The importance of finding proofreading clients and work opportunities cannot be overstated. A person can have all of the necessary skills and abilities, an abundance of training and education, and an excellent portfolio, but without the ability to find clients, they won’t be a proofreader for long.
The truth is that finding clients, when you first start trying to do so, can be the hardest aspect of the job. It can be difficult to know where to look and how to go about doing the task.
In reality, however, potential proofreading clients are everywhere. Any person or business that has anything written down is a potential client.
There are many options you can utilize to find proofreading clients, including: unitizing online freelance platforms, tapping into job boards and classified listings, building your online presence, and networking with other professionals.
Utilize freelance platforms
One of the best ways of finding proofreading clients is through online freelance platforms. Websites such as Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com provide unparalleled access to a wide pool of potential clients.
These sites allow you to set up a profile and offer your proofreading services to clients from all over the world. It can take a lot of patience and resolve to break into the marketplace on these sites—although once you’ve established yourself, the work will begin to come to you.
While these sites allow you to see a huge number of potential customers, the pay rates are often lower than projects from other sources. Open websites like Fiverr and Upwork can often devolve into “a race to the bottom.” When this happens, freelancers bid lower rates just to land the job.
Additionally, while setting up a profile is free, services take a cut of your profits to cover their costs. (Upwork’s fee is 10 percent, for example.)
Tap into job boards and classifieds
Job sites like Indeed and Monster can also be good sources of clients. There are always many proofreader jobs on these sites, and virtually all of them are remote, which means you can apply for jobs all over the country.
The drawback is the sheer number of applicants per job on these types of websites. It is common for these jobs to receive hundreds, if not thousands, of applications. This makes it exceptionally difficult to get noticed.
Besides general-purpose job sites like Indeed, there are also writing-specific sites—WriteJobs.info, for example—with proofreading job posts. These sites scour the Internet and compile a list of quality writing and editing jobs into curated feeds. You can sign up for email alerts to see updates to the list as well.
Build your online presence
Should you create a website?
Most companies have an online presence. As a consumer, it’s almost second nature to check out a business’s website before contacting them. This raises the question, as a new freelance proofreader, do you need a website?
With companies like GoDaddy, Squarespace, and Wix, setting up a website is as easy as opening an account and selecting a template. You can set up a professional website in a few hours, in fact, and the cost is fairly minimal; you can be up and running for as little as $10 per month.
Benefits of creating a website
Having your own website comes with benefits. For one, it’s your website. You have complete control over what information you put on it, how it looks, and how you use it. You can also use it as a hub for all of your social media accounts (see below).
Another good use for a website is the ability to have a custom email with your domain name. This can give your interactions with clients, both current and potential, an air of professionalism.
One of the best benefits of having a website is the ability to create your own blog. Creating interesting blog posts filled with keywords can be a great way to start finding clients online. And once you have a blog up and running, you can share posts on social media, LinkedIn, and other platforms.
Drawbacks of creating a website
There are some drawbacks to operating a website. Although the cost over time is relatively low, these charges and fees often must be paid up front. You might not have enough funds to cover a year or two of website payments when you start running one.
Another cost to consider is your time. Creating the website will only take a few hours, but you will have to spend time maintaining and promoting it. If you add a blog into the mix, writing for it will take time as well.
The final verdict: it depends
Overall, while having a website isn’t absolutely necessary, it can lend credibility to your business. A site can also help in letting potential clients know about your services. It takes time and money to set up and run one, so carefully consider your online strategy and make sure it’s right for you.
Utilize social media
Another way to spread the word about your proofreading services is to utilize social media. Facebook; Instagram; X (previously known as Twitter); and TikTok are the go-to platforms. You can create accounts, post to one or more of these sites, and begin establishing an online following for your business.
Posting frequently on LinkedIn is a very good idea when trying to find proofreading clients. This is a social media platform centered around business; people are expecting to read business updates and see job proposals and offerings. It’s a place teeming with potential clients. Knowing all of this, crafting and posting content on LinkedIn regularly is worth the time and effort.
Network with other professionals
Networking with other professionals is another idea to think about when trying to find proofreading clients.
If you know other freelance proofreaders, you can reach out to them. An established proofreader will likely have a full load of clients and might be willing to send any new ones they can’t take on to you. You could also work with at least two other proofreaders to establish a proofreading agency. This would allow you to pool your resources to find and support more clients (although forming an agency would require careful planning and well-written contracts to be in place).
Even if you don’t know any other proofreaders, networking with other professionals in any field can help you land clients. You might find a realtor who needs help proofreading advertising copy. You might get to know a small business owner or even an author who can use your services.
There are many online resources when it comes to professional networking, and it’s worth doing some research to discover methods that might work for you. No matter how you choose to network, the more people who know you are a proofreader, the higher chance you have of finding clients.
Summing it up: Finding proofreading clients
Anyone with written content is a potential proofreading client, and there is no limit to the number of ways you can find them. It may feel daunting to land your first clients, but the opportunity is there.
A few of the most common ways of finding proofreading clients are utilizing online freelance platforms, job boards, and classified listings; building an online presence; and networking with other professionals.