Proof reading has often been considered the bane of writers as it is near impossible to write a masterpiece without first going through several stages of proofreaders, editors, and copywriters. However, while professional writers often have the time and money to pay people to double and triple check their work to make it as perfect as possible, there are just as many writers who cannot afford to do so. This can often result in a gap in the quality of writing between a professional career writer and a freelance writer. Thankfully, there are several ways for the freelance writer to close this gap without paying a professional to edit their writing.  

Self-Editing

“Read your paper backward, sentence by sentence, as a final proofreading step. This technique isolates each sentence and makes it easier to spot errors you may have overlooked in previous readings.”-Claire B. May, Gordon S. May

Self-editing can be extremely difficult for a writer because the writer often reads what they expect to read and thus it is very easy for the writer to miss their own mistakes. This is a successful method a writer can use to edit his or her own work.

Call-a-Friend

The call-a-friend method is exactly what it sounds like and many freelance writers have had decent success with this method. However, the success of this method often depends on the level of education of the friend or family member who is doing the editing.

Trading

One method that many writers have used successfully is to make a trade with a fellow writer. Typically, two writers will simply swap their writings and provide editing for each other. This method is generally the most successful when both writers are of a similar educational and writing level.

Fiverr

The website known as Fiverr has become very popular for freelance writers as a writer can hire an editor at a reasonable and affordable price. This platform also allows the writer to investigate multiple editors and their reviews in order to find the best match.

Microsoft Word

One of the simplest methods of editing is for the writer to either write or copy and paste their writing into Microsoft Word and then make use of the spelling and grammar function. While this method is very effective, it does not notice all mistakes as at the end of the day it is still a piece of software. Nevertheless, it can be a great first step and it can be improved upon with the addition of other downloads like Grammarly or with other free internet programs.

Free Internet Proofreading

There are simply hundreds of free online proofreading websites that do not require any downloads, but the writer needs to carefully read the terms and conditions to make sure that they are not giving the website permission to keep or post the writer’s work. One of the best free online proofreading websites is PaperRater as it allows the writer to choose the type of work that is being proofread, the writer’s educational level, and if the writer would also like it checked for plagiarism (also free). Once the work has been submitted, a computer program offers suggestions for alterations and improvements.