Are you flooded with questions and indecision? Then you definitely need to read this article! I will do my best to answer your questions based on my extensive proofreading and editing experience.

Q1. Do you really need a proofreader?

It is a sad fact of life for us to accept that we are not perfect. Yes, especially the perfectionists out there, we are all fallible and even more so with the many pitfalls of spelling and grammar.

Fortunately, there are many great tools out there, such as Grammarly and ProWritingAid to help with spelling and grammar. They can be free, they have many features, and are mostly actually pretty good. To a point.

See, I have tried a few over the years and although they are now in my ‘must-have-toolbox,’ they are not perfect. Weather you are weathering the whether or filling in a from sent form a website, there are pitfalls. Witch which flew in on a broomstick? And even if your spelling is oh-so-perfect, are there not a few ways you should have rephrased that tiny little sentence to not offend a community you never heard of? (My apologies to all witches out there. I realize you don’t fly on broomsticks anymore, you now drive BMWs.)

Case in point. So, yes, you ‌need a proofreader. Preferably someone outside your circle, to avoid pitfalls of colloquialism. Someone who can tactfully point out you should not pick on BMW drivers, instead of a good friend who would simply agree with you.

Q2. Should you get the best freelance proofreader?

The next big question gets a yes and a no from me. I have been a freelance proofreader and editor for too many years to mention. Freelancing platforms are great, and a wonderful way to connect with talented people. Competition is also stiff, and you will be faced with having to make tough decisions to decide which proofreading freelancer to pick.

My question to you would then be – to what purpose? Is this someone you will be using long-term? What are your visions and goals? Do you want to build a sizable blog with a big following? Then you will need a long-term relationship with someone you can trust.

Randomly jumping from one freelancer to another depending on their availability, is going to reflect on your blog as the quality of your blog posts will be equally random.

For a long-term vision, for consistent quality that will rank your website high, you need to build a solid relationship with one individual or one organization.

Keep in mind that freelancing has its costs. The one platform I frequently use takes a 20% fee on income, plus there are monthly charges, plus there are banking charges, so at the end of the day, a freelancer does not earn that much.

To survive, a freelancer may have to take on every gig they can get, and an overworked freelancer’s attention span… well…, let’s just say it is not where you want it to be, especially for something as incredibly important as proofreading your blog content.

Q3. What should you pay a proofreading freelancer?

As much as you would love to have a simple answer, this is not a simple question.

Imagine this:
Your business has taken off, and you are now fully occupied with selling your product or delivering your services to your clientele.

At the same time, you now have a marketing department creating content for you, running your advertising campaigns, bringing in more clients, allowing you to focus on what is important to you.

You have a clear brand image, and cannot risk any public scandal with even the smallest typo. To ensure that no copy leaves the office without it being checked, you have employed a full-time proofreader.

Depending on your location, this person has to be compensated for sick leave, for holidays, for public holidays, for transport, etc. You have to consider other Cost to Company (CTC), such as water, rent, infrastructure, even coffee – everything that is needed to keep that person productive.

Add all of that up, it will be a sizable sum. Multiply it by 12, and divide it by 2080. That is the hourly rate you should be paying your freelancer.

Anything less is exploitation.

Remember that a freelancer has to put money aside for sick leave, for holidays, for retirement, and for everything just mentioned. For you to pay the equivalent, or even less, than minimum wage is insulting and almost a guarantee of poor quality work.

I’m all for fair wages and paying people what they are worth, and you will sleep better knowing you are paying a good freelancer a good rate to look after your blog content.

Q4. Should you consider a proofreading and editing service?

A plausible alternative to freelance proofreading is a reputable company that provides both proofreading and editing services.

There are several benefits to dealing with such a company.

Benefits of using a proofreading and editing service

• You have the assurance that your copy will be great. Their reputation is at stake, after all.
• Dealing with one company is great for a long-term relationship. You clarify your needs and expectations once, and they will listen and follow your guidelines.
• Communication is clear, and most often you only have to deal with one person every time.
• Payments are simplified; while paying freelancers includes additional fees and placing money in escrow.
• Compared to the calculation above, their fees are very reasonable, as the company will absorb the costs that escalate a freelancer’s fee.
• Such a company most often provides additional services, too. As your blog starts to grow, you can sign up for these additional services while still keeping your admin processes – payment and correspondence – simple and clear.

Conclusion to How to Pick the Best Proofreading Service

Before becoming a freelancer, I was that one painful person in the office that would always spot the typos, whether it was “Toilet of order” (someone forgot out) or “penis stuck” in the printer (pen is stuck) but I have my own battles – filing and filling, life and live, advice and advise, a terrible sense of humor – and I’ll be the first to admit I’m not perfect and we all need help.

So if you too realize that you could do with some help, and need an extra pair of eyes to help you with proofreading, then my advice is to start with the end in mind.

Skip the experiments and frustrations of using freelance proofreading services, and instead team up with a company that can be there for you in the long run, that can help you grow.

And that is what we aim to do, helping your blog grow and succeed. Because if you succeed, then we succeed too.

The WebCare team provide high-quality content writing, proofreading, editing, graphic design, research, analytics and even uploading and formatting services to your CMS.

To find out how we can help you, simply schedule a free 30-minute consultation from the website.

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