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Make Money as a Freelance Proofreader

make money as a freelance proofreader

~ This article may contain affiliate links. I only suggest product or services I believe will benefit my readers. All opinions are 100% mine! ~

Proofreading for court reporters is a legit career or side hustle that is flexible and allows you to work from home.

What does a Proofreader do? A proofreader uses “eagle eyes” to edit transcripts for mistakes, errors, grammar, and spelling. Proofreading transcripts for court reporters is a specific niche that has a large need for excellent proofreaders.

Proofreaders support court reporters who use digital stenography machines and transcription software to write verbatim records of various legal proceedings such as depositions, trials, hearings, arbitrations, case management conferences, examinations under oath, and pretty much any other type of legal proceeding. Legal proceedings are sensitive in nature and require a highly level of accuracy in regard to the transcript.  It’s possible a major error could ruin a trial!

You DON’T need a degree in English to become a successful proofreader. You DO need to be able to pay attention to details and have “eagle eyes” to find mistakes.

Proofread Anywhere  is an online course you can take to train as a transcript proofreader. Caitlin Pyle of Proofread Anywhere has taken all her experience as a proofreader for court reporters and as a freelance business owner to show you how to make money as a freelance proofreader for court reporters.

You can even take her FREE 7 Day Course to see if Proofreading is the right fit for you!

Interview with Heather Kraft, Freelance Proofreader

Today I am sharing my interview with Heather Kraft, a graduate of Proofread Anywhere. She lets us in on why she chose proofreading as her career, how she fits work into her schedule, and her best advice for anyone thinking of starting a career or side hustle as a proofreader.

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Tell us about yourself.
My name is Heather Kraft, I’m 31 years old, and I live in a very small town in upstate New York with my husband and our three-year-old son.  I’ve been self-employed as a proofreader since around June of 2015.  I immediately started working with clients after completing Caitlin Pyle’s Proofread Anywhere online training course.
What is your previous background? What jobs have you done before? 
I’ve worked a number of different jobs in the past, including working for a certified public accountant, dental offices, and a veterinary hospital.  I also have an associate degree in liberal arts/social science.
How did you learn about proofreading as a career?
I actually found the Proofread Anywhere course in an article from The Penny Hoarder.  I had been searching for work-from-home jobs and trying to weed out any scams.  My husband and I were both skeptical at first, but after emailing with Caitlin (she actually emailed me back personally) I took a leap of faith and enrolled!
What made you want to pursue a career? What made you want to take the plunge into proofreading/working from home?
I first looked into Caitlin’s course when my son was a baby and I had gone back to work after being on maternity leave for eight weeks.  I was only working half days at that time (I couldn’t stand the thought of being away from my son all day every day!) and my husband was working an opposite shift so we could take turns caring for him.  I was determined to find a way to earn money working from home because my husband works a lot of long hours and his schedule varies sometimes.  We just knew we didn’t want to send him to daycare if we didn’t have to.
After your training, was it difficult to find work? 
I didn’t have trouble finding work at all after completing the course. I can’t share the way I found my first client because that is something Caitlin teaches in the course. But it didn’t take long for me to find my first client and I was making money my first month as a freelance proofreader. Caitlin really provides you with everything you need to be successful in your business if you take the time to really study and apply what you learn.
What does your day look like?
Working from home while taking care of a three-year-old can be challenging, but over time you learn to balance things and figure out just how much work you can realistically take on.  I actually have to turn down jobs sometimes, but my son will be in school soon and I will have a lot more time to dedicate to my proofreading work.
My day varies depending on what day of the week it is, but sometimes I will proofread before my son wakes up in the morning and then again when he goes to bed at night.  He has never been a big napper and stopped taking naps completely a long time ago, so that can definitely be a challenge when working from home with a toddler. 🙂 But on my husband’s days off I’m able to get more proofreading done, and my son goes to preschool a couple of mornings during the week now, so that opens up some time as well.
What has been the best part of this career path?
The best part of this career path has definitely been being able to be home with my son and not miss out on all of the little things that go on from day to day.  He is growing up so fast and I’m extremely thankful I’ve been able to spend so much time with him while still being able to contribute financially as well.  It’s definitely had a positive effect on my family because we get to spend more time together than we would if I was working outside the home.
What is your best tip or advice you would share with someone considering proofreading as a career? 
My best and most honest advice for someone who is considering proofreading as a career would be that it certainly isn’t for everyone.  But if you are willing to put in some hard work, it can totally pay off and open up some great opportunities.  If you are someone who is good at catching errors with spelling, punctuation, et cetera, and you are a detail-oriented person who is also good with time management, then proofreading could definitely be an option for you.  There is so much valuable material covered in Caitlin’s course that if you’re sure proofreading is for you, and you really take the time to learn and take it seriously, you can certainly succeed!

What do you think, is a career as a freelance proofreader a job for you?