How to Find Book Proofreading Jobs You Can Do from Home

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Although I’m a proofreader who prefers short texts, I can help you find book proofreading jobs you can do from home to satisfy your desire to work on lengthy documents.

You can find at-home book proofreading jobs by searching job boards with remote listings. You can also apply to work for online proofreading and editing companies that offer services to authors. Finally, providing proofreading services on freelance platforms is another option.

Let’s look at popular ways of finding book proofreading gigs you can do from home. Then we’ll explore other strategies for landing this kind of work.

Offer Book Proofreading Services on Freelance Platforms

Freelance platforms are full of clients looking to hire competent proofreaders to polish their book manuscripts.

I assume you’re a qualified proofreader who has already received the training you need. In case you haven’t, I wrote an article comparing four excellent online proofreading courses.

If you’re ready to provide book proofreading services, freelance platforms can be a great place to get started.

The advantage of providing services on these platforms is that they advertise your services and process payments.

The downside is that the marketplaces take a cut of your pay (usually 10%–20%), and you face high competition.

You’ll need a winning strategy to get your first few orders from clients.

If you’re interested in working on one of these platforms, I’ve written an in-depth article discussing how to get your first few jobs on Fiverr. Even though this article is for folks selling on Fiverr, many of the tips will work on any freelancing platform.

Top-Notch Tip: To attract clients, you’ll need to price your services low in the beginning. You can increase your prices after you’ve gotten some positive reviews.

On each of these marketplaces, you’ll need to set up a profile (it’s free) to let clients know who you are and what you can do for them.

You’ll then need to write proposals (sales pitches) to the clients who post jobs you’d like to take on.

The exception to this rule is with Fiverr. Generally, buyers on Fiverr will come to you and order your services if they like your profile.

Let’s take a peek at the platforms!

Fiverr

Fiverr is where I got my proofreading career off the ground. Although the pay tends to be low, it’s an ideal place to start practicing newly acquired skills. I especially appreciate that you’re not required to send proposals to clients.

You may want to check out this platform even if you’re not a newbie. They offer a Fiverr Pro program for those with extensive experience and stellar skills. They only accept 1% of all applicants, but if you think you’ve got what it takes, why not give it a shot?  

If you want to be proactive in getting jobs on Fiverr, they have a “Buyer Requests” section where you can send a proposal to a customer if you want to work on the project they posted.

Fiverr keeps 20% of all your earnings.

Requirements: Fiverr isn’t selective. You don’t have to apply to be a seller on Fiverr unless you want to get into the Pro program.

Availability: An abundance of clients go to Fiverr to find someone to proofread their book.

Upwork

Upwork is another well-known marketplace.

This platform takes 10% of what you earn.

Requirements: Upwork isn’t selective.

Availability: Many authors go to Upwork to find a proofreader.

Top-Notch Tip: To have the best shot at scoring jobs, create a complete profile, and showcase your portfolio if you have one. Having a portfolio will help buyers to trust you as a seller. Also, remember to keep your proposals short, sweet, and tailored to the job offer.

Freelancer

Freelancer is another popular platform.

The platform keeps 10% of what you earn for hourly projects and 10% or $5 (whichever is greater) for fixed-price projects.

Requirements: Freelancer isn’t selective.

Availability: Lots of jobs are posted for book proofreaders.

Guru

Guru isn’t as well known as the previous platforms I mentioned, but it’s still a viable option. Many clients come to Guru searching for programmers and developers, but some customers look for editorial services.

Guru takes 5%–9% of your earnings based on your membership plan.

They offer a basic plan for free; the other options are paid. To see what you get with each plan, please click here.

Requirements: Guru is not selective.

Availability: You can find book proofreading jobs on this platform under Guru’s “Writing & Translation” category.

Keep in mind you can create profiles on more than one of these marketplaces if you don’t find sufficient work on just one.

PeoplePerHour

Finally, we have PeoplePerHour.

Sellers on this platform can send 15 proposals to clients per month for free. You have the option to purchase “credits” if you’d like to send more than 15 proposals in one month. Unused credits roll over monthly.

PeoplePerHour takes a percentage of what you earn based on your lifetime billings with each client. Here’s the breakdown of the percentages:

Percentage Taken	Amount Billed
20% (excl. VAT)	under £250
7.5% (excl. VAT)	£250–£5,000
3.5% (excl. VAT)	over £5,000

Requirements: Although the website doesn’t mention specific requirements, you must apply and be approved to join this platform. Here’s the link if you’d like to apply.

Availability: You’ll find fewer jobs proofreading books on this site than on Fiverr, Upwork, or Freelancer. But I think it’s still worth a try since it’s a relatively prominent platform.

Hubstaff Talent

Hubstaff Talent is a freelance platform where you can create a profile and upload your résumé. This marketplace has a big perk: it doesn’t charge buyers or sellers any fees.

“Hubstaff Talent does not take any commission fees and is 100% free of charge.” 

– Hubstaff Talent

Requirements: You need to submit your profile for approval, which typically takes about two business days. This article from Hubstaff Talent will show you how to create a profile.

Availability: Not many jobs for proofreaders have been posted lately. However, many freelancers on Hubstaff only provide proofreading services, so I assume you can find relevant jobs occasionally.

Find Jobs Working on Books and Novels via Online Companies

Another way to connect with authors who need a pair of eagle eyes to polish their manuscripts is to become a proofreader for an online proofreading and editing company that works with authors.

These proofreading and editing services hire a pool of freelancers to do the work their clients request.

Some companies hire a small pool of workers, meaning freelancers will likely have consistent work.

However, other businesses hire so many workers that freelancers can’t get enough work.

Of course, if you’re looking for jobs proofreading books, you’ll want to target businesses that work with authors—not all do.

Below is a list of leading online proofreading and editing businesses that collaborate with authors.

However, depending on the company, they may work with authors frequently or sporadically.

If you’d like to be a freelance proofreader for one of these businesses, I recommend contacting them to see if they currently deal with a lot of authors.  

Since some proofreaders acquire copyediting skills, I’ll list three businesses that hire copy editors (but not proofreaders) to work on books.

These companies will have a (CE) after their name, so you’ll know the difference.

Here are the online proofreading and editing businesses organized by the experience level you need to work for them.

Online Proofreading and Editing Companies

Beginner	Experienced	Expert
Grammar Chic	Edit 24–7 (CE)	Managed Editing
ProofreadingPal	Wordvice	Proofreading Services.com
Writer’s Relief	WordsRU
Gramlee (CE)	Reedsy
	Quality Proofreading

Please visit the websites where you want to apply to see the most up-to-date information about job availability.

Remote Book Proofreading Jobs for Beginners

ProofreadingPal

ProofreadingPal offers proofreading and copyediting services for a wide range of texts.

Requirements: You must meet one of the following criteria to work for ProofreadingPal:

• Be employed by or enrolled as a graduate or postgraduate student in an accredited US college or university and have a GPA of at least 3.5

• Have a graduate degree and at least five years of proofreading and editing experience (By “editing” experience, they’re referring to copyediting experience.)

Please see their website for other preferred qualifications.

Availability: They’re seeking applicants who meet one of the requirements listed above.

If you’re qualified, you can fill out their independent contractor questionnaire. Then, a ProofreadingPal representative will contact you within five to ten business days.

Gramlee (CE)

Gramlee provides editing, copyediting, and proofreading services, but they only hire editors and copy editors.

Requirements: They don’t list any requirements on their website.

Availability: They’re continually searching for outstanding copy editors and editors. If you want to work for Gramlee, you can complete the employment application on their website.

They have separate applications for content editors and dissertation editors.

Online Opportunities for Experienced Proofreaders

Wordvice

Wordvice provides proofreading and editing for a wide array of documents. They prefer to hire editors who can also proofread, but that doesn’t rule out working for them as a proofreader.

Requirements: You need at least two years of experience and knowledge of several style guides. They also require you to have a master’s degree or be pursuing one.

Please click here to view the rest of the requirements and learn more about their hiring process.

Availability: They’re seeking qualified and experienced editors to join their team.

WordsRU

WordsRU provides proofreading, editing, and copywriting for authors, academics, and businesses. They hire proofreaders, copy editors, and editors.

Requirements: You need to have a minimum of two years of relevant experience and a master’s, PhD, or equivalent experience in an academic field.

Please visit their website for the full list of requirements.

Availability: They’re looking for proofreaders.

Quality Proofreading

Based in the UK, Quality Proofreading offers proofreading and editing services to a diverse clientele. They hire proofreaders and editors.

Requirements: You need at least three years of experience in academic proofreading and an advanced degree from a leading UK or US university.

Please visit their site for the complete list of requirements.

Availability: They’re interested in hearing from experienced proofreaders and editors, particularly those with a background in business/management or science/engineering.

If you meet the requirements, you can email your CV to [email protected]. To learn what to write in the email’s subject line and body, please click here.

At-Home Options for Expert Proofreaders

Managed Editing

Managed Editing offers proofreading, copyediting, and editing services to many clients. They offer publication-related services too.

They hire editors, copy editors, and proofreaders. The proofreaders are generally tasked with marking up a PDF of the text using standard proofreaders’ marks. The copy editors typically use Track Changes in MS Word.

Requirements: To apply, you must have a college degree and a minimum of five years of experience. However, their editors tend to have much more advanced qualifications.

Availability: If you’d like to apply, you can complete their in-depth independent contractor application. They’ll store your information in their database for times when they need extra help.

Locate Book Proofreading Gigs on Job Boards

Job boards can be a great place to find proofreading work, but it can be hit or miss when looking specifically for jobs proofreading books.

My best advice to make the most of these job boards is to check them often.

Although the boards listed below (except for FlexJobs) post many in-house positions, you can find work-from-home jobs by typing “remote” into the job location search bar.

FlexJobs

FlexJobs is the best job board to find book proofreading jobs, but it comes with a cost.

They charge a fee to use their board because they employ a team of experts to continuously search for the best remote and flexible work opportunities. Furthermore, their team screens all companies and jobs to make sure they’re legit.

Here are the fees they charge based on how long you subscribe to their website.

FlexJobs Subscription Fees

Time Subscribed	Price
two weeks	$2.95
one month	$23.95
one year	$71.40 (best value)

FlexJobs has earned an A+ rating by the BBB, and they give their customers a satisfaction guarantee:

“With FlexJobs’ Satisfaction Guarantee, if you are not satisfied with the quality of our service for any reason, simply cancel your subscription and request a refund (by phone, email, or our Client Service virtual chat) within 14 days of account creation or renewal. We will quickly and promptly process your refund.”

– FlexJobs

Glassdoor

Glassdoor is a good site to look for jobs and an even better place to see how people rate working at various companies. Reading freelancers’ reviews can give you valuable insights into key aspects of working for a particular business, including work/life balance, compensation and benefits, and senior management.

Indeed

Indeed was established in 2004. After creating an account, you can upload your résumé to this job site.

SimplyHired

You can upload your résumé on SimplyHired once you have an account.

Media Bistro

You can sometimes find proofreading work on MediaBistro. Like other similar sites, you must establish an account before uploading your résumé.

Google Jobs Results

Although this isn’t a job board, it’s worth mentioning.

By “Google jobs results,” I’m referring to a job list generated by Google when you search in a specific way.

To see the jobs, first type a keyword into Google.

Below, I searched for “manuscript proofreader jobs.”

Other Ways to Land Book Proofreading Jobs from Home

You’ll have a more successful job search if you use a pinch of extra effort, a sprinkle of creativity, and think outside the box—or just step out of the box to begin with. 😊

Here are more ways to increase your chances of securing a job. Wouldn’t you rather have multiple possibilities to choose from instead of being forced to take the job you found but didn’t really want?

Network with Other Proofreaders and Writers

Networking may not be everyone’s favorite task, but it’s worth it! Networking doesn’t have to be tiring and painful; you can do it from home.

A little effort can go a long way. Try joining Facebook and LinkedIn groups for proofreaders and writers.

Networking on Facebook

Facebook has a group called Transcribing, Editing & Proofreading Services with about 35,000 members.

Members can post a question about finding jobs or search the group for helpful advice.

You can find several other similar groups too.

Networking on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is another prime place for networking.

The site has a group called Editing and Proofreading with about 5,000 members.

If you prefer a smaller group, you may want to try the Freelance Writing and Proofreading Group, which has about 2,000 members. The purpose of this group is to connect writers and proofreaders. Since writers need proofreaders, I think this group would be a solid bet.

Another first-rate feature of LinkedIn is that you can make your profile searchable to hiring managers and recruiters.

Finally, LinkedIn has a job board where you can search for remote work.

Establish Your Own Online Proofreading Business

Part of forming your own proofreading business involves building a website.

Having a site makes you look more professional since it shows you’re serious about what you do. If you distribute business cards, you can list your web address on them.

Your site will help potential clients get to know you better and trust you more.

Your website can include details about you, your company, and your services, how much you charge, client testimonials, and how to contact you. I wrote an article about resources for creating a proofreading website if you’d like to check it out. It teaches you about what you need to start building your site.

Ask Local Publishers about Work-from-Home Opportunities

Since getting a job with a big-name publishing company is quite difficult, you can start with a local publisher. The competition for work at a local publisher will likely still be high, but not as high.

Depending on the publisher, they may allow you to work from home.  

Cold Email Potential Clients

Although you may feel iffy about this tactic, people still use it because it can work. This strategy allows you to handpick your clients. If you’ve found an author who writes in a genre that piques your interest, you could pitch your services to them.

With a sincere, tactful, and to-the-point email, you can connect with them through a common interest.

You can let them know how much you love their writing and what you have to offer. Even if this doesn’t result in a job offer, you could end up with a valuable business relationship.

Join Your National Editorial Association

This is another option, but it’s not free. The cost to join this type of association depends on your location. Joining one of these organizations typically gives you access to unique educational and networking opportunities.

You’ll find highly experienced editorial professionals in these associations, so you can get support and advice from the best in the business.

These organizations generally have a member directory that lists your name, contact information, and relevant training/experience. You’ll have an advantage since some authors use these directories to post jobs and find qualified professionals.  

Consider Having Luck through Word of Mouth

Be vocal about being a book proofreader to friends, family, and anyone else who will listen! 😉

You never know when you’ll meet someone who is writing a book or knows someone who is writing one. Even a casual conversation with your hairdresser or dental hygienist could lead to an unexpected opportunity!

Look for Information on Quora and Reddit

Quora and Reddit are social media platforms for exchanging information and ideas. Users can find suggestions for how to land proofreading jobs. Some people even use these sites to promote their business, but they have to adhere to the community rules.

I hope this article has given you helpful steps to find book proofreading jobs you can do from home, sweet home! I’ll be cheering for you as you land those jobs and make those books the best they can be!

I wrote an article about other legitimate proofreading jobs online if you’d like to discover more opportunities to offer your hawkeyed help.

Best wishes to you!

“But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
                                                                     

-Martin Luther King, Jr.