Making a proofreading service...yes or no?

ermini2 Level 1

October 19, 2016, 8:20 pm

17

Write the reason you're deleting this FAQ

Sooo I was think that since Im already writing here on listingdock, I thought that maybe I should make a proofreading service to help people get their papers, essays, letters, or anything proofread.

I was thinking about including all aspects of writing, for example, punctuation, spelling errors, and grammer. I would go over everything very carefully and be like the second eye for the client.

Now when making the service, if it turns out to be a good idea, how do I even charge for that? Do I charge by the word, by the page, or do I set a flat rate based on my knowledge in writing no matter how many words or pages? Is it even a service one would buy?

What do you guys think about this proofreading service? Any and all feedback is appreciated! Thanks!

Comments

Please login or sign up to leave a comment

Join

ermini2

ermini2

oh yes, it could be errors and also helping change something if it wasnt made clear!

thats what i thought, charging by word would probably be better, as you are right, charging by page could vary way too much.

thanks Lynne! i think im going to try this out, maybe some more brainstorming as far as figuring out what and how to charge and what seems reasonable!!

10 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Lynne

Lynne

I have no idea, I never charged my friend or even suggested it. I just know how hard to tried to get his English writing perfect. When I say some mistakes I couldn't help but give him a list of suggested changes.

And you know what happened? He caught on so quick and he improved so much after I was doing that for a few months because each time I didn't just list the changes. I explained to him why I thought it should change and have him a number of different options for changes.

It was amazing to see him improve so much. I don't have anything to help him with anymore.

OK but I guess if you did a service like that, helping people to improve themselves then you might not have any more work soon if you do a really good job LOL

Yes pricing is not going to be easy and I think it also varies so much on the type of content you are proofreading and the level of competence of the writer.

Some content may be just the odd mistake and I am sure you will also get some content you may actually have to basically rewrite!

10 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

ermini2

ermini2

thats actually really cool that you helped him so much that it improved his writing skills eventually!

youre right if my clients end up like your friend then i wont have anymore.

thats why i put it up for discussion because everyone has a different opinion and perspective! thanks again Lynne!

10 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Lynne

Lynne

Hi Ermini2. I think there is a market for this. I have made a blogging friend that is not English speaking and he would write his posts and then run them through Grammarly... and then I would see all these little mistakes that the software didn't pick up. They weren't too noticeable and I guess it would have been fine to leave them but I would write him up a list of things to change every time and he was so happy.

I think it is often more than just checking for mistakes. Often something can come across as ambiguous or not 100% clear and the writer is not aware of it. Or the writer uses one word way too often to describe something, so you can suggest a synonym.

I would charge per word because per page can vary way too much. Some people write 200 words a page, but I have 500 plus words per page for my eBook.

10 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

CryptoGuru

CryptoGuru

Ermini i would charge by the word as well. We get paid a certain amount of cents per word to write on blogs. You could use the same technique charging people to proof read. For example if your fast and good at proof reading i would go and try and charge upwards to .04 cents a word thats four dollars per 100 words. You could offer a discount for 500 words or for 1000 words at your discretion. Will someone purchase this kind of service? I think that they will indeed! We have so many people on Facebook and here on listing dock and Seoclerks that it will be a success. Like i always say what can you lose by trying? It costs nothing to list it and see if someone buys it. Thanks for sharing and yes you should offer this service!

10 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

ermini2

ermini2

thank you jkeyz for commenting, i appreciate all your help! this really helps me get a better vision on what to charge and some other things to offer!

you're right, i think im going to give it a shot! thanks!

10 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

overcast

overcast

I have found this service selling a lot on fiverr and other places. So this is definitely a good service to offer. Because often the writers are in hurry to write the content. They don't pay attention to the content at all. And that's where the proofreading and editing service comes into play. You can see that if the service is offered to the writers who need to go through the content such as this it'd be surely good income stream.

9 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

vinaya

vinaya

A writer should always have a proof reader because he/she may not be able to see all the mistakes he has done on his work. I think you can earn well by offering proof reading services, however, you need to be an expert on this matter. You should know the grammar rules, word usage as well as punctuation. Since most of the people use MS word to write which has in build spelling and grammar checker, you need to be better with your skills.

9 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

felabruno

felabruno

I think it is something that is very much needed! I think many books haven't been proofread but also there are other things that you can proofread, such as articles, blog posts etc. It's only useful for native English speakers who may make some small spelling errors but also for people who aren't native English speakers but have to write in English for whatever reason (science articles, posts for marketing etc.)

9 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Pixie06

Pixie06

I think that it is actually a good thing to go forward with that idea. I am sure that many people will actually buy those services especially writers. If you are really good at proofreading then I will advise you to offer this service.

9 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Judas2018

Judas2018

If you think your proofreading skills are elite enough to profit from them then I'd say go for it. It's certainly a very useful service to a lot of people. Especially as more and more young and inexperienced writers enter the literary field.

9 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

ballyhara

ballyhara

Any proofreader is super necessary for a writer. No matter how many times a writer checks on its work, it always has some issue that needs to be fixed. Sometimes it takes someone else's eye to catch mistakes, at least that has happen to me, I check once and again and still there's something missing. And of course, if anyone is doing the job, then it should be rewarded, in fact, my friend is paying for every word or grammar mistake that needs to be corrected. So, just think about it, you could have potential customers around here.

9 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

peachpurple

peachpurple

I saw that someone offer $10 per article for proof reading, doesn't state how many words.

9 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

jaymish

jaymish

I think this is a fabulous idea. No one can edit their own work. Especially if you are a native English speaker or you have the skills, you are good to go. I would also recommend that you get the required training needed to be a proofreader/editor. This is an actual business with its own set of skills required. Do your research on uncle Google. I have to warn you taking the courses is not cheap as proofreading is in demand and not many people offer the training.

9 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?

milaniagreen

milaniagreen

The ability to present your ideas well is important for success, and those who easily communicate with other people have the ability to express them on paper. I have always been helped to cope with this difficult task here https://getpsychologyessay.com/psy...ing-service-usa/

5 years ago

Are you sure you want to delete this post?