Hello,

I need some thoughts on this........my strong points are Administrative/Clerical work and Bookkeeping, BUT I am good at spotting spelling errors, and at swapping or switching words, phrases, sentences around to help make the content easier to follow for the reader, so I guess that means I would be really good at proofreading (and editing?). This would give me 3 niches.

I'm unfamiliar with the territory and am not sure about the difference between proofing and editing. To me they would go hand-in-hand. To me they seem one in the same. I've seen the term "copyediting" as well. Don't have a clue if that's different than plain editing, or if it's the same thing.

Can some of you give me your knowledge in these 2 areas (and any others that go with them) and explain some of this to me?

ALSO do you think that I could make a good living (or at least a reasonable one) by doing proofing or editing? If so, any suggestions on places to look or sites to visit or where I could find good work in these fields?

OK, I'll take a breath and wait for some replies before continuing to babble!! LOL

THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU

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Michelle

Hi there

Copyediting in the wikipedia is stated as:

Copy editing (also copy-editing and copyediting) is the work that an editor does to improve the formatting, style, and accuracy of a manuscript.[1][2] Copy (as a noun) refers to written or typewritten text for typesetting, printing, or publication. Copy editing is done prior to the work of proofreaders, who handle documents before final publication.

How successful you want to be is up to you. You have to work at it to be successful. Which means networking, research, marketing, advertising etc. I suggest contacting writers and see if they need assistance with there business. That could be one of your target markets. I personally wouldn't just offer editing as a service but it cold be your specilty. Not sure if copy-editing requires any kind of degree or diploma or not but if it does and you do not have it then there may be a problem. If that is the case then you can offer editing services only.

best of luck and believe in the law of attraction. If you believe you will succeed then success is on the way!

I would hire you to proofread for me! As much as I try to look over my writing, I just really need to take my time. Even if I read it the next day, outloud, i can still miss something. Some people have a gift to catch the smallest error. I would build on that for sure.
Good luck!

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Tammie Crainich
The Essence of Time, Virtual Assistance

Hi Michelle,

I offer proofreading and editing services in my business, and quite frankly, it's one of my favorite tasks, and it can absolutely be profitable as a niche service. Like Serena mentioned, you may want to target authors. If you get in with one or two and do good work, they'll tell their friends, and you'll get more work through word-of-mouth.

As for the difference between proofreading and editing, basically, editing includes making sure that the text flows well and makes sense. To go a step further, copy editing involves checking for continuity in the content, like making sure that the same tense is used throughout the work, etc. Copy editors also check for spelling and grammatical errors. Proofreading, only the other hand, requires only looking for typos and basic grammatical errors (like missing punctuation).

There's an important distinction between proofreading and copy editing because copy editors can generally charge more for their services. Definitely something to consider!
As far as a degree goes, it may be required for full-time employment as a copy editor, but I don't think it will matter in your business. I have a degree in English, but none of my potential clients have ever asked me about my education. They care more about my experience and knowledge of correct spelling and grammar - after all, that's what really matters in the end.

Hope that helps!

Hi Tammi!

Thanks for the great information. I am a little confused on what tense means, so I looked it up online, and kind of get it, but to me it is still editing, just plain editing. I mean if I saw, "I'm reading my book last night," I would edit to "I was reading my book last night"; so to me, my interpretation of what I read for the definition falls into what I would do while "editing" anyway. So I'm probably missing something or it's more involved than that. But none-the-less, I think that would be fun to do since I'm good at "catching" errors.

I just got some other wonderful advice from another forum that was asking if I had any experience in proofreading/editing on my resume? A light went on in my head and I knew I had to go make a slight "edit" lol, to my own resume because when I stated, "Review other Auditor's audits for accuracy and submit to customer.", I KNOW that involves A LOT of proofreading and editing, BUT the potential employer is not presented with these detailed facts; the sentence is very vague and lacks detail, SO I went and fixed that right up. Now it will be clear what "reviewing" really means.

So anyway thank you again - all the information, thoughts, advice, etc. that I can acquire can only help me in the end. I appreciate it!

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Michelle

I enjoy proofreading, but I don't enjoy editing. For instance, in the above example of changing a typo from "I'm reading my book last night" to "I was reading my book last night," a copy editor/ghost writer would have to take into consideration the active voice and actually change it to "I read my book last night." Add to that POV/narration, imagery, symbolism, tone, sentence structure, cohesion, etc., a person can't even enjoy reading for the pure satisfaction of it. The same thing happened to me when I learned the in's and out's of public speaking. Now I find myself hearing all the "uh's" and "ya know's" whenever anyone is on tv and it's a real distraction.

Unless you really enjoy parts of speech and the pure aesthetics of the written word in all it's forms, I say go for proofreading. It's easy, fun and enjoyable. Well, that's just my opinion, so take it for what it's worth and have fun!

Sue

Hi Sue,

Thank you for your advice and perspective on the topic. With you explaining the complication involved in copy editing, I think I would like to proofread and just edit (mildly). I'm sure that makes no sense whatsoever. What I mean is simple fixes in words, spelling, re-arranging words, re-arranging sentences, maybe even re-arranging paragraphs to make more sense to the reader.

Is there a special name for this simplistic "editing" I described? I think I could proof and edit a book. That would be fun. Or a resume, or an essay, etc. Although if the book was huge I would be discouraged I think, but who knows!

Anyway thank you! I actually joined Demand Studios as a Title Proofer and am working at getting used to it and trying to get faster as I get used to everything. Not a lot of money, but hey, will help me out for sure. And sometimes it's actually fun! I just had to laugh a second ago as there was a title that just said "How to Make Something to Eat". I rejected it because I cannot imagine an article or video on that subject as it is WAY TOO BROAD!

Well you have a nice night and a very nice weekend. I'm sure we'll chat again here on the boards.

Take care,
Michelle

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Michelle

Thanks for posting this really interesting topic!

I describe my proofreading as "another pair of eyes" and that I do "light editing". Basically I can read/type someone's document and catch any inconsistencies, spelling errors and basic grammar.

Looking into localization work (US English to UK English) has spurred me on to brush up my English grammar skills which, although not poor, can really do with a bit of sharpening up!

Tlcrainich you are so right about proofreading your own work! My "day" job involves quite an amount of typing. I pull it off and read it in hard copy form and still I seem to miss the odd silly little error! Daft isn't it I can see the errors in other peoples work but not my own no matter how often I read it!!

Avocet

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Secretarial Service with a Smile!

Michelle,

Thanks so much for the Demand Studios comment! I have always wanted to get involved with editing, proofreading, and/or writing. This looks like so much fun! Definitely going to check it out.

Deanna

I also offer this type of service (Editing and Formatting - Proofreading, editing, checking spelling/grammar, consistency of message in correspondence and marketing materials) but do not see myself as a copy editor. My question is how do you charge for this type of service: by the hour, page, etc. I had submitted my first proposal for this type of project to edit and proof a 100 page e-book based on a certain number of pages per hour. I know my quote was way to high and I did not get the project. Is there a formula that you use to determine price?

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Margie Gibson
http://mgvirtualofficesolutions.org