ProofreadingPal offers proofreading and editing services for all kinds of documents. Their editors typically earn between $500 to $3,000 per month. In this review, I will reveal how you can make that kind of money!
ProofreadingPal has some strict requirements; you might be more interested in how to find high paying proofreading work for yourself. If so, make sure to check out the course at Proofread Anywhere. You can sign up for their free webinar to learn about how it all works and what you’ll get out of the course.
ProofreadingPal Requirements
ProofreadingPal is currently accepting applications from people who meet one of the following requirements:
- Currently employed by or enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate accredited program in a US university, with a minimum GPA of 3.5
- Have a graduate degree with a minimum of 5 years professional proofreading or editing experience
Besides one of the above, here are other characteristics they look for in their editors:
- Must be able to work independently
- Able to meet deadlines
- Need to have exceptional time-management skills
- Experience proofreading and editing academic papers will be helpful
- Familiarity with several different writing styles, such as APA, MLA, CMS, AP, and CSE
ProofreadingPal Technical Requirements
- Microsoft Word 2007 or higher
- Adobe Standard or Foxit Standard or higher
- Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 or higher
- Computer and high-speed internet
ProofreadingPal Application Process
If you meet the qualifications listed here, they want you to fill out a short questionnaire. You will hear from a ProofreadingPal representative within 5 to 10 business days to continue the hiring process, which includes a comprehensive, timed exam.
After the standard contact info, here is what you can expect on the initial questionnaire:
- Upload a cover letter and resume
- How many years experience do you have with freelance proofreading?
- How many years professional proofreading and editing experience do you have?
- Do you own a Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary? If not, which dictionaries do you use, either hard copy or online?
- How would you grade your proficiency with the following writing styles: MLA, APA, AP, CSE?
- What writing style manuals you are currently using? And what editions?
- How familiar are you with the Chicago Manual of Style?
- What edition of the Chicago Manual of Style do you currently own?
- Do you have Microsoft Word 2007 or newer?
- How would you rate your familiarity with the Track Changes function of Microsoft Word?
- Do you have Adobe Professional or Foxit Phantom software?
- Are you native English-speaking?
- What kind of hourly pay would you expect for a solid hour of proofreading?
- Are your hourly pay expectations negotiable?
- What time zone do you live in?
- What hours of the day in US Central Standard Time do you plan to work on a daily basis? They want to know your estimated schedule so they can determine if your availability meets the needs of their clients. They give you 2000 characters to answer this question, so if you want to convey maximum availability, I think you could do that.
- Are you fluent in any other languages?
How Much Does ProofreadingPal Pay?
ProofreadingPal says they pay $12-$15 per hour for editors who are new. After 6 months, you will have the potential to earn up to $18-$22 per hour.
When Does ProofreadingPal Pay?
ProofreadingPal pays their contractors monthly by either direct deposit, live check, or via PayPal.
ProofreadingPal Schedule
ProofreadingPal’s live customer service hours are every day from 8 AM to 10 PM Central Time. But orders can be placed online, and it is possible that you can work at whatever time is best for your schedule, as long as you are meeting your deadlines.
ProofreadingPal offers turn-around times from 30 minutes up to 7 days. For short turn-around orders that are placed after regular hours, they charge their customers an overnight surcharge.
In busier months, they want a minimum of 8 to 12 hours worked per month. In slower months, the requirement is only 4 hours per month. As of right now, January is the only slow month.
They also have minimum volume requirements. The volume requirements are based on how long you’ve been working for them. They claim these requirements are easy to meet.
ProofreadingPal Feedback
According to reviews on Glassdoor, ProofreadingPal is flexible with hours, and you can choose which projects you accept. Bonuses are available for higher volume work. It was said that pay is not great unless you’re working at higher volumes and making bonuses.
Contractors are paid by the word, so if it takes you longer to complete a job, you’re basically getting paid less per hour. Often there isn’t enough work to go around during slower seasons. The general feedback is that it’s a great opportunity for freelance proofreaders.
Is Working at ProofreadingPal a Scam?
Based on my research, proofreading and editing for ProofreadingPal is NOT a scam! Although the requirements are quite steep, if you already have experience in this field, this sounds like a legit work at home option to look into. You can learn more or apply at ProofreadingPal.com.
Proofreading is a great way to make an extra side income online, but a lot of us won’t be able to meet the requirements at ProofreadingPal. Make sure to check out the course Proofread Anywhere; it will show you how to start your own online proofreading business and make much more!
Not interested in proofreading or don’t meet the requirements? Check out these helpful links for some other work at home ideas:
I performed editing services for ProofreadingPal. They have a system that is unprecedented in the industry (I’ve worked for numerous services in the past 20+ years, so I’m extremely familiar with many types of pay scales and schemes) in which they require editors to schedule a certain number of “guaranteed” hours. If you don’t meet the number, they charge you $40. Most projects for new editors are very short and they pay well under standard industry rates to begin with, so it may take a considerable time to earn $40. In addition, they only allow new editors to take 4-hour blocks of time, and only accepted one 4-hour block of time from my two choices. So if you are required to work 12 hours, it’s impossible to meet the requirement, unless you work at 3 am, which the average person can’t do because, well, most people need to sleep at some point. So ProofreadingPal purposely sets up new editors to fail so they can charge them the $40 “fee”. I made about $83 and they stole $40 because I couldn’t meet the time commitment. Mind you, I also notified them that I had pneumonia for three weeks and broke my rib from coughing, causing extreme pain and suffering, and was out of state visiting my mother-in-law for her 92nd birthday for another week (while I had pneumonia, no less), but they don’t care at all about their editors. Not an ounce. On top of that, they refuse to pay you unless you make a minimum of $60, so they are withholding the remainder of my pay and have now blocked me from seeing what I am owed exactly. Please do yourself a favor and do not do business with this unethical company (oh, and they insulted me via email twice after all this, too, which I have retained and would be happy to show to anyone) either as an author or as an editor.
This looks fantastic – unfortunately I’d say I most likely wouldn’t meet their stringent requirement standards, particularly when it comes to experience, and also the program requirements etc.
Is there another program that can bring in extra money from home that doesn’t have such a difficult or selective application process?
Thanks for reading Kegan. I recommend checking out my work from home directory. There’ you can find similar jobs that have less requirements to meet.
Brok