Proofread Anywhere Review: Is it a Scam?

So, you want to become a Proofreader. You discovered the Proofread Anywhere course and are wondering if there’s a chance that it’s a scam. For that reason, I’ve put together this detailed Proofread Anywhere review to help make up your mind and start your proofreading business straight away.

Proofreading is a popular way to make money online that doesn’t require special qualifications. Even without an English degree but with a keen eye for detail, you can get proofreading jobs. But taking some training can make things easier for you to get started.

There are a significant number of online proofreading courses. And so, it can be quite challenging to know which one can really help you achieve your goals. Some of them only cover the basics while others may have nothing useful for you at all.

But it’s worth noting that legit proofreading courses exist. They’re taught by people who have an actual strategy that worked for them.

Now, it’s time to find the answers to your questions.

What Is Proofread Anywhere?

As you may already know, Proofread Anywhere is a website where you can find online proofreading training.  While it was started by Caitlin Pyle as a blog, she now offers resources on the site for aspiring proofreaders.

Online proofreading courses taught by Caitlin are available on Proofread Anywhere. One of her well-known courses is General Proofreading. If interested to find out more, check out this workshop for free.

Who Is Caitlin Pyle?

If you’re wondering who Caitlin Pyle is, she’s someone who’s found success as a proofreader. Her love for grammar got her to proofread college essays for students. She later moved on to court transcripts to generate more income by proofreading.

When Caitlin got serious about her proofreading business, she was making more than $3,000 within six months. Because other people wanted to learn from her, she wrote and published an e-book on working from home as a proofreader.

Caitlin started Proofread Anywhere to offer more information to others on how to become a successful proofreader. Within 15 months, this online business generated annual revenue of over $1 million. Her story has been featured in Forbes and several other publications online.

Is Proofread Anywhere a Scam?

No, Proofread Anywhere is not a scam. It’s legitimate proofreading training from Caitlin Pyle. In fact, many students have good things to say about General Proofreading and the rest of Caitlin’s courses and books.

So, why is there some controversy and complaints about Proofread Anywhere?

You may have read somewhere that the course is short, has no real interaction, or is a deception that anyone can make a fortune through proofreading. In case you haven’t, don’t even bother about it.

People may say they’re not satisfied with the course but the reality is that they mistook the intro training and courses for the main and full courses. While the free proofreading training doesn’t go into details, someone who’s clueless or starting out can learn a lot from it.

Like in many other e-courses, you’re the one to decide to take action on what you’ve learned. In many cases, negative reviews come from people who, for some reason, don’t implement the strategies being taught.

It may be that their mindset isn’t set to “growth mode” yet. Without a growth mindset, putting in effort and being persistent in something can be challenging. And so, you end up not making progress.

For more information, here’s how to improve your money mindset and be positive in general. This way, you become motivated to achieve anything with and without guidance.

What’s in Proofread Anywhere?

Proofread Anywhere offers several pieces of training to become a proofreader. They include free proofreading training and full courses. The two popular ones are General Proofreading and Transcript Proofreading.

General Proofreading

This course might suit you if you’re totally new to proofreading as a side hustle or business. Maybe you’re good at spotting grammar errors and don’t know how to monetize the skill.

Or, you’ve been freelancing as a writer and would like to couple it with proofreading to maximize your earnings. After all, you have the language skills and all you need to do is make money from them.

The 9 modules are as follows:

1. Module 1 (Introduction to General Proofreading) – Discover what proofreading is all about, the skills you need to be successful, and how proofreading differs from copyediting.
2. Module 2 (Get into the Right Mindset) – Know which kind of mindset is essential for becoming a successful proofreader and how to achieve it.
3. Module 3 (Proofreading Basics) – Understand the basics of proofreading such as the most common errors in various documents.
4. Module 4 (Proofreading Methods and Practice) – Learn four types of proofreading, how to get the best out of them, and put your new knowledge into practice.
5. Module 5 (Turning Proofreading into a Business) – It’s all about starting and running your new proofreading business without struggling. Find details on how to create a resume that stands out and how to set up a website. There’s also information on how to price your services, enhance your proofreading experience, and much more.
6. Module 6 (Finding Clients) – Discover where you need to look for your ideal clients and how to land proofreading jobs. The module includes Caitlin’s own tips and tricks on finding success as a proofreader.
7. Module 7 (Your Workflow Once You Get the Job) – Learn the next steps to take after getting hired by clients. This includes meeting their expectations, requesting payments after service completion, and ways to get more gigs as a reputable proofreader.
8. Module 8 (Getting the Most out of the Freelancing Life) – You’ll have learned the exact steps to launch your proofreading business. This module entails how to improve your organizational skills and be more productive as a proofreader. You’ll find information on how to scale up and grow your business to levels you’ve been dreaming about.
9. Module 9 (Concluding Lesson) – Final thoughts from the course creator as you move ahead with your new business.

Bonuses include the following guides:

1. Look Better Writing Handbook of Commonly Misused (and Abused!) Words
2. The Ultimate Freelancer Tax Guide
3. The Mindset Mastery Guide
4. Mindset Shifts for Goal-Crushing Confidence

Want to learn more about General Proofreading? Check out Caitlin’s free workshop.

Transcript Proofreading

Transcript proofreading usually involves checking court transcriptions for errors. In this course, you learn more than general proofreading to fully explore your potential.

If you already have some skills or experience as a proofreader, the course might interest you. You get a chance to enhance your knowledge and boost your earnings in the proofreading world.

The Transcript Proofreading course has 4 levels and 9 modules. They’re as follows:

Level 1 (Beginner Basecamp)

1. Module 1 (Introduction to Transcript Proofreading) – Course tour, skills you need to become a transcript proofreader, what various types of transcripts entail, and several introductory resources.

Level 2 (Jumpstart)

2. Module 2 (The Nuts & Bolts of Transcripts) – Types of errors in transcripts, the format of a transcript, common terms used plus the American and British English spellings, punctuation and capitalization rules for transcripts, and more.

Level 3 (NextSteps)

3. Module 3, 4, and 5 – Practice transcripts, proofreading checklist, and research techniques to ensure the correct spelling of people, places, and things.

Level 4 (Launch & Earn)

4. Module 6 and 7 – How to practice good communication with other professionals in the court, prepare for meetings with court reporters and meet their expectations, negotiate rates and collect payments, and take care of taxes.
5. Module 8 (Marketing) – How to create a resume that gets results, build a presence on social media, promote your services online and using traditional marketing ideas, and impress your clients with good work.
6. Module 9 (Your Success Mindset) – Overcoming doubts and implementing what you learned, handling negativity around you, and being successful in general.

Keep in mind that you need to complete each level before going to the next one. You’re required to take a test after Level 2 and a quiz after Level 3 to proceed.

How Much Does Proofread Anywhere Cost?

The General Proofreading course, which is recommended for beginners, has two buying options. These are Ignite and Ignite Plus.

• Ignite – $497
• Ignite Plus – $597.

However, you get $100 OFF at the moment. Meaning you pay $397 for Ignite and $497 for Ignite Plus.

If you choose Ignite, you pay only once and get lifetime access to the course. In Ignite Plus, you enjoy whatever is in Ignite and other benefits like a hand-graded exam, certificate of completion, and membership in a mastermind group for Proofread Anywhere general proofreaders.

On the other hand, the Transcript Proofreading course has prices for each of the 4 levels.

• Level 1 – One payment of $77 for 7-day access to Module 1.
• Level 2 – One payment of $197 to access Modules 1 and 2 for 30 more days.
• Level 3 – One payment of $400 to access Modules 1 to 5 for 60 more days.
• Level 4 – One payment of $500 for lifetime access to Modules 1 to 9.

And so, the full program goes for $1,174. Currently, you can qualify for opportunities to save money by completing each level fast.

Is Proofread Anywhere Accredited?

If you’re wondering whether Proofread Anywhere is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, it’s not. But that doesn’t make it a less reputable source of online proofreading training.

In fact, in the overview of BBB ratings, it’s stated that their ratings are not a guarantee of a business’s reliability and performance. So, buyers are recommended to look at other factors to make the best decision.

According to Caitlin, she has issues with the BBB. This means she’s unable to be part of them. Here’s an article she wrote.

Proofread Anywhere Reviews

Here are some positive reviews of Proofread Anywhere from Trustpilot.

• “If you are willing to put in the work, time, and effort, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re looking for a quick and easy certificate, this is not it…”
• “I purchased proofread anywhere a couple of months ago. Very thorough and informative! Definitely gave me the boost of confidence I needed and an excellent jumpstart.”
• “I just purchased Proofread Anywhere a week ago. I am in Module 4 and am really enjoying the course. So far, I feel that Cait has given me the tools to learn about proofreading. I realize I will need to invest time, practice, and continual learning to this process…”

Some Proofread Anywhere complaints gathered from the site’s Facebook page and a few proofreading Facebook groups are as follows:

• “The problem I have is that the cost of these training videos is they’re too expensive…”
• “…Now that I have completed the exam and basics of the course, I still don’t feel prepared. I wasn’t sure if it was the course and actually not being prepared or if it was Imposter Syndrome…”
• “Proofread Anywhere is, as others have mentioned, focused entirely on CMOS and US English…”

What I Like and What I Don’t Like about Proofread Anywhere

Here’s what I like

• Lifetime access to General Proofreading – Once you pay for Proofread Anywhere’s General Proofreading, you can access it for life. This means that you can always go back to various modules for reference when you feel stuck.
• Access to Facebook communities – Proofread Anywhere has Facebook groups for people enrolled in any of the courses. Because most of us spend a significant amount of time on Facebook, you can ask questions and quickly get answers without much effort.
• Bonuses – Taking the General Proofreading course comes with several good bonuses to benefit from. You get more resources to become a successful proofreader.
• Course updates – Anyone enrolled in Proofread Anywhere can access updates as soon as they’re out. You get new information to enhance your knowledge from time to time.

Here’s what I don’t like

• No refunds – Once your purchase is confirmed, you can’t have your money back if you get second thoughts. If you choose to proceed with the purchase, you have to ensure you’re prepared to earn your investment back by implementing what you’ve learned.
• Quite expensive – While the courses contain valuable information, the prices might not suit everyone. You could be someone who’s just starting out with no means of putting together such amounts for a course. So, you may need to find a way of raising the money first without affecting your financial situation.

Proofread Anywhere Alternative

Proofread Anywhere vs. Proofreading Academy

Proofreading Academy is another online platform known for its Becoming a Proofreader course. The proofreading course is packed into 15 modules and is 50 hours long. It offers comprehensive training on starting a freelance proofreading business.

Becoming a Proofreader can work for students, stay-at-home parents, retirees, and anyone looking to quit their boring and low-paying 9-5 grind. It costs $295, making it more affordable than Proofread Anywhere.

Why You Should Take an Online Proofreading Course

Taking a proofreading course like Proofread Anywhere comes with several benefits. Here are some of them:

1. Save time

It’s true that you can find lots of free information online about almost anything. But you have to keep in mind that it could take a lot of research and hence time to find what you’re looking for.

Other times, you might find that there are several or many different pieces of information about one thing. Or, most of the information could be outdated.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of time searching online and possibly get confused, it’s good to take a proofreading course from someone you can trust and implement what you’ve discovered.

2. Know something new

It may be that you know the basics of proofreading and have even worked with some clients in the past. But have you thought about what a new course could do for you?

You get new strategies that have worked for not only the course creator but also their students. Chances are that you can be the next successful student of a course that’s taught by someone who knows what they’re doing. You just need to pay attention to the details and practice them.

3. Enhance your chances of being hired

Many clients require you to prove your skills before hiring you. But if they know about some high-quality training you took, they can hire you more easily.

They’ll quickly trust your services because they know you’re good at what you do. That’s why it’s essential to take a proofreading course and even get a certification that proves you really underwent the training.

4. Meet interesting people

Taking a course is essential for meeting other students pursuing the same goals as you. If you don’t like meeting new people, at least through the Internet, you better change that.

Networking is necessary for accessing new opportunities that you couldn’t find by yourself. You get a chance to connect with potential clients and even be the one a freelance proofreader you’ve befriended outsources some of their work to.

And all that has been made possible through social media. Many courses, including Proofread Anywhere, offer private Facebook groups and sometimes membership areas with fellow students. Here, you can share ideas with others, get answers, and even find some gigs.

5. Lifelong learning

It’s not uncommon to forget what you’ve learned, whether that’s online or in-person. But online learning has an advantage. You don’t have to take notes and carry them around because every detail you need is accessible through your phone or computer.

The information will always be there and you don’t have to worry about losing a notebook like in the case of face-to-face learning. All these means that you’ll become better at what you do as you keep revisiting the modules in an online course.

6. Boost your income

Online courses are great investments if you pick the right ones for your needs. You simply need to take action and get your desired results.

Once you’ve learned something new, have the necessary skills and qualifications, and have networked with others, boosting your income won’t be a problem.

You may even teach what you’ve learned plus your personal discoveries along the way to other interested people and make more money. It all starts with finding the right source of information.

Haven’t checked out the free proofreading workshop yet? Go here and you’ll find it!

What to Do Next

Having read this Proofread Anywhere review, you now have an idea of what it’s about. I put in some time to research it and gathered information from students of the course. Also, I took some of Caitlin’s proofreading training to find out more details that I’ve shared in this post.

If you’re a beginner or want ideas on how to land more proofreading jobs, my thoughts are that it’s good to take Proofread Anywhere’s General Proofreading course. You can start with the free workshop by Caitlin to learn the basics and know more about her and the course.

Proofreading might just be the best way for you to generate extra income from home. And investing in some training can get you there faster as long as you put everything into practice.