Proofreading course

[GettinTrimmer]

Has anybody done a proofreading course?

I have found a course provided by a company called CTJT and I wondered if anyone has either done this course or another one and found work as a freelance proofreader.

The company claim they can provide paid work following completion; the course lasts for 3 - 6 months.

Any advice from anybody who is a proofreader would be welcome!

Thanks

[CommanderShepard]

Not a proofreader, but I employ them and I am trained as one (it's just not my actual job).

I've not heard of them which does not bode well. Honestly, the only courses worth considering are those run by the Publishing Training Centre or SfEP. Unfortunately, they're expensive.

I really hate ads like those; proofreading is incredibly difficult to make a living from as the market is inundated with people with boatloads of experience and we generally use people we've used before. It's very hard to break into; much harder than sham course providers would like you to think. Most prospective freelances languish on our database without ever being used.

Do you have any experience in the field? What attracts you to it?

[PicaK]

I second the above. Sfep or PTC - nothing else cuts the mustard.

[Teapig]

I'm not a proofreader but work for in publishing. In my sector of publishing copyeditors are much more in demand than proofreaders though this is just the publishing sector I work in.

I agree with the previous posts, it really has to be an SFEP or PTC course.

[ginbob]

Oh that's interesting - so Chapterhouse would come under the category of 'not worth paper it's written on' also then? I was thinking of spending £300-odd on a copy editing and proofreading course with a view to getting work from home, also. I have a publishing background.

[GettinTrimmer]

Thank you for replies

I have no experience in publishing Commander. At this stage I am exploring my options; proofreading appeals to me as I am forever finding grammatical and spelling errors on school letters, papers, magazines, facebook posts, junk mail, etc, etc. It is one of my strengths.

I work for several public libraries but unfortunately this is a bad time for them and the amount of work they offer me has diminished.

Unfortunately I impulsively signed up for an online course, not Sfep or PTC They say they can guarantee me 3 hours work after I've finished the course which can be entered on my CV.