7 Proofreader Success Stories [2024]

Updated: November 19th, 2023
Become A Proofreader

Proofreading business is a service that helps customers review their written work and ensure it is ready for publication. Typically, a proofreader corrects grammatical errors and provides the written piece meets any relevant style guide.

As a proofreader, you can work online, allowing you to choose what time to work.

If you plan to start a professional proofreading business, make sure you possess the following skills:

  • Have an excellent grasp of grammar
  • Ability to correct mistakenly capitalized words
  • Familiarity with the proper use of capitalization
  • Use spell-checkers to flag misspelled words

Proofreading is a great way to enhance content quality. With the increased use of written content marketing to reach a broader market, the demand for professional proofreaders has grown tremendously. Professional proofreaders earn an average of $12/hr. And $30/hr.

Therefore, consider proofreading as a business if you are looking for a great side hustle idea or simply looking for ways to increase your income.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a proofreader:

1. The Blog Proofreader ($24K/year)

Lenny Bron, also known as The Blog Proofreader, came up with the idea for his business after noticing multiple grammar and spelling mistakes in personal finance blogs. He started by sending emails offering his proofreading services for free to gain experience and attract clients. Through persistence and networking, he now has four regular clients and consistently makes around $2,000 per month.

How much they make: $24K/year
Current team size: 0

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How I Added $2,000 To My Monthly Income Proofreading Blog Posts

A proofreader was able to build a consistent income of ~$2,000 per month from scratch with zero experience in the field, no expenses, and barely any upfront costs by targeting bloggers and content creators who want their content to be copy edited and proofread.

About
Lenny started The Blog Proofreader almost 8 years ago
Revenue
Lenny grew the business to $2K/month
Read by 13,982 founders

So... can you actually make money with a proofreader?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

4. LanguageTool

LanguageTool is a free proofreading tool for English, German, Spanish, Russian, and more than 20 other languages.

Where they're located: Guarantã do Norte, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Website traffic: 4.57M/month

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5. PaperRater

PaperRater uses Artificial Intelligence to improve your writing. Includes grammar, plagiarism, and spelling check, along with word choice analysis and automated grading.

Where they're located: Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Website traffic: 510K/month

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So... can you actually make money with a proofreader?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

7. VirtualVocations

Best work from home jobs and remote jobs in over 50 categories for professionals, digital nomads, telecommuting workers and entry level jobseekers. Education, healthcare, medical, customer support and tech job openings.

Where they're located: Oxnard, California, USA
Website traffic: 390K/month

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