Is this a golden age for proofreaders?

Report after report shows that the standard of literacy among school-leavers and graduates is at a woeful level. Some blame decades of decline in basic education, others technology such as email, text messaging and spelling checkers. Many businesses are forced to give new employees English lessons - and yes, that's British employees. But although a language can be learnt, to be spoken, written and read confidently it must be entrenched, and this takes time. When newly graduating teachers are suffering from below-par literacy, we know there's long-term problem.*

Some businesses are wising up to proofreading, however. In reality, they should always have used them, as even the most literate among us make typos and have off-days. But the need is now so pressing that proofreaders themselves are beginning to notice a shift in the types of clients approaching them.

*Read more at: Times Online - DfES - Literacy Trust - BBC News.

If you have a love of language and reading you could be a great proofreader. All you need is a little training in the specialised skills. Thanks to this course it is a trade that can be learnt in a few days. All reputable companies working with the written word use proofreaders – publishers, web developers and dozens of other businesses need to make sure their output is perfect. And proofreading is the kind of job that can be done from home, online and offline – something that many proofreaders see as essential.

Proofreading isn't just about spelling mistakes – it's about style, setting and typography, too. These are fascinating subjects in themselves; once you've done the course you'll never look at a printed page in the same way again!

Enrol today for £35. We're listed on Learn Direct, BBC Learning, HotCourses and CoursesUK and Guardian Unlimited courses.

Who is the course for?

The Gpuss proofreading course is designed to prepare would-be proofreaders for life in the real world. Many people ignore considerations of style and typography, assuming it's simply a case of checking documents for spelling mistakes. Some courses are little more than English lessons with a list of proofreading symbols as an afterthought. The result is that those with a flair for good English often try to find proofreading work when they are not ready. What you'll get from this course is both a reference tool and a course that imparts its wisdom in an informative yet informal manner but gets to the point and prepares you for work.

So are proofreading symbols needed?

Proofreading symbols (or proofreading marks) are absolutely necessary when marking manuscripts for print. But learning them in isolation will not prime students for applying them to work; the reasons behind the use of certain symbols must be explored.

Where can I work as a proofreader?

Proofreaders have options: right this second they are working full- and part-time, as freelancers or in employment and from living rooms and offices. This course prepares anyone with the requisite desire to work for web developers, designers, agencies or publishers of books or magazines.

The proofreading course contains:

Please note that this course does not result in any formal qualification – it's really an online book that benefits from searchability and updateability. However, most publishing houses test would-be proofreaders' abilities with their own mini-exams. This course will provide all the technical knowledge required to get through them.

Gpuss believes strongly that courses should not be marketed as though they were jobs, and will never intimate that work will come flooding in once the course is complete. The course is designed to get reasonably literate people up to speed on the required skills and goes as far as suggesting ways of finding work. Initiative, perseverance and ability will determine your employability. We feel it's important to point this out and hope it distances us from some course providers whose claims as to ease of post-course employment are, we feel, unrealistic.

Feedback

Here's a selection of some of the comments we get from people during and after the course. All comments are valued, and none are used here without permission.

Thanks for the course. It has been invaluable in the process of finishing my own book.

I really did think I knew enough about English to become a proofreader ... thank heavens I found your course when I did ...

It is very well written and formatted. I enjoyed your touch of humor and also the examples you chose to illustrate various points. It is obvious that you compiled an enormous amount of research and expertise to make such a detailed course.

You did ask for comments. Well here's one – Thank you!

I can't wait to let myself loose on those publishers, and thanks to your course I feel utterly prepared.

I've just completed the course and found it very worthwhile indeed.

Once I'd started the course I couldn't stop – it's as entertaining as it is informative. And your 'Building Houses' test is a triumph!

Confession time: I'd told an interviewer that I'd done a proofreading course when, strictly speaking, I hadn't. I was offered the job and had two weeks to get up to speed. I'm still there two months later so I haven't been rumbled yet. I owe you one, Grammourpuss! [You'll laugh about it at your golden handshake ceremony – gpuss]

I've done three proofreading courses now but yours is the only one to hit the spot ... The others are useful but yours is essential.

Your course is brilliant.

Grammourpuss, for creating this course you should be given ten lives!

What value for money! I have dabbled in writing ... and know how much work has gone into this course.

Please keep the comments coming; they are priceless and won't be published without permission. We've altered some personal details to protect identities.