Edit Republic: An Honest Review (Formerly Art of Proofreading)

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Phon Baillie at Edit Republic (formerly Art of Proofreading) has been a professional proofreader and editor for over 20 years— having proofread and edited over 1,800 books during her professional career as of 2021—all while earning a sustainable income from home and raising her young son.

And now, she wants to teach you how to do it, too.

In recent years, proofreading has taken the work-at-home world by storm. For voracious readers, it’s a fantastic way to marry your love of reading with your desire to work from home.

As someone who has dabbled in freelance proofreading myself, I’ve decided to take a deeper look inside the training program Phon offers at Edit Republic called High-Level Proofreading Pro in order to give you an insider’s look at this new training program for this growing niche.

Because as a life-long learner and course junkie, I know just how important it is to have a chance to know what you’re getting into before investing in your skills. 😉

So let’s take a look at Edit Republic and Phon’s flagship course, High-Level Proofreading Pro!

About Edit Republic and High-Level Proofreading Pro

Edit Republic (formerly Art of Proofreading) is the brainchild of expert proofreader, editor, and doting mother Phon Baillie. With over 20 years of experience, Phon has solidified her expertise and authority in the proofreading and copyediting niche, having worked directly with publishers and authors.

All the while, Phon has been able to maintain a work-life balance that has allowed her to grow her family and their finances at the same time.

She has not only been able to turn her love of reading into a full-time income from home, but has also been able to use her skills to give her family the financial margin they needed to send her husband back to school full-time!

Edit Republic: Interview with Phon Baillie — Read my exclusive interview with Phon where she dishes on her life as a freelance proofreader, her favorite genre, and how much proofreaders and copyeditors can make!

As creator of her signature course, High-Level Proofreading Pro, Phon has added to her proofreading and editing work training other people to do what she’s done using her vast experience and knowledge of the proofreading and copyediting niches.

Here are some key things to note about this in-depth training program:

• High-Level Proofreading Pro is a 4-in-1 training program designed to teach students the four important components of a successful proofreading and copyediting business: proofreading, copyediting, business, and marketing
• It’s the only course online or in-class that teaches proofreading, copyediting, and US/UK English together, saving students a ton of money on additional training to gain a well-rounded skill set.
• Phon herself is a working proofreader, copy editor, and editor so she’s always in the know with content, publishing, and editing trends—giving students the most up-to-date training possible.
• Phon cares about her students’ success and shows it by providing a final assignment that she hand-grades herself, including personal feedback and input for further development. This is RARE in a self-paced online course!

I’ve heard so many WONDERFUL things about this program (in fact, it was recommended to me by one of my readers who enrolled in the program and loved it!), so I decided to take a peek myself to see what all the hype was about.

So let’s take a deeper look at what’s included in this training program. Here’s what students can expect when they enroll:

Course Content & Materials

My very first impression of High-Level Proofreading Pro is how succinct and actionable the lessons are. And to clarify what I mean by succinct, I don’t mean devoid of value.

The lessons are incredibly descriptive, jam-packed with applicable information, and super easy to digest—which makes it a PERFECT option for moms (and dads!) who have to fit their skill-building into the margins of their busy days.

The course itself is very easy to navigate. Everything is laid out in a way that makes sense for someone who is completely new to the proofreading niche—making it easy to follow, even if you’re starting from scratch.

In addition, what people may not realize is that even though the course is marketed as a proofreading course, it actually teaches proofreading and copyediting, which is a BIG deal considering you’ll be learning more than one skill when you enroll. This means you can get hired as either a proofreader OR a copyeditor after completing the course!

Because for those who don’t know, proofreading and copyediting are actually different yet related skill sets, and both very valuable!

All right, so what exactly is included in High-Level Proofreading Pro? Well, as of the time this post is written, the course content includes:

• 8 Modules with over 40 lessons detailing everything you need to know in order to do the work of a proofreader and copyeditor and how to build your business from the ground up!
• Quizzes, exercises, actionable proofreading assignments, and a fillable workbook designed to help you really solidify your skills, your niche, and your confidence!
• Downloadable PDF guides, slides, written lessons, and more providing in-depth training in mechanical proofreading and light copyediting skills to help you address the most common problems you’ll find when working for clients!
• Step-by-step video tutorials showing you how to perform important proofreading tasks, how to use common style guides, how to use different editing software, and more!
• Targeted lessons in both traditional and self-published print books and eBooks so you’ll be comfortable and confident taking on any book project!
• Practical lessons for managing the business side of your proofreading business, including how to manage your client projects, how to set your rates, how to bill your clients, how to create your resume, and how to get experience so you can grow your clientele!
• Hand-graded final assessment where Phon provides her personal feedback on your skills in order to guide your professional development as you grow your business!
• PLUS, additional bonuses and new lessons to help you take your business even further, including:
  • How To Get Great Testimonials: Includes email scripts that make it even easier to get great testimonials from your clients!
  • How to Design a Website That Speaks to People Who are Looking for A Proofreader or Copyeditor: Get more clients with a website that is designed to draw them to your services!
  • How to Hold Discovery Calls: Phon includes email scripts and detailed instructions on how to prepare and nurture potential clients to get in the mind frame to work with you.
  • Payment Methods & How to Invoice: More email scripts to help you get paid!
  • Even MORE training exercises added to help you master the skills!
  • Student and Alumni Community: Phon pops into this group to provide feedback and extra support to her students as they build their businesses!
  • 3 & 6 Months of LIVE Group Coaching calls!

 

My Thoughts on Edit Republic

What immediately stood out to me in High-Level Proofreading Pro is how Phon starts the program by helping you define yourself as a proofreader and narrowing down the type of content/genres you’re most interested in working on and the areas of proofreading you’d like to grow in.

I love, love, love this so much because she is effectively helping you build your business around your established passions and strengths!

And anyone who has built a successful business will tell you that this is exactly what sets a business up for long-term success. Meaning, you are FAR less likely to burn out or feel unfulfilled by your work if you’re doing something you truly love doing.

Phon spends a good amount of time on this within the program workbook, which makes me feel very confident that she cares about helping you build a strong business that you’ll enjoy having right from the start. BIG points, in my book.

In addition, she also breaks down the different industries in which you can use your proofreading skills.

I don’t know about you, but knowing where I could actually apply my new skills is extremely important to me whenever I enroll in a training program because (ta-da!) it’s how I will see the return on my investment.

High-Level Proofreading Pro definitely delivers on this.

After going through the program, I was very impressed with everything she covers, from understanding proper grammar and punctuation to knowing when to throw out the rules and prefer your client’s preferences to preserving the author’s voice to actually building your business and getting clients!

My Final Thoughts

I feel it’s an understatement to say that I was impressed with High-Level Proofreading Pro. Phon has done an excellent job of creating an in-depth training program that is both highly valuable and easy to follow for her students, regardless of whether or not they have experience.

If you have a deep love of reading and are looking for a way to make money from home, especially if you have littles around, I highly recommend checking out Edit Republic and High-Level Proofreading Pro.

The program is currently priced (very affordably, IMHO!) at $597 and does offer a 3-month or a 6-month payment plan for those who need a little extra wiggle room in their budget.

All-in-all, I find this one of the most affordable and comprehensive skill-building program for anyone looking to build a remote editorial business.

If you’re on the fence, definitely check out the student success stories here to see what’s possible and whether or not this is right for you.

Interested in starting your own proofreading side-hustle? Here are some helpful links to get started:

My Interview with Phon Baillie, Creator of Edit Republic

FREE Masterclass: The 4 Step Framework for Starting a Freelance Editorial Business

How to Get Started as a Proofreader

Proofreading Self-Published Books

High-Level Proofreading Pro Training Course

Edit Republic (Formerly Art of Proofreading)

How Andrea Left Her Corporate Job and Became a Full-Time Proofreader: Interview with a High-Level Proofreading Pro Graduate

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BIO:

Phon Baillie is a professional proofreader and editor with over 16 years experience in the publishing, marketing, and content industries. She’s also the founder of Edit Republic (Formerly Art of Proofreading). Phon has proofread over 1600 books, including many New York Times bestselling novels. When her nose isn’t buried in a book, she’s chasing after her son and trying out new cookie recipes. You can read more about proofreading and copyediting, and get free training, at EditRepublic.com.