How people earn a living has been constantly evolving over the years. If someone from 100 years a go were to come back to life and see how everyone is living their life, it’s safe to see the culture shock will be enough to return them to where they came from.
From as far back as history can go, man has always had a need to make a living, and while at it, take a corner of the earth and call it their own. From the early days, man used to make a living from the animals they hunted in the fields, or from tilling the land to plant food crops.
Pros
- Easy to follow
- Gives you everything from start to finish
- Learn from one of the best in the business
Cons
- Suited for full time work
Conclusion
If you are genuinely interested in becoming a proofreader, then you should definitely get started on this course. The insights within are one of a kind and are a good stepping stone to launching your career. Over the long run, the cost of the program will become worth it.
It’s safe to assume that not everyone had everything they needed, so they needed to trade what they have for them to acquire what they needed to get. This may have been the beginning of trade. A farmer would exchange their produce from some meat from the hunter and vice versa.
Then came the rise of money, and now the medium of exchange was no longer simply their products, it was in exchange for valuable material such as silver, gold or earth stones. This development led to the rise of market areas from which traders could exchange their products for money.
Well, that part was successful, and populations begun to burgeon as food became more available, and diseases were easily getting dealt with. Something had to be done to feed all these people. Thus, came the rise of industries. This meant being able to do more, on a larger scale.
The technically adept members of society came up with ways of making work easier, and this meant training others to handle whatever contraptions they came up with. Soon, many more tools were making their way into mainstream use. Food became plenty, people were now settling down in closer communities and transportation methods were making traveling and transportation of goods easy.
Of course, all this fueled the growth in economies, which meant the industries needed to become larger to provide more products and services to the ever-growing population. Instead of now working on their farms, people began to move to industrial centers. There, they would trade their time for some fiat money for a living.
The industries further grew into office complexes where the educated people could put their education to good use, while the technically adept blue-collar workers would work in the belly of the beast to provide machines that would power civilizations into the 21st century.
While this concept is still in wide use today, things are starting to change in ways that no one expected. This is largely due to the need for office workers need to communicate with each other, as well as with the blue-collar workers in their industries. The birth of the internet coupled with the effect of Moore’s Law meant that a lot of things that were done in a certain way will have to change.
From the letters that needed several days to several weeks for a message to be delivered, all it now needed was a simple click of a mouse and the message would be delivered in seconds. From the need of shipping documents to have them signed, to sliding a magnet tipped pen over a screen and documents are approved. The rise of the internet has changed the way many people look at work.
This is especially true for many people whose skills lie away from having the need of an office. Those that can be done on a laptop and emailed after completion have seen a rise of a new kind of economy; the gig economy.
This has worked well for a number of organizations who now depend on a variety of different freelancers and other digital workers to get their work done. This also means they don’t have to splurge to get office spaces and other physical facilities to host work spaces. The freelancers can just do the work from the comfort of their own homes.
From the graphic designers, to musicians, to transcribers, to article writers and many more out there who ply their trade over the internet, each has their own resources dedicated to them, to making them be the best they can be.
This Proofread Anywhere review, is about a product aimed at increasing the skills and abilities that one group of those freelancers can benefit from. This group, is the proof readers.
Article Contents
What Is Proofread Anywhere?
You may have an idea of what proofreading is, and since you’re here, you want to find out more about it, rather than just the general idea that you have. Typically, the job of a proofreader is to ensure the content handed to them is free of any grammatical, typographical, spelling, formatting, syntax and other related errors.
To succeed as a proofreader, you will need to have a particular set of skills; some inborn, some learned. Chief among these skills is the ability to spot grammatical errors. A proofreader also needs to have impeccable spelling acuity and can spot the earlier mentioned errors. That’s not all though, they need to be knowledgeable in a number of formatting techniques such as the AP Style Book, the Element of Style or the Chicago Manual of Style.
As the world has moved more towards digital workplaces, it is also prudent for the proofreader to be well versed with different software for their use, as well as skills such as hyperlinking in documents.
It is very easy to confuse this description with that of a copy editor. However, the main distinction between the two is that by the time the copy editor’s work reaches a proofreader, it has already undergone several changes and corrections. A proofreader is the final part of the production line before publication.
What Does A Proof Reader Do?
The job of a proofreader is mostly honed through years of hard work, either as a copy editor with a high affinity for perfectionism, or as a proofreader for your friends’ work. If you find yourself exhibiting symptoms of grammar Nazism, then yes, you may be in the early stages of being a proofreader. The only thing that will be required of you is your absolute interest and hard word in getting into field.
However, before you can consider yourself a professional proof reader, there are a variety of skills that you have to learn, and some to develop. There are no schools that will teach you how to become that world class proof reader… well, until now.
To get a proper context into why Proofread Anywhere is the subject of this article, a look into its founder is important. As an accomplished proofreader, Caitlin Pyle set about to share her knowledge and experience with other proofreaders of the world through the medium of the internet.
She began her work while studying abroad in Germany. Students would turn to her for her grammar skills and ask her to proofread their work. That’s when she noticed that there is a market for that skill and proceeded to engage fully in it. She decided to go a step further and proofread the work of court reporters, a gig that earned her income for three consecutive years.
As she herself says, during that period, she was comfortable earning around $2,000 to $5,000 a month from her part time work as a proof reader. However, her husband was not satisfied with where they were in life and pushed her to be better than where she was at the moment.
As a result of her work and experience, and the gentle prodding of her husband, she decided to start Proofread Anywhere as a blog, to help other proofreaders and other interested parties out there. At the time, they were living in Ecuador and also planning a tour of South America. She started off by writing an eBook specifically for proofreaders.
The initial response was slow. It somehow picked up and blew up. As she soon found out, the eBook in itself was not adequate. The readers of her book would send her dozens of questions on areas that they did not understand in the eBook.
Her husband pushed her some more. Why not create an online program to teach proofreaders? Too much work, was her response. She finally saw the sense in building that online program as she was spending too much time on each student, which meant she was actually losing money.
As a result, she stopped the sale of the eBook on the website to focus on building the course. When she finally put up the course, the response was overwhelming. She hadn’t thought that the course would make any headway with people but she was completely shocked at how well it was received by budding proofreaders all around the world.
How Does Proofread Anywhere Work?
Up to this point, your interest in this program is quite clear. So now, it’s time to get into the meat of what Proofread Anywhere is. It is common for a lot of people to mistake the work of an editor and that of a proofreader. While in essence they do work in the same way, it is the degree to which they do these things and their placement on the content production chain that differs.
In general, an editor will format text by quantity to improve on the quality. They will end up adding or removing entire sections of text, or even editing the tone of the wording to reflect what the ideas that the article is trying to put across. The editing is on a macro level, if you will.
A proofreader on the other hand, even though they will do these same things, will only do them on a micro level. If there are any changes to be made, they are only minimal. However, you will be the gatekeeper of quality. This means having to go through the text with a fine-tooth comb to apply the minute changes and format it to the required style.
Before embarking on this journey though, you must have done some serious soul searching to confirm that this is the path that you want to take. Even Caitlin realizes this and even mentions it on the website. So before placing a serious commitment, both in terms of time and finances, you will need to take up the free seven-day course.
This course is just designed to weed out the people who are yet to decide what it is they want. After signing up, you will be sent a video lesson each day of the seven. If you do feel that this is the path you want to take, you might then want to proceed into taking their paid courses.
Have you ever seen those people who sign up for expensive classes because they’re convinced that is what they want, and even manage to get themselves through the screening process? Somehow after some time, the excitement dies down, reality sets in and they lose all interest in whatever it is they actually wanted to do? Well, this entire course is designed with such people in mind.
The website itself is designed in such a way that you cannot pay for the entire course in one go. It is broken down into four different modules, and these modules are paid for separately. This is to give those who feel that this type of work is no longer for them a way to abandon ship without thinking that they’re losing a big investment and they’ll be forced to complete the program just to see their money is put to good use.
The first part of the program is known as the 30-Day Jumpstart. It costs $197. The next part of the course is known as the 60 Day NextSteps and goes for $400. When you successfully complete both and want to do more, you can move on to The Rest Of The Course at $300. The entire cost of the online course sums up to $897.
What’s in the courses?
This course is perfectly designed by one of the most successful proofreaders the industry has ever seen. However, as Caitlin herself notes, proofreading is not going to make you a new age Jeff Bezos, unless you find a way to innovate and get paid the serious amounts from your innovation. What it will do though, is equip you with skills that will help you earn a decent side income for when you need it.
At the start, the seven-day course will give you a comprehensive intro into what proofreading actually is and what’s needed to succeed in the industry, and set yourself apart from the competition. The course includes downloadable material such as videos, printable content, various case studies and work templates.
Once you’re done with that and you want to delve deep into what else the program can offer you, you will find that the program is split into two specializations. These are the “General Proofreading: Theory and Practice” and the “Transcript Proofreading: Theory and Practice.”
The first of the two programs is aimed at proofreading general work such as blog articles or newspaper pieces. The second one is more specific to document intensive operations such as court transcripts, or medical.
A good thing to note is that when you do receive the lessons that you have paid for, it would be best to take your time to go through them with a microscope. Although all the content will be available to you, don’t just assume that you’ll lock yourself into your safe space and blaze through them through one weekend like the Flash after reading an “I’m home alone” text from Iris West.
The content you will receive is well thought out and well explained. This makes it one of the most comprehensive courses out there, it doesn’t matter what the topic is. As such, this isn’t something to do over the weekend, or that one-week break from work or school. This is a long-term investment that will take you anywhere from a month to four months, depending on how fast of a learner you are. And also, some additional time will be required to put what you learn into practice, until they become second nature to you.
General Proofreading: Theory and Practice
This is the first of the paid courses.
Introduction to General Proofreading.
This is the first lesson of the paid course. The purpose of this is to provide the learner with a general review of what it is to be a proofreader. They are also provided a breakdown of the skills they will need to hone, learn or develop if they want to be the most sought-after proofreader in the market.
Apart from that, the lessons also gives a breakdown on who needs a proofreader, whether individuals or organizations. Also, there is a detailed breakdown on the similarities and differences between an editor, a copy editor and a proofreader. It also goes on to illustrate how all three can work together to provide copy that is perfect according to the terms set out for the said copy.
The various topics included are:
- Why proofreading is necessary.
- Which skills are needed to build you into a world class proofreader?
- Who would need a proofreader?
- General proofreaders; what is it that they do? And don’t do?
- Common terms, used both correctly and incorrectly, during the process of proofreading.
Getting into the proofreading mindset.
It’s not just enough to say that you are a proofreader. These words have to be followed by concrete action. And no, not just anything to show that this is action, but a specific set that will indeed set you apart as the professional proofreader that you want to be.
In this module, you will get to learn the various types of individuals, companies, industries and organizations that will require the services of a competent proofreader. You will also get to learn the different types of terminology that proofreaders will use with their clients and with other industry professionals.
Here’s what’s covered in this module;
- Niches where proofreading services will be required.
- Terminology used by proofreaders as they go about their business.
The basics of proofreading.
Ah yes, even the most celebrated of scientists had to start from somewhere. You may not be eligible for a Nobel prize from the act of proofreading, but you will very surely be pleased to have helped some journalist somewhere to win a Pulitzer prize, and probably a mention to bring in more business. But before you get there, you will need to learn the specifics of the industry you will be getting into.
This module is designed to open your eyes to a big number of errors that most people commit while coming up with written content. It teaches you how to recognize them and how to correct them according to the style guide that’s required.
But that’s not all, aside from just teaching you, there are a number of practice worksheets which are designed to test what you have learnt, and also to be a self-assessment tool to indicate the progress you’ve made.
Here’s what’s included;
- Differences in spelling between American and British English.
- Commonly misused words and the right words to use instead.
- Nouns, pronouns and how to put them into agreement.
- Quotation marks, which type to use where and their impact.
- Commas and semicolons, which to use where.
- Hyphens.
- Apostrophes
- Capitalization and its effects.
- Types of errors both the common and uncommon.
Methods and Practices related to Proofreading.
Aside from just knowing how to spot mistakes, you actually have to take the time to go through the entire document. This isn’t just a type of reading to digest, or just while away the time. It’s a more focused type of reading that requires you to have a mental microscope that will allow you to spot mistakes that may seem normal to the untrained reader.
Here’s what you get in this module;
- Proofreading methods.
- Proofreading practice.
How to turn your newly acquired skills into a money-making enterprise.
There are quite a number of organizations that require the services of a proofreader; from written content websites, to newspapers and others like diplomatic communiques. The thing is though, not every proofreader that coms out of the pipeline will be hired to work in such an organization. What then?
With this module, you get to learn how you can use your new found skills to your advantage. The first step is to package yourself as a business that is providing consultation services to organizations that need proofreading services, but not regularly enough to justify having someone on their payroll.
You will learn how to best package and present yourself to potential customers, and also learn how to put out pitches that will bring you customers without you having to break down their doors. You’ll also learn important skills such as managing your taxes and creating your own resume on the web.
In this module, you will learn how to;
- Create and manage a business website as it is the point of contact through which you can be reached.
- A step-by-step blueprint on how to set up said website.
- How to write and format your resume to attract business.
- Setting your rates and when to increase them as your experience and business grows.
- How to calculate your taxes, and also how to incorporate your business for better tax purposes.
- Starting on, and building on the experience you gain as a proofreader and business owner.
On the prowl for a job.
If running your own business is not your thing, that’s not the end of your career as a proofreader. However, finding a job as a proofreader isn’t just a matter of going onto glassdoor.com and finding that job that you’re looking for. Navigating jobs as a proofreader needs a different strategy.
The rise of social media has meant that people with interests in common do congregate and exchange ideas and information. Among the very many things exchanged are jobs. This module is meant to help you find communities of proofreaders on social media and how to engage with them respectfully while you’re in search of a job.
In this module, you will learn how to;
- Connect with communities of proofreaders and other freelancers in general.
- How to navigate social media, and the various dos and don’ts around those communities.
- Blogging and how it is a passive form of a job search.
- How to navigate online marketplaces and professional social media sites such as LinkedIn.
- How to write winning proposals.
- How to avoid the scourge of the internet; scammers.
What to do when you get the job.
Finally, the job you’ve been waiting for is here. You may be eager to get down and start running. It’s not that straightforward though. As much as you’re proofreading text, you’re dealing with people and they need to be handled differently, and with some, tact and flair.
In this module, you get to learn skills necessary to helping you develop excellent working relations with your clients and with editors as well. You will also learn the est methods to come up with bills for your clients.
Here’s what you’ll learn;
- Starting with the right attitude, and on the right foot.
- How to incorporate the client’s preferences into your work.
- How to develop a rapport with the editors and proofreaders on the project you’re working on.
- How to prepare bills for your clients.
- How to build an excellent reputation with your clients and colleagues.
- How to request for testimonials from your clients and colleagues.
The life of a freelancer and how to get the best out of it.
With no direct boss leering at you, or a specific time to get up to be at work on time, the life of a freelancer can feel unstructured, even freestyle at times. If left unchecked, this can negatively affect how you work, and the quality of work you deliver.
In this module, you will learn how to;
- Organize your time, and yourself, to get the most out of a work day.
- How to avoid pushing your limits and burning out in the process.
- Gaining confidence in your work and your abilities as a proofreader.
Ignite plus exam.
This is an assessment module available for students who chose to pay for the Ignite package. These exams are graded by the team at the website and check for the aptitude and competence the student will show
Bonus Module.
Caitlin runs another program with her husband. It is known as the Money Mindset Transformation. This module is a set of seven lessons tailored to changing how you think about money
Transcription Proofreading: The Theory and Practice
Section 1: Theory
The theory part is an expansion of what general proofreading is all about, but this time it’s targeted towards working with official documentation such as court transcripts. You will leanr how to work closely with court reporters, and also the specific rules of formatting for these documents.
Introduction to transcription proofreading.
This section will introduce you to the work of the court reporter and others such as scopists. It will also outline the work you will be doing as a proofreader. For this, you will need to understand the specific language that stenographers use. You’ll also get to understand the skills you will need for this environment, as well as the process of turning that transcript from a rough form, or a recording, into the finished product.
Transcripts and their quirks.
Each transcript has its own set of quirks that you will need to learn to recognize. You will also be introduced to the specific vocabulary that’s employed in the different types of court transcripts. These documents include depositions, hearings, trials, as well as testimony from diverse areas such as general litigation, insurance or medical.
Court transcripts are required to be punctuated in a certain way. This method is defined in the Morson’s English Guide for Court Reporters. There are other guides that you will also need to learn as well. To add on to this, you will also need to understand the general formatting rules as required by court documents. Finally, you will also need to learn the different spellings within court documents, whether from American or British English.
Section 2: Practice
Students will have to put what they learn into practice, if indeed they are looking to make it as a transcript proof reader. For this to happen, they have to choose one of the four methods available for transcript markups. As you practice, the difficulty of the transcripts goes up each level.
Marking up transcripts.
There are four different ways you can use to markup transcripts. These are a hard copy, errata, a document on a computer, or other digital means such as through a portable device like an iPad. Each of these methods has their own merits and demerits that you can weigh.
Simulation transcripts.
Why does it always have to be harder toward the end? Well, this is no exception to this rule. You will be faced with 3,109 pages in 50 documents. In them, you will learn how to research proper spellings of names, places and things. You will be provided with soft copy resources, or directed to research online.
From there, you will be provided a checklist. This checklist includes all the things you need to look out for across all these documents.
Correspondence with the court reporters.
It’s not always that you will be given ample time to conduct your job. In certain cases, the documents may be needed urgently as a case is looming. Such cases will require you to work fast. For that, the court reporters will require constant communication on issues such as turn around time, preparing invoices, or whether you’re going on vacation so they can be aware you will not be available.
Billing and accounting.
As a proofreader, you will need to set rates for the work you do. This may require some negotiation skills to get what you want. When it comes to billing, you need to know how to account for work already done and work that’s pending, and how to follow up on balances that are yet to be cleared.
It is at this point that you will also be evaluated on all that you have learned.
Marketing.
This module is open only to students who have passed their assessments. So, you’d better be serious by the time it gets to the assessments. The purpose of this module is to teach you how to market yourself across the various social media platforms and also via traditional media. Yu will also learn how to build your brand by leveraging the power of social media.
The Concluding Lesson.
Aside from just marketing yourself as a proofreader, you need to have the confidence in yourself to conduct your business. It starts by referring to yourself as a proofreader. You will also acquire the skills necessary to run a successful business.
What else do I need to know?
With every product on the market, there are things that will make you want to participate in them, but then others are total deal breakers that will have you putting a considerable amount of distance between yourself and that product.
Pros
The best part, possibly, about this course, is the speed at which you get to learn the material. With it being delivered online, you can generally study at your own pace, and without time pressures to deliver or move on quickly to the next lesson. The difference comes in though when you choose to go the four-payment plan route as access is limited by time.
If you’re a newbie interested in getting the knowledge required to become a proofreader, then this course is the perfect companion for you. The in-depth knowledge and insights provided can only be gathered via years of experience in the industry. It also goes deeper, and much further than just being a proofreader. The specific knowledge on how to set up a business, social media profiles and a web presence via a website is beyond what other courses do.
It’s also an excellent way to save yourselves years of frustration from trying to learn the trade by trial and error. The assessment by hand is also a nice touch for students who want feedback on what they’re doing. The $100 increase on this option is what can make people baulk at the thought of paying that much for an assessment.
Con
Although this course is one of a kind in that the knowledge in it can rarely be found elsewhere, it is the accompanying price tags that can cause one to put brakes on getting into this program. Also, once you give your details and log into the site, there are no refunds available if you do decide to back out.
Unless you decide to do this full time, there’s not much you can earn if you do decide to do this as a part time gig. This is because there is no potential to earn money passively, unless you decide to create your own course, or start a company and hire other proofreaders to work for you.
Final Thoughts: Proofread Anywhere Review
If you are genuinely interested in becoming a proofreader, then you should definitely get started on this course. The insights within are one of a kind and are a good stepping stone to launching your career. Over the long run, the cost of the program will become worth it.
Considering the investment you’re putting in, if you decide not to follow up on the career after you’re done with the lessons, that would be a significant investment that would be going down the drain. It will also take quite a while before the investment pays off.
The best thing to do is engage in this if you’re totally dedicated to proofreading as a career or a business, and sticking to it for the long haul.
