Hi,
I've moved in the past couple of weeks and although I've had a few leads in regards looking for work, I get the feeling it could be a challenge.
While I'm looking though, I had the idea of advertising for freelance editorial work e.g. proofreading or editing english language material, that has been written by non-native speakers. My (finnish) girlfriend works at an english speaking company, and looking over her shoulder I've noticed many people at her company struggle with grammatical nuances in English!
I was wondering if anyone has any advice in on the best ways to find work like this - I have a feeling I have to register as a freelance with the authorities? Also, where would be the best place to advertise?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Looking to do freelance editorial work
Re: Looking to do freelance editorial work
What are your qualifications to proofread other than the fact that you are a native English speaker?
Not intending to be nit-picky here, but your post wasn't faultless....
IMO, spending money on advertising is a total waste... companies that have the cash and the inclination to spend money on outsourcing those kind of services would probably go to an established agency (like AAC Global etc) rather than to an unknown individual. So if you want to freelance, then you should send your CV to one of the agencies specialising in that kind of work.
To be a freelance proofreader (or anything else) you only need to ask Vero for a freelance tax card. Unless you want to become fully self-employed and discover the joys of VAT returns and the like.
I think the university uses proofreaders (eg for academic texts). I have no idea who you should contact but they would ask you to proofread some samples and if you're good enough, they add you to their list of "approved" proofreaders. There are one or two people on here who do that kind of work... maybe they can tell you more.
Not intending to be nit-picky here, but your post wasn't faultless....
IMO, spending money on advertising is a total waste... companies that have the cash and the inclination to spend money on outsourcing those kind of services would probably go to an established agency (like AAC Global etc) rather than to an unknown individual. So if you want to freelance, then you should send your CV to one of the agencies specialising in that kind of work.
To be a freelance proofreader (or anything else) you only need to ask Vero for a freelance tax card. Unless you want to become fully self-employed and discover the joys of VAT returns and the like.
I think the university uses proofreaders (eg for academic texts). I have no idea who you should contact but they would ask you to proofread some samples and if you're good enough, they add you to their list of "approved" proofreaders. There are one or two people on here who do that kind of work... maybe they can tell you more.
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rollodewalden
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 6:20 pm
Re: Looking to do freelance editorial work
I have several years experience as an editor (in books mainly), which has obviously covered tasks such as proofreading, copywriting and editing text to name a few. Additionally, I did some work as a freelance proofreader in London this summer before moving over here 3 weeks ago. Sorry for not being clearer, I would obviously include my CV for any prospective work!
I just thought it might be a relatively useful skill to have in a country where so much business is conducted in English - I know virtually everyone speaks it, but from speaking other languages myself I know it is often far harder writing in a non-native tongue than speaking in it.
Thanks for your help anyway, I'll have a look at AAC Global and the University sites. I'm already doing some proofreading for people doing diplomas, but would like to do more established work as well.
I just thought it might be a relatively useful skill to have in a country where so much business is conducted in English - I know virtually everyone speaks it, but from speaking other languages myself I know it is often far harder writing in a non-native tongue than speaking in it.
Thanks for your help anyway, I'll have a look at AAC Global and the University sites. I'm already doing some proofreading for people doing diplomas, but would like to do more established work as well.
Re: Looking to do freelance editorial work
Something like this? http://www.finglish.fi/
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rollodewalden
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 6:20 pm
Re: Looking to do freelance editorial work
Exactly like that! Thanks. If anyone knows of any similar companies, would love to hear about them. Or has any other advice 
Re: Looking to do freelance editorial work
What Penelope says is all good, but I'd add another caveat. In my experience (I HATE proof-reading with a vengeance, and would in many cases much rather translate the thing myself and have done with it), one flaw with even the most painstaking of native speakers is that until they've been around the block a bit they have no idea of what the original writer of a text (most of the material you work with will ultimately have been translated from the Finnish) was trying to say.
This does leave room for a situation in which a nicely stylised and proofread text actually compounds errors of meaning. Usually if I've been asked to proofread somebody's English text - let's say an abstract or even a whole paper - I will ask for the original as well. Knowing Finnish also allows one to "reverse engineer" a clunky passage and actually get back to what the person was fumbling around with. If I were employing someone to do the job, I would bear this in mind.
Then again, most people who know the language tend to share the view that proofreading is not their cup of tea and prefer to earn a crust in translation work instead.
This does leave room for a situation in which a nicely stylised and proofread text actually compounds errors of meaning. Usually if I've been asked to proofread somebody's English text - let's say an abstract or even a whole paper - I will ask for the original as well. Knowing Finnish also allows one to "reverse engineer" a clunky passage and actually get back to what the person was fumbling around with. If I were employing someone to do the job, I would bear this in mind.
Then again, most people who know the language tend to share the view that proofreading is not their cup of tea and prefer to earn a crust in translation work instead.
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rollodewalden
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 6:20 pm
Re: Looking to do freelance editorial work
Don't get me wrong - I'm not the biggest fan of proofreading either! But it's one of the things I'm good at, and, from experience, can lead to other, more interesting roles within a similar field. Besides, without a background in languages, technology or finance, I'm aware my options of staying in my field of choice is difficult and yet am keen to do so where possible.
I don't speak Finnish anywhere near fluently, but understand a bit and am on a fairly intensive language course at the moment. I accept this probably won't be enough to get me through turgid bits of text, but I've worked on translations before, and never had huge difficulties working out what needs to be said. We'll see, anyway. Thanks for the advice tho.
I don't speak Finnish anywhere near fluently, but understand a bit and am on a fairly intensive language course at the moment. I accept this probably won't be enough to get me through turgid bits of text, but I've worked on translations before, and never had huge difficulties working out what needs to be said. We'll see, anyway. Thanks for the advice tho.