FREELANCE PROOFREADING: THE ROAD TO BLISS?

£43,000 a Year for Freelancers?

£43,000 a year for freelance proofreading sounds like a good deal. Last week’s edition of the Sunday Times (or is it The Sunday Times, for the sharp-eyed copy-editors amongst you?) carried an article entitled ‘Getting sacked is road to bliss’. It detailed a survey undertaken at Brighton University’s business school, with funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The survey found that freelance workers typically work thirty-eight hours a week, earning a median average of £43,000 a year. This compares with a national average of £25,000. Not only that, but those freelance proofreaders, editors, web designers, scientists etc enjoyed a better quality of life than their full-time counterparts.

Now, clearly that was a selective survey. Freelance proofreaders don’t – I imagine – usually average £43,000 a year. We’d all be freelance proofreading if that were the case, as it’s such an enjoyable job into the bargain. In fact, like other self-employed sectors, it’s very hard to know exactly what sort of annual wage can be made from freelance proofreading and freelance copy-editing. We do know that the recommended minimum rates for freelance proofreading and freelance copy-editing currently stand at £22.00 per hour for proofreading, and £25.70 for copy-editing. But those aren’t mandatory – many employers pay less.

What’s more, the picture is complicated, because many people do more than one job. Some undertake freelance proofreading and copy-editing alongside another full-time or part-time job. Others have their hands full with caring for children or relatives, and only want to take on a few hours of freelance work each week. Other freelance workers are writers or students.

Why Freelance?

The article made me think about the students I’ve met over the last few years at Chapterhouse. It’s an astonishing range. On every course, I’m asked who a ‘typical’ Chapterhouse student is, and I can never answer adequately. Richard talks more about this in his recent blog post.

I have noticed one thing following the recession which started in 2008 (and never quite seems to be over). That is an increasing number of students who are leaving their full-time jobs to go freelance. Freelancing used to be a rather unusual lifestyle: people liked the security of a full-time job. Nowadays, those full-time jobs don’t feel so secure, and people – conversely – find they have more control over their own careers by being their own boss. I’ve taught many people employed in traditionally ‘safe’ careers who are looking for added strings to their bow. They come from careers like health, education, government, law, estate agency which used to have the reputation for solid, pension-accruing reliability.

Freelance Proofreading and Copy-editing: Skills for Life

Of course, training in freelance proofreading and freelance copy-editing gives our students more than the ability to earn some money from home. Once you have the ability to look at someone’s written work and analyse it in detail, your own written work takes a huge leap forward. Freelance proofreaders and copy-editors write good emails, have well-presented CVs, and have proved how much they value accuracy and attention to detail.

We’re going to be hearing a lot more in the coming General Election about literacy standards. The UK has some of the lowest levels of literacy in Europe. People who actively demonstrate their high levels of literacy really stand out in the workplace. I’ve had emails from students who have been able to get new full-time jobs, or secure promotions, because they are now ‘that person in the office’ who is able to handle the quality control. That might mean the company website or newsletter; it might mean additional responsibilities (and, hopefully, money!).

Freelancing and Full-time Work

There are around 4.6 million people working self-employed today, out of a total UK workforce of 31 million. The great thing is that as that body of freelancers grows, everyone knows more about us. It doesn’t matter if we’re electricians, window-cleaners, proofreaders or graphic designers: the more of us there are, the nimbler and better we are as an industry – and the more clout we have in lobbying the government for extra rights and tax breaks. Companies become aware of the efficiency savings they can make by using freelancers. A specialist freelance proofreader might work for a dozen companies on a rolling basis.

Freelance proofreading is not a get-rich-quick scheme. If anything, it’s an earn-a-living-slowly scheme. It takes time and perseverance. You need to be good at the job and have a bit of luck, but most of all you need to give it time – time to build up a network of regular clients. With a variety of work and some decent regular customers, you could be on a slow, steady ‘road to bliss’.