Freelance Proofreaders
Ah, proofreading! Where would the world be without proofreaders? Pedantic people with no friends, I salute you all.These days, a massive amount of information is published - whether in hard copy as books, leaflets, manuals, newsletters, magazines or online...as books, newsletters, e-zines, websites. Thankfully, organisations are realising that a spellcheck facility is never enough. This is one area in which man cannot be replaced by machine. The vagaries of the English language are far too complex for computer chips.
Freelance proofreading is essentially checking the grammar, spelling, consistency and layout of a document. In the relatively old days of paper publishing, proofreaders would check proofs after typesetting, mark them up and then return to the publishers.
The dawn of new media has opened up less traditional avenues for proofreaders - you can work online on copy generated for websites, e-zines, e-books and given that most companies generate literature, there's a need for proofreading in every field.
Before you immediately sign up for a course and launch yourself as a freelance proofreader, a word of advice. It's not enough to like books, enjoy reading and be good at spelling. Professional proofreading is more scientific than that - it requires mental stamina, patience, logic, application and commitment not forgetting a red pen, a love of solitude and an unhealthy desire to find mistakes.
