Writing Prompts – Page 428

How to Choose an Online Proofreading Course

With the onslaught of options in online proofreading courses that have recently emerged, you may have a hard time deciding which one is best for you. If you’re actively looking for a course, you’re probably just getting started with editing and proofreading—which makes choosing the right course a daunting and confusing task. Don’t get overwhelmed by the options! There are a few specific things you should look for when choosing an online proofreading course.

Credentials

This may seem obvious now, but when you’re hunting through a huge list of courses, it may not occur to you. However, the credentials of the company offering the course should be the first thing you look for. Credentials come in the form of portfolios, client lists, and awards won by the company. If there’s a parent company for the online proofreading course, look into that as well. You should then choose which website looks like the best training course for your particular needs.

If a website doesn’t appear to have any sort of history or credentials, avoid taking an online proofreading course there. Anyone can open a site and pretend to have the expertise to run a course. Don’t get tricked into wasting your money on amateur sites.

Choose the type of course you require

You’ll want to pick the type of editing or proofreading you want to get into. You also need to pick what kind of training you need more of. If you’re looking for help with grammar, you’ll want to specifically look at an online proofreading course that addresses your weaknesses, as well as the area you want to enter. If you need an overall learning experience, you’ll want to find a course that is more general.

Read through the types of lessons the online proofreading course offers before paying for anything. You don’t want to end up taking a course that is beyond (or far below) your skill level.

An online proofreading course with assessments

You may remember the days in school where a test or exam was the biggest thing to fear. However, assessments are important in the learning process and in retaining knowledge. When you’re starting your career, you need to be sure you have the tools you need when you need them.

Assessments throughout the online proofreading course are important; also look for other methods and teaching tools that will help you learn the information, such as mini quizzes or games.

Preparation for the field

It’s not enough to just have the skills in the competitive market of editing and proofreading. When looking for proofreading jobs, you want to find an online proofreading course that will provide expert advice on the business. A good course will inform you about the options you have once you start your career. It’s not a good move to go into your career without knowing what to expect or the rates you should be asking for. It is becoming increasingly common for companies to underpay their freelancers to save money. This results in editors, proofreaders, and writers working for far less than what they deserve and what will sustain their livelihood.

Furthermore, you need to know about the different types of editing (if you are not already aware) that you may eventually get into. Once you’ve completed the course, you may be surprised to learn that the type of editing you expected to get involved with isn’t the type you want to do. Keep your mind open and pay attention to any information you get about working in each specific field.

How to Become a Freelance Editor

There are many advantages to life as a freelance editor. You can work from home, have flexible hours, and choose your clients. But the question remains: How do you become a freelance editor? Here are four tips to get your career as a freelance editor started.

Develop your skills

The first thing you need to be a freelance editor is, of course, editing skills.

If you’re just starting a career as an editor, you will need to learn what the job entails and develop the necessary skills. Many local colleges and professional training institutes provide courses that will teach you how to become a freelance editor. There are also many excellent online editing courses. The advantage of an online training course is that you can work at home, at your own pace, and at the times that suit you. It’s almost like working as a freelance editor already.

Even if you already have extensive experience as an editor, it’s still a good idea to take a refresher grammar course. You could also expand the services you will offer as a freelancer by taking additional courses in related fields, such as a proofreading course.

Have a flawless résumé

When you apply for just about any job, you usually have to send in your résumé. As a freelance editor, you will need to send your résumé to almost every potential client. And, just like applying for any other job, you need to make sure your résumé stands out from the rest.

But remember, you’re selling yourself as a freelance editor, as someone who can spot a single misplaced apostrophe in a 200-page document. It won’t matter how much experience you have or how carefully crafted your résumé is; if there is just one tiny typo in there, you’re unlikely to ever get that job.

One simple tip to make sure you have an error-free résumé: ask someone else to edit it.

It is always useful to have that extra pair of eyes look over anything you’ve written, and it’s especially important when you’re applying for jobs as a freelance editor.

If you don’t know any other editors who can check your résumé, or you don’t want to alert any of your coworkers that you’re thinking of working freelance, try an online editing service. Look for a fast, reliable service that offers confidentiality.

Show samples of your work

A great way for a freelance editor to back up a flawless résumé is to have a portfolio of previous work. If potential clients can see that you have tackled similar work before and did a good job on it, they will be even more likely to hire you.

Gather some representative samples of the type of work you typically do or would like to work on as a freelance editor. It usually isn’t necessary to show the entire document. Two or three pages of each type of work you specialize in will be enough.

One way to provide samples is to show the original unedited document and then show your corrected version. You could also include a copy that shows all the changes and comments you made using the “Track Changes” feature in Microsoft Word.

If you’re just starting out as a freelance editor and don’t yet have anything to fill your portfolio, you could offer a discount on your services or do some free editing for friends, local businesses, or community groups.

Promote yourself with a website

Don’t just keep that carefully prepared portfolio waiting until a client asks to see it. Build a website and show off your skills as a freelance editor to the world. You never know, the clients might come to you. You don’t need to have a complicated website with dozens of pages employing the latest in Internet technology. Use a simple design with a page about yourself, your experience, and the services you offer, and display your samples clearly. Do some research to get some search engine optimization tips, making your website more attractive to potential customers. Don’t worry if you’re better at editing than writing. Many content writing services are available online and can provide you with text tailored exactly to your needs.

If you follow these four tips, you’ll quickly learn how to become a freelance editor. Before you know it, you’ll be ready to start looking for clients and building a career as a freelance editor. And remember those online editing services mentioned earlier? They’re also great places to get work on a freelance basis. Why not start there? You might never need to go hunting for clients again.

What to Expect From a Proofreading Course

Taking a proofreading course is an entirely new experience compared with any other kind of class. The expectations are different, and the format of the course feels much more relaxed than others if you’re taking it online. If you’re worried about what to expect from a proofreading course and what will be expected from you, then read on to assuage your fears.

Time management

When you take a proofreading course online that lets you go at your own pace, you have to learn how to manage your time well. You won’t have someone telling you when each lesson needs to be completed. You’ll have to ensure you do that yourself within an appropriate schedule, particularly if your proofreading course has a time limit on the subscription.

If you aren’t in the habit of using a day planner and scheduling time for tasks, it may be time to start. This is a good lesson to learn from your proofreading course, particularly if you want to make editing your career. You’ll need to know how to manage your time appropriately for deadlines if you work as a proofreader from home.

Prepare for quizzes

What would a learning experience be without methods to test your knowledge? Just because a proofreading course is online doesn’t mean you won’t have quizzes. Expect a few here and there to ensure you have learned what you’ve been taught in the lessons. Don’t be intimidated by these. Most courses have features like games and other learning tools to help you learn and retain knowledge. All these quizzes do is make sure you are getting the most from the proofreading course so you’re as prepared as possible for your future editing job.

Learning the symbols

Like almost anything else, proofreading has a technical language. This comes in the form of proofreading symbols you’ll need to use on the job. These are important for helping you communicate your message and your edits to the next person who reads the copy. In some cases, this person may even be you, returning to the copy to make the edits.

Information on the business

The last thing you want is to be thrown into the world of professional proofreading without any knowledge of how the business itself works. A good proofreading course will help prepare you for that. You’ll get knowledge on the inner workings of the business from people who have been in it for years.

You’ll learn the ins and outs of different editing options so that when it comes time to decide between freelancing and working in-house, you’ll know the pros and cons of either option. You’ll also learn what is expected of you as a proofreader. Of course, each company expects different specific responsibilities from their editors, proofreaders, and writers, based on the style or genre. With your proofreading course, you’ll be given the tools you need to follow any expectations required.

Testing your grammar

If you’re hoping to become a proofreader, you must have a solid foundation in grammar. The proofreading course should (and will) test your grammar skills. You’ll learn the rules you need to know to be a good proofreader. At times, you may find this task challenging, complicated, and convoluted. A good proofreading course will prepare you so that the rules become easy and second nature. It is best if you have some kind of foundation in the rules of grammar before starting your proofreading course.