Proofread Anywhere Review: Is It a Scam Or Legit?

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The number of people working from home has skyrocketed. Some can work remotely in their full-time corporate jobs, while others pursue opportunities to make money in their free time from the comfort of their couch.

For entrepreneurs who want to work from home on their own schedule, Proofread Anywhere is an online course designed to teach students how to build a career they love from home.

If you’re considering starting a career as a proofreader, our Proofread Anywhere review can help you determine whether or not it’s the right fit for you.

4.3
Overall Rating

Summary

Proofread Anywhere is an online resource that helps its students learn to build proofreading careers. The company offers multiple courses and books to teach people the art of proofreading, allowing them to make money from anywhere.

  • Services offered

    5

  • Customer reviews

    4.5

  • Customer service

    4

  • Pricing

    3.6

Pros

  • Lifetime access to courses
  • Offers proofreading and business skills
  • Large student Facebook group 
  • No previous proofreading experience needed
  • Overwhelmingly positive online reviews

Cons

 

  • No returns or refunds available
  • Upgrade needed for specific features 
  • Self-paced course structure not right for everyone
  • Pricey for full transcript proofreading course

What is Proofread Anywhere?

Proofread Anywhere home page

Proofread Anywhere is an online resource that helps individuals start their proofreading careers. Founded by Caitlin Pyle, the company is a leading provider of proofreading courses and education. 

Using the information learned in these courses, you can start earning an income as a proofreader either as a side hustle to make extra money or as your full-time job.

The Proofread Anywhere website currently offers two courses and four books. Each product is designed to help you with a different area of your business.

Is Proofread Anywhere Legit?

If you are considering purchasing a Proofread Anywhere course, you might wonder if it is legit or a scam.

Proofread Anywhere is a legitimate business that teaches its customers how to build proofreading businesses. Caitlin Pyle started the platform nearly a decade ago. Since then, thousands of students have completed the course.

The founder shares numerous customer reviews on the Proofread Anywhere website. Additionally, former customers have left overwhelmingly positive reviews on sites like Trustpilot.

How Does Proofread Anywhere Work?

Once you’re ready to start your career as a proofreader, Proofread Anywhere has steps to help you get there.

Choose the Right Course

Course options

The first step to using the resources Proofread Anywhere has to offer is choosing the right course. Proofread Anywhere has two courses. 

If you’re new to proofreading, you’ll probably want to start with the General Proofreading course. Otherwise, if you’ve already completed that one, the Transcript Proofreading course is your next stop.

Learn the Art of Proofreading

Once you’ve chosen the right proofreading course, it’s time to start learning. Each course consists of numerous modules, and each module has multiple sections within it.

These courses are designed to be taken at your own pace. Depending on your schedule, you can either binge the lessons in a short amount of time or spread them out, completing one lesson or module per day.

If you have questions about the content as you’re going through the courses, Proofread Anywhere has an email address and an online message feature. The website claims they respond to all messages within 48 hours.

Apply the Lessons

Taking all the lessons and modules in the Proofread Anywhere courses is a great first step, but what comes next will help you build your proofreading business. This is just as important to apply what you’ve learned.

There are a couple of different options for applying the lessons. First, you can apply the lessons as you work through the course. It may take longer to complete the course, but you can apply each lesson while the information is still fresh.

The other option is taking all the courses and then applying everything afterward. When you choose this route, you’ll have all the information before you start building your business.

Proofread Anywhere also offers a Facebook page group for its students. As you’re applying the lessons you’ve learned in the courses, you can use this group as a resource to ask questions and collaborate with others.

Start Proofreading

Once you’ve completed the Proofread Anywhere course and applied the lessons, you’ll officially have a proofreading business.

Not only does the General Proofreading course teach you how to proofread, but it also teaches you how to build a business. This includes helping you set up your social media and website, market your services, attract clients, bill your clients and more.

Proofread Anywhere Offerings

Proofread Anywhere offers several different products, including two proofreading courses and several books. Each product is designed to help students with a different part of their proofreading business.

General Proofreading

General Proofreading Theory & Practice is Proofread Anywhere’s core product offering. It’s an online course that teaches proofreading basics and how to build your business.

General Proofreading includes:

  • 13 modules with 80+ lessons
  • Grammar worksheets
  • Proofreading job examples
  • Student syllabus and workbook
  • Videos featuring founder Caitlin
  • Eight module quizzes
  • 100-question vocabulary quiz
  • Case studies

The first eight modules help you become a better proofreader. They address topics like grammar, sentence structure, spelling, punctuation and more. 

Plus, they discuss proofreading methods and types while helping you practice your proofreading skills with practice essays.

The last five modules of the course are all about building your proofreading business. You’ll learn to set up your website, set rates, find clients, market your business, set up a workflow, and make the most of your life as a proofreader.

The course even comes with several bonuses, including some of Proofread Anywhere’s books, access to the first level of the other proofreading course, and a mastermind for proofreaders. 

Once you complete the course and exam, you’ll get a certificate of completion to show prospective proofreading clients.

Transcript Proofreading

Transcript Proofreading Theory & Practice is the second of Proofread Anywhere’s courses. It’s designed to help students learn to master the craft of proofreading transcripts. 

According to the Proofread Anywhere website, transcripts are different from other documents proofreaders encounter and require some unique skills.

Within the Transcript Proofreading course, you’ll find:

  • Nine modules with 54 lessons
  • Worksheets
  • Video and audio presentations
  • Screencast demonstrations
  • Downloadable handouts
  • Practice transcripts with answer keys
  • Online support forum

The first section of the course is about the theory of transcript proofreading, including how transcripts are made, the role of court reporters, the basics of transcript formatting, punctuation and more.

The second section of the course is about practice. After learning about the four methods of transcript markup, students can choose one and work on more than 3,000 pages across 50 practice transcripts.

The section also teaches students about corresponding with court reporters, connecting with potential clients, billing and accounting procedures and more. The course ends with a final exam.

Books

Proofread Anywhere books

Proofread Anywhere offers four different books to help its students with various areas they might be struggling with.

These include:

  • The Work-at-Home Survival Guide: Helps proofreaders learn to work from home
  • The Look Better in Writing Handbook of Commonly Misused (and Abused!) Words: Introduces words and terms that people often mix up
  • The Ultimate Freelancer Tax Guide: Teaches proofreaders about tax laws
  • The Mindset Mastery Guide: Helps readers overcome negative mindsets

Student Facebook Group

When you purchase one of the Proofread Anywhere courses, you’ll also get access to a Facebook group just for students. 

The General Proofreading student group has more than 16,000 members, while the Transcript Proofreading student group has more than 5,000.

In these groups, you can participate in scheduled threads, ask questions and connect with other people doing the same thing.

How Much Does Proofread Anywhere Cost?

The cost of Proofread Anywhere varies depending on which course you take.

General Proofreading

General Proofreading has two different packages at different price points. The table below breaks down the two options, the price and what’s included.

IgniteIgnite Plus
Price$397$497
One-time paymentXX
Lifetime course accessXX
Facebook group accessXX
Hand-graded examX
Certificate of completionX
Listing in the Self-Publishing School Preferred Outsourcer RolodexX
Membership in a marketing mastermind groupX

Transcript Proofreading

Transcript Proofreading is priced a bit differently because you’ll pay for each level and set of modules separately. 

The table below breaks down the different levels, what you get and how much it costs. If you take the entire course, you’ll end up paying $1,174.

LevelPriceWhat You Get
Level 1 – Beginner Basecamp$77Module 1 for seven days
Level 2 – Jumpstart$197Module 2 and an additional 30 days of access
Level 3 – NextSteps$400Modules 3, 4 and 5 and an additional 60 days of access
Level 4 – Launch and Earn$500Modules 6, 7, 8 and 9 and lifetime access

Books

Since the books that Proofread Anywhere offers aren’t as robust as the courses, they come at a considerably lower price point. The table below breaks down each of the books and their prices.

BookPrice
The Work-at-Home Survival Guide$17
The Look Better in Writing Handbook of Commonly Misused (and Abused!) Words$9.97
The Ultimate Freelancer Tax Guide$9.97
The Mindset Mastery Guide$9.97

If you buy all the books, you can bundle them for $34.97, which is an $11.97 savings.

What Actual Customers of Proofread Anywhere Are Saying

Proofread Anywhere shares many customer testimonials on its website. For a more unbiased source, you can also find reviews on Trustpilot. The reviews are overwhelmingly positive. 

Here are some excerpts from Proofread Anywhere reviews on Trustpilot:

“I highly recommend this course. I love the fact that it is self-paced and can be completed while working a full-time job. The content is thorough and provides plenty of practice prior to tackling the final exam.” – Ida

“This course was a huge disappointment and waste of money. I completed the course and passed the exam a year ago. Despite my diligence I haven’t been able to find any work related to proofreading and editing.” – Laura 

“From beginning to end, I had a wonderful learning experience with Proofread Anywhere. The course was well thought out, and comprehensive. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to pursue a career as a proofreader.” – Samantha

“I completed the course and passed the exam, but overall, I don’t think this was worth the cost of the course. There are other, more widely recognized courses out there, like the CIEP’s proofreading suite.” – Katherine

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you still not sure if Proofread Anywhere is right for you? These frequently asked questions might be able to help.

Can Proofread Anywhere help me get a job as a proofreader?

You may worry about spending money on the course only to struggle to find proofreading work afterward. Proofread Anywhere helps its graduates to find work through its graduate directory. 

The directory includes a list of all graduates who have passed their exams and have requested to be listed. People hiring proofreaders can visit the directory to find someone to hire.

Does Proofread Anywhere offer refunds?

Proofread Anywhere doesn’t offer refunds once you’ve received access. Due to the proprietary nature of the content, it would be too easy for someone to view the material and then ask for their money back. 

According to the company’s website, it gives enough information upfront to help you make an educated purchase decision.

Are classes scheduled, or can I learn at my own pace?

Proofread Anywhere’s courses are self-paced, so you can take them on your own timeline. There are no live or scheduled classes you have to show up to, meaning you can take the lessons whenever works best for your schedule.

The only live component of the course is the Facebook group, where you can connect with fellow students and graduates.

How long do the courses take to complete?

According to the Proofread Anywhere website, the average time to complete the General Proofreading course is less than one month. However, because the course is self-paced, you can complete it at whatever pace works for you.

Since you have lifetime access to the course, you don’t have to worry about running out of time.

Alternatives to Proofread Anywhere

One of the most affordable alternatives is Proofreading Launchpad. There is no experience necessary as this course will teach you everything you need to know to start making money as a proofreader.

They offer a free training and then after that, it is only $165 for this 10 module course.

Summary

If you’re looking to launch a career as a proofreader, the courses that Proofread Anywhere offers are a great starting point. They dive into the how-tos of proofreading, so no prior experience is necessary. 

Not only that, but they also take it a step further by teaching you how to build and market your proofreading business.

If you’re considering purchasing a course from Proofread Anywhere, it’s important to do your research and make sure it’s the right choice for you. These courses don’t allow for returns or refunds, meaning you can’t change your mind later.