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Are you an experienced proofreader who’s looking for a job? If you’re ready to explore opportunities that (hopefully) offer higher pay due to requiring experience, I’ve got you covered! Let’s skip the beginner-friendly options and see what’s out there for a pair of experienced eagle eyes!
You can find suitable jobs on freelance platforms, job boards with remote listings, and online proofreading and editing companies. Since you’re probably familiar with the popular freelance marketplaces and job boards, we’ll focus on proofreading and editing businesses.
Online Proofreading Jobs for Experienced Proofreaders
I’ve done substantial investigative work (sent emails, made phone calls, had live chats) to determine which online organizations hire proofreaders since many establishments only hire developmental or line editors who they task with proofreading.
I’ve organized the businesses below according to how much experience you need.
Companies requiring the least amount of experience are listed first.
Furthermore, since many proofreaders learn to copyedit, I’ve included a few businesses that hire copy editors but not proofreaders. They’re last on the list.
Some of these jobs require a degree, while others don’t.
Job availability is subject to change.
Please visit a company’s website for the most up-to-date information about their hiring needs.
The following businesses require you to have at least two years of experience.
1) Wordvice
Wordvice offers proofreading and editing for a wide range of clients. Their hiring process favors editors who can also proofread. Of course, that doesn’t rule out being hired as a proofreader.
Requirements: You must have a master’s degree or be pursuing one. You also need at least two years of experience and familiarity with various style guides.
To see the rest of the requirements, please click here.
Availability: They’re accepting applications. To apply, click the link above.
2) WordsRU
WordsRU offers proofreading, editing, and copywriting for academics, authors, and businesses. They hire editors, copy editors, and proofreaders.
Requirements: You need a master’s, PhD, or equivalent experience in an academic field. They also require two years of experience as an editor, copy editor, or proofreader.
You can click here to see their long list of requirements.
Availability: Please visit their website to see if they’re hiring.
The following businesses require you to have at least three years of experience.
3) Reedsy
Reedsy is a marketplace that connects authors and publishers with talented freelancers from the publishing industry. Many clients who come to this platform need an editor or proofreader.
Reedsy takes 10% of everything you earn in exchange for displaying your profile to potential clients on their platform.
Requirements: The site doesn’t mention requirements.
In this post, you can take their brief quiz (Are you ready to join Reedsy?”) to see if you’re prepared to freelance for Reedsy.
I took the quiz to learn more about the requirements. Reedsy then emailed me to say that they ask all their freelancers to have a minimum of three years of experience working with books.
However, they evaluate profiles individually, so you can create a profile if you’ve won a prestigious award in a book-related field or worked with bestselling authors.
Availability: They invite you to sign up and create a profile (it’s free). If your application is accepted, your profile will be shown in the Reedsy Marketplace.
4) Quality Proofreading
Based in the UK, Quality Proofreading provides proofreading and editing services to a wide range of clients. They hire editors and proofreaders.
Requirements: You need at least three years of proofreading experience and an advanced degree from a leading US or UK university.
Please see their website for the complete list of requirements.
Availability: They’re always open to hearing from experienced proofreaders and editors, especially those with a background in business/management or science/engineering.
If you meet the requirements, you can email your CV to [email protected].
Please click here to learn what to include in your email’s body and subject title.
The following businesses require you to have at least five years of experience.
5) ProofreadNOW.com
ProofreadNOW.com offers proofreading and copyediting for businesses. Not surprisingly, they hire proofreaders and copy editors. 😊
Requirements: They only hire proofreaders with a minimum of five years of experience. You also must perform exceptionally well on several challenging editing tests. Finally, you need to have Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Professional.
Availability: They’re not currently hiring.
However, you can sign up for ProofreadNOW.com’s employment emails so you know when they have positions available.
The option to receive employment information is at the bottom of their subscription form.
I authored an article called “How to Prepare for a Proofreading Test (15 Practical Tips)” if you’d like suggestions for how to prep for a proofreading exam.
6) Managed Editing
Managed Editing provides editing, copyediting, and proofreading services to a broad range of clients. They provide publication-related services too.
They hire proofreaders, copy editors, and editors. The copy editors usually work with Track Changes in MS Word, and the proofreaders typically mark up a PDF of the text using standard proofreaders’ marks.
Requirements: Those who apply should have a degree and at least five years of experience. However, they usually hire people with much more advanced qualifications.
Availability: To apply, you can fill out their detailed independent contractor application. That way they’ll have your info in their database when they need additional help.
The following two companies don’t specify the amount of experience needed. They emphasize the editing tests that applicants take.
7) ProofreadingServices.com
ProofreadingServices.com offers a variety of services, including proofreading and editing. They hire editors and proofreaders.
Requirements: At the very least, you’ll need years of experience in a relevant field (e.g., as an English professor or teacher). They’ve previously stated that they only hire one out of about three hundred applicants.
Availability: You can click here to learn more about working for them and take their 20-minute preliminary test.
Here are companies that hire experienced copy editors but not proofreaders.
8) Edit24–7 (Copy Editors Only)
This company provides proofreading and “light editing” (somewhat comparable to line editing) for various clients. They hire developmental and line editors, as well as copy editors who can also edit for flow and transition.
Requirements: They only consider applicants with experience, and their application process is extensive.
Availability: They’re hiring. If you’d like to work for Edit24–7, they ask that you send a writing sample and either your résumé or a description of your relevant experience to [email protected].
9) Stickler (Copy Editors Only)
Stickler provides copyediting services for academics. I had the pleasure of communicating via email with Jinny Hayman, owner and CEO of Stickler, and she is so nice!
Requirements: They hire copy editors with a lot of experience with academic documents. You must also be familiar with APA and Harvard referencing styles.
Please visit their website for the full list of requirements.
Availability: They’re always looking for adept, experienced, and dependable copy editors.
If you’re interested in working for them, you can send your résumé and a detailed cover letter to [email protected]. Please see their site to learn what to include in your cover letter.
If they’re satisfied with your résumé and cover letter, they’ll have you take an editing test to see if you have the necessary skills.
10) Enago (Copy Editors Only)
Enago helps researchers around the world to successfully publish their manuscripts. They hire copy editors and editors to work on academic papers.
Requirements: Enago typically hires candidates with at least five years of experience with academic editing or copyediting. You also need extensive subject matter expertise and the ability to work on documents written by non-native English speakers.
Please see their website for the complete list of requirements.
Availability: They’re looking for copy editors for a few different subjects. You can click here to read about the application and selection process.
Job Boards with Remote Work Listings
You can find work-from-home jobs on the following job boards. Just type “remote” into the search bar.
- FlexJobs
- Glassdoor
- Indeed
- Media Bistro
- SimplyHired
FlexJobs has the best opportunities, but you need to pay to use their site. They have a team that screens all the jobs they post to ensure they’re professional and legitimate opportunities.
Freelance Platforms
Here’s a list of popular freelance marketplaces where you can establish a profile and connect with clients.
- Hubstaff Talent
- Upwork
- PeoplePerHour
- Fiverr
- Freelancer
- Guru
You’ll likely find people willing to pay higher rates on Hubstaff Talent and PeoplePerHour since you have to apply to work on these platforms.
Hubstaff is particularly lucrative since they don’t charge sellers commission fees. But I imagine you’ll encounter stiff competition since this is the case.
“Hubstaff Talent does not take any commission fees and is 100% free of charge.”
– Hubstaff Talent
I hope this post has given you solid options for online proofreading jobs for experienced proofreaders. I wish you the best with your proofreading pursuits!
Best wishes to you!
“You are never alone. You are eternally connected with everyone.”
– Amit Ray
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