The average salary for a proofreader is between INR 353,627 and INR 573,319. In the US it costs $22.30 per hour, which is approximately INR 1800 per hour.
This great opportunity was missed by many because they were unaware of this proofreader career.
If you are a proofreader or aspiring to be one, here are a few tips to help you improve your document.
Proofreading is as important as writing. It ensures spelling, tone, consistency, and other grammatical mistakes that help structure the entire piece of your writing. An effective proofreader can make all the difference in how you present yourself and your company to the audience.
When you’re working on your writing piece, proofreading your copy won’t be that easy, because there may be a chance you merrily skip right over glaring mistakes.
So I have come up with a few tips that might help you in proofreading your copy before publishing.
1) Once you completed your draft, leave it for a day and read it freshly. By doing this, you can easily spot the mistakes and structure the flow of the sentence.
You can even take a printout for checking errors meticulously.
2) There should be no space before punctuation, whether that’s a period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark.
3) Don’t use capitalisation in between the sentences unless you use it for empathizing with a word.
Check the usage of capitalisation in headlines. Ensure consistency throughout if you prefer it to be in the title or sentence case.
4) Verify the spelling of important names and places. You can also use tools to check spelling throughout the document.
5) Don’t use complicated words, try to make it simple. Cut off the words and sentences that are difficult for readers.
6) Create a checklist and grammar rules as you proofread, and note the errors you make frequently. Over some time, you’ll learn to avoid them altogether.
7) Consistency plays a key role, to say, if you use sentence case for H2 level subheading then follow the same for the whole document. Don’t use both title case and sentence case for H2 level subheadings, as this makes the writing piece a mess.
Finally, get someone else to proofread it. You’ll be surprised at what you’ve missed. Having a second opinion will also help you to determine whether the sentences make sense.
“Anyone can write, but ensuring readability requires careful proofreading and editing”.
Read here for editing tips.