6 Types of Proofreading Explained (What’s the Difference?)

If you’re interested in becoming a freelance proofreader, making good money online while lazing on a tropical beach in Bali, or combining work with city hopping through Europe, you’ll first have to choose what types of proofreading you want to get into.

I’ve been proofreading professionally for a couple of years now, and it’s one of my favorite ways to make money on the road. I’ve used it to make extra cash while living abroad in Japan, backpacking around Europe, and residing in Canada.

And while I’ve tried a few different types of proofreading, I find that it’s easier to build a consistent clientele when you stick with just one or two proofreading types.

But, how many types of proofreading are there? While there are numerous different proofreading niches, within this post, I’ll be going over the six main types of proofreading so that you can decide which one best suits your expertise and interests as an aspiring freelance proofreader.

☞ SEE ALSO: How to Become a Proofreader

Different Types of Proofreading

Before I explain the different types of proofreading, I first want to clarify the difference between proofreading and editing. Proofreading is the process of fixing errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax, whereas editing goes beyond proofreading and assesses the clarity, organization, and overall flow of the text to ensure that it reads and communicates effectively.

Now that we know the difference between proofreading and editing, let’s get into the six main types of proofreading:

1. Academic Proofreading

First on our list of the six types of proofreading is academic proofreading. Academic proofreaders carefully examine student essays, assignments, research papers, dissertations, grant proposals, and more to ensure that the grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, references, and formatting are free from errors.

Academic proofreading requires an in-depth knowledge of academic writing and style guides, such as MLA, APA, and Chicago Style. In other words, you’ll need to know the varying style guides inside and out in order to succeed as an academic proofreader. And, to be honest, studying these style guides can really be a little tedious.

In order to check the style, you’ll have to proofread the formatting, references, and citations. This means that you’ll have to know where the comma goes in a citation, how titles and headlines are formatted, how to correctly add a…