Proofread Anywhere Review: Why It’s 100% Worth It

What is Proofread Anywhere?

Proofread Anywhere is an online proofreading course first created by Caitlin Pyle, a professional proofreader and proofreading instructor. Through her blog, Caitlin had been helping proofreaders succeed since 2007 and only decided to expand Proofread Anywhere into a course in 2015. Since then, thousands of proofreaders have gone through Proofread Anywhere, and the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.

In this Proofread Anywhere review, I'll share my honest thoughts on the course and recommend who it's best for.

Pros & Cons Of Proofread Anywhere

Pros

• Comprehensive: Both the General Proofreading Course and the Transcript Proofreading Course have 9 modules each, and each module contains multiple lessons. I give a full breakdown of every module in my comparison of the two courses below.
• Affordable: The General Proofreading Course costs $597 (including Ignite Plus) and the Transcript Proofreading Course costs $1,174 (including lifetime access to all modules), both of which are extremely reasonable for what you get. When you consider that you can earn $100,000 per year as a proofreader after finishing the course—either working for a company or as a freelancer proofreader—the investment is a no-brainer.
• Private Facebook Community: Proofread Anywhere students get access to a private proofreading Facebook group, where you can ask questions, post proofreading work, and chat with your proofreading classmates. I've found that the proofreading community is one of the best parts of the course, and it's something you have access to throughout your entire proofreading career. This alone is worth the price of admission.
• Relevant: Proofread Anywhere is one of the most relevant proofreading courses out there, as it emphasizes proofreading skills that are needed in real proofreading situations and applies them to common proofreading scenarios.
• Consistent: The entire course is consistent in terms of terminology and technique, ensuring that students can learn proofreading in a systematic way with only one or two exceptions.
• Hooks: Proofread Anywhere is filled with interesting hooks to keep proofreaders engaged throughout the course. These range from flashcards to videos and everything in-between.
• Convenient: Proofread Anywhere can be accessed from your phone, tablet, or desktop computer, and lessons are available at any time of the day.
• Versatile: The course is designed for proofreaders at all levels: whether you're new to proofreading or have been proofing professionally for years, Proofread Anywhere will push your proofreading skills to the next level.
• Go At Your Own Pace: You have lifetime access to the course, so you can take as long or short a time as you want. Most students will take 1-3 months going through the course, but if you want to do it in a shorter amount of time, that's up to you.
• Credible: Caitlin Pyle is a real professional proofreader with 10+ years of proofreading experience, and it shows in the course. To be honest, I was skeptical of the course at first, but Caitlin's experience can't be ignored, and the fact that she gives insight into what it's actually like to be a proofreader—both the bad and good parts—is what sold me on the course. Caitlin is the real deal.

Cons

I could only come up with two downsides of Proofread Anywhere:

• Upfront Cost: Though I do believe Proofread Anywhere is an excellent investment for anyone seeking a high-paying career as a proofreader, the upfront cost of $600-$1,200 is nothing to scoff at. There's no payment plan option available, so you'll need to pay for the entire General Proofreading Course upfront and the same for each of the four sections of the Transcript Proofreading Course.
• Large Time Commitment: It's important to know that these are not small courses, and they'll take time to get through. Getting through the course can take 1-3 months, depending on how much time you allocate to them. Personally, I view this as a positive since it shows that the course is packed with material, but I recognize that this could be a drawback for some people.

Now let's take a deeper look at both of Proofread Anywhere's courses.

The General Proofreading Course

Module 1: Introduction to General Proofreading

Module 1 explains the skills a successful general proofreader needs, the differences between editing, copy editing and proofreading, the types of clients who need a proofreader, and what a proofreader actually does.

Module 2:​ Get into the Proofreading Mindset

Module 2 teaches industry terminology and explains the various niches you may want to specialize in.

Module 3: Proofreading Basics

Module 3 covers all the most common errors you need to be aware of when proofreading, including capitalization errors, punctuation, subject/verb agreement, noun/pronoun agreement, American/British spelling variations, and commonly misused words.

Module 4: Proofreading Methods and Practice

Module 4 teaches the four types of proofreading methods, with a detailed explanation of how to use each. You'll also get plenty of proofreading practice in this module.

Module 5: Turning Proofreading into a Business

Module 5 provides a step-by-step guide on setting up a freelance proofreading business, including creating your website, building a resume, pitching clients, setting your rates, incorporating your proofreading business, and minimizing corporate taxes. The amount of practical information in this module is truly mind-blowing, and it's worth the price of the course on its own.

Module 6: Looking for Jobs

Module 6 shows you how to land proofreading clients, including blogging, joining proofreading and freelance associations, social media, leveraging online marketplaces, and writing proposals and pitches. It also touches on how to avoid clients who will waste your time and how to get clients to come to you.

Module 7: Once You Get the Job

Module 7 will teach you how to work with your clients, develop relationships with other editors on the project, and bill for your services. It also digs into how to start a client relationship on the right foot, specific ways to ask for testimonials, and how to build a lasting personal brand.

Module 8: Getting the Most Out of the Freelancing Life

Module 8 shows you how to structure your day to avoid burnout, offers a detailed description of the day-to-day experience of being a proofreader and gives tips on how to gain lasting confidence in your new career.

Module 9: Ignite Plus Exam *(accessible to Ignite Plus students only)

Module 9 is a hand-graded exam that evaluates students' aptitude and competence in proofreading. It's only accessible to Ignite Plus students and in my opinion, is well worth it the extra $100.

Bonus Module: Money Mindset Transformation

The Bonus Module teaches seven useful concepts that will give you a new perspective on money. The lessons you'll learn are far larger than proofreading and will help you in every area of your life.

General Proofreading Course Pricing

There are two price levels for the General Proofreading Course: Ignite and Ignite Plus. Here's what each of them costs:

• Ignite: $497
• Ignite Plus: $597 (Includes a hand-graded exam, certificate of completion, listing in self-publishing schools, and access to the private Facebook group.)

In my opinion, access to the Proofread Anywhere Facebook community—where you'll be able to learn from thousands of other proofreaders and freelancers—is worth far more than $100, so Ignite Plus is certainly worth the extra cost.

The Transcript Proofreading Course

The Transcript Proofreading Course is split into two sections:

• Section 1 (Modules 1 & 2) includes an introduction to the theory of transcript proofreading, including issues pertaining to a court reporter's responsibilities and punctuation. 
• Section 2 (Modules 3-9) teaches the four most common types of transcript markup and offers an enormous amount of exercises to practice on simulation transcripts at various levels of difficulty.

Module 1: Introduction to Transcript Proofreading

Module 1 covers the roles and functions of court reporters, scopists, and proofreaders and offers a base-level understanding of how the steno language works. You'll learn how a transcript is created and what an agency's role is in that process.

Module 2: The Nuts and Bolts of Transcripts

Module 2 will make you familiar with the vocabulary found in multiple types of proceedings (eg. depositions, EUOs, hearings, trials, etc.), and teach you the ins and outs of transcript-specific punctuation (eg. Morson’s English Guide for Court Reporters, The Gregg Reference Manual, etc.). It has individual lessons on all aspects of transcript formatting (including capitalization, punctuation, and common mistakes), general formatting, and differences between American and British English.

Modules 3 & 4: Marking Up Transcripts (Four Methods)

In Modules 3 & 4, you'll learn the advantages and disadvantages of four methods of properly correcting transcripts: hard copy, errata, on a computer, and digitally using iOS technology. You'll also learn how to use the powerful PDF annotation app iAnnotate.

Module 5: Simulation Transcripts (3,000+ pages across 50 simulation transcripts)

Module 5 will teach you how to research the proper spelling of people, places and things and show you how to use a proofreading checklist (provided) to ensure you're always going above and beyond your client's expectations.

Module 6: Corresponding Within the Court Reporting Profession

Module 6 teaches you the expectations of court reporters and agencies (and how to communicate with them), and how to use a customized preference sheet with each reporter effectively.

Module 7: Billing and Accounting Procedures + Final Examinations

Module 7 helps you set and negotiate your rates, follow up on unpaid invoices, and minimize your taxes. You'll also be evaluated on your transcript proofreading skills, and how well you can apply it in real life.

Module 8: Marketing

Module 8 will show you how to leverage both traditional and new marketing techniques (eg. social media) to grow your proofreading business, and show you how to overdeliver for your clients every time. You'll learn how to develop compelling proposals for potential clients, and gain a wide range of insider insights that Caitlin has picked up in her 10+ years in the world of court reporting.

Module 9: Concluding Lesson

Module 9 dives even deeper into what it takes to run a successful freelance proofreading business. By this time, you will have gained all of the skills you need to succeed (and more), so this final module will help you hone a winning mindset for today and the years to come.

Pricing

The Transcript Proofreading Course is priced piece-by-piece in four separate components:

• Level 1 (Beginner Basecamp): $77. Access to Module 1 for 7 days.
• Level 2 (Jumpstart): $197. Adds Module 2 for an additional 30 days.
• Level 3 (NextSteps): $400. Adds Modules 3-5 for an additional 60 days.
• Level 4 (Launch and Earn): $500. Adds Modules 6-9 with lifetime access to the entire course. 

If you go all the way with this course, you'll pay a total of $1,174. I like that you're able to stop whenever you want, though, because it puts the power in your hands and means you'll never pay for more than you need.

The Proofread Anywhere Facebook Community

One of the overlooked benefits of Proofread Anywhere is the Facebook community, where you can join in proofreading discussions with other proofreaders, ask questions, share tips or best practices, and even get your concerns addressed by Caitlin herself. I found the community to be very friendly and welcoming—and it's extremely active!

Is Proofread Anywhere Worth It?

Yes, Proofread Anywhere is worth the price you pay for it, and it's an excellent course for anyone interested in becoming a high-earning proofreader. It gives you the knowledge, skills, and mindset you need to succeed. With expert guidance and a step-by-step system, proofreading will no longer be your part-time side hustle or weekend job—it'll soon become a full-time gig that grows into a fully-fledged proofreading career.

Proofread Anywhere is well organized and gives you so much value for the money you pay. If you're on the fence about joining, I suggest you tune into an upcoming webinar and get more information about the course today.

Proofread Anywhere FAQs

Who is Proofread Anywhere for?

Proofread Anywhere is designed for beginners as well as more experienced proofreaders. Caitlin says: “I have seen proofreading rocket people from the sidelines into 9-5 jobs at court reporting agencies and being paid 3x what they were earning before.”

Which course should you choose?

If you're unsure about which of the two courses to take, think about how you're planning to use the course material. If you want to proofread legal records, the Transcription Proofreading Course is definitely the one for you. But the General Proofreading Course is a better fit if you're more interested in proofreading general texts—such as books, blog posts, and academic material.

What is Proofreading?

Proofreading is the editing skill of checking spelling, punctuation, and grammar in written material. Proofreading rates vary depending on the proofreader's experience and geographical location. As proofreading is a specialized skill set and a people-oriented profession, knowledge of proofreading terminology and proofreader's tools/software is critical. Proofread Anywhere provides you with the proofreading skills, tactics, strategies, and tips that you need to succeed.

How much money do proofreaders earn?

Proofreaders can make upwards of $100 hourly, depending on their experience and how effectively they've been able to negotiate with clients. Proofreading is a job that requires focus and concentration, so it's not a passive income source.

Alongside teaching you the skills to become a top-notch proofreader, Proofread Anywhere also helps you with business, such as finding high-paying jobs and negotiating your rates.