Finding work as a proofreader

[charlotte]

Any experiences anyone has had on this subject would be appreciated. I read the website for the Society for editors and proofreaders (SfEP) and the info they give on a new proofreader's chances of finding work are very pessimistic. They state that only people who have contacts in publishing have a good chance of finding work, the money isn't good and the chance of having enough work is slim. I was thinking of doing a course to get a qualification but don't want to after reading that!

[gpuss]

It could be a rare outbreak of honesty from a representative of the industry. It isn't easy, but the amount of competition for a job necessarily increases in proportion to the desirability. Breaking into Hollywood, for example, isn't easy, but people who work hard might get there eventually. Actually that's probably overly pessimistic for proofreaders ... I'd hazard that the number of wannabe A-listers is greater than the number of wannabe i-dotters.

What I'm saying is that to just walk into proofreading based on a good command of English certainly wouldn't be easy, but with a bit of training you'll put your nose ahead of the competition. (As a supplier of a proofreading course, you do have to expect that everything I say on the subject will contain a certain amount of bias, however!)

[KellyNicholls]

How much difference does a qualification make in securing work (freelance or otherwise)? I am a qualified teacher with over 8 years' proofreading experience but do not have any formal proofreading qualifications or certificates. To date I have been reasonably successfully in securing work but I have not been overly ambitious in the jobs/customers I tender for. Are qualifications necessary for working with, say, publishing houses? Equally how much credibility does membership of the SFEP provide?

[KellyNicholls]

Thanks for that. Can you recommend any courses? I am happy to study by correspondence or travel to a training venue. Some idea of typical costs would be handy too.

I have looked into SFEP membership and I think I will take that up. I definitely agree that it is about showing others that you are serious about this from a business perspective as well. I did look at the terms for membership some time ago and was daunted by the prospect. I think I will start off as an associate and aim for full membership as part of my CPD.