this position?
The eyes of a hawk and an brilliant understanding of the English language, grammar and punctuation.
Is this more of a freelance position, or do companies keep a proofreader on staff? In general, landing a job is all about connections and what opportunities arise because of them.
How can I break into this field?
Proofread your friends CV, or their covering letters to get your feet wet.
Prepare a portfolio to show off your work. Then try landing an editorial job, one that involves polishing prose, at a smaller publication, publishing house or website.
As with all jobs these days, having a good understanding of the basics will make it easier to get hired.
A good understanding of the copyediting process will help your proofreading prospects.
See our proofreading course