Currently, many people are gaining access to online jobs. Writing content has offered many available positions depending on one’s skills and experience.
Proofreading and editing are popular jobs available online. EditFast is an online platform that offers similar services.
What is EditFast, and what does it offer?
EditFast is an ancient platform established in 1998 by Robert Kidd in Canada. Kidd has more than 25 years of experience in copywriting and professional editing. He started the company after experiencing overwhelming projects with tight deadlines. Kidd developed the platform for individuals to learn about editing, proofreading, and writing. Also, he aimed to help them find clients.
EditFast offers proofreading and editing services for financial reports, business documents, technical manuals, educational materials, personal letters, speeches, and web content.
The website boasts of working with high-end clients such as Nokia, Kodak, IBM, Harcourt Publishing, the Journal of American Psychology, and many others to prove its legitimacy.
The company aims to produce the best editors for their clients. This explains why they are strict on quality and deadlines.
How to sign up and work at EditFast?
Before joining, there are specific requirements and steps to follow. The basic requirements for any applicant include the following:
- College degree
- Internet and computer access
- Word processing program (Microsoft word, google docs)
- Experience in proofreading and editing
Besides the above, you can also enhance your chances of joining the platform through the following qualifications:
- Previous professional proofreading position
- English degree
- Certifications in editing and proofreading
- Knowledgeable in specialized fields such as technical subjects, medicine, literary works, telecommunications, scholarly articles, patents, mechanical, and computing.
Thus, EditFast inducts editors with high professional levels and exceptional experience.
If you meet their initial requirements, then head over to their signup page and register as an editor.
There are a series of instructions on the registration page that you must follow.
The first step while applying to join the platform is building your resume. Provide contact information, personal details, past examples, and work experience. After, you are given a test to ascertain your editing skills.
The first tests assess your capitalization, spelling, and punctuation skills in 45 questions. Then, you are tested using pronouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. Finally, clarity, sentence structure, and punctuation are tested.
All the tests would take you 45 minutes to one hour to complete. Also, you can take the tests in intervals. Finish one at a time and take breaks to maintain your focus.
EditFast does not offer second chances. Once you fail, you will stick with your results on your dashboard page. As such, give your best and ensure you get everything right.
After passing the tests, you will sign a non-disclosure agreement and head to create your page through their webpage builder on the site.
EditFast takes up to two weeks to reject or accept applications. They will inform you through email of the final verdict of your application.
Before applying at EditFast, you need top-notch skills as the site is not welcoming for beginners. This is due to the high-paying clients the site acquires.
Earning at EditFast
There are different ways you can earn from EditFast. Here are three main ways:
- Writing for EditFast
EditFast offers the opportunity to write articles and blogs for pay. However, they only pay for approved articles. Contact the EditFast support team before submitting and confirm the topic you will write about.
Tip: EditFast looks for well-crafted articles but typical SEO articles. Articles are approximately 2000 words and free from plagiarism. Their rates for published articles are $250 paid through PayPal.
- Editing For Direct Clients
Building a good profile will help you attract more clients. As an editor, you can get clients in two ways. First, your webpage will remain active and help you receive new projects.
The other way is when selected by clients. They will send a message and present instructions if they like your profile. If it’s something doable, you provide an estimated price that the client will accept, reject, or counter-offer. EditFast lacks a constant publishing rate since work is based on projects and clients’ budgets.
- Editing For the Company
Besides clients, the website can also offer you work. The admins send project notifications for a set rate that, as an editor, you can accept or decline.
How do I get paid at EditFast?
For editing work, EditFast pays through PayPal on the last day of every month. Clients send payments to the site and are later transferred to your account after the website has deducted its service fee. For every payment, 40 percent of your earnings are directed to EditFast.
You can maximize all three ways of earning at EditFast if you are both a writer and an editor. Rates depend on projects and clients. However, professional experience is vital to get an opportunity to work at EditFast.
The Problem with EditFast (Questions about Legitimacy)
Even though EditFast has been online for over 2 decades, and has definitely worked with a multitude of clients and editors– it still feels like the website is not legit. There are several reasons you might feel this way:
- The interface of the website is straight from the 2000s. Any active website would have definitely done a UI overhaul in all these years.
- There aren’t any payment proofs or testimonials about it online. It might be possible that it served a very niche segment of audience.
- The last update/notice on the website dates back to 2016 (see screenshot below).
All these observations make me a bit skeptical from recommending it to anybody. You can give it a try, but don’t put too much effort into it. For all we know, it might just be an inactive site now.
Meanwhile, if you want to earn money by editing, writing or proofreading, then check out some of our previous articles below.
