«Meet Maria, a Venezuelan Proofreader» Analysis of proofreading in Venezuela

Abstract

The following study describes the professional activity of Venezuelan proofreaders. A questionnaire was given to Venezuelan proofreaders, which was answered by 61 people between December 2021 and March 2022. Then, the SWOT matrix was applied to establish a diagnosis of the professional activity. It was found that the strengths of the Venezuelan proofreaders lie in teleworking, in the ability to adapt to the national economic environment and in the ability to monetize and collect their professional fees in foreign currency from abroad. The weaknesses are centered on the low specialized academic training in editing and proofreading, on the little advice on taxes and budget matters, and on the tendency to carry out proofreading informally. The opportunities focus on the Spanish language as a platform to provide services outside the country and the opening of new spaces that require the participation of proofreaders. Finally, the threats are the growing decrease in the Venezuelan publishing market and the deficient electricity and internet services that compromise the fulfillment of work commitments. It is concluded that it is urgent to create an association to make visible, promote and improve correction skills, as well as diversifying the offer of training courses.