If you’ve landed on this article page, you’re probably searching for a
good business idea—an idea that’s light on the pocket but heavy on
returns, promising both a fulfilling journey and potential profit.
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How
to start a Proofreading Service in Nigeria
So, you can spot a typo at twenty paces and you’re a grammar
nerd? These are good starting points for looking into an editing
career, but they are a tiny part of what’s required. Let’s dive
into how you can begin your journey to becoming a fully fledged
editor or proofreader!
Decide if freelancing is for you
Before you even start on the road to freelance editing, ask
yourself whether freelancing is the right decision for you at
this stage. Running your own editing business is a huge amount
of work, albeit rewarding, so research carefully what is
involved before you begin.
If you’ve been editing in-house (with a publisher, for example),
you will have gained indispensable skills and experience working
under someone. These will stand you in good stead if you choose
to strike out alone. That’s not to say you can’t begin your
editing journey as a freelancer off the bat, but you will need
to spend time and resources understanding the publishing
business and getting trained up (more on that below).
Being an editor doesn’t require you to have a degree. But you do
need to have a good knowledge of spellings, syntax, and writing
style.
There are a number of steps involved in starting a book editing
and proofreading business:
. Decide the type of editing services you’d want to offer
Some editors offer a range of services like proofreading,
copyediting, and editing while others may only include any
single type of service.
Proofreaders and editors focus on rechecking and correcting
small errors and mistakes.
Copyeditors work towards editing texts to make sure the grammar,
punctuation and language are accurate.
You need to identify your level of expertise and then decide
what suits you best.
Assuming you are sure about the services that you are offering;
let’s move on to the next steps.
Determine how much to charge for your freelance editing services
You would want to be consistent in deciding the prices for your
clients and do justice to the efforts you would put in.
However, if you are just starting off and decide to charge lower
than the other editors, you could look inexperienced and cheap.
A few editors charge by the hour, however, that’s quite rare.
You also need to know how fast you are at editing and
proofreading texts as it gives you an approximation of your
charges.
It is essential to know the total word count of the book/article
you are editing to get an idea of how much you’ll charge. Most
proofreaders ask to see a sample copy of the original document
to get an idea of the quality of writing to charge accordingly.
Create a website for
your freelance editing business
An effective, well-designed website is a must-have for any
editor planning to start an online editing business. A
technically-optimized website can help you get discovered by
thousands of prospective clients from around the world.
You can highlight your main services and expertise on your
website’s home page so that your clients can get a good idea of
what your business is all about without having to keep searching
all through the website.
Mostly clients would like to know a few things about your
business before they sign you up. These include:
List of services: What is the scope of each service?
Editing charges: What are your fees for each service?
Contact information: How can book authors get in touch with you?
Your Credentials: How your qualifications and experience can
help your clients?
Client Reviews: What do authors think about your service
quality?
Work out a structured approach for your services
Missed deadlines can seriously harm the reputation of your
fledgling business, even if the quality of your work is
top-notch. This is where it helps to thoroughly plan out the
scope of work, and include buffers for potential delays.
When your clients look at you as a business, as opposed to an
individual, it becomes imperative to staying professional and
organized.
Improve your communication with clients. Clarify their
requirements; find out if there are any specific areas where
they need more help to improve their writing. Document this so
there’s something to go back for reference when there are
disagreements. This will help to manage expectations and reduce
your stress.
Pick a good editing business name
Giving a relevant and memorable name to your business is a
crucial step, as it helps identify your company and more
importantly build a strong brand.
People names can be too common or complicated for clients to
remember compared to a uniquely coined business name that helps
you stand our from the clutter.
So make sure the editing business name is relevant, creative and
memorable.
Market your editorial services to potential clients
When you are just starting out, looking for clients is going to
be a tricky job. The quickest way is to engage your family and
friends by acquainting them about your business. Even if they
might not require your services, they might know other people
who do.
You could also start off with some freelance work just to get
the hang of it. Make a note of how many clients you would want
to have for the year and plan accordingly. Book conferences are
a great way to market your business and gain recognition.
Start promoting your business so that it can reach a larger
audience
Establishing a digital presence is best to connect with your
clients. Social media is a great way to promote your website and
your work.
The best way to do this is to consider and identify what
audiences you are targeting, and try to attract them to your
services. You could also attend book fairs, blogging events to
promote your services.
Whatever your strategy might be, start off with a marketing plan
and then work on it every day to reach a larger target audience.
You need to update your website and other social media sites
frequently to keep in touch with your audience.
Let everyone know
You never know where your first few clients will come from.
Authors and content producers are all around us! Let your
friends, family and wider networks know about your editing
intentions. Post on your social media platforms. Tell the world!
Would you like to ramp up your earning potential, while
retaining control over your personal life?
Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and tackle every aspect
of business – from marketing to operations?
Are you willing to embark on a path of constant learning,
including areas (such as finance, technology) that you may have
ignored earlier?
If the answer to these questions is a resounding ‘Yes!‘, you
should consider launching a freelance editing and proofreading
business – for novels, non-fiction books, biographies, business
presentations, essays, articles, or anything that requires an
effective use of language and story-telling. Our in house
experts are ready to assist you.
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