4 Men Who Are Killing It as Freelance Proofreaders

A large portion of the readership of this blog are women from all walks of life — stay-at-home moms, retirees, new graduates, etc.

But I know there are also a lot of men hanging out there in the shadows wondering if men can be freelance proofreaders too. 

The answer is a huge YES!

Men can work from home as proofreaders. 

In fact, we have many male graduates of our proofreading courses who have gone on to build successful careers. 

However, the men in our group tend to be a little shy when it comes to tooting their own horn, so I want to share stories from four of them today to give them some recognition.

If you’re a man who wants to make money from your love of words, then keep reading! I’ll be answering some of your questions about how to become a freelance proofreader and highlighting graduates who are proofreading anywhere in the world!

Or if there’s a man in your life who you think would make an awesome proofreader, share this blog post with him!

I know there are lots of stay-at-home moms who proofread. Can dads proofread from home too?

Think only women can be proofreaders? Think again! We have lots of men and dads in our Proofread Anywhere student groups. Men have eagle eyes too — and they also want the freedom to spend more time with their family.

I want to give a huge shout out to Derek! He was our very first General Proofreading course success story! Derek’s wife had just had a baby, and he was working the night shift at a hotel. Working like a vampire made him feel like he was stuck in a rut and wishing he could find work doing something he loves. 

A natural talent for proofreading prompted him to give the course a go, and he found his first client within days of getting his proofreading business set up. And that’s despite not having a degree! 

(Heads up: you don’t need to have years of experience or a degree to be a proofreader!)

Now Derek sees a bright future for him and his family.

Darcy is another dad who wanted to have the freedom to spend more time with his wife and four children.

This work-at-home dad started proofreading part-time because he loves helping authors produce inspirational works by ensuring their content is as error-free as possible.

At the time we interviewed Darcy, he was on the verge of quitting his full-time job to work from home as a proofreader and editor, having hit a huge milestone of $5K per month. He was super excited to soon have the flexibility to be home with his wife and four children. 

Can retired men proofread to supplement their retirement incomes?

Many of my readers — male and female — are worried about not having enough money for retirement, and they’re wondering if proofreading could be the answer to their prayers. 

It sure can! 

Richard was laid off from his engineering job in October 2015 and needed a bridging income to get him through until he could collect his full pension. After a year of no luck finding a job, he felt as though the prospects for finding just a part-time job at his age, experience level, and salary requirement were not promising. 

He didn’t throw in the towel though! His super smart wife suggested he go back to his childhood love of proofreading. So that’s what he did!

Now, at the age of 63, life is looking good for Richard! He owns his own business and makes much more money than he would in a part-time job in much less time. 

You don’t need to rely on other people to provide you with a secure income in retirement. You can create your own job and give yourself financial security using your skills!

What if I’m a man living outside the United States?

One big question I receive often: Can I proofread if I live outside the United States?

Not a problem! You do not need to live in the United States (or be from there) to be a successful freelance proofreader. 

However, you do need to be fluent in English and have excellent knowledge of grammar and punctuation rules. 

Case in point, Silas. Originally from the UK, Silas emigrated to Australia for love. <3 Dealing with visa work restrictions led him to search for location independent jobs, and eventually he hit on the idea of proofreading. 

Silas took both my courses and has been able to find clients — both court reporters and people in need of general proofreading — despite not being from or living in the US.

It really doesn’t matter where you live!

As long as you have a laptop or tablet and a reliable internet connection (and the skills to complete the job!), you can work anywhere as a proofreader.

Your location simply doesn’t matter because all communication and work can be completed online.

I know your next worries are “What about the time difference?” and “How will I get paid?”

Let me address these issues right now:

Time zones:

Being in a different time zone can work to your advantage! If your client sends you stuff at night while you’re asleep, you can start working on it while they’re still asleep and have it back to them by the time they wake up!

Getting paid:

There are tons of online payment processors you can use to get paid if you live outside the US. Here are just a few: PayPal, Skrill, TransferWise.

Thanks to the internet, the world is really a small place, and there are more opportunities than obstacles if you’re willing to focus on the opportunities.

Our Take

What do you think? Are you convinced that men can be just as good at proofreading as women can be? It’s a battle of the sexes! May the biggest word nerd win! 😉

Your Turn

Want to be a freelance proofreader just like the wonderful men above? Check out our FREE proofreading workshop to learn how you can get started!