Hi William,   
 
Just thought I ought to let you know how I'm getting on with the course. In short - it's terrific! I'm currently reading and re-reading through the manual until I'm confident I understand what I'm doing, before proceeding on to MS1. I have a really good feeling about it. Even if I didn't want to make a living out of it, the course would still be worth doing for its interest value.  

I'll let you know how I'm getting on and will, of course, be in touch if I have any queries.   

All the best 

Cloey  
 
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More good news  

Hi William,  
Remember Dr. Fay? She and I have established a really good working relationship. Here is a nice note from her.  
Jody  

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Dear Jody:  
Yes, I have received the papers. Thank you so very much.  
Oh, just keep the money and let us start out fresh with the new project.  
Consider it a Christmas bonus. You have really helped tremendously with improving the quality of my company's publications. It is so very refreshing that I know that I can trust that you will tackle an assignment quickly and efficiently. So, indeed, you deserve the bonus.  
God bless,  
Fay... 

Lots of you have e-mailed with good news about proofreading tests from publishers or how you are already working as a result of taking the Freelancers course.   

Well done and keep up the good work!  
 

Frankfurt Book Fair   

This world famous book fair is where enterprising freelancers head because they can pick up work just by producing a card and introducing themselves to publishers. 

Thousands of exhibitors from 105 countries arrived in Frankfurt last month, where 400,000 books in 61 languages were offered across a trade hall the size of 27 football pitches. 

There has been a rapid growth in books published all over the world. In the UK, there were: 

• 17,000 titles published in 1950
• 64,000 in 1990
• 116,000 titles released last year

Note: some publishers take huge gambles on new books. For example, Anthea Turner was paid a reputed £400,000 advance for her autobigraphy, Fools Rush In. 

To justify such an advance, the book would have needed to sell at least 150,000 copies. Despite the marketing hype, however, Fools Rush In sold only 451 copies in its first week of publication. 

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A recent testimonial 

Well, I have taken the plunge and ordered your course and can't wait to get stuck in!  

I have been thinking about making this career change for some time now. I have always read anything I can lay my hands on and am forever picking up mistakes in the books I read, they just seem to leap out at me and it drives me crazy. I also need something I can do at home as I am the single mother of a special needs child and this seems the ideal solution.  

I have surfed for hours looking for a suitable course and yours is the only one I can find at a cost of anything less than around £300, that doesn't look like a con!  

Your web site is great, extremely informative and I am really looking forward to this.  

Many thanks for e-mailing me the free report as this was what finally made me place the order.  
 
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Mentioned earlier this year, a quick reminder that an essential book for proofreaders and editors is The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors by Robert Ritter (Editor). When in doubt about a word or phrase, you'll always find the answer here. 

The hardback version is 416 pages long for just over £10 with a discount from Amazon!   

BTW, The Chicago Manual of Style is the best choice in the U.S.   

Synopsis  
  
"This work intends to provide a one-stop reference with comprehensive and helpful advice on a very broad range of issues encountered when writing or editing, either professionally or whilst studying. A completely expanded, revised, and updated version of the first edition, it presents the house style of Oxford University Press, drawing on the experience of the Dictionary Department and the Press in-house academic desk editors. It gives clear advice on common spelling difficulties, names of people and places, foreign words and phrases, abbreviations, and broad aspects of usage, including capitalization and punctuation."  

Found Freelancers site by: By search engine   
Comments: This site and program look to be just what I have been searching for. I look forward to receiving the package and starting work.   

Hello!  
Many thanks for the course. It is certainly packed with information.   

Great website and truly inspirational - thanks also for the interesting 'UK Version' report.  

More news on the way!   
 
Corroboration: on the "certificates" handed out by some mail-order firms who use them to try to increase sales. In fact, most of them have no recognisable value. What matters most is whether you can pass a short test. 

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Dear William,  
   
Many thanks for your copy of "Secrets of Successful  Freelancing."      
   
You are so right in saying that the certificates do not count, it is really whether you can pass the different tests various publishers send to you.  No amount of certificates will help you, if you do not know what you are doing.  I should know, as I do more medical proofing/editing, and if you have no knowledge of the subject, or, of the markings used, publishers will soon suss you out.  
   
Thanks again,  
   
Gillian  

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I got the course a few days ago and it looks very good—realized how bad my spelling had become under the influence of Spellchecking… If I have any questions, I'll be sure to be in touch.  Andrew 
 
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Did you spot this mistake in the test? 

I've just been doing the test on your site as I am very interested in proof reading. My current profession is as a technical author. 

There is one sentence in the test: 

"The increase in tourism over the past ten year has meant that fishermen have ben able to to keep their nets, and more and more tavernas rely on local fishermen to bring in their harvests from the sea." 

There are two "to" - is this correct? It is not identified as a mistake by you so that is why I query. Jacqueline 

Shipment received today.  Looks very interesting!   Thanks!  Will be in touch.    Pat 
 

Instant Pay!  

Computers have really revolutionized the workplace. For example, there are all kinds of instant pay systems already in use on the Internet, such as NETteller and PayPal.  

Funds can be transferred between accounts with the click of a mouse.  Perhaps one day soon Freelancers will be paid by Internet accounts, instantly.  

Your invoice will be received, checked, and authorised.  That's got to be better than waiting a month for payment!  
 

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Hyphens. In case you ever have trouble with these, here's a helpful guide. 

Be consistent in their use. Introduce them to avoid ambiguity. 

Best-known example          best known example 
deep-blue sea                  deep blue sea 
four-year-old children        four year-old children 
little-frequented place       little frequented place 

Note the use of the hyphen with adjectives: 

in the long term              long-term fall in value 
the grass roots               grass-roots policy 
the middle class              middle-class values 

Hart's Rules have a useful list of hyphenated and non-hyphenated words. 

In all headings, the second word in a hyphenated phrase should be in lower case, e.g. Short-term Policies 
 

Benefits of Working Freelance  

Here's a quick summary: 

• You don't have to answer to a boss
• You make your own rules
• You charge for work done
• You can charge good rates 
• You can take holidays when you like
• You have the freedom to choose your own hours
• You can work from home
• You get paid for work that is honest and enjoyable
• The Internet is opening up all kinds of new opportunities
• You work for respected publishers who will pay you on time, and who won't disappear overnight.

• Work is not always regular
• There is competition
• You get fewer benefits than a salaried employee

It can take time to get started.

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Hi William  

Just a quick e-mail to say thanks again for all your help. I've had a bit (!) of luck and the first publisher I called offered me work! I'm now working on my second book for them, with promises of more to come. I'm loving every minute of it - I am so happy that I decided to enter the 'scary' world of proofreading and copy-editing!  

Thanks again!  

Best wishes  

Charmaine 

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More good news of people who have been given various editing or proofreading projects to complete. Often, it is their first time so understandably they are a little nervous. 

We recently had news from Cindy below. She now works full time for publishers, from home. (Cindy was the person who made the record books by managing to earn such a large amount for a single job, see below.) 

She helped herself so much by being confident from the start and taking a positive attitude. 

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Message just received: 

Subject line: Best Package 

Hi Bill, 

Just wanted to let you know that the package arrived yesterday - all in good order. 
Am so excited, and even though I was very tired, I couldn't resist starting in right away. Will keep you posted. 

Thanks. This appears to be just what I was looking for. 

Sincerely, 

S. 

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More good news of someone who took the Freelancers course last year and now has regular work from three publishing houses (in the USA). Cindy has written a short two-page article, "Freelance Success Tips". It's full of good advice, and here is an extract: 

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Freelancing Success Tips 

I’ve met several people online and through e-mail that are interested in learning how I became a freelance proofreader, and what my secrets for success are. With this short article, I hope to provide you with the benefit of my experiences. I’ve been freelancing since 1999 and absolutely love it! Getting paid to read is my idea of heaven on earth!! 

Getting Started: Here are the steps that I would suggest you take: 

1. Take a proofreading/copyediting course. I highly recommend the Freelancers.co.uk course. It gave me the confidence to start a new career that allowed me to stay home with my son. If you want additional mechanical practice, other great resources include Mark My Words by Peggy Smith (for proofreading), and Substance and Style by Mary Stoughton (for copyediting). 
2. Become familiar with The Chicago Manual of Style, so you will know where to go to look things up. Most publishers use this guide as their style manual. 
3. Make sure you have a recent, high-quality dictionary and a good grammar resource. Most publishers in the U.S. prefer Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Ed.... 

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Cindy, who wrote the article, actually managed to get paid £4,200 ($6,000) for a single editing project which must be a record. It was a library reference book -- it must have been a very long book! Her advice is equally relevant for the UK or US course -- the US course just uses different books. 

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"Taking your course gave me the courage to take the plunge and go for it."  

"It was a course that changed my life and has given me a career that I love and the flexibility to stay home with my son. Getting paid to read is like heaven on earth! I have three regular clients that give me all the work I want to pick up right now."   

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I am writing to thank you for the Freelancers course which you sent me...  

Although the course offers the chance to 'mark up' a manuscript or typescript and incorporated useful tips on punctuation and proof-reading symbols, I thought its main virtue was the sheer amount of advice it gave regarding both the job itself and setting up as a freelancer. This is, I believe, what gives the course its excellent value for money.  

Just a few weeks before I received your package I successfully completed a £300 ($540) correspondence course in editing at diploma level.   

Unfortunately, it didn't offer enough practical advice on going it alone. Freelancers, however, does provide that essential service.    

After making a serious effort to find work in this field, I have already received two 350-page manuscripts with the promise of more work in the future, and I am on the files of several other publishing houses. All this thanks to your invaluable course.

Simon  

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Work from home: Two books at around 350 pages each is worth around 70-80 hours, at around 10 pages per hour; that's around £1,200 ($US 2,160) you can charge in fees. 
 
More good news on the way!  

To order the Freelancers course, click here   

 
 
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