If you came here looking for a professional
proofreader or copy-editor, or if you are one and would like to link your site to mine, please see my professional
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PROOFREADING AND COPY-EDITING (UK)
How do I become a freelance
proofreader and/or copy-editor . . . ?
Hello and
welcome to my website on this fine day. The question posed above seems to be on many people's minds,
judging from the response to my book on the subject: Freelance Proofreading
and Copy-editing - A Guide (about which more later). My name is
Trevor Horwood. I have been a full-time freelance proofreader and copy-editor
since 1991 and I am an Advanced Member of the Society for Editors and
Proofreaders. The purpose of this site is to give you some idea of what
freelancing entails, and whether or not you would be suited to it. In return,
it will give me a chance to plug my book . . . Well, we all have to earn a
living, don't we?
I
have put almost the entire site contents on a single webpage (a) to save you
having to jump between pages to find what you want and (b) so that you can
easily download the whole thing and browse it offline if you prefer. To make
life simpler, I've divided the page into easily digested chunks which can be
accessed directly from the site map below. Internal links are provided to aid
navigation, while others lead to external sites that may prove to be of
interest. You might like to bookmark this page now (or 'add to favorites' if you
are using Internet Explorer), by pressing Ctrl + D. Then you can always find
your way back here.
Click
on a link to
go to the relevant section.
Freelance
Proofreading and Copy-editing - A Guide
Knowledge
you could live without
Can
anyone become a freelance?
A
freelance is someone, usually self-employed, who offers his or her services to
several businesses on a temporary basis. There is no formal contract of
employment involved, hence no obligation on an employer to provide work, nor on
a freelance to accept it. Freelancing obviously lacks the security afforded by
formal employment, not to mention other benefits such as paid holidays and
company pensions, but many freelances consider this disadvantage to be more
than offset by freedom from the daily grind and the variety of work available.
The majority of freelance copy-editors/proofreaders work almost exclusively
from home.
'Copy',
in this sense, means a piece of writing. This is often an author's typewritten
- or computer-printed - manuscript which is to form the basis of a published
book, though it could just as easily be a journal article, an instruction
manual, a leaflet or brochure, in fact anything that someone has taken the
trouble to put down on paper (or disk). One dictionary definition of 'edit' is
'to assemble, prepare or modify for publication'. The copy-editor's task,
therefore, is to weed out any errors or inconsistencies in the author's copy
before it is published. Such errors can take a number of forms. It is a common
conception that 'finding spelling mistakes' forms the basis of the job, and it
is true that this is an important element, but there are also many other things
to watch out for: errors in punctuation and/or grammar, inconsistencies of
presentation and/or style, and so on.
What does a proofreader do?
Once
a manuscript has been copy-edited (see What
does a copy-editor do?) it is sent to a typesetter who produces a
loose-leaf proof copy of the book (or article, or brochure, or whatever) prior
to publication. These proofs, together with the copy-edited manuscript, are
then sent to a proofreader who checks (a) that the setter has not made any
errors while typesetting the manuscript and (b) that the copy-editor has not
missed any errors in the original copy. Again, the proofreader's task consists
of rather more than simply 'checking the spelling'.
There
is no short answer to this question. In theory, as a freelance, you can set
your own hourly rates which, according to the Society for Editors and
Proofreaders’ (SfEP) 2010 guidelines, should be a minimum of
£19.25 for proofreading and £20.75 for copy-editing. Before
you get too excited, though, I should warn you that, as usual, theory does
not always correspond with practice. In my experience, most publishers
have their own set rates for freelance work, and it's up to you to accept
these or not. Rates vary from company to company, of course, but - again
only in my experience - a figure of between £14.00 and £16.00
for proofreading seems to be roughly the going rate, and about £16.00 to £18.50
for copy-editing. Rates-of-pay surveys I have come
across in the profession's literature would seem to confirm that these
figures are a fair reflection of the current situation, though of course
some lucky folk will earn more and some will settle for less. The hourly
rates do not include expenses such as postage and telephone charges, which
you may add to your invoice. It's obviously up to you how many hours a
week you want to work, but a full-time freelance working a 35-hour week
at a reasonably achievable £15.00 per hour could expect to gross around
£25,000 per annum - hardly enough to enable you to retire in
five years' time but, in my opinion anyway, a fair return for an enjoyable job.
Precisely?
I have no idea! Here are a few figures, though. The Society for Editors and
Proofreaders has around a thousand members, and of course not all freelances
are members of the Society. There are literally thousands of publishers in the
UK, who between them publish tens of thousands of titles each year. There are
also hundreds of specialist journals published monthly, bi-monthly or
quarterly. All of these need to be copy-edited and proofread. Publishers make
use of freelances for these tasks for at least two reasons: (1) the flow of
work through a publishing house can be very uneven and it therefore makes sense
to employ labour only when needed; (2) some books and journals, especially if
highly technical, require the experience of a specialist in the subject. Such
expert knowledge is unlikely to be available in-house, so a freelance
specialist is contracted. Some cynics would also say that freelances are used
as cheap labour, burdening the employer with no Employers' National Insurance,
holiday pay, sick leave, etc. You might think that - I couldn't possibly
comment.
There
is a short answer to this question - NO. While there is an awful lot of
work to be had (see answer to previous question), there are also an awful lot
of people chasing it. Few publishers are tearing out their hair wondering where
their next copy-editor or proofreader is coming from. That's the bad news.
However, the same could be said of many jobs. Didn't you have to compete with a
number of other candidates before you got your last job? Or, if you don't have
a job at the moment, is anyone knocking on your door offering work? Of course
not. The good news is that publishers will always need new freelance
talent for any number of reasons: retirement, illness, maternity leave, holiday
cover, a sudden glut of work. And of those thousands of publishers mentioned in
the previous answer, you only need to receive regular commissions from half a
dozen or so to keep you busy full time.
The truth is that to be a successful freelance you have to be able to convince
your prospective employers that you can do the task better than the next
person, just as you would if applying for any other job. How do you do this?
Well, that is one of the things my book deals with, so it wouldn't do to go
into too much detail here, but I will say that it is quite possible for someone
with absolutely no previous experience of publishing to become a successful
full-time freelance within six months. I know - I was that person!
There
is not, so far as I am aware, any piece of paper you can wave in a publisher's
face and say, 'Look, I'm qualified - give me a job.' Naturally you must have a
good command of the English language, and any relevant experience or academic
qualifications you can present as evidence of specialist knowledge will be all
to the good, but the publishers I have spoken to all consider that the most
important qualification is an ability to do the job properly, not how many
letters you happen to have after your name. Having said that, there are many
training facilities available, ranging from distance-learning (home study)
courses through day-long workshops to full-time residential courses.
(Information on training facilities is, of course, provided in my book.) You
may also come across a number of 'How to be a proofreader' advertisements in the
press. The value, and value-for-money, of such opportunities is variable, to
say the least, and you would be well advised to consider as many training
alternatives as possible before parting with your cash. Above all, NEVER send
money in exchange for a promise of employment - it just doesn't work that way.
Can anyone become a
freelance?
As
you may have gathered from the foregoing answers, ability and suitability are
far more important than paper qualifications. Virtually anybody is eligible.
Age is no barrier, neither is location (most of the publishers I work for are
based in London, well away from my home in Devon, and if I so chose I could
relocate to anywhere from Inverness to the Isle of Wight without affecting my
volume of work). You can choose your hours to suit your situation and of course
working from home means that the dreaded daily commute is a thing of the past.
When I decided that my own life needed to change I was living in the industrial
Midlands, approaching middle age and with a history of employment in the
security industry. At the time, I was a sales manager and earning a fairly good
salary, but the daily motorway journeys, awkward customers and office politics
were taking their toll. A change was required, but I had no idea in which
direction. Then I saw a newspaper ad extolling the virtues of freelance
proofreading. This turned out to be one of those 'variable' opportunities I
spoke of in the 'Am
I qualified?' answer. However, it did set me thinking.
My only connection with the publishing industry was as an avid reader of its
products, but here was a job I thought I would both be good at and find
extremely enjoyable. The only problem was, I hadn't a clue how or where to
start. A strategy was required, so I devised one.
This proved most successful, and it wasn't too long before I received my first
paid commission. Today I work full time doing a job I love and, because all my
work arrives at my door, I am able to live in a place where I'm lucky if I see
ten cars a day rather than the thousands an hour I used to battle through on
the M6.
A few years ago, it occurred to me that
others could well benefit from my experience, so I decided to put my strategy
into print. Thus was Freelance Proofreading and Copy-editing - A Guide
conceived and born.
So ends this potted
version of my own experience of ceasing to be a wage slave and entering the
less-secure but far more rewarding field of self-employment. Perhaps some of it
strikes a chord with you, perhaps not. I include it here not to sing my own
praises, but to show that it is possible for any ordinary, reasonably
intelligent person to break free from the daily grind. And I also hope it might
interest you in my book.
Back
to FAQs
Well,
I hope the answers to the previous questions will have eased any fears you
might have had about me or my book. If, however, you have any lingering doubts
that either exists other than on this site you can visit the British
Library Public Catalogue, click on Search the Integrated Catalogue,
paste 0952397471 in the search box, select ISBN from the drop-down menu and see what appears (for your convenience, this link will open in a new window so you
can carry on browsing this page while it loads). There are many scams around in
the homeworking field, but this isn't one of them. I can't promise that you
will become a successful proofreader/copy-editor as a result of buying my book
- that is largely up to you - but I can honestly say that I believe you will
stand a far better chance of doing so with its guidance than without it.
That's
it for the FAQs, so back
to site map.
The
following passage contains several common errors of the type you are likely to come
across in a set of proofs (though not as closely clustered as here, I hope).
This test should not be taken too seriously, but, since you have nowhere better
to be than here, I hope that you'll at least find it fun. If you identify
all the errors, it doesn't mean that you are a born proofreader; if you
miss a few, all is not necessarily lost. It is really nothing more than an
attempt to liven up my site by providing you with ten minutes' amusement and
perhaps a little education, but if you are the kind of person who enjoys this
type of 'spot the deliberate mistake' game then you should certainly enjoy
life as a freelance. Feel free to consult a dictionary or any other reference
book you have to hand. Here is the test. (You may find it more realistic to work
on this printable version.)
Which would you choose as the best of the two period’s in which to live? In 1900 there was certainly less leisure time, accomodation was terribly cramped and there were two world wars to come, (not to mention the Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918, which was responsable for the deaths of more British people than the Second World War preceeding it); a holiday was a luxury and there was no modern conveniences. I am not, of course, inferring that all is now perfect. Today we have global warming, gridlocked traffic, GM foods, BSE, ME, AIDS and many other unwelcome contractions, abbreviations and anagrams - problems all partly or wholly atttributable to technological advances. On balance, though, I think I would prefer to take my chances in todays silicone-enhanced world of bits and bites than in the troubled times of our forbears.
That's the end of the
test. For the answers, click
here.
Freelance Proofreading and Copy-editing - A Guide
If
you have read the answers to the frequently
asked questions above you will know that it is possible to
become a freelance whatever your current experience or situation. Of course, if
you are starting from scratch, a little guidance is always useful. I
know to my cost that much time can be wasted (not to mention a fortune incurred
in telephone charges) sourcing vital information: Which of Britain's 3,000-odd publishers
use freelances and which don't? (There are actually over 30,000, but the output
of many is either minimal or highly specialized.) Where are they? How should
you approach them? Who else could you approach? Which reference books are most
useful? What types of training are available and where?
Many of the answers to these questions can be found in my guide. It's not a massive volume, but the information contained within its 96 large-format (A4) pages could prove priceless to the newcomer. Areas covered include
The book production process
How to read and correct proofs
Copy-editing, rewriting and project editing
Reference books and training options
A glossary of publishing jargon
How and where to find work
101 potential customers (with addresses and
telephone numbers)
and much more
The information and exercises contained in the guide, together with one or two
inexpensive reference books available from any bookshop, will enable you to
begin your freelance career straight away by undertaking straightforward
proofreading assignments. It will also tell you how to set about acquiring the
necessary skills and experience to progress to the more lucrative fields of
copy-editing and project management.
Freelance Proofreading and Copy-editing - A Guide is just that: a guide. It is not a
correspondence course (although I hope that the exercises will provide you with
many useful background basics for any formal training you may decide to embark
upon), and it is certainly no get-rich-quick scheme. It is, I hope, a mine of
information that will save you a great deal of time and trouble in launching
your career as a professional proofreader and/or copy-editor - time in which
you could be earning money. Costing only around what you could expect to earn
for ninety minutes' proofreading, I think it's a terrific investment. However,
if after reading it you feel that you are not cut out for freelancing, simply
return your guide within thirty days and your money will be refunded in full -
no questions asked. (Please note that this money-back guarantee applies only if
the guide is purchased direct from the publisher - see How
to order.)
Like any other, the publishing world experiences constant change. Companies move, merge or are taken over; information requires updating. Built-in obsolescence is a problem affecting many reference works, and my own is no exception. To address it, I have compiled a list of such changes and made them available online in my 'Information updates' section.
There are some unsolicited independent reviews of the Guide at Amazon. Fortunately, they are kind (but, honestly, I had nothing to do with them), so I'm happy to promote their content. To read them, visit my bookshop and follow the ‘buy online’ link at the top of the Welcome page. Then click 'read more' and scroll down. (This will not commit you to a purchase.)
To
order your copy of Freelance Proofreading and Copy-editing - A Guide
direct, please send a cheque, postal order or international money order for £15.00
sterling, payable to ActionPrint Press, together with your name and address to
ActionPrint
Press (Guide)
Woodcot
Virginstow
Devon EX21 5DY
UK
Postage and packing is free to any UK address. For other European destinations, including the Republic of Ireland, please add £2.50 (total £17.50); for all other overseas destinations, please add £5.00 (total £20.00). Overseas orders are dispatched by air mail. Please note that direct orders cannot be placed using credit cards or via e-mail, and that all cheques
must be drawn on a bank with UK clearing facilities.
2. Buy online
Simply visit my bookshop
and follow the link at the top of your screen.
The guide can also, of course, be ordered through any other
online or high-street bookshop (except possibly Blackwells, whom I decline to supply directly, although they could order it from a wholesaler instead). Please note that you may have to pay extra for
postage and packing if ordering online, and that my money-back guarantee does
not apply to online or high-street purchases (Mr Amazon, Mr Waterstone et al.
being of less-generous spirit than I).
Like
any other, the publishing world experiences constant change. Companies may move
or be taken over, information requires updating. Such problems beset many
reference works, and my own is no exception. To address it, I have compiled a
list of such changes together with a list of hyperlinks to the websites of
those organizations mentioned in my book who have an online presence (this in
addition to the links
to related sites below). This information is available to
anyone who has purchased my book (from whatever source), and is password
protected. The password required is the first word of Exercise 3 in Freelance
Proofreading and Copy-editing - A Guide. First, write down the password,
then click here.
Suggestions
and comments about my site are always welcome. I would be particularly pleased to
learn of any related sites that I could add to my list of links.
Please click here
to submit your feedback (the feedback form will open in a new window), although
questions regarding freelancing will only be answered if the password required
to receive my information
update is included in your message.
I
hope that you will find the sites listed below to be of interest. Left-clicking
on a link will open it in this window or, if you prefer and if your browser
supports it, you can right-click and open it in a new window. Before you go
surfing off, though, did you remember to bookmark this site?
The copyediting.co.uk bookshop
In
association with amazon.co.uk, one of the Internet's largest bookstores
– buy the Guide online or price up your reference books.
Biz-Banana
Biz-Banana.com
is a free ideas resource for people who want to start their own home-based
business.
book2book
All the latest news from the world of books. Includes UK publishers directory and a wealth of other information.
The
Bookseller
Keep
up to date with the world of publishing.
BookWire
If
you like books, you'll like this site.
British
Library Public Catalogue
Publishing
details of over 10 million books and journals.
Electric
Editors
Excellent
links site and more – a must-see if you have any interest in the editorial
side of publishing. Membership is free.
Freelancers in the UK
The UKs most comprehensive list of freelance writers and copywriting information.
Internet
Homeworking Directory
Homeworking
ideas to inspire you.
Means to Meaning®
Market place for professional skills in publishing and the media. Professionals post CVs and offers of service, anonymously if they prefer, to be contacted direct by clients.
Network Freelance
A place for freelance professionals to promote themselves and network with other industry professionals, and for employers to find the talent they need.
PrintByPost
Upload your documents for colour laser printing by post. Cheaper than replacement cartridges?
Publishing Services
A site aimed at publishers and authors in
the commercial sector which tries to inject a note of realism into the process.
The Publishing Training Centre
Serious training for serious people.
Recruit
Media Ltd
More
employment for freelances.
Society
for Editors and Proofreaders
The
home page of the UK's premier professional association for those in the
freelance publishing world.
South
Online
Tight Jeans and Jelly Shoes
Business directory offering free listings for shops & services across the UK.
Copywriters specializing in web copy, search-engine optimized copy, e-mail marketing.
The passage is repeated below, with the corrections you should have made in bold type.
As we enter the new
millennium it’s
difficult to avoid thinking about how the world is changing. In the
1980s
few people had even seen a computer, let alone owned one. Now they are on most children’s Christmas
wish lists. In the
1990s satellite
television was a new and wondrous thing - no
fewer
than sixteen channels through one aerial! Compare that figure with the hundreds available today. Digital broadcasting has changed our lives to such an extent that the question is no longer ‘TV or not TV?’ (to misquote
Shakespeare),
but ‘Could we manage without it?’ Can you imagine life
a hundred years ago, when there was neither television nor
radio? For
us, it doesn’t
bear
thinking about, but perhaps our great-grandparents were equally content [or 'as content' - either is correct]
to sit round a piano as we are to stare at a
screen. There would have been no disagreement about which
channel to watch, at least.
Which would you choose as the better of the two periods
in which to live? In 1900 there was certainly less leisure time, accommodation
was terribly cramped and there were two world wars to come [no
comma here]
(not to mention the Spanish influenza epidemic of
1918, which was
responsible for the deaths of more British people than the First World War preceding it); a holiday was a luxury and there
were no modern conveniences.
I am not, of course, implying
that all is now perfect. Today we have
global warming, gridlocked traffic, GM foods, BSE, ME, AIDS and many other unwelcome contractions, abbreviations and
acronyms - problems all partly or wholly
attributable
to technological advances.
On balance, though, I think I would prefer to take my chances in today's silicon-enhanced world of bits and bytes than in the troubled times of our forebears*.
The
test contained a total of thirty errors. Did you spot them all, or would
you like to try again?
Take
me back to the test/Show
me the answers
visitors to the noframes
version since 18 October 2001
