I write articles on a daily basis. As such, I read many articles everyday as well. One thing that I find often, even on well established websites is poor grammer and spelling. These things jump right off the page at me. I can't help but think this would hurt the author/websites credibility. Is there demand for a service to clean up grammer and spelling before articles are submitted to ezines, blogs, etc? What would a person charge for this service?
If the service is good and the marketing is great, i am sure that this service would have many takers.
Word's checks are a joke. Yes, people do hire editors and proofreaders. How much they'll pay depends on how serious they are about the writing, how long it is, the credentials of the editor, and of course their budget. It also depends on whether or not they even care about the quality (you might be surprised at how many people don't).
If the price is right, the quality is good and you have a brilliant portfolio of previous work then yes. I do not care about spelling and grammar mistakes on other peoples websites as long as I can read it and they have a good message.
Yeah, more or less. It fixes some basic mistakes. But is quite flawed and will often "persuade" you to change correctly spelled words to something else.
As far as DP goes, I don't think a lot of people here appreciate the need for proofreaders and editors. And I doubt they even know the difference between the two. However, there's a real need for these people to check other people's work. Even great writers need other people to check on their work. Any writer worth his or her salt knows that the first draft will never be his/her best work. As for the rates, it depends on the experience of the editor. I have a friend who works at xlibris.com who was offered an editing job at $0.04 per word.
As an editor, let me just clear up one important item. Editing is not just about making sure you don't sound like an idiot. It's about making sure the writer has: 1. covered what needs to be covered 2. followed a logical flow (something that kills most writers) 3. reduced bloated writing 4. removed unnecessary points, writing, etc. No piece of software has been developed that can properly address these items. Demand: All upper-level pro work gets edited, so the demand is there. I'd say most mid-level work gets edited (more offline than online though). And practically no low-level work gets properly edited due to the costs and people involved. Rates: Rates always depend on experience and ability. An easy way to get started would be to look for other editors on your level and see what they charge.
I earn't £5 a page on websites written by none english speakers just to tidy them up, demand in that sector seems to have dropped though.
I spelled grammar (grammer) wrong! Holy cow! Thanks to the kind person who pointed this out to me. I wish I knew how to edit the post! Even an editor needs edited once in awhile!
Muphry's Law strikes again! -- 'Muphry's Law is an adage that states that "if you write anything criticizing editing or proofreading, there will be a fault of some kind in what you have written".'
There is a greater demand for proofreaders/editors among book authors; however, successful web marketers who make their living online are willing to pay for quality content and editing. I work both markets successfully Just continue writing well, stay active in popular forums, and before you know it, potential clients will come to you. It doesn't hurt to market yourself, though ;-)