Self-improvement: Is Graphic Design your hobby?

Self-improvement: Is Graphic Design your hobby?: Is Graphic Design your hobby? If you’re good at graphic design, this is a niche that you can fill. Respond to ads on various sites, an...

Is Graphic Design your hobby?

Is Graphic Design your hobby?

If you’re good at graphic design, this is a niche that you can fill. Respond to ads on various sites, and even consider setting up your own website explaining what you can do, and providing samples of your work.

You can even start on a site called 99Designs.com.  

If you have a real talent for it, you can rise above the competition and make money at it.

The talented hand of the graphic designer is seen everywhere. It can be a rewarding, challenging career. Ideas to help set you on that path:

Make some decisions. For example, are you interested in advertising, web development, multimedia (ex. the TV industry), print design, or animation? These can be different forms of graphic design. Narrow your focus on an area that appeals to you.

While graphic design is fundamentally the same whether in print or online, there are also key differences in resolutions, color space, and other variables that are specific to the medium you want to focus on. Though you can certainly do both, it's best to focus on one to begin with.

The industry standard applications for graphic design are Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. (If you plan to go all-out, the full Adobe Creative Suite includes Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Premiere, Photoshop, InDesign and After Effects.) While both applications are designed to be easy to use from the start, they are very rich and will require a great deal of focused effort to master them.

To get started, play around with free alternatives like Gimp, Scribus, Inkscape, and Pixlr, all of which will help you learn the ropes until you’re willing and able to drop big bucks on the real thing.

Focus on books that teach design fundamentals, then study as though you were taking a college course. Instead of working for a grade, however, your reward will be a career that you love.

Learn how to use the valuable tools in conjunction with developing a marketable design sense.

Practicing at home is a great, safe way to learn the ropes, but eventually, you need to put yourself out there so you can get feedback. Though it may be painful at first, keep your ego in check and take the tips seriously; the payoff will be enormous.

Additionally, it’s important to see what other people are doing so that you’re exposed to more than just one or two styles.

As with any business, networking is important in graphic design, especially if you intend to freelance. Make friends, keep in touch, be willing to learn, and you might just get work out of it.

Academic settings can be inspiring and networking with others in your field is always a good thing.

On top of that, many people won’t hire a graphic designer without seeing some proof that they’ve been properly trained. Consider these options:

If you want a degree that will lend you credibility but don’t have much time or money, get an associate’s. This is typically a two-year degree and can be acquired at a community college or trade school. The emphasis will be more on computer skills than art theory, but it’s a good place to start.

If you want a degree with some weight to it, get a bachelor’s. This is typically a four-year degree that can be acquired at a college or university. In addition to learning all the necessary computer skills, you will also be trained in art and design.

Get a bachelor’s of arts degree, not a bachelor’s of fine arts. Though both are great for this type of work, a B.A. is less focused than a B.F.A., covers more general education, and makes it easier for you to change to a wildly different major should you choose to pursue something else.

If you already have a B.A. or B.S., do post-baccalaureate work in graphic design. These courses may even earn you a certificate, credential, or second bachelor’s degree.

If you’re dead-set on being a graphic designer, get a graduate degree. If you haven’t done so already, you will first have to get a bachelor’s degree. Consider minoring or getting a second major in a business-related field if you’re also interested in freelancing.

If you are compelled by ornate designs with florid script and bright colors, focus on that. If you love that style, focus on developing that design sense. If your passion is for the clean, well-balanced line, with simple color schemes and powerful graphics, make it your own.

Graphic design books can be really helpful and will speed up the process of your education.

Hunt down and devour the designs featured in newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and anywhere else you spot graphic design (hint: it will be everywhere you look).

Don't limit yourself to what is traditionally considered "graphic design," but expand into other areas as well, such as industrial designers like Makota Makita & Hiroshi Tsuzaki; or architects such as Santiago Calatrava or Frank Gehry.

Draw inspiration to foster your own creativity.

Don't just look in the likely places. Check out wine stores, for example: label design is a key part of the industry. Also check out fashion websites, book stores, music labels, even product design packaging.

People who get into typography are a whole other breed. They agonize over book print, street signs, and movie credits. They have serious opinions about serifs. They mock your Comic Sans. A good graphic designer should understand the importance of typeface, leading, kerning, and everything else that goes with creating effective text.

You want people, when they see your designs, to recognize and know that it is your work. The more they know, the quicker things will work for you.

Whether it’s a t-shirt, a pamphlet, a food label, a postcard, or a poster, collect anything and everything that excites and inspires you. Study them, note what you like and don’t like, and tuck them away so that you can use them as references whenever you feel stuck on a project.

Even if you hate something, swallow that lump in your throat and save it. When you feel strong enough, look back over your old work with a fresh eye. What worked? What didn’t? How much has your style grown? You might even be inspired to redo some of your older projects and turn them into masterpieces.

See a terrible design somewhere? Take a photo or save a copy and rework it for fun. See a fantastic design? Even better! Challenge yourself to add something that the original artist missed.

Just as the aspiring music student studies the masters, and learns what they did, by working within other people’s designs will you be able to truly understand what does or doesn’t make it tick and why.

In addition to needing one if you ever want to get real work, putting together a portfolio challenges you to make critical judgments of your own work. Which pieces are your best and why? Which ones don’t make the cut? Is there a theme – and if so, can you play it up in the portfolio? If you want to work digitally, showcase your portfolio 

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Are Proofreading and Editing Your favourite Hobby?

Are Proofreading and Editing Your favourite Hobby?

Editing and Proofreading Jobs

Content is everywhere.

What exactly is proofreading?

Many people confuse the terms proofreading and editing. Editing is as more “big picture” stuff. When editing, you look to make sure content has good flow, conveys the right meaning, and generally reads well. Editing is usually a much more involved process than proofreading.

Proofreading is more narrowly focused than editing. When proofreading you want to go over a piece of content with a fine-tooth comb. The main purpose of proofreading is to make sure there are no spelling, grammatical or typographical errors.

When proofreading, you probably won’t make suggestions to change the overall flow or structure of content — your main goal is making sure it is error-free.

Wait. Isn’t that what spell-checker is for?

Too many people rely on spell-checkers and grammar-checkers built into word processing programs like Word. And while these are definitely helpful to give a final once over, they should not be relied on. Why? They’re far from perfect.

Being a good proofreader requires being thorough and accurate.

The top secrets

Do you need an English degree to apply for proofreading jobs online?

The short answer? No. Just because you have a degree in English doesn’t necessarily mean you’d make an amazing proofreader just as not having an English degree doesn’t automatically make you a terrible proofreader. What you do need to have is the willingness to learn.

If you don’t have experience as a proofreader, there will definitely be a learning curve. You’ll need to develop your skills and eventually market yourself as a proofreader in order to grow your career. To do this well, you’ll have to constantly be learning, evolving, and growing.

What else should you have?

Generally speaking, proofreaders are detail-oriented people.  If you routinely spot errors when reading blog posts, articles, pamphlets, magazines, ads or just about any copy — you’re definitely a detail-oriented person! To be successful as a proofreader, you should also have a strong command of English including grammar, spelling, and syntax.

Depending on the job, you may have to know proofreaders’ marks. These traditional signs and symbols are used when proofreading a document to indicate what kinds of changes should be made.  Other clients may ask that you track changes in Word so they can see the edits you suggest.

Narrow the playing field

Using the following top secrets can help you speed up your proofreading process without diminishing the quality of your efforts:

1-Organize your proofreading efforts by writing down all the areas you will need to cover. A checklist can cover things such as grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation. Simply check off each item on the list once you have completed it.

2-Make a note of what stands out and come back to it when you start. It will help guide your efforts so you know where to focus your energies when you proofread.

3-If you try to fix everything at once,  you will miss errors. Focusing on a specific area such as spelling or punctuation can actually speed up the process and enhance your proofreading skills because you will be able to pinpoint specific mistakes faster.

4-Attempting to carry out the proofreading process nonstop can deplete your energy and make it much harder to get the job done. Allow yourself time to take a break. Working in short bursts can help you stay focused long enough to get through your document.

5-It is important to read it through a final time after you have finished the bulk of the proofreading. This is simply an insurance policy to ensure you catch any stray errors you might have missed the first time.

6-Experiment with different tactics until you find a system that works well for you. The important thing is to make the process systematic and focused so that you catch as many errors as possible in the least amount of time.

7-Don’t rely entirely on spelling checkers. These can be useful tools but they are far from foolproof. Spell checkers have a limited dictionary, so some words that show up as misspelled may really just not be in their memory. In addition, spell checkers will not catch misspellings that form another valid word. For example, if you type “your” instead of “you’re,” “to” instead of “too,” or “there” instead of “their,” the spell checker won’t catch the error.

8-Grammar checkers can be even more problematic. These programs work with a limited number of rules, so they can’t identify every error and often make mistakes. They also fail to give thorough explanations to help you understand why a sentence should be revised. You may want to use a grammar checker to help you identify potential run-on sentences or too-frequent use of the passive voice, but you need to be able to evaluate the feedback it provides.

9-Proofread for only one kind of error at a time. If you try to identify and revise too many things at once, you risk losing focus, and your proofreading will be less effective. It’s easier to catch grammar errors if you aren’t checking punctuation and spelling at the same time. In addition, some of the techniques that work well for spotting one kind of mistake won’t catch others.

10-Read slow, and read every word. Try reading out loud, which forces you to say each word and also lets you hear how the words sound together. When you read silently or too quickly, you may skip over errors or make unconscious corrections.

11-Separate the text into individual sentences. This is another technique to help you to read every sentence carefully. Simply press the return key after every period so that every line begins a new sentence. Then read each sentence separately, looking for grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. If you’re working with a printed copy, try using an opaque object like a ruler or a piece of paper to isolate the line you’re working on.

12-Circle every punctuation mark. This forces you to look at each one. As you circle, ask yourself if the punctuation is correct.

13-Read the paper backwards. This technique is helpful for checking spelling. Start with the last word on the last page and work your way back to the beginning, reading each word separately. Because content, punctuation, and grammar won’t make any sense, your focus will be entirely on the spelling of each word. You can also read backwards sentence by sentence to check grammar; this will help you avoid becoming distracted by content issues.

14-Proofreading is a learning process. You’re not just looking for errors that you recognize; you’re also learning to recognize and correct new errors. This is where handbooks and dictionaries come in. Keep the ones you find helpful close at hand as you proofread.

15-Ignorance may be bliss, but it won’t make you a better proofreader. You’ll often find things that don’t seem quite right to you, but you may not be quite sure what’s wrong either. A word looks like it might be misspelled, but the spell checker didn’t catch it. You think you need a comma between two words, but you’re not sure why. Should you use “that” instead of “which”? If you’re not sure about something, look it up.

16-The proofreading process becomes more efficient as you develop and practice a systematic strategy. You’ll learn to identify the specific areas of your own writing that need careful attention, and knowing that you have a sound method for finding errors will help you to focus more on developing your ideas while you are drafting the paper.

17-Think you’ve got it?

Then give it a try, if you haven’t already! This handout contains seven errors our proofreader should have caught: three spelling errors, two punctuation errors, and two grammatical errors. Try to find them, and then check a version of this page with the errors marked in red to see if you’re a proofreading star.

Where can I find online proofreading and editing jobs?

After you’ve read up on what it takes to be a proofreader and brushed up on your skills, you’re probably ready to start applying to all the proofreading jobs online you can find. And while it may sound like a good strategy to go after anything and everything, the truth is, it can actually backfire.

Find niche. Why? It’s much easier to find work when you’re targeting a certain “tribe.” This theory holds true for freelance proofreaders too.

Take on quite a few proofreading gigs for select clients. What’s niche? Case briefs, memorandums, and other legal documents like demand letters and lease agreements. Focus  work on a select group of clients, so you can more easily market your services to them because you know exactly who your clients are — lawyers, law offices, and corporate legal departments.

Aside from making it easier to find proofreading jobs online, picking a niche allows you to easily position yourself as an expert. And once you reach expert status, you can charge much more for your services than if you generalized as a proofreader. I can’t stress enough how picking a niche can help you stay focused and catapult you to proofreading success early on.

Which niche should I choose?

If a niche isn’t jumping out at you right away, here’s some ideas for inspiration:

• E-books

• White papers

• Transcripts

• Academic papers

• Resumes

• Marketing materials

• Contracts

• Press releases

This of course is just a small sample of potential niches. To start, pick a subject you’re comfortable with. You might find that you eventually fall into a certain niche that you didn’t intend to target in the first place! Remember, you can always expand into different niches later. But when first starting out, try to stick with one and grow.

Think about this:

There’s plenty of opportunity. Virtually anything that’s written needs to be proofread and edited. This includes marketing and advertising material, business “white papers”, business proposals, and books – both printed books and ebooks.

You can often find paid opportunities for proofreading and editing just by looking in any online classified ad venue. At the top of the list is Craigslist, which has dedicated sections for editing, as well as for “gigs” where you can pick up an odd assignment here and there. Once you get a few clients, you’ll be rolling with repeat business and referrals.

There are over 180 million active websites, all of which are filled with content.

With so much content being written, it only makes sense that online proofreading and editing jobs have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years.

Upwork

Upwork is now the largest freelance marketplace. If you’re wanting to try your hand at freelance proofreading, this is a great platform to start. How does Upwork work?

• Clients post their proofreading gigs

• Freelancers, like you, submit proposals

• The client reads through proposals and selects the freelancer(s) they’d like to work with

It’s free to submit proposals, but Upwork does take a 10% cut of any payments you receive — so keep this in mind! The best way to find proofreading jobs online on Upwork is to completely fill out your profile and submit proposals that stand out.

Some best practices to keep in mind when submitting proposals include:

• Tell the client what you can do for them first and foremost

• Talk about your skills and expertise second

• Close with a call to action (contact me, hire me, etc.)

If you want to target proofreading jobs on Upwork, it’s also a good idea to take the U.S. English Proofreading Skills Test (Chicago). Upwork provides this for free, and you can display your results directly on your profile. Taking the test and placing your score on your profile gives you more credibility as a professional proofreader.

Often, clients on Upwork will ask you what tests you’ve taken on the site that relate well to the job. Taking this test will make you stand out as the skilled proofreader they need.

With so much content around, there certainly are no shortages of opportunities to become a remote proofreader or editor. Companies hire remote workers to edit and proofread a variety of client documents:

1. Kibin

Kibin is an on-demand editing and proofreading service available 24/7. If you know what makes a piece of writing good and have what it takes to help all writers become their best, you will fit right in as a Kibin Editor.

2. ProofreadingServices.com

At ProofreadingServices.com you can choose to work full or part time (they have enough work to go around!). All of their editors and proofreaders must pass a 20-minute test to start the application process.

3. Domainite

Domainite frequently hires freelance editors to join their team. If you’re new to editing, this is a great opportunity to gain some (paid) experience. You’ll need to edit a sample piece of content to get started. If you do well, you may be invited to contract with Domainite and be well on your way to your new career as an editor!

4. Book In A Box

From time to time, Book In A Box will have remote Editor positions available. Keep in mind, this isn’t your typical editing job. As a Book In A Box Editor, you will interview and get to know authors and writers so you’ll be able to effectively take their thoughts and put them into words (without losing any meaning!). This nontraditional online editing job comes with some pretty nice benefits and a team that is super-supportive to boot.

5. Editor World

To register as an Editor at Editor World you must go through an application process which includes an editing test. If you become a member of the Editors Panel, you may be selected by clients to perform work based on your profile. It’s kind of like a marketplace of editors and proofreaders where clients get to choose who they work with.

6. Wordy

It will take you about an hour to sign up as an online Editor at Wordy. You will need to familiarize yourself with the Wordy style guide and take an online test. Wordy works on a crowdsourced platforms where editors have access to open jobs and claim them on a first-come-first-served basis. When you’re done with a job, you simply upload the document and return it to the client.

7. Gramlee

Gramlee is always looking for talented editors to join their team. Clients are promised 24-hour turnaround times for content that is 3,000 words or less. So there are projects available to edit any time day or night. As a Gramlee Editor, you’ll need to be able to edit documents for spelling and grammar errors as well as overall clarity, structure, brevity, and readability.

8. Scribendi

As a telecommuting Editor at Scribendi, you get to choose which projects you want to work on. Editors gain access to free training and are even offered incentive programs on top of regular pay! Scribendi is very supportive of their online editors and provides forums for them to interact and connect with one another.

9. English Trackers

English Trackers hires expert academic editors. An academic editor helps students, professors and other academia professionals put their research into words. This position requires a higher level of expertise than a typical editing role would. In fact, a typical English Trackers Editor has a PhD.

10. Sibia Proofreading

Have a background in science? Sibia may be a good fit for you. Science experts with strong writing or editing skills are encouraged to apply as are individuals with extensive editing and proofreading experience. To become a Sibia Proofreading Editor, a strong academic background is a must (those with a PhD are preferred!).

11. Polished Paper

Polished Paper offers editing services around the clock, 365 days a year. Editors need to register, submit a resume, and pass an editor’s test to get started. Pay rates vary based on the turnaround time and number of words to be edited. You need to be familiar with several different styles (APA, MLE, Chicago, etc.) to be successful at Polished Paper.

12. Hello Essay

In case you didn’t guess by the name, Hello Essay is an editing service for essays. Remember all those admissions essays you needed to write when applying for college? Hello Essay has an army of editors ready to edit these and other academic essays to perfection. At Hello Essay you can work when you want as much as you want (and get paid pretty well, too!).

13. ProofreadingPal

ProofreadingPal uses a two-proofreader model to make sure each and every document is carefully checked by not one but two of their professional editors. To be successful, you’ll need to be comfortable proofreading for errors as well as editing for sentence structure, clarity, and overall style. ProofreadingPal is always accepting applications and actively hires about eight months out of the year!

14. Publications Professionals

At Publications Professionals, there’s opportunity to work on projects involving a number of different subjects like banking, education, health care, medicine, and many more. Although there are both onsite and offsite positions, all candidates must first pass an onsite proofreading test at the Publications Professionals office located in Fairfax, Virginia.

15. Wordvice

Wordvice specializes in editing services for a variety of documents ranging from academic papers to business documents. Their services are offered 24/7, so there’s work available any time day or night. To become a Wordvice Proofreader, you should have a master’s degree, MS Word, and knowledge of style guides.

16. Cactus Communications

If you have a medical background, an editor position at Cactus Communications may be a good fit for you! This is a flexible opportunity to set your own schedule and earn anywhere from $1,200 to $4,000 a month depending on your availability and accepted workload.

Start Proofreading

No matter your skills or background, if you have an eye for detail and a genuine interest in the written word, an online editing or proofreading job is a great (and lucrative!) work from home opportunity.
Want to get started on the right foot? Check out The Pocket Book of Proofreading which shows you how to start a freelance proofreading business without any experience. There’s even a Kindle edition so you can read it on your phone or tablet with the Kindle App. Plus, if you Join Amazon Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial, you can read this book (and thousands others) for free for 30 days.

Proofreading Training

If you’d like to launch your own lucrative freelance proofreading career, visit Proofread Anywhere. This site is a valuable resource for anyone thinking of becoming a professional proofreader.  It specifically demonstrates how you can make a comfortable living proofreading transcripts. You can even take a free 7-day intro course to find out if proofreading transcripts for court reporters is the right career path for you.
Don’t forget to like Work from Home Happiness on Facebook where I share daily job leads and helpful work from home advice!

Who uses proofreaders and editors?

Writers, authors, students, professors, businesses, entrepreneurs, bloggers, court reporters — just about anyone who has ever written something meant to be read by others may turn to a proofreader and editor to polish their writing.

Why use a proofreader or editor?

If you’ve ever written anything, you know how difficult it is to separate yourself from it and really evaluate the content for what it’s worth. Plus, when you’re so closely attached to a project, you tend to overlook errors that are glaringly obvious to others. An editor can make suggestions to improve your document and a proofreader will make sure it is error-free.

Thanks