Think the proofreading market is saturated? Well, I’m gonna give you the good news that it’s not and I’m gonna tell you why it’s not.
Why the Transcript Proofreading Market Isn’t Saturated
Proofreading transcripts is too hard — and too complex — for everyone to be good at it. You’ve heard the phrase, “If it were easy, everyone would be doing it!” Sorry, but I’m here to tell you: transcript proofreading isn’t easy at all. Not everyone who enrolls in my program with the utmost enthusiasm will actually finish it. There’s a lot to learn, a lot that can go wrong, and a lot of work to do to be truly good at it. But it’s still very possible, and that’s why taking the time to learn and practice is your best bet for breaking into this industry.
The work being “hard” is exactly why the market for a career in court reporting will also never saturate. There are many more training programs for court reporting than there are for transcript proofreading (…and there’s only one for that at this time), but no one worries about the court reporting market saturating, and it’s because the work is much too hard.
The demand for court reporters is increasing. You can check out this report regarding the court reporting industry outlook. As demand for court reporters increases, so does the demand for excellent transcript proofreaders.
Why the General Proofreading Market Isn’t Saturated
It’s not just the demand for transcript proofreaders that’s increasing. Turns out that thanks to the worldwide BOOM of self-publishing, millions of books are being written and published each year. Not to mention the huge number of active blogs, websites, and online businesses out there. New content is published on the internet every second. So there’s an obvious demand for general proofreaders.
And the great thing about being a general proofreader is that there are many markets where you can find work. None of these markets are oversaturated with quality proofreaders; I promise!
More Reasons Why the Proofreading Market Isn’t Saturated
Owning a freelance business is hard. For many people, it’s just easier to clock in and clock out, leave work at the office for the weekend, etc., yet at the same time, the idea of being your own boss is very enticing too. Getting organized as a freelancer is tough at first, especially keeping track of invoices and payments, but it’s worth it. Still, there will always be those folks who just aren’t into the DIY aspects of freelancing. And that’s cool — hey, the economy needs office workers too!
People screw up. The market is not saturated with QUALIFIED proofreaders. There are untrained, not-so-excellent proofreaders out there — perhaps even folks who’ve read my website and decided to try their hand in this biz on their own — and when they screw up (and they will), trained proofreaders will be there waiting. This is good news for those of you who put time and effort into training to become an excellent proofreader.
Many folks think they have what it takes and that they don’t need any training to do this kind of work. They don’t believe the work is hard. So they go look for clients, find some unsuspecting reporter or author willing to give them a shot (no questions asked), and do some work… but then they miss stuff. A lot of stuff. They don’t have a reporter preference sheet or a proofreading checklist to ensure every detail is checked in every job — because they never learned what to look for.
People move on. People change careers all the time. Did you know I paid $6,900 to attend a 4-month training program to become a certified personal trainer? I taught fitness classes and did client sessions for just over three years… then I quit. It wasn’t for me. The same thing happens with proofreading. Not everyone who enrolls in one of my courses, receives their certificate, and starts working will continue to work as a proofreader forever. And that’s fine — it’s not for everyone, and sometimes it’s just a fill-in for a season in life or a way to fund another dream.
People wait for the work to come to them. Not everyone who finishes my courses will go on to perform the work. The work is there for the taking, but you can’t just sit there with your certificate and wait for the work to find you. You have to go find it and be willing to get out of your comfort zone to prove yourself as a proofreader. I will never make light of it — that part is hard, and not everyone is willing to put in the work it takes. The people who put in the work reap the rewards.
There you have it. Demand for proofreaders is increasing. But not just any proofreaders… proofreaders who are willing to work hard and learn how to proofread the right way.
So what do you think? Does this describe you?
Hi,
I’ve been tossing around the idea of taking your Proofreading course for a couple weeks. I signed up for the free 7-day trial and liked your FB page also, but I’m dragging my feet because I have a few concerns that I’ve yet to have addressed from anywhere on your sites.
I’m a post stay-at-home mom, my boys are all grown up and living independent. My husband and I have a small commercial business and I have the responsibility of doing all the office work from home. I never graduated from high school but I did go to a trade school to learn most of what I’m doing now, but for about 7 years after my schooling I worked fast food, retail and telemarketing, never getting a GED.
I guess my biggest concern is how will that play out in being hired for proofreading. I actually hated English in school, but loved to read, even to this day I am a voracious reader and easily spot errors. Do you recommend I get a GED before I put forth the money, time and effort to take the Proofreading classes?
Thank you,
Cheri
Unless getting your GED is something you WANT to do, it is absolutely not necessary for this course and for finding work! As long as you are teachable and willing to work hard at this to learn some new skills, you can be successful at this! 🙂
Do you have to be located in the USA and/or and American citizen to get your first clients and your business established?
Great question! We have many successful graduates who do not live in the United States. You can read more about it in this post: What if I don’t live in the United States? Hope this helps!
The report cited in this article is already 5 years old. I think this post is likely quite old compared to mid-2018 reality.
While the report itself might be old, I am in many Facebook groups that have court reporters in them, and they post all the time about the need for court reporters and different openings in various states. The need is definitely still there! 🙂