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The Pocket Book of Proofreading: A guide to freelance proofreading & copy-editing

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Learn all the secrets of successful freelancing for publishers with this new, Kindle book. The Pocket Book of Proofreading is a powerful new guide to earning your own living as a freelance proofreader. No previous experience required, work full or part time. There are many testimonials to be found at LearnFreelancing.com.
Makes a nice Christmas present too!

A total of 26 chapters, plus appendices, glossary, index, and practical exercises make this a very useful 'pocket' book, just right for anyone considering freelance proofreading. You can learn about copy-editing too.

Use as a reference book on your Kindle or, if can learn the right skills, earn extra income from home. It's a complete professional guide (saving over 60% plus on the paperback price).

Learn how to earn £20 plus per hour with this new book (and course). Still right up to date for this year (2013). It contains helpful information about publishing, working as a freelance proofreader and/or copy-editor, with a complete list of current proofreading marks - and how to use them!

It comes with free exercises to work on, and you can also download a professional proofreading and editing course online if required.

291 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2007

178 people are currently reading
123 people want to read

About the author

William Critchley

12 books1 follower

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5 stars
14 (17%)
4 stars
35 (43%)
3 stars
21 (26%)
2 stars
8 (10%)
1 star
2 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Elise Edmonds.
Author 3 books81 followers
March 6, 2017
Very technical. It would be a useful book if you were planning to take up proofreading as a profession.

As someone who hopes to self publish at some point, it has reinforced the consideration that it would be worth forking out for a proofreader if I have the money.
Profile Image for Sarina Langer.
Author 28 books122 followers
February 8, 2018
You know, I've read a fair few books on writing and editing, but this is possibly the first one that reminds you to step away and take a break if needed. Because you're human and it's totally fine to need some time away from work.

That was early on, and we got on well after that!

I always struggle to review theory books, because it's not like I can comment on the plot or the world-building or the loss of a map. Don't you? :/

What I loved about this is that it's not just a book on proofreading, but it's a book on freelance proofreading. It has chapters on how to find work and how to get started as a proofreader. It's honest but encouraging, too.

There's a link to a proofreading course so you can test your skills for free, as well as practice exercises and answers inside the book.

I borrowed this one from my library, but I'm quite tempted to buy my own copy. It's not a new book anymore (published 2007) so I worry that parts of it will be outdated now. There have got to be up-to-date guides out there, right? Sadly, there's no updated version of this, but if you know of a good alternative...

I'd still recommend this to anyone considering freelance proofreading as a potential career. It may be 11 years out of date, and yes, the industry has changed a bit in that time, but most of what Critchley has to say is transferable. The first half would also be useful for anyone wanting a proofreading guide for their own work.
Profile Image for Jessica Hughes.
15 reviews2 followers
May 28, 2019
Very informative and useful. I’ve jumped back into it a few times while proofreading and it has proved useful. Some areas could have been explained a bit more clearly.
It was also very funny which I wasn’t expecting!
Profile Image for Annie.
1,037 reviews857 followers
October 30, 2022
This book is for someone interested in working as a freelance proofreader in the UK. There are so many differences between American English and British English (or American spelling and English as the author would refer to it), the book isn't useful for readers outside of that market.
Profile Image for Susan Rheingruber.
35 reviews
June 23, 2019
Fantastic!

I learned so much from this book. None of the other books I’ve read have provided answers using the recommended proofreading marks. “Archie” makes it fun.
Profile Image for Chris.
349 reviews14 followers
February 27, 2014
Handy, helpful and humorous!  
As a proofreader I found this extremely useful with lots of tips and tricks even I didn't know about! 
 
William Critchley provides a light-hearted and often humorous look into the world of proofreading and copy-editing. 
 
There are plenty of examples and step-by-step instructions and some useful exercises towards the end for you to practice. 
 
I have given the book four stars - as opposed to full marks - for two reasons:
 
A. I found some of his symbols very outdated compared to today's marks and at times this was a bit confusing.
 
B. The constant reference to a bear called Archie and Eva Longoria was both tedious and unnecessary. I am not sure why he kept mentioning them and am still unsure of who Archie is. Although some explanation is given at the end. Even so it got very tiresome! 
 
Overall though, I would recommend this to beginners and experienced proofreaders looking to maybe refresh or rekindle old-style memories.
Profile Image for Kay.
451 reviews6 followers
March 30, 2014
Useful guide for anybody interested in proof reading.

Personally, I purchased a copy to help in editing my n work in the future as well as doing some work for others.

I keep it to hand on my desk for easy reference.

Full Blog Post #427 (March 2014)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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