paid for book reviews

Top 15 Legit Sites To Get Paid To Write Reviews in 2024

In this blog post, you will get top 15 legit sites to get paid to write reviews along with their site link. Also, you will get tips to write a genuine reviews by knowing its benefits.

Writing reviews can be a great way to make money online. There are many sites or platforms, where you can share your thoughts on products, services, and experiences and earn money.

By giving honest and helpful feedback, you can get paid in different ways like cash, gift cards, or other rewards. Whether you’re reviewing software, consumer goods, or entertainment, your opinions can assist others in making informed choices while also earning you some extra income.

15 platforms to get paid to write reviews.

Below are the list of 20 Legit Sites which pay you for writing reviews:

1 . UserTesting

UserTesting pay you for testing websites and apps. Your feedback on usability, design, and functionality is important to companies. It is not just about writing reviews, but your insights are highly valuable.

2 . ReviewStream

Review Stream provides an opportunity to write reviews on various subjects such as products, services, and experiences. You can earn money based on the quality and popularity of your reviews.

3 . Software Judge

Software Judge is a platform that rewards you for sharing your opinion in software and technology. By writing reviews on software products, you can earn up to $50 per review.

G2 provides the chance to earn up to $25 for every approved software review. If you have expertise in software products, this could be an excellent opportunity for you to earn an extra income. But G2 pay money only in the form of gift card for popular site like Starbucks or Amazon.

5 . Harris Poll Online

Harris Poll Online allows you to earn points for every review or survey you finish. These points can be exchanged for different gift cards later on.

6 . Capterra

Capterra is a platform that focuses in software reviews. If you have knowledge in software, you can write reviews on this site and earn some extra income.

Ciao is a European-based review site where you can write reviews about products and earn money.

8 . CrowdTap

If you’re looking for an enjoyable way to review products using your phone, give CrowdTap a try. You can easily access the program on your smartphone and explore their “daily missions” to see which products they want you to review each day. By providing high-quality reviews for their products, you’ll be rewarded.

9 . Gartner Peer Insights

Gartner Peer Insights rewards reviewers for providing feedback on software and technology products. You can earn $25 for each review you submit, with a maximum of 10 reviews per year.

10 . Online Book Club

It is online book community which pay for reading and providing reviews for books. The amount can vary from $5 to $60 Per review. It is a good opportunity for book lovers to join free of cost along with earn extra income.

11 . Reedsy Discovery

This website allows you to share your book reviews, but you won’t receive direct payment from the site. Instead, readers have the option to tip you for your efforts in the form of cash like $1, $3, or $5.

12 . Slicethepie

This site started for paying money for writing review for music but now you can also review ads, fashion products, and accessories and earn money. But you will receive a small amount per review. So, only try it you are interesting in it.

13 . PlaylistPush

Join this community to make money by reviewing songs from emerging artists. You can earn up to $15 for each review. However, the website requires you to have a Spotify playlist with genuine followers. In simple terms, you need to have some influence in this field before you can receive payment.

14 . Urban Flaiire

This website offers brief music reviews ranging from 150 to 160 words. The reviews mainly focus on hip-hop, RnB, eclectic, chill wave, pop, and urban genres. Although they don’t provide direct payment, they have a tipping system in place to support readers who want to show appreciation.

15 . Listverse

You can earn money by creating a “top 10” list. This type of article, known as a “listicle,” allows you to showcase your creativity. You can choose which products to review and provide multiple recommendations in one article. ListVerse publishes lists on a wide range of topics, including music, movies, books, and more. If they publish your list, you’ll receive $100.

Tips to Write Genuine Review to Get Paid.

Here’s are the tips you should implement while writing a review to get paid:

Be Genuine and Transparent: Always be truthful when evaluating a product or service. Emphasize both the advantages and disadvantages. Readers can easily detect when a review is overly biased, which can harm your credibility and trustworthiness.
Thoroughly Test the Product or Service: Make sure you have personally used the product or service before writing your review. Detailed, first-hand experiences offer valuable insights that generic reviews cannot provide. This authenticity will resonate with your audience and enhance your reliability.
Provide Detailed Information: Offer a comprehensive overview of the product, including its features, benefits, drawbacks, and usability. The more detailed and specific your review is, the more helpful it will be to potential buyers and companies seeking thorough feedback.
Utilize High-Quality Visuals: Incorporate high-quality images and videos that demonstrate the product in action. Visuals assist your audience in better understanding the product and lend credibility to your review. Unboxing videos, demonstration clips, and comparison photos are particularly effective.
Remain Objective: Avoid sounding excessively promotional. While it’s important to highlight the positives, acknowledging the negatives or areas for improvement demonstrates that you are providing a fair, unbiased review. This objectivity is valued by both readers and companies.

Can You Really Earn Money by Writing Reviews?

Yes, you can definitely earn money by writing reviews . There are many ways to monetize your opinions on products, services, websites, and apps. Companies appreciate genuine feedback as it helps them improve their offerings and gain the trust of potential customers. You can receive direct payments from websites like Swagbucks and ReviewStream that focus on consumer reviews.

Another option is to participate in affiliate marketing programs, where you earn commissions from sales made through referral links. Additionally, creating content on products reviews on personal blogs or YouTube channels can generate revenue through advertisements, sponsored posts, and brand partnerships.

To succeed in this field, it’s important to provide honest, detailed, and insightful reviews that engage and inform your audience. This will establish your credibility and attract more paid opportunities.

How Profitable is Writing Reviews for Earning Money?

The profitability of writing reviews for money can vary based on different factors. These factors include the platform used, the quality of the reviews, the niche, and the audience reach. Here are the key factors that influence profitability:

Payment Structure and Platform : Different platforms offer various payment structures. Some platforms pay a few cents to a few dollars per review or survey, while others like blogs or YouTube channels can generate higher earnings through ad revenue, affiliate marketing, and sponsored content.
Affiliate Marketing : Reviewers who use affiliate links can earn commissions on sales. For example, Amazon Associates can offer between 1% to 10% of the sale price. If your reviews drive traffic and conversions, this can be profitable.
Sponsored Reviews : Brands pay for detailed reviews of their products or services. Payment can range from $50 to several hundred dollars per review, depending on your influence, reach, and niche. Sponsored reviews are more profitable but require an established audience.
Ad Revenue : Monetize through ads on blogs or YouTube channels for providing reviews. Google AdSense and YouTube ads can provide income based on views, CPC rates, and audience engagement. High-traffic sites and channels can earn substantial amounts monthly.
N iche and Expertise: Certain niches like technology, finance, and health are more lucrative due to higher advertiser competition. Expertise in a niche can lead to better quality reviews and higher-paying opportunities.

1. Can you really make money by writing reviews?

Yes, you can make money by writing reviews. Various platforms and opportunities exist, such as review websites, affiliate marketing, sponsored reviews, and creating content on blogs or YouTube channels.

2. How much can I earn from writing reviews?

Earnings can vary widely. Simple survey or review sites might pay a few dollars per review, while blogs and YouTube channels can earn through ad revenue, affiliate marketing, and sponsored posts, potentially leading to hundreds or even thousands of dollars monthly, depending on traffic and engagement.

3. What are the best platforms for writing reviews?

Popular platforms include Swagbucks, InboxDollars, and ReviewStream for direct payments. For more substantial earnings, consider starting a blog, YouTube channel, or joining affiliate programs like Amazon Associates.

4. Do I need to buy the products I review?

Not necessarily. Some companies send products for free in exchange for reviews. However, if you’re starting out, purchasing products can help build your portfolio and credibility.

5. How do affiliate links work in reviews?

Affiliate links are unique URLs provided by affiliate programs. When readers click these links and make a purchase, you earn a commission. Integrating these links naturally into your reviews can increase earnings.

6. Are there any legal requirements for writing reviews?

Yes, you should disclose any compensation or free products received for reviews to comply with FTC guidelines and maintain transparency with your audience.

7. How can I increase my earnings from writing reviews?

To increase earnings, focus on creating detailed, high-quality reviews, building a loyal audience, engaging with readers, optimizing for SEO, and leveraging multiple income streams such as ads, affiliate marketing, and sponsored posts.

8. What types of products or services are most profitable to review?

Tech gadgets, beauty products, finance services, health products, and travel experiences are among the most profitable niches due to high consumer interest and advertiser competition.

9. How do I get started with writing reviews?

Start by choosing a niche you’re passionate about, creating a blog or YouTube channel, joining affiliate programs, and signing up on review sites. Create high-quality, honest reviews and promote your content to build an audience.

10. Can I do this part-time?

Yes, writing reviews can be done part-time. Many people start with it as a side hustle and scale up as their audience and income grow.

Also read –

17 genuine ways to earn money online without any investment, top 30 freelancing platforms to earn money in 2024, 4 thoughts on “top 15 legit sites to get paid to write reviews in 2024”.

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Best Paid Book Review Sites for Authors

Reviews are the lifeblood of your book’s success. Getting them is vital throughout your author journey, starting from before until long after you launch your piece of writing. Paid services are, of course, well aware of this fact. There are so many to choose from, so if you’re wondering what the best paid book review sites are, keep reading!

Dozens and dozens of companies are happy to take your money in exchange for the promise of landing you some good reviews.

With the many book review sites out there, you might be wondering which one should you choose.

Not All Paid Book Review Sites Are The Same

You can easily find plenty of companies out there that promises reviews in exchange for dollars. But, as much as you’d want them to be, not all of them will turn out effective. In fact, you may come across some that aren’t even legit.

Rather than take you through all the options available, I’ll share the tried-and-tested ones we use to help get your search narrowed down.

Here at Book Launchers, we use:

BookSirens, and
Booksprout for our authors.

Now, you might be thinking, “ A review is a review. So why so many different sites for the same thing?”

Well, if you haven’t noticed, paid book review sites aren’t all the same. Your book category, overall strategy, goals, and who you’re targeting are essential aspects to consider before going with a review company.

Still, every review site has the same ultimate goal: increase your exposure, find new readers for your book, and bump up those review counts.

Not all sites can make sense for every author. The best course of action would be to pick those that best suit your unique needs.

Here are the four best paid book review sites you can rely on for non-fiction authors, each with its distinctive features.

#1 goodreads.

Goodreads is the most popular review site in the publishing industry today. It remains the top on-line community for book lovers and authors alike.

Amazon runs it, so it boasts some perks for authors with books in the Amazon database.

Right through the site, you can claim your profile and earn a badge that verifies your identity. You’ll also be able to access a wealth of statistical information on your books listed on KDP.

So, how do you know if Goodreads is the way to go? Well, if you want your book to go viral and gain as much exposure as possible, Goodreads could be your ticket.

Here, the strategy is to get people to add your book to their virtual bookshelves, and of course, leave some reviews on it.

This way, your book gets raised visibility. Other users can now see it in their friends’ feeds, giving it a much better chance to be added to their reading list.

Think of it as like playing a giant book-fueled game of telephone with 80 million people.

Speaking of games, did you know that we have an entire YouTube channel dedicated to guiding authors like you to create an excellent self-publishing game plan. Check it out, and if you like what you see, let’s see how fast you can smash that subscribe button.

Back to our topic, you can also run a giveaway on Goodreads, a surefire way to get book reviews. It’s something we do regularly for our clients.

All active giveaways are listed on the giveaway section of the website. Your fans can link to it and encourage their friends to enter the giveaway.

Here’s a video dedicated entirely to helping you get all the goods you can get on Goodreads.

#2 NetGalley

Next up on the paid book review site list is NetGalley. NetGalley is a service that delivers digital Advanced Reader Copies, better known as ARCs.

This service provides ARCs of your book to professional readers. We’re talking about reviewers, media, journalists, bloggers, librarians, booksellers, podcast hosts, and many others.

These professional readers use NetGalley to access digital copies of your book, making it an effective marketing tool not just for your book but for your entire brand as an author.

It allows your work to be made available to people who want to read it in their professional capacity.

A NetGalley promotion offers your ARC three months to be highlighted in their database’s recently added and read now sections. The promo also lets you showcase your book to the sections specific to your title’s categories.

By opting for this promo, all users will see your book listed on the NetGalley website.

There’s a lot more to NetGalley when it comes to figuring out if it’s the right one for you.

To help you out, we have a video that goes into all the details of this review site. We also dive deep into costs because it can be pretty expensive and may not be worth it for all books. Stick to the end of this video to make sure if this review site is for you.

The following two on this list are similar to NetGalley. These two book review sites also deliver your ARC copy to both readers and reviewers. But, they focus more on getting your ARC securely to reviewers, bloggers, and your book army.

#3 BookSirens

BookSirens boasts over 10,000 readers across various genres with an average review rate of 75%, making it an attractive site to get book reviews.

The high average review rate is because their users are vetted and accepted as serious book reviewers. Before users can get approval to join BookSirens, they must have posted at least 20 starred ratings on Goodreads.

How this works is that you first need to send your book to the BookSirens team for evaluation. They will then confirm if it is a quality book – something that they want to offer to their users. Once approved, they will add your book to its appropriate category where users can discover it, download the ARC, and start reading.

A remarkable feature of BookSirens, which leads to their 75% success rate, is that readers can only download one ARC at a time. They can’t download a new ARC until they finish reading and reviewing their active one.

This feature is pretty cool for authors because your advanced reader is much less likely to ghost you without leaving a review. And they’re entirely focused on one book at a time.

BookSirens will also give you a direct link that you can send to your book army. So, those folks can hop on over there and securely download their ARC for free.

You also have the option of choosing whether your reviews are posted on Goodreads, Amazon, or both. Now if you’re wondering about getting book reviews from your book army (And how to keep them from being removed) – check out this article .

#4 Booksprout

Booksprout is another option to consider if your main priority is a prelaunch review push.

Similar to BookSirens, Booksprout is a review site that automates the delivery of your ARC to over 40,000 users.

Their average review rate is around 79%. Even your book army will find it challenging to beat that.

Before you get all excited, we’ve been testing this one for some time, and we’re getting mixed results.

Self-Publish and Succeed , well after launch, got four reviews from a single Booksprout listing. Yet, the other books we tested did not bring any results.

Right now, we’re playing with it to figure out whether it’s a timing issue, a topic, or something else.

We’ve experienced the same thing with BookSirens. My book wasn’t even accepted by them for their reviewers. So, I only used BookSirens for ARCs, but some authors from our client base have gotten good reviews.

BookSirens Vs. Booksprout

So what’s the difference between the two paid review sites? Which one is better for you? Let’s discuss the main differences between BookSirens and Booksprout:

Booksprout focuses on getting reviews by a specific date, while BookSirens focuses on getting a particular number of reviews.
On BookSirens, you can post your book and have the reviews roll in for as long as your little heart desires. But on Booksprout, your reviewers have a time limit to read and write their review.
Booksprout also limits the number of reviewer downloads depending on your subscription level. The more money you spend on their service, the more downloads you can do.
BookSirens is a fee-per-book service, letting you choose the number of downloads from as little as 5 to as many as 250.

On the plus side, you can request Booksprout reviews posted on up to eight different sites rather than just Goodreads or Amazon. They include options like Kobo, Apple Books, Google Books, and even BookBub.

Whether you go with BookSirens, Booksprout, or both, these two book review sites are easy to use. They’re effective if you need a little help building up your audience.

If this is your first book or your book army looks a little sparse on the prelaunch battlefield, one of these two review sites, or maybe both, could be your answer.

Now that you know some of the best sites that can help you get book reviews in bulk, maybe it’s time to get in touch with us. See what we can do to help you take off even further, even months post-launch.

Here at Book Launchers we help authors like you in every stage of the self-publishing process. Whether you write the book yourself or with our help, we’re with you every step of the way.

17 Ways to Get Paid to Read Books (Up to $225/hr)

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Last Updated on June 3, 2024 by Daniella

Did you know that you can actually get paid to read books? Yes, you absolutely can. It doesn’t matter the genre or book length – there is a book out there that you can make money with.

Wordsrated found that the average American reads 12.6 books a year. If you read within that average, or even more than that, you could be making some serious cash. But don’t get it wrong, you won’t get rich off of reading books but it is a great way to make some extra cash or start a career in the book world.

There are plenty of ways to get paid to read books, including:

Writing book reviews
Editing books
Narrating audio books
Getting into publishing
Creating illustrations for books
Creating your own content about the books you love

Book-related jobs can also be your gateway to building high income skills and earning more money. If you’re on the lookout for the perfect side gig, many of these gigs can also be done on the side of a full-time job and as remote side hustles .

Table of Contents

17 Fun & Legit Ways To Get Paid To Read Books

From book reviews to book-related jobs, there are tons of ways that you can make money reading books. Below are 17 different ways.

Use These Websites to Get Paid to Review Books Online

Getting paid to review books doesn’t mean that you only have to write positive reviews. These sites want genuine, honest book reviews from people that actually read the book.

You don’t have to commit to writing thousands of words for a book review either. These aren’t book reports – they’re reviews. Some sites only want 200 words while others may want 300-500 words or more.

Keep in mind that the rates and how each site pays out their reviewers may differ from site-to-site.

1. Online Book Club

A tablet and books on a desk with bookshelf in background.

Online Book Club is a free online community for book lovers that has been around for over 10 years. They also pay cash for book reviews.

I spoke to Erin Shanendoah who regularly reviews books for Online Book Club and this is what she has to say about her experience:

At the start, you may only get $5 or so per book. As you build up your reputation with them and meet certain metrics, you get access to higher-paying books. I currently get between $15-$30 per book I review . I am not at the highest tier. I believe those who have been with the site longer may get paid more. Most of the books are Kindle or some electronic format, though occasionally you by the physical book and submit a receipt for reimbursement. All genres are available. I tend to read fantasy, poetry, memoir, etc. I don’t read romance, historical fiction, crime dramas (for the most part), but all of those are available. I link to all the books I’ve reviewed for them on my blog. One of the big rules is that the reviews must be original and cannot be republished elsewhere, only linked to. – Erin Shanendoah, erinshanendoah.com

Average Pay: $5 – $30 per book review

Related post: 15 Side Hustle Apps to Make Extra Money

2. Women’s Review of Books

The Women’s Review of Books reviews books written by and about women. To be considered for reviewing assignments, you have to first apply by sending in your resume, cover letter and any samples of published reviews you’ve done in the past.

If you don’t have any past published reviews to include, I suggest including write-ups of any reviews of books you’ve recently read. You can also include any writing samples you might have online.

They are looking for reviewers who:

Write lively and thought-provoking pieces
Your writing should appeal to a broad range of audiences
Can meet a deadline

Average Pay: $0.14 per word

3. Writerful Books

Writerful Books is always on the lookout for book reviewers.

They are an author services company that provides services like beta reading and book reviewing. The best thing about this gig though is you can review any book you want for them.

To apply, you’ll have to be able to provide previous book review samples. If you don’t have these I encourage you to draft any of the recent books you’ve read both for practice and submission.

Refer to this job listing for more information.

Average pay: $10 to $50 per review

4. The U.S. Review of Books

The U.S. Review of Books hires freelance writers to write book reviews for them.

In order to apply you must:

Contact the editor with a resume
Include sample work
Include 2 professional references
Email them using this link

They also accept guest bloggers for their online publication (these are the types of articles they normally publish ). If you are interested in this as well, email their editor your article of 300 – 500 words using the same email link above.

Average Pay: Not published on their site

5. getAbstract

getAbstract summarizes nonfiction books into 10-minute bites so if you’re a nonfiction book lover, this is the perfect site to start with.

Currently, they are hiring science and technology writers to summarize magazine articles and books.

In order to write reviews for them you must:

Go to their careers page to apply
If selected, you are paid on a freelance basis

Average Price: Freelance basis

6. Booklist Online

Booklist is “the American Library Association’s prepublication review journal for public and school librarians”. They publish approximately a whopping 8,000 book reviews per year to help librarians with selection, collection, development, categorization, and reader’s advisory.

They follow a “recommend only” policy which means everything that they review is to be recommended for purchase by libraries.

Guidelines of a Booklist review include:

No longer than 175 words
Identify the audience
Suggest plot without giving too much away
Read more guidelines here

Freelance opportunities are limited as most feature articles are assigned by editors.

Average Pay: Up to $15 per review

Related post: Teach English Online: 10 Companies That Will Pay You to Teach and Work From Anywhere

7. Reedsy Discovery

On Reedsy Discovery, you don’t get paid by the site or a freelance basis but via tips from the readers reading your reviews.

Here’s how it works:

Sign up as a reviewer on Reedsy to get exclusive access to read self-published books before anyone else
Build up a brand as a reviewer on Reedsy to liaise with authors who contact you directly for a review
Go through the application process
Once accepted you can start reading and reviewing
Readers will usually send $1, $3, or $5 as a token of appreciation

Average pay: Tips

8. BookBrowse

BookBrowse accepts applications for book reviewers that only have sample reviews to submit with their application. However, they do not specify if these samples have to be published or not.

BookBrowse reviews both fiction and non-fiction books, they pay monthly and are U.S. Based.

A good review for them includes:

Good quality

9. Kirkus Media

Kirkus Media Reviews is currently hiring for book reviewers on a freelance/project basis. You can work from anywhere and must be an experienced book reviewer of English and/or Spanish-language titles.

Some further requirements include:

Reviews are 350 words
Reviews are due 2 weeks after the book is assigned

To apply, submit your resume, writing samples, and a list of genres you specialize in, to Kirkus Indie Editor David Rapp at [email protected] .

10. eBookFairs

eBookFairs is a website that helps authors grow their platform and one way they do this is by hiring paid book reviewers to read their books.

Reviews must be 200 words long.
Reviews must be completed in under 45 days.
You must post about the book on social media, GoodReads, or a book review site.

Apply to be a paid book reviewer with eBookFairs here.

Average Pay: $10 or more per review

How to Get Paid to Read Books With These Online Jobs and Side Hustles

There are several book-related jobs and many which are entirely online that you can do from home or anywhere in the world. From freelancing on the side to finding full-time work from home jobs, these book related gigs will give you some great ideas to start with.

11. Audiobook Narration

I love listening to audiobooks when I am cleaning, working, or running. Who knew that you could get paid to be an audiobook narrator? Especially with the rise of Audible, the demand for audiobook narrators is climbing.

To get started narrating, you will need some equipment like a mic, pop screen , headphones, recording and editing software, a quiet space and a computer. You can find work on sites like ACX and Voices that offer opportunities to narrators and audiobook producers to work with published authors.

Depending on the rates you charge , you could expect to make anywhere between $100 per hour to as much as $300 per hour. You can also join groups and unions for benefits and the protection of your pay. Those who belong to the entertainment union SAG-AFTRA make a minimum of $225 per hour.

Average Pay: $100 – $225 per hour

How to get started: Search for “audiobook narration” courses on Coursera .

12. Freelance Read Manuscripts/Beta Reader

Just like a freelance writer, you can also be a freelance reader and get paid to read anything from online articles to books and unpublished manuscripts.

Many literary management agencies receive such a large amount of manuscripts that they could never possibly get to all of them. So they hire a lot of the reading from the “slush pile” out to freelance readers .

Literary agents pay anywhere from $25 to $100 an hour to their freelance readers.

But what are the duties of this oddly cool job? These are actually pretty straightforward and similar to giving a book report. You read through the manuscript and compile a 2-3 page report about your opinion of it. Then you are to give a recommendation on whether the agency should represent it or pass on it.

You also will give a basic description of all the main characters, plot points and analysis of any hidden messages and symbolism.

Average Pay: $25 – $100 per hour

How to get started: Read this free guide .

Related post: How to Get Started Freelance Writing

13. Editor/Proofreader

I think “Book Editor” and I think of some high-status job at a well-known publisher. But nope, there are all type of “Editors”. Many editors could also be considered virtual assistants (or VAs) and work on a freelance basis.

Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation was once an ebook freelance editor for ebooks mostly on Kindle and Amazon. He actually got his first few clients through Fiverr .

I started my freelance editing business as a little side project experiment, and actually got my first customers through Fiverr. My original gig was $5 for 500 words, but since most books are much longer, it added up to some pretty healthy orders. My biggest was over $1000. It probably worked out to $25-35 an hour. I niched down from the very beginning, saying I only edited non-fiction, and within that category preferred business and self-help — categories I felt I could add the most value . Eventually I got clients from word of mouth in a few self publishing Facebook groups and even as a preferred vendor with a popular self publishing course. – Nick Loper, Side Hustle Nation

Sites that list remote gigs for editors:

BestWriting
WritersAccess

Alternatively, proofreading is different from editing in the sense that it is the last step in the editing process. You can become a proofreader for books, ebooks, manuscripts, blog articles, and any sort of written work there is.

Average Pay: $30 per hour (from ZipRecruiter )

How to get started: Check out free courses on Coursera for editing and this free course for proofreading.

14. Copyediting

A person copyediting a book to get paid to read books

At first glance, copyediting may not seem that different than editing. Actually, they are very different .

Editors are usually subject matter experts and strive to improve the flow, structure, and logic of a piece. Copyeditors focus more on a sentence-by-sentence basis of the content (or copy of the book) rather than the content as a whole.

Some editing can involve also copyediting. It just depends on who your editor is and what their services entail. Copyediting mainly involves grammar, spelling and punctuation correction, ensuring proper sentence structure, removing wordiness and redundancy, and formatting.

Proofreaders are often copyeditors as well and can work entirely remote as part-time and full time. I recommend this 76-minute FREE online workshop that introduces how to create a profitable proofreading/copyediting online business.

Average Pay: $25 – $35 per hour with top earners making $79,000 year according to ZipRecruiter

How to get started: Check out free courses on Coursera for copyediting.

Related post: 11 Legit Online Jobs For College Students ($15/Hour or More)

15. Publisher

If you’ve done most of the above for the majority of your working life, you already know books inside and out. You know how to make them beautiful and most importantly, how to sell the crap out of them. Then the next logical step is publishing, am I right?

The sky is the limit on this one. You could either self publish your own work or start putting together some contacts and a small business plan to start your own publishing business.

The potential success of publishing companies depends on a variety of factors.

According to BizFluent, publishers make around $130,000 a year but not every publisher makes the same amount of money. It all depends on your specific business model, how many books you are publishing and the success of those books and authors.

I personally love this guide for starting your own publishing business by Kindlepreneur.

Average Pay: $130,000 per year

How to get started: Search for “publisher” or “publishing” courses on Coursera .

16. Book Illustrator

When you’re a bibliophile who can’t stop drawing, why aren’t you a book illustrator yet? You can potentially find book illustration gigs on freelance marketplaces like Fiverr and Upwork to apply to.

Other sites to find illustration work:

To increase your chances of getting gigs, create a portfolio to show off your best work. Use personal projects until you’re able to supply more examples from experience. What do I mean by that? Duh! Get out your favorite books that have no illustrations and sit down to draw some imagery for your favorite scenes.

Average Pay: $20 – $45 per hour (from ZipRecruiter )

How to get started: Search for “illustration” courses on Coursera .

17. Book Translator

If you’re multi-lingual and love reading books, you could make money translating books. You could also combine this with proofreading and editing books in other languages. When books are being translated there could be many spelling and grammar errors due to the fact that there aren’t a lot of direc

Sites to find book translation work:

Average Pay: $28 per hour (from ZipRecruiter )

How to get started: Search for “translation” courses on Coursera .

Where to Find Remote Jobs for Bookworms

There are a variety of remote job boards that list available work from home and remote jobs. You have your normal ones like Indeed, Glassdoor, and Linkedin.

Then there are ones that are specifically perfect for book lovers :

FlexJobs – FlexJobs specialty is remote-jobs, hence the “Flex” part of the name. And with remote jobs , a lot of them can include editing, proofreading, narration, etc.
BookJobs – A centralized place for job seekers to find and research available positions throughout the publishing industry.
Publishers Weekly – Their job zone includes a range of jobs from copyediting, design, editorial, marketing, publicity, operations and more.
BestWriting – An all-in-one writing marketplace with a job board that posts writing and editing opportunities.
Fiverr – A platform for freelancers to market their skills for freelance reading, editing, copyediting, and more.
Upwork – Similar to Fiverr where you can create a freelancer profile and market your skills to those looking to hire.

Related: How to Get a Remote Job: The Ultimate Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i make money reading books.

You can make money by getting a job that entails a lot of reading, sign up to be a book reviewer, or start a blog about books where you write articles about the books you’ve read, including reviews and other blog content.

Are there jobs that pay you to read books?

Yes there are several jobs that pay you to read books like:

Book editor or copyeditor
Audiobook narrator
Book illustrator

How much do book readers get paid?

Book readers can get paid anywhere from $10 per book review to as much as over $200 an hour for a book related job like an audiobook narrator.

How can I write a good book review?

Describe the plot, your readers want to know what the book is about.
Find your voice and voice your opinion.
Your review must be well written and entertaining (meaning someone would actually enjoy reading it).
Pick out the most important aspects of the book.
Keep it short. The absolute maximum number of words out of all the sites listed is 500 words (Women’s Review and U.S. Review) so they should be straight to the point.
You must meet the deadlines.
Keep it professional – you are getting paid for your work after all.

Can I get paid to read books out loud?

You can absolutely get paid to read books out loud. Some jobs that pay for this service are:

Podcast host
Reading to students online

Related: 20 Side Hustles For College Students (Make $16 an Hour or More)

Wrapping It Up & Actionable Tips

If you want to start getting paid for your reading, first identify what sort of jobs you want to do. Is it reading with feedback, narrating, editing, copyediting, etc that interest you? Or do you want to be involved on a larger scale like with publishing?

Or do you want to take a less formal approach and only review the books that you love reading? Maybe want to try your hand at freelancing?

After you identify how you want to monetize your reading hobby , start researching as much as possible about how you can start getting gigs and getting paid. Then it’s all about taking action from there.

Without any action, you will be just another bibliophile like the rest of us.

Which isn’t a bad thing.

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More ways to make money with your creative energy:

8 Ways to Get Paid for Your Recipes
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How to Start a Printable Side Hustle
43 Passionate Hobbies That Make Money: For Everyone
10 Ways To Make Money Blogging

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Daniella is the creator and author of iliketodabble.com. When their wife Alexandra and them aren’t globetrotting or playing with their 7+ animals, they are dabbling and working towards a future of financial freedom.

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I had no idea some of these options were out there. Time to spruce up my resume! 😀

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So many interesting ways to monetize your reading habit that I’ve never considered! Thanks for posting!

Hope you were able to find some good ideas!

Awesome post! Thanks for all of the resources you provided. I love reading books and will have to check these out! Much appreciated.

I am glad you enjoyed it!

6 of the Best Ways to Get Paid to Read Books

Arvyn Cerézo

Arvyn Cerézo is an arts and culture writer/reporter with bylines in Book Riot , Publishers Weekly , South China Morning Post , PhilSTAR Life , the Asian Review of Books , and other publications. You can find them on arvyncerezo.com and @ArvynCerezo on Twitter.

View All posts by Arvyn Cerézo

It’s true that reading books is beneficial in so many ways, including improving our mental health . But there’s an unpopular benefit that reading books can also provide: money. Indeed, reading can become an income stream, turning passion into profit. Ever wondered how to get paid to read books?

While there are several, broad avenues to do that — such as getting a job in the publishing industry , becoming a book editor or proofreader , narrating an audiobook , developing ebooks for a living, or becoming an audiobook proof listener — I’d narrow in on the easiest route, something that could be done right away: book reviewing.

I’m a writer and journalist regularly reviewing books for Publishers Weekly , and I’ve been doing this for four years now. Although the pay isn’t that great, it helps me hone my writing and reviewing skills. It also helps me build connections within the publishing industry. But a gig such as this might as well be a full-time job itself; reading a book for review purposes is a different thing from reviewing a book for leisure. There’s a lot of things to consider, and it might not seem that enjoyable at it appears.

But if you’re interested to become a book reviewer and get paid to read books along the way, I have a list of six ways for you to try below. The list includes writing for traditional magazines and publications that are proven to pay freelancers after a published review. Maybe after trying these gigs out, you might get interested in working in publishing. So, to test the waters, a book reviewing side hustle might be ideal.

Here’s how to get paid to read books through reviewing gigs:

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Writing Book Reviews for Publishers Weekly

PW , the industry magazine, pays $25 per review that runs about 180–200 words. You can choose how many books you can review in a month. In my case, I recently switched to one book per three weeks because of my schedule. But before, I used to do two books a month. In addition to that, you can decline a book if you don’t feel like it, but I’m not sure if it’s the case with every editor.

There are also opportunities for other kinds of writing, such as a Q&A and an author profile, which you can pitch to your editor.

Publishers Weekly accepts reviewer applications occasionally. All you have to do is send a CV and a sample review à la PW . They don’t assign a byline, however.

Writing Book Reviews for Kirkus Reviews

This magazine also accepts applications for freelance reviewers . However, it won’t be for traditionally published books, unlike with PW . Instead, reviewers would be working on self-published books for the indie section of the magazine called Kirkus Indie.

The review runs about 350 words and is due two weeks after the book is assigned. They pay $50, but it could go upwards to $75 if they see some great writing. For picture books, they pay $40 for a review of 250 words. As with PW , they don’t give a byline.

“Reviewing for Kirkus Indie was fun. I got sent a steady stream of books to recommend, usually 1–2 per month,” shares Sarah S. Davis, former Kirkus Indie reviewer and a Book Riot contributor. “I did have an opportunity when I first started to list what genres were my preferred genres to recommend. You don’t get to choose which book you get, but they will often give you a sub-genre or category that you connect well with. For example, for me that was books about health, psychology, and spirituality. My friend who reviewed for Kirkus, however, ‘specialized’ in geotechnical thrillers.”

To be considered, submit a sample review in the style of Kirkus.

Reviewing for Booklist

Booklist is a magazine catered toward librarians. They also occasionally publish reviews in their print and online versions. Just like the magazines aforementioned, Booklist is also constantly looking for reviewers.

For a word count of 150–175, the pay is a meager $15. If you reject a book, you get $5. Nonetheless, the best thing here is that the reviews are signed. That means you get to have a byline attached to the review, whether in print or online. In some instances, however, the payment could be delayed because the review is scheduled for a later issue. But once it gets published, you get to be paid.

Here’s how to apply as a Booklist reviewer . Once accepted, you’d become an apprentice reviewer.

Writing Audiobook Reviews for AudioFile Magazine

AudioFile is a magazine that regularly reviews audiobooks. If you’re an avid audiobook listener and feel like recommending best new titles, then this is for you.

AudioFile assigns a couple audiobooks in a month, and you have to write a review of about a hundred words. They pay $10 apiece, which is disbursed twice a year. Because of this payment scheme, it would take a long while to receive the payment. Still, you have the freedom to choose the genre of audiobook you want to review, such as young adult, fantasy, classics, literary fiction, etc. In the review that appears in print and online versions, you get to have initials as your byline, but you don’t get to have your name printed in full.

Reviewing an audiobook, however, is an altogether different realm. Make sure to read the magazine to get familiarized with the style.

Writing Book Reviews for Online Book Club

This is a forum that publishes book reviews, and they always accept reviewers. Since it’s a forum — not a magazine or a publication — you get to choose what appears as your byline. Pay varies per book, but it usually ranges from $5–60 per review according to their website.

“Reviewing books for the Online Book Club was a good experience because I got to read books and give my opinion about them, which I enjoyed,” says Yolimari Garcia, a former reviewer. “You can choose which books you want to review from a list. However, you can only pick the books with higher payments if you have a high reviewer score. I reached the highest level, which was six. A level-six reviewer is allowed to be an editor, which I was too.”

According to Garcia, the reviewers receive feedback from the editors, who also assign ratings based on the Review Team Guidelines. The objective is for the high-quality reviews to receive a high score and those with low quality to receive a low score. Some reviews cannot be published because it is clear that the writer did not read the book or adhere to the rules, according to Garcia.

“You can review as many books from the list as you can in a month as long as you follow the Review Team Guidelines and meet the deadlines…The payment is lower if you are a low-level reviewer and higher if you are a high-level reviewer,” she adds. As with other publications that publish book reviews, Garcia says that “don’t expect to make a salary” and “see it as a hobby, a side gig, or a medium for gaining experience writing professional book reviews .”

Here’s how to apply as a reviewer for Online Book Club .

Pitching Directly to Magazines and Publications

This is the recommended option if you’ve already gained an experience writing professional book reviews or if you have a stellar writing portfolio. Many publications allow unsolicited pitches to editors; The New York Times , The Guardian , and other major outlets may accept such pitches.

The rate is significantly higher, reaching as high as $800 for a 1,000-word review . However, since this is the high-paying path, it’s also the most difficult one. It takes a lot of effort to craft the perfect pitch to an editor, and sending the pitch doesn’t even guarantee an assignment. It might depend on the quality of the pitch, the publication’s editorial calendar, the strength of the writing portfolio, relevance of the book, etc. To get paid to read books in this manner, one must already be an established literary critic. Think of it as the be-all and end-all of reviewing.

For more tips on how to pitch an article to a major publication, here’s a guide .

There are several ways to get paid to read books, but book reviewing seems to be the easiest path. Because of the nature of this gig, though, you might want to supplement it with other book-related jobs. Here are audiobook narrator jobs for beginners and other jobs for book lovers !

The Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Books of Fall 2024, According to Goodreads

Get Paid to Review Books: 5 Book Review Jobs Sites That Pay Reviewers

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Writing book reviews is one of the best ways to get paid to read books online.

As a book reviewer, you’re tasked with reading and reviewing books, which in return can earn you a paycheck.

This blog post will show you five of the top-paying book review sites where you can submit your pitches and get hired for book review jobs.

To review books effectively, having a good education is important. EduBirdie can help you improve your skills and knowledge, making you better at reviewing books.

Book review jobs sites that pay reviewers

So, if you want to get paid to review books online , here is a list of five websites that you can explore to find book review jobs:

1) The US Review of Books

The US Review of Books has fair terms for reviewers, and the pay is usually between $25 and $75. To be accepted you’ll need to submit your resume, samples, and references. You’ll also be asked to do a sample review.

The site doesn’t have tough guidelines, the reviews can be half summary, half commentary. Most of the reviews requested will be around 300 words and you can expect to earn $25 for each. For longer reviews that are around $600 the pay can be as high as $75

The first review you will do will be treated as an application and you are compensated nonetheless, whether you’re hired eventually or not.

The pay might not seem much especially when you factor in the hours it will take you to read a book. However, if you are a faster reader, you can easily lock in $250-$750 doing 10 reviews a month.

Another added benefit of writing reviews for The US Review of Books is that you will be listed in its directory of reviewers that you can use as social proof and also get a backlink to your site.

The site pays via PayPal. US Review of Books encourages readers and authors alike to visit their website.

2) Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Reviews isn’t transparent with their rates but some people claim that it’s usually $50 per review.

The media company has been in existence since 1933, so it is a legitimate company. That said, the reviews from Glassdoor seem to suggest that the editors will ask you to change your review if it’s negative, thus interfering with your work ethics as a book reviewer.

The reviews are around 350 words long with 2 weeks turnaround time. If you still want to apply, simply head over to this page and contact an editor.

3) OnlineBookClub

Though a popular book review website, many people do not recommend OnlineBookClub because of its tough and demanding guidelines with extremely low pay.

While they claim to pay up to $60 per review, most reviewers earn their lowest rates, which is actually $5 per review.

Reviews are easily rejected and can affect your review score. When you join, your score will be below 35, meaning that you will be bagging home $0 per review as they only begin to pay beyond the 35-point mark.

There are no clear guidelines on improving your score apart from the fact that you will have to engage in a forum and give shoutouts on social media. The editors aren’t as responsive either.

4) Booklist Publications

Booklist Publications is a book review website whose pay is not as appealing. Booklist pays $15 per review and only upon publication. This means that even if your review is accepted, you might have to wait a while

For published reviews, you will get one line credit and you can also be listed as a reviewer on their directory page.

To get started, you will need to fill in an application form answering basic questions and if you are fit the team will get back to you.

5) Women’s Review of Books

Women’s Review of Books is a publication of Wellesley Centers for Women, a part of Wellesley College, and reportedly pays $100 per review.

The publication specifically reviews books about women or written by women.

They expect their reviewers to have journalistic, academic, or strong book review backgrounds.

So if you believe that you can develop thought-provoking reviews you can start pitching your idea to them.

They pay on a review basis. To get started, send in a review pitch proposal about the book you want to review, its publication date, and your angle to the editors. You can find contact details on this page.

You will be paid upon review publication and you also get 12 months of subscription to their monthly issues.

You can also find more writing guidelines in this document . Make sure you adhere to them when writing the reviews.

Ready to begin your book reviewer job?

Book reviewing is a lucrative yet demanding career.

However, if it’s something you love doing and have a passion for writing, then book reviewing can be another source of income for you.

If this isn’t the case, I would advise you to look for other ways to earn money online such as freelance services, info products, or affiliate marketing.

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July 14, 2024

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I am a published author of 8 books, all traditionally published. I am look for work as a book reviewee

74 Publications That Pay Freelancers for Book Reviews, Interviews, and More

Book reviews aren’t as ubiquitous as they used to be, but as of 2022, at least 74 publications still pay freelance writers for book reviews and author interviews.

To build this exhaustive list as a free community resource, I collaborated with the wonderful Chelsea Leu to create a more detailed version for the National Book Critics Circle , including points of contact and some nonpaying outlets. Visit their page here .

For this abridged version, I’ve just included rates and links to submission guidelines (where available). Rates vary wildly from $15 to more than $1,000, depending on the outlet and the assignment. Another great resource is Who Pays Writers , and here’s an old thread of mine on how to pitch book reviews . Note that while the rates are accurate at publication, editorial budgets change all the time.

If you see any omissions or mistakes in the list below, feel free to contact me at adam[at]adam-stephen-morgan.com, just keep in mind that this version of the list is only for outlets that pay freelancers .

4 Columns – Book reviews ( how to pitch )

The Adroit Journal – Book reviews and interviews ( how to pitch )

Air Mail – Book reviews, interviews, and features

AGNI – Book reviews ($20 per printed-out page, how to pitch )

Asymptote – Book reviews and interviews ( how to pitch )

The Atlanta Journal Constitution – Book reviews (~$250)

The Atlantic – Book features ( how to pitch )

The AV Club – Book reviews and features ($75)

The Baffler – Criticism and essays ($250+, how to pitch )

Black Femme Collective – Book reviews ($150-$300, how to pitch )

BOMB – Book reviews and interviews ($150 for web interviews)

Booklist – Capsule book reviews ($15, how to pitch )

BookMarks – Book review…overviews? ($35-$800, how to pitch )

BookPage – Book reviews and author interviews

Borderlore – Book interviews, features, essays

The Boston Globe – Book reviews ($450)

The Brooklyn Rail – Book reviews and interviews ($75, how to pitch )

The Chicago Reader – Chicago-based book reviews and profiles ( how to pitch )

The Chicago Review of Books – Book reviews, interviews, and features ($25, how to pitch )

The Christian Science Monitor – Book reviews and interviews ($200)

The Cleveland Review of Books – Book reviews ($70-$200, how to pitch )

Electric Literature – Book related essays, interviews, and lists ($100, how to pitch )

Esquire – Book features and interviews (send pitches to assistant editor Adrienne Westenfeld, awestenfeld[at]hearst.com)

Event mag – Book reviews

Foreword Reviews – Book reviews and interviews

Guardian (The) – Book reviews and interviews

Houston Chronicle – Book reviews

Hyphen – Book review and interviews ($25, how to pitch )

I n These Times – Book reviews ($0.25 per word, pitch Sherell Barbee at sherell.inthesetimes[at]gmail.com)

Jewish Currents – Book features and essays

Kirkus Reviews – Capsule book reviews and interviews ($50 for reviews)

LIBER: Feminist Review – Book reviews and features ($100 for reviews, $500 for features, how to pitch )

Literary Hub – Book features and essays ( how to pitch )

London Review of Books – Book reviews, essays, and features ( how to pitch )

Los Angeles Review of Books – Book reviews, interviews, and essays ($50-$100, how to pitch )

Los Angeles Times – Book reviews and features ($400)

Lux – Book essays ($0.50 per word, pitches[at]lux-magazine.com)

The Markaz Review – Book essays ($120)

Millions (The) – Book reviews, interviews, and features ( how to pitch )

Mother Jones – Book features

Nation (The) – Book features ($950-$1250)

New Criterion (The) – Book essays ($100)

New Republic – Book reviews ($500-$2,000 for print, $250-$400 for web)

New York Post – Book features, occasional author interviews ($500-$1,000, pitch Mackenzie Dawson at mdawson[at]nypost.com)

New York Review of Books – Book reviews and essays

New York Times Book Review – Book reviews, interviews, and features

New Yorker (The) – Book reviews and essays ($0.75 per word for web)

Newsday – Book reviews and interviews

NPR – Book reviews ($300 for fiction)

Oprah Daily – Book reviews, interviews, and features ($2 per word)

Observer (The) – Book reviews and interviews (pitch Erin Taylor at etaylor[at]observer.com)

Paris Review (The) – Book essays for The Daily ( how to pitch )

Paste Magazine – Book interviews and features ($100, who to pitch )

Pittsburgh Post Gazette – Book reviews

Ploughshares – Book reviews and interviews ($25, how to pitch )

Publishers Weekly – Capsule book reviews ($25-$50)

Puritan (The) – Book reviews ($100, how to pitch )

Reason – Book reviews ($500)

The Rumpus – Book reviews and interviews (pays small honorarium, how to pitch 1 and 2 )

San Francisco Chronicle – Book reviews ($165)

SFWA – Book reviews ($0.10 per word, how to pitch )

Shondaland – Book interviews and features ( how to pitch )

Slate – Book essays ($300-$500, how to pitch )

St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Book reviews ($85+)

Star Tribune (Minneapolis) – Book reviews ($150)

Tampa Bay Times – Book reviews ($150)

Times Literary Supplement – Book reviews and essays ( how to pitch )

USA Today – Book reviews ($300)

Wall Street Journal – Book reviews ($400-$1,000)

Washington Independent Review of Books – Book reviews ($25, how to pitch )

Washington Post – Book reviews

Words Without Borders – Book reviews and interviews ($100)

12 Legit Ways to Get Paid to Read Books

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While reading is often a one-person activity, odds are there are thousands of people that would benefit from your newly found knowledge. Here's how to cash in on your perusal of parchment.

Side Hustles

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Some of the best side hustle ideas are the ones that combine making money with a favorite hobby or passion. For avid readers, a side gig that pays you to read books could sound like a dream come true.

But can you actually get paid to read books? Surprisingly, you can and there are multiple ways to earn a side income from your love of books. Professional reader jobs do exist, and they can offer a way to make money from your favorite reading spot.

If you’d like to get paid to read books online, here are some of the best ways for book lovers to make money.

Sites That Pay You to Write Book Reviews

One way to get paid to read books is by writing book reviews. Book review sites ask readers to share their opinions in a detailed review and offer payment in the form of cash or free books.

Here are some of the most popular review sites to make money reading books.

1. The US Review of Books

Pay rate: Varies per review

The US Review of Books hires experienced reviewers who want to earn money reading books online. With this company, book review opportunities are posted and assigned based on your experience, skillset, and reading interests.

If you want to write for the US Review of Books, you’ll need to apply first. The site asks for a resume and samples of your writing. You’ll also need at least two professional references if you want to be considered. They prefer reviews that are short, succinct, and professionally written, so make sure the samples you’re sending meet those criteria.

The US Review of Books pays for completed book reviews monthly, with checks sent out on the 5th day of each month.

Related: How to Get Paid to Write Reviews

2. Kirkus Media

Kirkus Media is one of the most established and well-known book review companies around. This company looks for book reviewers who are fluent in English and/or Spanish to review indie book titles.

Reviews are typically around 350 words each and have a two-week turnaround time. If you’d like to apply, you’ll need to email their review editor with a resume, some writing samples, and a rundown of what you specialize in as a book reviewer.

Before you can get paid to read books online with Kirkus Media, it helps if you have some experience as they do require a resume and some writing samples. If you also have editing experience, that may be worth mentioning as Kirkus occasionally hires editors.

3. Online Book Club

Pay rate: $5 to $60 per review

Online Book Club pays less than $100 per review, but it’s a good side hustle idea to consider if you want to earn a little extra money for your time spent reading.

You can apply to become a book reviewer through the Online Book Club website . It’s quick and easy to create an account and start reviewing books.

One thing to note, however, is that your first review isn’t paid; instead, you get a free copy of the book you’re reviewing. After that first one is completed, you can start getting paid to read and review books. And review copies of any subsequent books are also free.

4. Women’s Review of Books

Pay rate: Not specified

If you want to get paid to read books written by women or that center on women’s themes or issues, Women’s Review of Books is worth checking out. You can pitch ideas for book reviews directly to the editor.

The Women’s Review of Books generally prefers experienced reviewers, journalists, or readers with an academic background. But if you’re a good writer, consider applying anyway. You might be accepted as an online book reviewer based on the quality of your review writing samples.

5. Publisher’s Weekly

Publisher’s Weekly is a news magazine dedicated to the book publishing industry. In addition to the latest updates and trends, they also publish book reviews written by freelance writers and book reviewers.

The pay isn’t specified, but this could be a great option if you want to make money reading books and you prefer a variety in the genres you read. Publisher’s Weekly publishes book reviews on everything from sci-fi to romance, nonfiction, and horror.

You can check their online listings to see if any professional reader jobs are available. When you’re ready to apply, you’ll need a resume and a couple of well-written book review samples.

6. WordsRated

Pay Rate: $200 per completed book

Not quite a book review per se, WordsRated is a non-commercial research company that studies book and reading trends, and shares that data with the public.

Similarly, however, you’ll be asked to read popular books — usually New York Time best-sellers — and record notes about the characters, their demographics, how frequently they make appearances, and the like.

It’s actually rather mundane, easy work, but the pay is amongst the best of any review company: $200 per completed book.

7. Become an audiobook narrator.

Audiobooks have grown in popularity thanks to companies like Audible. If you have a good speaking voice and a talent for acting, you could get paid to read books out loud as a narrator.

This is a side hustle you can do at home, which is good if you need a flexible way to make money. It requires minimal equipment; all you’ll need is a microphone and a way to record your voice. You might even go into a studio to record the book if that’s available.

If you’re interested in finding audiobook narrator jobs, you can try sites like ACX or Voices.com. Upwork is another place to look for paid audiobook narration jobs.

8. Start a book review blog, YouTube channel, or podcast.

If you want to get paid to read books and write reviews but you don’t want to work with a book review company, you could monetize your reading skills with a blog, YouTube channel, or podcast.

There are a variety of ways to make money with a book review blog, including:

Earning money from book referral affiliate sales
Selling digital printables such as a reading tracker or book journal
Partnering with authors or publishing companies to write sponsored posts
Hosting ads on your site

Starting a blog is something just about anyone can do, even if you don’t have stellar technical skills. If you’re interested in this but aren’t sure what to do to set up a blog, check out our step-by-step guide .

If writing isn’t your strength or you want to try a different medium, you can set up a YouTube channel or podcast to review books. Those can be monetized through affiliate partnerships with sites like Bookshop.org, sponsorships, and ads. You might even offer a premium paid subscription to your podcast.

9. Become a freelance book review writer.

If you have decent writing skills, you can turn that into a side hustle as a freelance book review writer.

Freelance book review writers work with different companies and brands. For example, you might write reviews or content for sites like BuzzFeed Books, Book Riot, or BookBub in addition to your own blog. And as a freelancer, you’re not an employee making this different from working as a professional reader.

Writing book reviews on a freelance basis can be a good way to make money reading books if you want something flexible that fits around your schedule.

Related: How to Become a Freelance Writer

10. Become a book proofreader or editor.

Before books are published, they go through multiple rounds of edits and proofreading. Editors review the content of a book and make revisions to help improve the flow, clarity, and organization of ideas. Proofreaders review what’s written to check for spelling errors, grammar errors, punctuation mistakes, and capitalization errors.

If you don’t have any professional editing or proofreading experience, those are skills you can learn. Taking an online course, for example, can help you learn the basics of how to make money proofreading . You can also try testing out your services on sites like Fiverr before trying to turn proofreading or editing into a side hustle or full-time job.

11. Become a freelance beta reader.

Beta readers get paid to read books when they’re in the finished manuscript stage and awaiting final publication. A beta reader’s job is to read the manuscript and offer a critique from a reader’s point of view. That critique can then be used to polish the final manuscript so the book can eventually be published.

Becoming a freelance beta reader requires an eye for detail and fluency in the language of the books you’re asked to read.

If you’re interested in finding freelance beta reader jobs, you can try a site like Upwork or Fiverr or search an online job board like Indeed.

12. Learn a new skill and implement it.

If you want to get paid to read books online, you could always come up with your own creative way to do it. For example, translating books is one option if you’re fluent in another language.

You could offer your services as an eBook formatter if you’re willing to learn the different online publishing platforms. You might even offer cover design, book marketing services, or author coaching services.

There’s an endless amount of possibilities you can offer if you want to get paid to read books.

Do What You Love and Monetize Your Reading Hobby

Having a hobby is great but having a hobby that makes you money is even better. If you love to read, finding ways to get paid to do it is a great side hustle idea. And you can always try different ideas to see which one works best.

Starting a book review blog, for example, could be lucrative over the long-term if you’re able to monetize it. But in the meantime, you could earn some quick cash writing book reviews or picking up freelance proofreading jobs online.

The more open you are to experimenting, the more possibilities there are for getting paid to read.

This Company Pays $200 per Book You Read

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How To Get Paid To Read Books (Plus 5 Legit Companies That Pay for Reviews)

Turn the dream into reality!

If you’ve ever dreamed of a world where someone would pay you to read books, we’ve got good news! There are multiple ways to get paid to read books, whether you make a career out of it or just do it to pick up some extra cash. In fact, these options can be the perfect choice for teachers looking to change careers or those who need to make a little money on the side . Here’s how to live the dream.

Can you really get paid to read books?

Short answer: Yes, you can! Longer answer: You can make money, but you may not be able to make a living. If you’re looking to get paid to read books as a career, you’ll probably need to pursue jobs in publishing, which can be hard to come by. Expect to earn a related degree and work your way up from the very bottom. Penguin Random House has much more information about how to get into publishing here.

It’s much easier to get paid to read books if you’re willing to do some smaller jobs instead. Many companies will pay you to write book reviews, though only small amounts at first. Plus, there are other gigs, like audiobook narrator or book translator, which you might be able to pick up on an as-needed basis.

One note: Many people dream of becoming librarians because they can’t imagine anything better than spending their days surrounded by books. And while there are many rewards to becoming a librarian, getting paid to read isn’t usually one of them. This varies, of course, depending on your position. But in general, how much time does the average librarian spend reading on the job?

“The answer is zero,” shares one former librarian. “Unless you count reading spine labels as you’re shelving.” So if you’re looking to make money just for reading, take a look at one of the jobs below instead.

What types of jobs are available for avid readers?

A red pen lying on a type-written sheet showing some corrections made by an editor.

Lorenzo Cafaro via Pixabay

Whether you’re looking for a career or a side gig, here’s what you’ll want to know about some of the most common reading jobs.

Book Reviewer

Pay range: $5–$50 per review for beginners

This is one of the easiest ways to get paid to read books. There are a variety of companies that will pay you for your thoughtful reviews, though the per-job pay isn’t amazing. If you’re a prolific reader, though, this can be a nice way to pick up some extra money regularly. Check out our list of companies that pay for reviews below.

If you’re an accomplished reviewer, you might consider pitching your reviews to bigger outlets, like newspapers, magazines, or websites. You could receive hundreds of dollars for your reviews—if they’re published. Learn how to pitch an article to a magazine here.

Publishing Acquisitions Editor

Pay range: $47,000–$85,000 per year

Not all jobs in publishing actually require a lot of reading, but acquisitions editors definitely spend their days turning pages. Their main job is to read manuscripts from authors (solicited or unsolicited) and make recommendations about which of them to publish. These jobs aren’t necessarily glamorous, but they’re a bookworm’s dream. And as you might imagine, they can be very hard to land. Find out more about becoming an acquisitions editor here.

Publishing Copy Editor/Proofreader

Pay range: $41,000–$96,000 per year

If you’ve got an eye for detail, these could be the jobs for you. Copy editors work with a book while it’s still in progress, reviewing for consistency, errors, continuity, factuality, and legal liability. They help authors make changes as needed throughout the editing process.

Proofreaders review a final copy of a manuscript before it goes to press. A proofreader compares the edited manuscript with the proof copy, word for word. They catch any last spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors, and fix any awkward word or page breaks. Discover the differences between copy editors and proofreaders here .

Audiobook Narrator

Pay range: $10–$500 per finished hour

Audiobooks are very popular, and those with strong voice-acting skills can make good money by recording them. Some narrators even do their own recording, editing, and more. For fiction books, the process often involves multiple narrators, with a regular audition process. You may work at home if you have the right equipment, or you may need to come into a recording studio.

Note that audiobook narrators are usually paid per “finished hour,” which refers to the length of the audio files you record. For an 18-hour audiobook, you may spend double that or more in preparation, rehearsal, and recording, so figure your salary accordingly. Want to get started working in audiobook narration? Look into ACX, Audible’s audiobook creation marketplace.

Literary Translator

Pay range: $22,000–$100,000 per year

Many books are translated into multiple languages and sold around the globe. If you’ve got strong world language skills, you could make money by translating those books for publishers or authors.

This job involves more than just word-for-word translation, since many words and phrases don’t have direct cognates. Translators have to use their knowledge of language to ensure the translated book retains the same tone as the original, making it a real art form. See tips on becoming a literary translator here.

Companies That Pay You to Read and Review Books

Woman typing on her laptop and holding a book.

Karolina Grabowska via Pexels

You won’t make a bundle writing book reviews for any of these companies, but it can be a steady way to earn some much-needed extra cash. Some require experience and an application process, while others are easier to get in on. Here are the details.

Pay rate: Not specified

BookBrowse asks that applicants have some experience in writing the types of reviews they’re looking for. Their website says reviewers write about one review a month for “a byline and modest payment.” See if BookBrowse is a good fit for you here.

Pay rate: $15 per review (~150 words)

Libraries depend on publications like Booklist to help them choose new additions to their shelves. The pay is low, but the reviews are also quite short and you’ll receive a byline credit. Learn more about writing for Booklist here.

Kirkus Reviews

Pay rate: $50 per review (~350 words)

Kirkus hires reviewers for Kirkus Indie, the book review magazine’s section dedicated to self-published authors. If you’re interested, find out more here.

Online Book Club

Pay rate: $5–$60 per review

For the first review, OnlineBookClub.org gives you the book for free. After that, you’re eligible for paid opportunities (which also include free books). Learn how the process works and apply to be a reviewer here.

Publishers Weekly

Pay rate: $25 per review (~200 words)

This publishing powerhouse looks for reviewers who can handle books across a wide array of subjects, from cookbooks to psychology, romance to sci-fi. Submit an application via their website to be considered for review gigs.

Do you know of other ways to get paid to read books? Come share your thoughts and ask for advice in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, 38 companies that hire former teachers in 2023 ..

If you'd love to get paid to read books all day long, check out these careers and side jobs in publishing and adjacent industries.

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55 Flexible and Lucrative Side Jobs for Teachers Who Want To Make Extra Money

Because we can all use some extra cash now and then. Continue Reading

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Extra Income Ideas

Get Paid to Read Books: 15 Top Companies for Book Reviewers

September 30, 2020 by Jane 15 Comments

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Do you enjoy reading books as a hobby? If so, you might be delighted to know you can get paid to read books!

If you can bury yourself in a book, reading it chapter after chapter, and can write an on-point book review, then this side hustle may be perfect for you.

This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn from qualifying purchases at NO extra cost to you.

How to become a book reviewer

Table of Contents

Right now, you’re probably asking: How do you become a book reviewer? Do you need to hold a specific degree or earn a particular certification? Do you even need training for it?

Fortunately, there’s not much that you need to become a book reviewer. First, you need to be a voracious reader. You must really love reading books. If you spend a good time in the library reading books or always made a point to visit the bookstore to check out books from your favorite author, then you’ll most likely qualify to become a book reviewer.

However, you also need to be a good writer. After reading the book, you will have to write a book review. You should be able to follow the guidelines of the editorial staff. Most editors are busy, so they’ll appreciate book reviewers who can create concise, onpoint, and objective perspectives about the book. Make sure not to give out spoilers or discuss the plot twists. Book Trust has a fantastic guide in writing book reviews here .

Additionally, having a sample book review, resume or CV, and website or blog link ready would be very useful when you’re hunting for book review gigs. Some companies require one or all of these, so it’s best to have them digitally stored when you apply. If you want to specialize in this niche, it’s a good to place all your book reviews in one place so that publishers and authors can easily see if you’re a good fit for them.

How much do book reviewers make?

Reading a book can take some time and writing a review will also require some effort and brain energy, so you’re probably wondering how much you can make as a book reviewer.

There is no standard rate for book reviewers. According to Career Trend , you may earn zero dollars plus a free book, or $300 per review from top publishers. Those who are employed full-time by a publisher can make a more predictable income.

So as you can see, being a book reviewer isn’t always lucrative, and it won’t promise steady income. It’s a good side hustle for people who enjoy reading books as a hobby, but it probably won’t pay your mortgage.

Most people who love reading books also love writing. If you also want to make money writing, I highly recommend starting your own blog! I make a full-time income from this blog and I can help you do the same! Check out this detailed, step-by-step guide on how to start a blog and make money from your blog as a beginner.

Top Publishers That Pay You For Book Reviews

Now let’s get down to the list of publishers that hire book reviewers, how much they pay, what they require, and what it’s like to work with them.

Related: 15 Inspiring Hobbies that Make Money

Online Book Club

One of the most popular book review sites is Online Book Club . Joining the Club is quite easy: just sign up and pick a book you’d want to read and review. The first review you write that’s accepted by the editorial staff isn’t paid, but all the subsequent book reviews will earn you somewhere between $5 to $60, plus a free copy of the book. Additionally, Online Book Club awards a $25 Amazon gift card for every 30 book reviews you write. .

Reedsy Discovery

If you want to get your hands on the best new books even before they hit the market, joining Reedsy Discovery will help you get paid to read books online. Reedsy has a massive library of books by self-published authors, so you’ll most likely to find books that you enjoy reading. You won’t get paid much, except for tips from authors ($1, $3 or $5). But as you build your reputation as a book reviewer, you can connect with authors directly for book review gigs.

Kirkus Media

Do you want to know how to become a book reviewer for Amazon? Join Kirkus Media! It is the prime source for book reviews for books that are sold on Amazon.

Kirkus Media is often hiring book reviewers, so it’s great to try your luck here before anywhere else. In your application, mention any relevant experience you have as that may increase your chance of being noticed.

Once you get in, you’ll have thousands of books from across genres that you can read and write a 350-word book review for. Details about the rates, however, are not specified on the site but you will get paid by check 60 days after your review is submitted and approved.

Book Browse

Book Browse is another legit company that hires people to read and review books. This company aims to help readers pick out the best books for them by publishing book reviews. If you’re wondering how you become a book reviewer for Book Browse, you’ll need to fill out a short online form and send them two sample book reviews. According to its website, Book Browse gives book reviewers a modest payment and a byline. However, most reviewers only get to review one book each month.

Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly is a weekly news magazine with a core focus on the publishing industry. The company has a long list of book genres that are open for book review including children’s books, mystery/thrillers, religion, lifestyle, and tnonfiction, from self-published as well as traditionally-published authors. To work with PW, you need to send your resume and a sample 200-word review. Book reviewers are paid an honorarium, but the amount is not disclosed publicly.

Any Subject Books

Any Subject Books is a book review website that aims to supply honest and objective book reviews to readers. To do this, the site provides a standard form that book reviewers need to fill in, evaluating the book’s style, characters, plot, etc. Any Subject Books is also generous in sending reviewers books in their desired genres. The deadlines for book reviews are mutually decided by the book reviewer and Any Subject Books, and payment varies accordingly.

UPDATE 2024: Anysubject.com is no longer available

Women’s Review of Books

If you love to read books written by women authors for women audiences, then it’s a great idea to work for Women’s Review of Books. Women’s Review of books has been around for the last three decades, reviewing a wide range of literary works, including poetry, fiction and memoirs, among others.

If you wish to apply, attach one of your best book reviews as a sample as well as your resume. You will be compensated with a PDF issue where your book review appears, one year subscription to their magazine and $100 for every successfully approved book review.

The U.S. Review of Books

Another reputable book review website is the U.S Review of Books . The company hires freelance book reviewers who can write professional objective reviews of their books. The U.S Review of Books has an extensive selection of books spanning different genres, and they’re looking for reviewers who can provide an honest yet objective critique aboutthe book, and not the author. Book reviews should be around 250-300 words and are formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style. Payment is not disclosed, but according to most sources, the company pays via check once a month.

Booklist Online

Booklist is owned by the American Review Association, striving to help readers pick the best books that are worth their time. There are over 8,000 books published on Booklist, so the magazine constantly hires book reviewers. Books are of a wide variety, including fiction, nonfiction and young adult. You can write a book a review of 175 words to 225 words, and receive $15 for every approved book review. Make sure to follow the editorial team’s guidelines for writing book reviews to make sure you don’t get rejected.

10. Writerful Books

Writerful Books works with authors and publishers seeking honest reviews of their work. As an author services company, they are constantly searching for book reviewers with unique and engaging voices to help with their growing list of titles.

Whether you’re into mystery, romance, fantasy, or non-fiction, you can choose the books that interest you the most and write reviews on them.

Writerful Books pays anywhere from $10 to $50 . If you consistently publish high-quality reviews for them, they may even reach out to you with more opportunities.

If you are interested in becoming a book reviewer for Writerful Books, it would be ideal to check out their website for more information on their guidelines.

11. Foreword Reviews

Foreword Reviews is a company that provides summaries and reviews written by independent authors and publishers. They boast of a team of professional reviewers who come from diverse backgrounds, including published authors, librarians, and teachers.

When you write for Foreword Reviews, you get to keep the books they send you. And here’s the best part—you have the freedom to choose the books you want to read and review. Foreword Reviews also offers a fair compensation of $55 per review. In addition to the pay rate, you have a whole month to complete each assignment.

You can apply by sending your application to their managing editor.

12. Book Tasters

Whether you are a seasoned reviewer or just starting out, BookTasters welcomes all book enthusiasts to join their community.

BookTasters already have over 5,000 readers on board, but they are in need of more to help authors improve their work.

To join BookTasters, you must have an Amazon Verified account and a Goodreads account. This is to ensure that you are a legitimate reader and have a platform to share your reviews. Once you have these accounts, you can go to the BookTasters website and sign up to become a reviewer . Browse through the available books and request to review the ones that interest you. If your request is approved, you will receive a digital copy of the book to read.

When you become a part of the BookTasters community, you’ll have the chance to participate in competitions and even win prizes.

13. eBookFairs

Another option on the list is eBookFairs. They have a program called Paid Book Reader where you can make money by writing reviews of the books featured on their website.

eBookFairs has a straightforward set of guidelines for book reviews. Book reviews need to be at least 200 words long and provide valuable feedback to authors. You can learn more about their guidelines here .

They also have specific rules in place for paying their reviewers. You can check out their site to see how much you can earn for each review and what steps you need to take to get paid.

14. Reader’s Favorite

Reader’s Favorite is a well-known book review and contest website that connects authors with book reviewers. They already have a team of over 1,000 reviewers, but they are always on the lookout for more professional and talented reviewers. If you have good writing skills and want to help readers and authors alike, then Reader’s Favorite is the perfect place for you.

Reader’s Favorite only accepts digital books for review. If you want to be a part of their team, you need to be willing to read and review books in digital format. However, the good thing is that you can earn money and even win cash prizes by simply reading and reviewing these books.

13. Tyndale Blog Network

Ever heard of My Reader Rewards Club ? It is a program run by the Tyndale Blog Network. This program is centered around a special rewards system where you can earn points by participating in different activities on the site. These include inviting a friend to join the program and sharing a link on Facebook.

At My Reader Rewards Club, you can also earn points by writing a review for a Tyndale or NavPress book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. You can earn up to 50 points in a month and these points can then be redeemed to snag more books from Tyndale’s collection.

If you’re interested in participating, you can find more information in the FAQ section on their website .

14. Blue Ink Review

Blue Ink Review is a reputable book review service that offers paid reviews to self-published authors and publishers. They are always looking for reviewers who have a strong command of the English language and can write honest and insightful book reviews.

The company also takes great care in matching the right book with the right reviewers, so choose a specific genre that you are knowledgeable of and passionate about. For instance, if you have a particular interest in science fiction, highlight this in your application. If accepted, you will be assigned books to review, typically in the genres you are interested in.

The compensation details are not mentioned, but if you wish to become a reviewer, make sure to read and understand their guidelines .

Upwork is a popular online platform where people can find jobs in many different industries. While Upwork is often associated with traditional freelance jobs like graphic design and virtual assistance, it may come as a surprise to learn that authors and publishers also post book review jobs on the platform. Here’s an example :

To get started, sign up as a freelancer on Upwork. In your profile, mention any relevant experience you have as a book reviewer. This could include writing book reviews for blogs, literary magazines, or other platforms. It’s also a good idea to show a portfolio of your work. This could include samples of your writing, such as book reviews or literary analyses. Once your account is set up, you can start bidding on book review projects that interest you.

The amount of money you can make by reviewing books on Upwork varies depending on the project and the client. Some clients pay reviewers on an hourly basis, while others pay per project completed. Successful reviewers may receive offers for long-term partnerships with authors or publishing companies.

Get Paid To Read Books: Is It Worth Becoming A Book Reviewer?

If you want to get paid to read books, you should first look at these nine places and see where you can possibly land a book review gig. Some of them pay more than the others, but of course, you also have to consider the selection of books they offer. You probably won’t enjoy reading memoirs if you love romance novels, right? To make your work as a book reviewer more pleasurable, try to find book reviewer jobs where you can get access to your favorite kinds of books.

All in all, working as a book reviewer is a great way to get paid to read books. You are not just enjoying your hobby, but getting paid for doing what you love. It isn’t very lucrative though, so it’s probably best to keep this as a side hustle and not your main source of income.

Have you tried working as a book reviewer? If so, how was your experience?

More Extra Income

for more money and frugal living tips!

Reader Interactions

Muhammad Ayyaz

August 06, 2021 at 11:52 am

I am a mechanical engineer I worked in a university as a mechanical engineer from 1981 to2019 so my interest is in mechanical technology. I am also a master in education from the University of Punjab Lahore Pakistan.

August 08, 2021 at 12:26 am

I’m interested in doing this. I love to read. I’m just not sure about my writing skills.

Donna Rice-Saffold

September 18, 2023 at 7:51 am

I like to read and am interested in a we ork from home advrnture. I sometime serve as a substitute teacher im my local school area and have grans who love to hear & read good stories.

November 25, 2023 at 4:03 pm

I am a CPA who loves to read. I was in a number of on line reading/book club groups when I was approached to write reviews after reading books sent to me. As these were advanced copies, I could not sell them, but was allowed to keep any and I generally chose which books I wished to read and review as well as which genres I was interested in There were deadlines for the reviews and the only payment I received was the free book. I did nothing to arrange this gig and loved doing it, allow eventually the deadlines interfered with tax season hours and I let the reviews end. Worthwhile? Yes. Better now though with payments for the reviews, but I would still do them, even just for the free books!

Ms. Amber Naz

March 15, 2024 at 9:16 pm

How to join this opportunity???

August 21, 2023 at 10:34 am

I’m interested in this

Tammy L Thompson

September 04, 2023 at 3:39 pm

Is this legitimate I mean the date says Jane 3rd?

March 14, 2024 at 12:16 pm

I love reading books and so interested to start writing reviews also ….

October 14, 2023 at 2:38 am

I am really interested in reading.

October 22, 2023 at 10:16 pm

Hi I am interested in reading a book.

Thobelani Nkomo

December 21, 2023 at 8:15 am

I’m up if you looking for someone

January 02, 2024 at 3:40 pm

Books have always been apart of me. I love that I can get lost in the story, escape yor troubles. I can’t wait to start.

Anusiya Kirubaharan

March 18, 2024 at 2:34 pm

I am available to read a book. A book review can be done. I am in Canada.

January 07, 2024 at 1:54 am

I am interested

March 20, 2024 at 6:24 am

Funny how people who say they want a gig reading do not read the article that tells them how to get a gig reading.

Latest from “Money”

14 Legitimate Sites to Get Paid to Read Books

By Caleb Reed
Updated: December 3, 2021

Disclaimer : This post may contain affiliate links . If you click on a link, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Are you interested in getting paid to read books? Believe it or not, there are several websites that will pay you to write honest reviews of the latest titles.

If you have a wonderful voice, you may even be able make money reading books aloud as an audiobook narrator.

According to Forbes , there are between 600,000 and 1,000,000 new books published each year in the United States alone. Considering this, the demand for book reviewers and narrators is higher than ever.

So, if you’re a bookworm, why not turn your favorite pastime into a side hustle? Whether you’re an avid reader of fiction or nonfiction books, there’s a website that will pay you to write reviews for them!

In this post, we’ll discuss the 14 best websites to get paid to read books, other ways to make money that involve reading, and much more.

How to Get Paid to Read Books

After doing some research, we have determined that the 14 companies listed below offer some of the best opportunities to monetize reading. Some of them pay you to write book reviews, while others will pay you to do things like read books aloud.

While the majority of them will pay you cash via PayPal, a few towards the end of our list will pay you in the form of free books.

1. Online Book Club

Online Book Club is a very popular book review website that was established more than 15 years ago.

With their platform, you can expect to earn $5 to $60 for each book review, depending on the book’s length, etc.

However, your first review will be unpaid but you will receive the book for free. This is their way of determining if you’re a good fit for their company.

To get started, all you have to do is create an account, pick the genre of books you’re interested in, and provide your PayPal information. Once you’re registered, you will be provided a list of books you can review.

If you don’t like a book you read, it’s important that you’re super honest. Online Book Club is looking for genuine and honest reviews and not just positive ones.

2. Kirkus Media

Get Paid to Read Books With Kirkus Media

Kirkus Media is a reputable and well-known American magazine that reviews over 10,000 books every year. In fact, if you have browsed Amazon for popular books, you most likely have seen Kirkus Review snippets in the descriptions.

To apply, you will need to submit your resume, a portfolio of your writing samples, and a list of book genres that you specialize in.

They are currently looking for experienced book reviewers to publish reviews of English and/or Spanish-language titles covering a wide-range of books in many different genres.

They also sometimes hire editors and copy editors as well, so you will have multiple opportunities to make money reviewing books.

As a book reviewer for Kirkus Media, you will be expected to submit a 350-word review within two weeks of being assigned a book.

3. Writerful Books

Writerful Books is an author services platform that provides freelance opportunities for book reviewers in all stages of their career, such as beta reading and book reviewing.

Contemporary titles by award-wining American, Canadian, British, Australian, Irish, and New Zealand authors are among the most reviewed. However, you can review any books you’re interested in

With Writerful, you will be paid $10 to $50 per book review depending on how in-depth they are. You will also receive a $100 Amazon gift card if you’re the reviewer who writes the highest quality reviews.

However, you won’t get paid when you’re just starting out so expect to put in a lot of time on their platform. Once you become an experienced and trusted reviewer with Writerful Books, they will begin paying you for your book reviews.

4. The U.S. Review of Books

The U.S. Review of Books is a very well-known newsletter that publishes thousands of reviews of books in all kinds of genres. As a result, they are always hiring freelance writers to write book reviews for their website.

To apply, all you have to do is email them your resume, sample work, and two professional references.

If you’re accepted, the process to start reviewing books is rather simple. When a new book is listed, you can request to read and review it.

Whether or not you’re assigned the book depends if you’re a good fit based on your background, interests, and experience.

Reviews are due within 2 to 3 weeks of being assigned a book. The reviews are expected to be right around 300 words and edited in Chicago style.

Reviewers get paid on the fifth day of each month via check for all reviews written and published the previous month.

5. Women’s Review of Books

Published by The Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College, the Women’s Review of Books is a prestigious and long-lasting publication that reviews books by and about women.

The type of books this publication reviews are memoirs by women, scholarly works, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

To be considered as a book reviewer, you will need to email them your resume, cover letter, and a sample of your published reviews.

It’s also beneficial if you’re academic, journalist or an experienced reviewer with several years of experience, as these are a majority of their contributors.

As a book reviewer for WRB, you can expect to earn up to $100 for each written and published review.

WRB will expect your reviews to be lively, thought-provoking, and appealing to a broad range of potential readers.

6. BookBrowse

BookBrowse is an online magazine for bookworms that publishes reviews and other information on fiction and nonfiction titles.

If you’re interested in being a reviewer for BookBrowse, you will need to fill out their joining form by providing basic information about yourself and 2 sample book reviews with a minimum of 300 words each.

Once you’re accepted, you can browse through a selection of titles to see which ones you’re interested in reading and reviewing.

Whichever book you’re assigned, you will be required to write an honest review of around 300 words. You will also be required to write a “beyond the book” article, in which you will talk about one aspect of the book you found very interesting.

As a book reviewer for BookBrowse, you can expect to be assigned a book to review once a month and sometimes every few weeks. You will be paid once a month and can earn up to $50 for each review.

7. Any Subject Books

Any Subject Books is a full-suite, self-publishing website that will pay you cash to review individual books.

As a reviewer, you will work on a book-by-book basis to provide in-depth reviews of new titles. Considering this, you won’t have to make any long-term commitments.

They also make sure you’re reviewing books in genres that you actually enjoy reading. To do so, they will give you an outline of what the book is about before you commit to reading and reviewing it.

Once you have written an honest and objective review, it will be given to the author and they may post it on their website. If they do, it can’t be doctored in any way.

They pay you will receive for each book review will depend on multiple factors, such as the book volume and the difficulty of the book.

Any Subject Books doesn’t always accept new applications from book reviewers. If that’s the case while you’re reading this, simply check again later.

8. Booklist Online

Published by The American Liberty Association, Booklist is a highly prestigious review journal for librarians, booksellers, and educators. They currently publish more than 7,500 reviews per year of books in all kinds of genres.

To keep up with this level of publishing, they are almost always hiring freelance book reviewers to write reviews on a book-by-book basis.

Booklist pays $15 for each review written and published. They even pay $5 for any review that is rejected.

Reviews are typically expected to be short (right around 175 words each) and written professionally. However, depending on the book and approval from the editor, they can be up to 225 words long.

These short reviews are why Booklist describes itself as “the haiku of book reviewing.”

If you’re going to apply to become a reviewer for Booklist, research their guidelines, have some of your previous book reviews on hand, and then contact a Booklist editor to submit an application.

9. Publishers Weekly

A weekly news magazine, Publishers Weekly focuses on international industry news, interviews, book reviews, and more across a wide variety of genres.

Their target audiences are authors, librarians, media, publishers, booksellers, and literary agents.

With that said, they are almost always looking for book and article reviewers. They also have a career page where they post job opportunities for copyeditors, proofreaders, designers, marketers, and more.

To write book reviews for Publishers Weekly, you will need to submit your resume, a work portfolio, and 200-word sample reviews of recently published titles.

If you’re hired, they will assign you one book at a time to read and review. As a reviewer, you will be paid an honorarium. However, Publishers Weekly doesn’t specify what amount this is on their website.

10. Audiobook Creative Exchange

Audiobook Creative Exchange of Amazon (ACX) is an online marketplace that connects authors and publishers with audiobook narrators. With that said, their platform is a great way to get paid to read books if you’re interested in reading them aloud.

The books you can narrate are from all different types of genres, which are sold on platforms like Audible, iTunes, Amazon, and more.

To get started, just sign up, create an account, upload a portfolio of a few samples, and start giving auditions for books you’re interested in reading.

As an audio narrator for ACX, you can set your own pre-determined hourly rate. However, you can expect to earn $150 to $250 per hour if you’re a very experienced narrator.

You will also have the opportunity to earn royalties when people buy the audiobooks you narrated through Amazon and other platforms.

11. NetGalley

NetGalley is quite different than the other book review websites on our list. This publishing company focuses on connecting book reviewers with authors and publishers to write reviews of books before they’re even published.

Whether you’re a blogger, librarian, bookseller, or even media professional, you’re welcomed to sign up and start earning money by writing book reviews.

The process is super simple. Authors and publishers put digital review copies of their books on Netgalley for reviewers to see.

Once you find a book you’re interested in, you can request to read, review, and even recommend it.

This is a win-win situation for both the reviewer and author. You get to read books free of charge and the authors are able to receive constructive criticism to make changes as needed before publishing their books.

The sign up process is super easy and 100% free. All you have to do is fill out a basic form and then start picking books to review.

12. Findaway Voices

Get Paid to Read Books With Findaway Voices

Very similar to Audiobook Creative Exchange of Amazon, Findaway Voices is also an online platform that connects authors with audiobook narrators.

With their platform, you can register for free as an audiobook narrator and create a portfolio to showcase your work. After doing so, you will be automatically recommended auditions for authors across the globe.

During your audition, you will record a section of their book, which should only take a few minutes. Depending on your performance, the author may or may not choose you to narrate their entire book.

So, before you start an audition, make sure you’re fully prepared to demonstrate your skills to their fullest extent.

As a narrator for Findaway Voices, you can expect to earn anywhere between $150 and $300 per hour spent narrating. However, Findaway Voices will take 20% of all profits.

13. Bethany House

Bethany House has been one of the top publishers that specializes in Christian books for more than 50 years.

Considering this, they are always looking for fans of Christian fiction and nonfiction titles to write reviews to help promote Christian authors and their books.

Aside from the plot synopsis, reviews are required to be a minimum of 75 words long. They will also expect you to publish your review on your blog and sites like Barnes & Noble.

To become a reviewer for Bethany House, you will need an understanding of the Bible, familiarity of The Chicago Manual of Style, and several years of experience as a book reviewer.

To apply, simply email them your resume and a cover letter. Be sure to include “Nonfiction Editor” in the subject line of your email to receive the quickest response.

14. Moody Press

Moody Press is a nonprofit publishing house that also specializes in fiction and non-fiction Christian titles and bible study resources.

Similar to Bethany House, while you won’t make money if you participate in their program, you will receive free copies of the books you review.

To apply, simply fill out and submit their online application. If you’re approved, you will be allowed to select one title at a time to review.

Once you’ve chosen, Moddy Press will send you the title within 7 to 10 days through the U.S. Postal Service Media.

You will be required to submit your review within 60 days of reading the book. Moody Press will also expect you to share your review on your blog and retailer sites like Amazon.

Other Ways to Make Money That Involve Reading

If you’re not interested in writing book reviews for these websites, there are several other ways you can make money that involve reading. Unlike book review websites, these jobs and side hustles will also offer the opportunity to earn a full-time income.

Proofreading or Copyediting

A job as a proofreader or copyeditor are both wonderful opportunities for anyone that loves to read.

Publishing houses, self published authors, magazines, websites, corporations, and anyone else who writes any kind of content for public consumption all need proofreaders and/or copyeditors.

Proofreading involves reviewing written content for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization errors. Considering this, to work as a proofreader, it’s important that you have an unbelievable attention to detail.

On the other hand, copyediting requires a bit more specialization than proofreading. While copyediting also involves fixing typos and other errors, copyeditors make very substantial edits.

As a copyeditor, you will address consistency, accuracy, structure, style, clarity, and logic of the written material.

Whether you work as a proofreader or copyeditor, you should consider getting certified. You should also consider completing proofreading and/or copyediting courses, which many universities offer.

With the rise of platforms like Audible, books and other written content are being increasingly consumed through audio. As a result, the audiobook narration industry has exploded and the demand for narrators is higher than ever.

With that said, if you have a wonderful voice, can speak very clearly and can perform in different voices, you can make good money as an audiobook narrator.

There’s also not many startup costs or ongoing expenses and you may even have the opportunity to work from home .

As an audiobook narrator, you will get paid to read books and other written material aloud from start to finish.

To work as a narrator, all you will need is a computer, microphone, pop filter, headphones, audio recording software, a quiet place to narrate, and an audio sample of your voice.

While you don’t need a background in voice acting, a professional home studio or even vocal training to work as an audiobook narrator, they can definitely help advance your career.

Translating

Are you fluent in more than one language? Job seekers and freelancers who possess the ability to communicate in multiply languages are sought-after for this highly in-demand skill.

Considering this, if you’re bilingual and love reading, a job as a translator may be a wonderful opportunity.

Authors and other writers are always trying to enter new markets to reach a larger audience. As a result, books in all genres and other written material are constantly being translated into a variety of languages.

To work as a translator, you will need a well-rounded understanding and be very fluent in the languages you’re translating.

Depending on what material you’re working with, you may also need to have understanding of slang, idioms, terminology, and more to provide the best translating services possible.

You may even want to consider a degree in whichever language you’re fluent in. You can also consider getting certified with the American Translators Association .

Blogging About Books

If you’re interested in starting your own blog and are an avid reader, you should consider creating a blog about books.

Not only will you have the freedom to review any book you want, you will have the potential to make far more than you will reviewing books for any of the websites mentioned above.

As a book blogger, you can make money through affiliate marketing , display advertisements, partnerships, and even selling your own digital product like an ebook or a digital course.

However, blogging is a long-term money-making strategy. It will take several months of hard work to see a profit. But if you’re committed, consistent, and patient, you can make a lot of money in the long run.

Here are a few awesome book review blogs for motivation:

John Pistelli
Literary Hub
A Life in Books

Get Paid to Read Books FAQs

Here are answers to a few frequently asked questions about getting paid to read books:

How Much Do Book Readers Get Paid?

With the book review websites mentioned above, you can expect to earn anywhere between $5 to $60 for each book you review.

However, if you get a job that involves reading such as narrating audiobooks, you can easily make a full-time living.

Can You Make a Living Reading Books?

While these book review websites are all a great way to monetize reading in your spare time if you’re an avid bookworm, you shouldn’t expect to make a full-time living writing reviews for them.

Although, as mentioned above, you can definitely make a living with a job that involves reading. A list of good jobs that involve reading are provided below.

What Job Can I Get if I Like Reading?

If you’re an avid reader, there are several jobs you can get that include reading.

Here is a list of some of the best:

Proofreader
Book publisher
Book scouter
Content writer

How do I Get a Career Out of Reading?

To get a career out of reading, first spend some time researching jobs available that involve reading. Once you have a good idea of what’s out there, consider your interests and what you would enjoy doing most.

For example, if you also enjoy writing, you should consider a job as an editor, copywriter, technical writer or even blogger.

If you enjoy listening to books on Audible, you should consider a job as a narrator. If you enjoy teaching, you should consider a job as an academic.

Whatever you enjoy doing, there’s a wonderful job out there that involves reading!

Lastly, you should also consider getting a degree in English or a related field. Having a degree will definitely help you advance your career.

Final Thoughts on Getting Paid to Read Books

There you have it, the 14 best websites you can use to get paid to read books. Most of them allow you to read and write your reviews in your spare time, making them a great side hustle for anyone that likes to read in their pastime.

While you won’t get rich, they’re all a wonderful way to monetize reading if you’re an avid bookworm.

However, if you’re interested in a full-time job that includes reading, you can consider a career as a typist , proofreader, editor, narrator, translator, researcher, freelance content writer, and much more.

You can also consider becoming a publisher, opening your own book store, or even starting your own blog about book reviews.

Once you figure out how you want to make money that involves reading, do some research to determine the next steps you need to take. With a bit of action, you’re sure to succeed!

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About caleb reed.

How to Get Book Reviews in 5 Steps (2024 Update)

About ricardo fayet.

Reedsy co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Ricardo Fayet is one of the world's leading authorities in marketing indie books. He is a regular presenter at several prestigious writers' conferences, where his unique personal style has made him an instantly recognizable figure.

Imagine the day of your book launch. You’re sitting in front of your computer, blissfully imagining all the five-star book reviews that will soon be yours. Yet the days pass... and the reviews don't come.

Needless to say, you'll want people to buy and read your book ASAP so they can leave you some good reviews. But you may see the Catch-22 here: in order to make your first sales, you’ll need to display positive book reviews. So how do you get the chicken before you’ve got the egg (or vice versa)?

Enter book bloggers , who are your new best friends! For this post, we asked our top Reedsy publicists to share their best tips on how to get book reviews from book bloggers — and we've condensed their advice into these five essential steps, plus a few bonus tips at the end.

You can also check out this Reedsy Live on how to get your first book reviews, with advice from author and book marketer Debbie Drum.

Those who prefer their tips in written form, let's dive right in with the very first step of the review acquisition process!

1. Identify your audience

A quick preliminary note: you want to start the review-gathering as early as possible. If you can, plan your book review campaign 4-6 months in advance of your publication date. Because if you want your reviews to be in place by then, you’ll need to give people time to actually write them!

Now, using the "5 W’s of Storytelling," let's talk about the first thing you should be asking yourself: who? Who will be reading your book, and who is best positioned to promote it to that audience? The following tips will help you answer these questions.

Build a questionnaire

Here are a few more specific queries to help you clarify your "who":

Who reads in my genre?
What magazines, websites, forums, or blogs do they frequent?
Where might they find reviews of my book that will entice them to buy it?

Indeed, publicist Jessica Glenn recommends building a full-length questionnaire to identify your audience and where you might find them on the Web (or in real life!).

“Most, if not all, publicists and publishers send authors a very long questionnaire to fill out when they start their marketing plan ,” she says. “That's so we can dig into any useful piece of bio, community, or regional info to figure out who and why people will be interested in your book.”

Your questionnaire will direct you to your target audience and help you create a proto-persona. This is the "ideal reader" of your book, so to speak — a perfect blend of the traits you'd expect them to have. (For example, if you've written a YA paranormal romance novel, your proto-persona might be a 14-year-old girl who's obsessed with Twilight .) And whoever they are, you'll keep them in mind every time you make a marketing decision.

Think about comp titles

Another great way to get a handle on your target audience is to figure out your comparative titles — books that are a) similar to yours and b) share the same general readership. When pitching to book reviewers, these are the titles you'll use to sell your own book . For instance, "My book is Normal People meets The Incendiaries ."

According to Jessica, you should have at least 15 potential comp titles for your book, ideally a mix of bestsellers and well-reviewed indie titles. “Many first-time authors balk at this," says Jessica, "as they believe there is no true comp for their book — but dig deep and you'll find them!”

Comp titles are critical because they act as a compass, pointing you towards a ready-made audience that enjoys works in the same mold as yours. This is a huge help in determining your target readers, as well as which reviewers will cater to them. Speaking of which...

2. Find relevant book blogs

Now that you’ve got a strong sense of your audience, you're ready to find blogs that will provide the best exposure to that audience. We recommend starting with our directory of 200+ book review blogs , but feel free to do your own research as well!

As you dig into book review blogs, check on these two things first:

Is the site active? Has the blogger published a post within the last month or so?
Are they currently accepting queries? If they're closed at the moment, it could be months before your book gets a review — if at all.

And if you want to confirm your book marketing strategy when it comes to book review blogs, we recommend first taking this quick quiz below!

Which book review site is right for you?

Find out here! Takes one minute.

Once you've confirmed that a book review blog is both active and open to queries, think about whether it's right for your book. Here are some important factors to consider:

Genre . Don't waste your time on blogs that don't review books in your genre. "Be very mindful of a publication’s particular audience and target market when pitching for review. If their readership is science-fiction, do not pitch a commercial crime novel!” says publicist Hannah Cooper .
Traffic . High-traffic book blogs might seem like your highest priorities, but this isn’t necessarily true. “Don't shy away from the smaller blogs,” says publicist Beverly Bambury . “They can sometimes foster a real sense of community and starting off small is just fine."
Posting frequency. Another consideration is how often the blogger in question actually publishes reviews. Too often, and your book will get lost in the shuffle; too seldom, and they're likely to lose readers. Try to strike a balance with about 1-2 reviews per week — no decent reviewer can turn them out faster than that, anyway!

Track down your comp titles' reviewers

Remember those comp titles you came up with earlier? You can use them not only to pitch your book, but also to find potential reviewers , as they will correspond perfectly with your genre and target audience.

“Once you have your 15-or-so comps, you can research where each book has been reviewed,” says Jessica. “With luck, you will find at least a couple of book reviews per title, which will give you many more outlets to investigate further.”

Now, as an author, you might be wondering: “How can I begin to find all the places where a given book was reviewed?” Don’t forget the power of Google! Try searching the following terms to find reviews for a given title:

[Title] + book review
[Title] + review
[Title] + Q&A

And here's one last tip to give you a boost — sign up for a "Mention" account and/or set up Google alerts to get a notification every time these titles appear online.

Once you’re armed with a bundle of suitable book review blogs, you've arrived at the third (and perhaps most crucial) step in this process. This is, of course, creating the pitches you'll send to reviewers.

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3. Write pitches for them

Pitching a reviewer is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is a) keep it short, and and b) personalize it as much as possible. However, before we get to our publicists’ actionable tips on pitching, there’s one more thing that you absolutely HAVE to do. And that thing is...

Read the review policy!

Before you pitch any blog, make sure you read the blogger’s review policy. Some blogs will have a form to fill out; others might ask you to email them directly. Still others might not welcome any queries from self-published authors . Whatever they say, make sure that you follow it to a T.

“There are two main benefits to reading and following the review policies closely,” says Beverly. “First, you show the reviewer that you respect and appreciate them when you follow their instructions. This is important when asking someone to do you a favor.

"Second, you may find that even if the site is closed for review queries, it's open to publicity queries — where you might be able to place an excerpt or do a Q&A or occasional blog post. You'll never know if you don't take the time to read the review policy first.”

More tips for pitching reviewers

Now that you’re clear on what the blogger wants, you can start pitching them with confidence. Here are three more key tips for pitching book reviewers:

1. Never send out bulk pitches. "When you pitch each outlet individually, specifically write that you read their positive book review of your comp and what that comp title was,” says Jessica Glenn. Or if you didn't find them through a comp title, mention other aspects of their blog and why you think they would be great to review your book!

2. Be concise and direct. “Include your title, publisher, date of release, and genre in the first paragraph,” notes Beverly Bambury. “Then you might want to include the cover copy or a brief description of the book. Finally, be direct and ask for what you want. If you want a review, ask for it! If you want an excerpt placed, ask for that.”

3. Appeal to their commercial side. “All reviewers want the opportunity to discover the next 'big thing’ — particularly with fiction — so make them feel as though they have the opportunity to get the word out first," says Hannah Cooper. Indeed, if you can convince a reviewer that you are doing them a favor, you're practically guaranteed to get a review.

Basically, try to get reviewers to think, “Oh, if I enjoyed [comp title], I’ll enjoy this person's book too,” or “They've done the research to know that I’m a good fit for their book.” If you can do that, you’re already much closer than everyone else to obtaining high-quality book reviews !

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4. Send out your book

This is the step before the moment of truth (the review itself), so it's extremely important to get everything right. To ensure you're complying with each reviewer's guidelines, review their policy again before you send them your book. Some bloggers might prefer digital copies of manuscripts, while others might want a physical ARC — be prepared to accommodate.

Also, as you begin sending your book to various outlets, you should track your progress in a spreadsheet. Record which blogs you’ve submitted to so far, which blogs have responded, and which blogs you plan to submit to, so you don't accidentally double-submit or skip over anyone.

Formatting your book

Other than double-checking the review policy, the most important thing to do here is to format your book in a professional manner . After all, you want the presentation of your content to match the quality! Even though it shouldn't technically matter, reviewers will definitely judge your book by how it looks, inside and out.

The good news for self-formatters that you probably won't need to send physical proofs, and ebooks are much easier to format than hard copies. Digital copies also cost next-to-nothing to produce, so you can easily send multiple copies of your book out to different reviewers. You may want to check out apps like Instafreebie and Bookfunnel , which make it easy to generate individual ARC download links that you can send to the reviewers.

Pro tip : If you’re searching for a good book production tool, Reedsy Studio can format and convert your manuscript into professional EPUB and print-ready files in a matter of seconds!

5. Follow up after a week

A week or more has passed since you queried a book blog, and so far… crickets. What do you do now? Why, follow up, of course!

When it comes to this stage, keep calm and follow Hannah Hargrave’s advice: “Don't bother reviewers for an answer daily. I will usually chase again after a week has passed.

"If you receive a decline response, or no one responds to your third chase-up, assume this means they are not interested. Any further follow-ups, or aggressive requests as to why your work's not being reviewed, will not be viewed kindly. Above all, be polite and friendly at all times.”

That said, someone rejecting your book for review is a worst-case scenario. Best-case scenario, the blogger responds favorably and you’ve bagged yourself a review!

What comes next, you ask?

The reviewer will post their review of your book on their blog — and on Amazon, Goodreads, and any other platforms that they’ll name in their review policy. This is yet another reason why it's vital to read that policy carefully, so you know exactly where the review will be seen.

If all goes well, the reviewer will publish a positive review that you can use to further promote your book. Maybe you'll even get a decent pull-quote for your book description ! Not to mention that if you ever write a sequel, you can almost certainly count on them for a follow-up review.

Pro-tip: Want to write a book description that sells? Download this free book description template to get a headstart.

FREE RESOURCE

Book Description Template

Learn to write a book description that will make readers click “buy.”

But what if you don't get any bites from book bloggers, or — horror of horrors — one of them gives you a negative review? Fortunately, the next two sections should help you deal with each of these possible dilemmas.

Bonus ways to get book reviews

Though book bloggers are the most reliable and professional source of reviews for independent authors, you may want to try other avenues to maximize your chances! Here are three more ways to get book reviews for your work, so you can bolster your Amazon profile and start making some serious sales.

1. Tell your followers about your book

Though Amazon prohibits reviews from close friends and family , you're free to tell your random social media followers about your book and hope they leave good reviews. It obviously helps if you have a large following on Twitter or Instagram, even more so if some of those followers are fellow authors who appreciate the significance of reviews.

That said, NEVER offer "review swaps" or any kind of promotional enticement for customers to leave reviews, as this would also be against Amazon's terms. Simply let your followers know you've got a book out and that you'd love for them to read it; the rest is in their hands. However, when it comes to reviews, any amount of awareness is better than none.

2. Submit to Reedsy Discovery

Finally, for a professional review option that's a bit less time-and-effort-consuming on your part, you can submit your book right here on Reedsy Discovery! The platform allows authors to share their books with readers who are right up their alley, plus get the chance to be reviewed by one of our Discovery writers. If they leave a good review, you'll be featured in our newsletter, which goes out to thousands of subscribers every week.

Sounds pretty sweet, right? And it only takes a few minutes to submit .

Is your book ready for Discovery?

Take our quiz to find out! Takes only 1 minute.

How to deal with negative reviews

Once your work is out there in the world, you can’t control other people’s reactions to it. “Remember, by submitting your book for review, you're accepting that some people might not enjoy it,” says Hannah Hargrave. “It can be very tough after you’ve spent months or years crafting your novel, only for some reviewer to tear it apart. But you need to be prepared."

In that vein, here are some final tips on how to deal with bad reviews:

1. Have someone else read them first . This might be your agent, your friend, or your mom — anyone you trust to pre-screen your reviews. They can inform you whether each negative review is a worthwhile (if humbling) read, or just too nasty to stomach.

2. Ignore unreasonably hateful reviews . Easier said than done, yes, but really try to tune out these people! For example, if they're clearly not your target audience, but insist on pretending like they are. Or people who pick apart your sentences word-by-word, just for the "fun" of it. There's no sense in agonizing over readers who are determined to hate you, so block them on every platform and refuse to read anything else they write.

3. Address valid criticisms . You're only human, and your book won't be perfect. If someone points this out in a constructive way , acknowledge it and do what you can to fix it. This may be as simple as editing a misleading blurb, or as complex as restructuring your entire series. But if you're the author we know you are, you'll be up to the task.

Every author's book is different, but the process for getting book reviews is reassuringly universal. To recap: identify your audience, find relevant blogs, pitch them, send out your book, and don't forget to follow up! On top of that, feel free to try alternative strategies, and remember not to take the bad reviews too personally.

Yes, marketing a book may be madness, but the process of getting reviews lends method to that madness. So go forth and get your reviews — you deserve them! 🙌

Special thanks to book publicists Jessica Glenn , Hannah Hargrave , Hannah Cooper , and Beverly Bambury for their input and suggestions throughout this article. If you have any more questions about how to get book reviews, let us know in the comments!

2 responses

Elena Smith says:

25/09/2018 – 22:33

Excellent Write up. I have thoroughly gone through the article and according to my personal observations you have done a great job writing this Article.Being associated with writing profession, I must mention that AcademicWritingPro are quite helpful nowadays.Furthermore, quality is also an important aspect.

Team Golfwell says:

11/12/2018 – 05:38

We do free book reviews if your book interests us. We are a group of retired people in New Zealand who play golf, read books, write books, and do free book reviews if we like your book. We write books too, so we like to see what other authors are currently doing and it is amazing to see what writers are creating. We try to post our reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble and our social media. See our book review page for more info > > https://www.teamgolfwell.com/free-book-reviews.html #bookreviews #kindlebookreviews #amazonbookreviews #indiebookreviews https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4ad92dde2f70456000bf5c44af3489ee638dae511be91f7b8cb1545acb388cdb.jpg

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For a more in-depth look at reviewing for , including some answers to questions we commonly get from prospective reviewers, tune into this recorded webinar (approximately one-hour long):

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Books aren’t read in a vacuum, so a review is most useful when it is written with an understanding of the book world and in the context of U.S. and Canadian libraries. How does this title stand in a field of similar books, within its genre, or in comparison to the author’s other work? Is this a debut or Own Voices author?

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Please fill out this new reviewer , and indicate your areas of interest. Your application will be directed to the appropriate editor in Adult Books, Books for Youth, or Audio. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we cannot respond to every application.

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Review options, kirkus indie, get reviewed. get discovered., the most trusted voice in book reviews since 1933, why kirkus.

As an unpublished or self-published author, it can be a relentless struggle to attract a significant amount of attention to your book or manuscript. By purchasing a Kirkus indie review, authors can have the opportunity to build some name recognition and get noticed by agents, publishers and other industry influencers. Kirkus has been an industry-trusted source for honest and accessible reviews since 1933 and has helped countless authors build credibility in the publishing realm ever since. Browse through some of our author success stories, and get a glimpse of what exactly an indie review from Kirkus can do for you.

Our indie reviews are written by qualified professionals, such as librarians, nationally published journalists, creative executives and more. While we do not guarantee positive reviews, unfavorable reviews can be taken as valuable feedback for improvements and ultimately do not have to be published on our site. With our most popular review option priced at $450, you can receive an affordable book review that could generously boost your writing career. Get started by following the steps below:

Request review

Click the "Get Started" link above, select your review option and pay for your review. When you submit your order, you’ll get an email from the Kirkus Indie team confirming receipt of your request.

Submit manuscript

After you place your order, you will be directed to a page with simple instructions to send us your book or manuscript.

Stand by while we review your book

Upon receipt of your book or manuscript, our editor will assign your project to a qualified reviewer who will read the complete book and write a full review. Our reviewers include librarians, business executives, journalists from national publications, PhDs in religion and literature, creative executives in entertainment and publishing industries as well as other professional reviewers.

Download review

Kirkus Indie will email you a link to your author dashboard when your review is ready. Simply click the link and download your review directly from our site.

Keep your review private or publish it for free on Kirkus.com

You may choose to publish your review on KirkusReviews.com where it can be discovered by industry influencers, agents, publishers and consumers. If it is a negative review, you can request that it never see the light of day by simply not publishing it on our site.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to my author dashboard? -

Click here to go to MY PROFILE

Will anyone see my review if it’s bad? -

If you receive a negative review, you can choose NOT to publish your review and it will never see the light of day.

What happens after I publish my review? -

After reading your review, you will be able to publish it on Kirkus.com simply by clicking a button. At that point, the review will be considered for publication in Kirkus Reviews magazine and in our email newsletter, which is distributed to more than 50,000 consumers and industry professionals.

How do you choose a reviewer? -

A Kirkus editor analyzes your book and considers elements such as content, style, genre, and sub-genre. We then match your book with a reviewer who is a content and genre expert, has experience with similar styles, and enjoys books like yours.

Since I'm paying for the review, will it be positive? -

Kirkus Indie reviewers are experienced professionals who honestly and impartially evaluate the books they receive. The resulting reviews can be positive—even earning a Kirkus Star, one of the industry's most revered designations—negative, or anywhere in between. What we do guarantee is a fair, unbiased assessment of your work and its potential in the marketplace. No matter the outcome, you will have the option of keeping the review private and simply using the assessment as feedback to improve your craft. Otherwise, you can publish the review and use it to market your book to consumers or to catch the attention of a literary agent or publisher.

Does my book’s publication date affect my ability to get a review? -

In the interest of introducing consumers and industry influencers to self-published books they might otherwise never discover, Kirkus Indie does not put any restrictions on publication dates for submissions. You may order a review for a book that's been on the market for 10 years or for a book that doesn't even have a publication date yet.

How does Kirkus decide which Indie reviews get published in the magazine and in the email newsletter? -

Our editors select about 40 reviews to feature in each issue of the magazine, which we publish twice a month. The selections are 100 percent at the editors' discretion, and they typically choose the strongest reviews in a variety of genres. They also choose one Indie review to feature in each edition of our email newsletter, which is distributed each week to more than 50,000 industry influencers and consumers.

How much summary will be in my review? -

Summary content is a fundamental element of Kirkus' reviews, because Kirkus aims to help consumers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, agents, movie producers, and other influencers discover new books and authors. To achieve that goal, we offer enough summary content to give context to our criticism and help readers decide if the book will be of interest to them. Across all sections of our magazine, our reviews include significant summary content as well as professional opinion-based analysis of the work.

Will it hurt my chances of getting a positive review if I publish exclusively in e-book format? Also, will a cover design, marketing plan, or any other collateral information affect my review? -

No. Our professional reviewers assess merit based on the value of the content and reading experience alone.

How do I know if my book received a Kirkus Star? -

If you choose to publish your review on the Kirkus website, you will see whether your book earned a Kirkus Star. If your book does receive a Star, it will immediately be eligible for the Kirkus Prize.

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Please submit a final version of your manuscript when placing your order. We will not be able to accommodate any manuscript changes once the book has been submitted.

My book is intended for a niche audience. Will that affect my chance of getting a positive review? -

No. We will assign your book to a qualified, professional reviewer who will assess the work's value to an audience who may be interested in reading your particular type of book. Our editors go to great lengths to match each submission with a reviewer who has deep experience or expertise with the book's genre.

Who is reviewing my book? -

Kirkus Indie works with approximately 200 reviewers. They include experienced professional writers, journalists, and academics in a variety of fields. Our editors assign titles based on a reviewer's professional experience, expertise, and reading interests, and they also consider elements such as content, style, genre, and sub-genre. We then match your book with a reviewer who is a content and genre expert, has experience with similar styles, and enjoys books like yours.

When will I receive my review? -

We calculate our due dates based on the date we receive your submission. If you order standard service, the review will be returned within 7-9 weeks of the date we receive your submission. If you order express service, you will receive the review within 4-6 weeks of the date we receive your submission. After we receive your submission, we will email you to confirm receipt and confirm your due date.

What genres, formats and languages do you accept for review? -

In our Indie program, Kirkus reviews everything from poetry and genre fiction to religious studies and specialized how-to books. We will assign your book to a qualified, professional reviewer who will assess the work's value to an audience who may be interested in reading your particular type of book. Our editors go to great lengths to match each submission with a reviewer who has deep experience or expertise with the book's genre.

Does Kirkus Indie review audiobooks? -

Our professional reviewers assess merit based on the value of the content and reading experience alone, so we do accept books in e-book format. However, we do not review audiobooks in any format at this time.

Does Kirkus Indie review foreign-language books? -

We review Spanish-language books, but we do not offer reviews of books in other languages at this time.

I'm not self-published, but my book did not get reviewed by Kirkus prior to publication. May I purchase a review through the Indie program? -

Yes. Even if you are not self-published, you may order a review through the Indie program. This is common for authors whose publishers missed the galley submission deadline, whose books did not fall into the categories reviewed through our traditional program, or whose books simply weren't slated for review due to the volume of submissions our editors receive.

How should I format my manuscript before submitting it? -

We will accept PDF and Word documents with any formatting. Formatting does not affect the result of the review, but here are our preferences:

Font: 12-point Times New Roman
Margins: 1 inch all around
Spacing: 1.5- or double-spaced
Page numbers: Bottom of page, centered

Please be sure to submit a polished, final version of your book (including illustrations, if applicable). Our reviewers will treat any title they receive as a finished work.

I have a series of books. Should I start by having the first book in the series reviewed, even if it is not my most recent title? -

We strongly recommend that authors submit the first title in a given series so that our Indie reviewers can have the full context for the story or subject matter.

I want to place an order for a second review. Can I request to have the same reviewer read my second book? -

Yes. If you were pleased with your first review, you may request to have the same reviewer read your next book. However, we can't guarantee that the same reviewer will be available.

My review refers to a previous title of mine and not the work in question. -

It is Kirkus’ editorial style to refer to an author's previous work. We include this information to give readers additional context.

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This site is secure for credit card payments. We prefer to process orders online to support an efficient workflow process. If you must pay by check or money order, however, you may email [email protected] for instructions.

I would like to have my review posted to Amazon and Barnes & Noble. How do I do it? -

It will also be included in our content feeds, which are sent to more than 20 licensees, such as BN.com, Google Books, Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and more. (Please note that the review will only appear on sites where your book is available.) Reviews are sent to the BN.com within two weeks of their publication on the Kirkus website; however, BN.com controls exactly when and if the review is published on their site. To post the review on Amazon, please contact an Amazon representative directly.

How do I excerpt lines from my review? -

According to the Excerpting Policy : all reviews acquired through the Kirkus Indie program must be published in their entirety on Kirkus.com before any portion of the reviews are published (online or in print) for any use. For a full list of our excerpting guidelines, click here.

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Top 10 Paid Book Review Sites That Can Springboard Your Career

by admin | Oct 25, 2017 | Uncategorized | 10 comments

Reviews are a crucial part of an author’s book marketing strategy. In today’s digital age it has become quite common for readers to post book reviews on sites. These include Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. However, there are still a lot of authors who scramble for professional reviews from credible sources. For this reason, many successful authors have utilized paid book review sites at some point in their career. It might be hard to believe with all of the criticism surrounding paid book reviews, but it’s a fact!

10 Paid Book Review Sites

New authors, indie authors in particular, depend on paid book reviews to spread the word about their books. Because it is much more difficult for indie authors to get noticed, paid book review sites can be appealing. If you are a newbie and are struggling to organically attract the interest of popular reviewers, ChatEbooks suggest that you invest in the following paid book review sites to help you get the word out.

1. Kirkus Indie Reviews

One of the more popular paid book review sites online, Kirkus is known for using professional reviewers. Because of their reputation, they are able to charge authors as much as $500 for 250-word book reviews (librarians, journalists, business executives, etc.) with a turnaround time of seven to nine weeks. When using Kirkus, you are primarily paying for the name that the brand brings to the table.

Opinions surrounding this book review site vary. However, they do provide a relatively cheap $69 review package designed to deliver quick exposure. With a decent social media following, SPR delivers when it comes to speed, cost and marketing opportunities.

3. BestThrillers

Authors looking for a keen eye that understands thriller and mystery will appreciate this website. BestThrillers not only offer free book reviews. They also offer $99 paid review services that posts reviews on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. This site specializes in providing book reviews for the thriller and mystery genre.

4. IndieReader

An established online resource for indie authors, IndieReader claims to be the most cost-effective of paid book review sites around. Their current rate is $100 for a 300-word review. The website’s reviewers have a concise understanding of the industry which in turn empowers them to provide very constructive criticism.

5. Foreword Reviews

Foreword has a firm foundation and a solid reputation when it comes to paid book review sites. Their service is reliable and their website is busy but also clean. The only downside is that they don’t offer many extras, especially with regards to marketing and exposure.

6. ReaderViews

ReaderViews has a variety of reviewing service packages that are designed to appeal to authors with budgetary constraints. Expect to spend between $119 and $499 for book reviews, many of which are posted to audience-specific websites.

7. RT Book Reviews

This site’s lofty $425 price tag for book reviews might scare some people away. However, this magazine has been around since the 1980s and is therefore a name that people know and trust. RT Book Reviews carry weight because they are written by accredited and trusted reviewers.

paid book review sites Publishers Weekly

8. Publishers Weekly

Once you register your book with this website, you can sign up and pay for a variety of services in addition to book reviews. Publishers Weekly tends to excel when it comes to marketing. They feature their book reviews in their magazine, newsletters, and social media channels.

9. Net Galley

You will spend $399 to get professional readers to not only read your book but to review and recommend it from one location. Book reviews can come from bloggers, booksellers, librarians and even professional book reviewers. You have to first pitch your book to these professional readers before you can receive the book reviews you desire.

10. BlueInk Review

This service favors books whose publication has been achieved in part through the efforts and financial contributions of the author. They favor indie authors and accept submissions from outside the United States. Expect to spend an estimated $500 for fast track (4 to 5 weeks) book reviews.

A word of caution- Do NOT use paid book review sites that you haven’t first investigated and done your due diligence. Book reviews from websites with a bad reputation could actually do more harm than good to your credibility as an author. So take the time to explore every single book review website that piques your interest before trusting it with your book.

User Review

10 comments.

I recently had “KindleBook Review post their comments on a work of mine and though I didn’t agree with the general critique of one reviewer, I found their reviews (two of them) to be objective and well considered.

Recommendation

I am a veteran author with several romance novels to my credit. Recently, I tried https://usabookreviewers.com and I must say that I am impressed with their services. I received 20+ in-depth reviews for my book and I am more than pleased !

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (4) No

It is so difficult for new authors to get noticed, whether they’ve written a traditionally published book or through a publisher like Lulu or Amazon. I’m hesitant to use a paid book review site, but it’s better than paying for someone to give you a positive view (that’s as sketchy as it gets). I think the best way would be to solicit reviewers who might be interested in your book.

Wow, I actually didn’t know about this. Though I haven’t any current plans to write a book as of the moment, it’s still at the back of my mind and I think about it from time to time. This will definitely come in handy when the time comes. I think it would be justifiable if the site prices more than others, if they do delivery more valuable service! It would also help that we actually find others with huge influence or social media following (with a good reputation of course) to read our book. That’s what they always say, when you a good network, you can go places!

oh I’m so glad I found this post. I didnt know about these services. Im definitely going to check them all out and see what I can afford. Super excited about this!! Bookmarked it!

Yeah I wouldnt want a paid positive review I would want my reviews to be genuine which I believe these sites do. Ive heard of a few of them and they seem legit to me.

[https://usabookreviewers.com] is the main reason that I had over two hundred ratings and a hundred and fifty reviews on Goodreads on Risuko’s publication date.

Second Opinion

A colleague of mine suggested finding a few different places and getting my book reviewed because it’s always good to have a second opinion. I’m just really afraid of what they might say about my book because even I don’t think it’s that good. Everyone else has told me it’s great though so I don’t know if they’re just being nice or I’m being too hard on myself.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No

Perfect Timing

I wrote a short story that I have been looking to get reviewed so this is perfect timing! I am going to check into each one of these places, most sound like exactly what I was looking for which is great. Thanks for this list of honest review sites. They are hard to find online since so many places want to scam you.

Great, but what if.....

I have just had my 5th book released and, for the first time, am being more serious at promoting and marketing my work. I researched quite a boat load of reviewers willing to review my book for free (most obtained from Goodreads.com). The reason for this decision was made because, being retired on a limited income, I simply cannot afford the fees charged by services like those listed here, and others I found online.

This seems to be the hardest hurdle for authors I have encountered — having the financial resources to devote to promotion/marketing. Thankfully I entered into writing without any delusions of making a large number of sales. My main aim is to endeavor to have as many people simply pick up my books to read because they sound interesting. So I do as much online promo as possible without draining my bank.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (1) No

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The Salt Flats by Rachelle Atalla review – risk-taking and unsettling speculative fiction

The third novel from the Scottish-Egyptian writer of The Pharmacist documents the fall-out among a group in search for spiritual enlightenment

The Salt Flats

One of the great joys of speculative fiction is that it can tackle big themes without being as hamstrung by the minutiae of the everyday world as so-called realism. This week we have two cracking books that fall into this category, novels that create vivid, off-kilter worlds that live long in the memory.

First up is Rachelle Atalla’s The Salt Flats . This is the third novel from the Scottish-Egyptian writer, following on from the highly acclaimed The Pharmacist and last year’s Thirsty Animals . Both those books demonstrated a writer willing to take risks in form and subject matter, and the same goes for The Salt Flats , a kaleidoscopic novel set in a remote wellness retreat nestled in the eponymous flats in the middle of the Bolivian wilderness.

A cast of half a dozen have been attracted to the retreat on the promise of working with mysterious shaman Oscar in an attempt to cure various ills. The story is told between Scottish couple Martha and Finn, whose marriage is failing and whose communication has seemingly disintegrated. They both have different reasons for being there, different hopes and expectations, and this initial conflict drives the early part of a compulsive narrative.

Joining them are a young British couple and an older American husband and wife, all six of them gently amused initially, but then more troubled as Oscar’s ceremonies and instructions get more extreme and sinister. After a drug-induced ritual goes badly wrong, those remaining have to reassess their situation and try to work together to stay alive.

All of this is delivered in sharp, lucid prose that evokes character and setting in equal measure. The bleak and desolate landscape of the salt flats is wonderfully and viscerally evoked, and the all-round weirdness of the location is key to unsettling both the characters and the reader alike. This is daring stuff: a novel that plays with genre and messes with the reader’s expectations, but is always compelling.

Doug Johnstone is an author and journalist.

The Salt Flats by Rachelle Atalla out now (Hodder & Stoughton, £22). You can buy it from The Big Issue shop on bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.

This article is taken from The Big Issue magazine, which exists to give homeless, long-term unemployed and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income. To support our work buy a copy!If you cannot reach your local vendor , you can still click HERE to subscribe to The Big Issue today or give a gift subscription to a friend or family member. You can also purchase one-off issues from The Big Issue Shop or The Big Issue app, available now from the App Store or Google Play

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IMAGES

Paid Book Reviews: Are They Worth it? (All You Need to Know)
Best Paid Book Review Sites for Authors
How to Become a Paid Book Reviewer
Best Paid Book Review Sites for Authors
Paid Book Reviews: Are They Worth it? (All You Need to Know)
Get Paid To Read Books Online: 10 Sites That Actually Pay!

COMMENTS

Top 15 Legit Sites To Get Paid To Write Reviews in 2024
You can earn $25 for each review you submit, with a maximum of 10 reviews per year. 10. Online Book Club. It is online book community which pay for reading and providing reviews for books. The amount can vary from $5 to $60 Per review. It is a good opportunity for book lovers to join free of cost along with earn extra income. 11. Reedsy Discovery
Get Paid to Read: 18 Legitimate Sites That Pay Reviewers
7. Women's Review of Books. 💸 Pay: $100 per review. 👀 More information: Check here. Women's Review of Books is a long-running, highly-respected print publication that's a part of Wellesley Centers for Women. This feminist magazine has been published for 36 years and is looking for more book reviewers to join their force.
Best Paid Book Review Sites for Authors
Learn how to choose the best paid book review sites for your non-fiction book based on your goals, strategy, and category. Compare Goodreads, NetGalley, BookSirens, and Booksprout features, benefits, and costs.
17 Ways to Get Paid to Read Books (Up to $225/hr)
Average Pay: $5 - $30 per book review. Related post: 15 Side Hustle Apps to Make Extra Money. 2. Women's Review of Books. The Women's Review of Books reviews books written by and about women. To be considered for reviewing assignments, you have to first apply by sending in your resume, cover letter and any samples of published reviews you ...
Want to Get Paid to Review Books? Try These 7 Publishers
Pay: The website pays between $5 and $60 per review. 3. Kirkus Media. Tina Russell / The Penny Hoarder. As a book reviewer for Kirkus Media, not only will you be paid for your hard work but your reviews will also be featured in its magazine, "Kirkus Indie".
6 of the Best Ways to Get Paid to Read Books
Booklist is a magazine catered toward librarians. They also occasionally publish reviews in their print and online versions. Just like the magazines aforementioned, Booklist is also constantly looking for reviewers. For a word count of 150-175, the pay is a meager $15. If you reject a book, you get $5.
Get Paid to Review Books: 5 Book Review Jobs Sites That Pay Reviewers
1) The US Review of Books. The US Review of Books has fair terms for reviewers, and the pay is usually between $25 and $75. To be accepted you'll need to submit your resume, samples, and references. You'll also be asked to do a sample review. The site doesn't have tough guidelines, the reviews can be half summary, half commentary.
Interested in joining Discovery as a book reviewer?
Submit your application. The best books go undiscovered — be part of the movement that shines a light on them. Apply to become a reviewer. Streamline your workflow, access hundreds of books for free before they are published, and earn money while doing what you love.
74 Publications That Pay Freelancers for Book Reviews, Interviews, and
Book reviews aren't as ubiquitous as they used to be, but as of 2022, at least 74 publications still pay freelance writers for book reviews and author interviews. To build this exhaustive list as a free community resource, I collaborated with the wonderful Chelsea Leu to create a more detailed version for the National Book Critics Circle ...
How to Become a Book Reviewer: 10 Tips for Getting Paid to Read
Below are 10 essential tips for anyone interested in becoming a book reviewer. 1. Read a lot of books. If you're interested in becoming a professional book reviewer or critic, I'm guessing you already have a love for books. If not, you should probably consider another line of work, because reading won't get any more enjoyable once you ...
12 Legit Ways to Get Paid to Read Books
Sites That Pay You to Write Book Reviews. One way to get paid to read books is by writing book reviews. Book review sites ask readers to share their opinions in a detailed review and offer payment in the form of cash or free books. Here are some of the most popular review sites to make money reading books. 1. The US Review of Books. Pay rate ...
How to Become a Book Reviewer in 12 Steps
If you're looking to become a professional book reviewer and reach a growing audience, you could do a lot worse than to follow these twelve steps. Step 1. Read abundantly. If you don't already read like a maniac, then one might wonder why you'd want to become a book reviewer in the first place.
Get Paid to Read: Companies That Reward Your Book Reviews
Booklist Online. Overview: Booklist Online, published by the American Library Association, pays freelancers to review books. They seek reviewers with expertise in specific genres. "Booklist pays $15 for each review, and the average reviewer writes two to three reviews per month.".
How to Get Paid to Read Books
The company also occasionally hires copy editors and editors as well, meaning you have three opportunities with Kirkus to get paid for reading books. 2. Online Book Club. Online Book Club is a company that pays between $5 and $60 for book reviews, depending on the length of the book, etc.
How To Become A Book Reviewer: 29+ Websites That Pay You To Read!
Booklist is a website dedicated to online book reviews in a range of genres. It also has a magazine that publishes book reviews. Freelancers can write reviews for submission to the website or in the magazine, with each review paying $15. Even if your review gets rejected, you'll get $5.
Get Paid to Read Books
The pay is $100 per review. #6. Publishers Weekly. Publishers Weekly is an online magazine that publishes reviews in many genres. It is known to regularly hire freelance book reviewers in areas like music, romance, economics, sports, young adult, fiction, ancient history, etc.
How To Get Paid To Read Books, Plus 6 Top Book Reviewer Jobs
Book Reviewer. Pay range: $5-$50 per review for beginners. This is one of the easiest ways to get paid to read books. There are a variety of companies that will pay you for your thoughtful reviews, though the per-job pay isn't amazing. If you're a prolific reader, though, this can be a nice way to pick up some extra money regularly.
Get Paid to Read Books: 15 Top Companies for Book Reviewers
The first review you write that's accepted by the editorial staff isn't paid, but all the subsequent book reviews will earn you somewhere between $5 to $60, plus a free copy of the book. Additionally, Online Book Club awards a $25 Amazon gift card for every 30 book reviews you write. .
14 Legitimate Sites to Get Paid to Read Books
1. Online Book Club. Online Book Club is a very popular book review website that was established more than 15 years ago. With their platform, you can expect to earn $5 to $60 for each book review, depending on the book's length, etc.
How to Get Book Reviews in 5 Steps (2024 Update)
2. Be concise and direct. "Include your title, publisher, date of release, and genre in the first paragraph," notes Beverly Bambury. "Then you might want to include the cover copy or a brief description of the book. Finally, be direct and ask for what you want. If you want a review, ask for it!
Writing for Booklist
Booklist Online: The best book reviews for public libraries and school libraries, and the best books to read for your book club, brought to you by the ALA ... Booklist pays $15 for each review, and the average reviewer writes two to three reviews per month. You're paid for a review once that review is published in the magazine or online. If a ...
Get Your Book Reviewed
Kirkus has been an industry-trusted source for honest and accessible reviews since 1933 and has helped countless authors build credibility in the publishing realm ever since. Browse through some of our author success stories, and get a glimpse of what exactly an indie review from Kirkus can do for you. Our indie reviews are written by qualified ...
Paid Book Review Sites
1. Kirkus Indie Reviews. One of the more popular paid book review sites online, Kirkus is known for using professional reviewers. Because of their reputation, they are able to charge authors as much as $500 for 250-word book reviews (librarians, journalists, business executives, etc.) with a turnaround time of seven to nine weeks.
Maid (book)
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive is the first book by Stephanie Land, published by Hachette Books on January 22, 2019. The book—an elaboration of an article Land wrote for Vox in 2015—debuted at number three on The New York Times Best Seller list.The book was adapted to the Netflix television miniseries Maid (2021).
The Salt Flats by Rachelle Atalla review
This week we have two cracking books that fall into this category, novels that create vivid, off-kilter worlds that live long in the memory. First up is Rachelle Atalla's The Salt Flats . This is the third novel from the Scottish-Egyptian writer, following on from the highly acclaimed The Pharmacist and last year's Thirsty Animals .

Top 15 Legit Sites To Get Paid To Write Reviews in 2024

Table of Contents

1 . UserTesting

2 . ReviewStream

3 . Software Judge

5 . Harris Poll Online

6 . Capterra

8 . CrowdTap

9 . Gartner Peer Insights

10 . Online Book Club

11 . Reedsy Discovery

12 . Slicethepie

13 . PlaylistPush

14 . Urban Flaiire

15 . Listverse

Tips to Write Genuine Review to Get Paid.

Can You Really Earn Money by Writing Reviews?

How Profitable is Writing Reviews for Earning Money?

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17 Ways to Get Paid to Read Books (Up to $225/hr)

17 Fun & Legit Ways To Get Paid To Read Books

Use These Websites to Get Paid to Review Books Online

1. Online Book Club

2. Women’s Review of Books

3. Writerful Books

4. The U.S. Review of Books

5. getAbstract

6. Booklist Online

7. Reedsy Discovery

8. BookBrowse

9. Kirkus Media

10. eBookFairs

How to Get Paid to Read Books With These Online Jobs and Side Hustles

11. Audiobook Narration

12. Freelance Read Manuscripts/Beta Reader

13. Editor/Proofreader

14. Copyediting

15. Publisher

16. Book Illustrator

17. Book Translator

Where to Find Remote Jobs for Bookworms

More Ways to Get Paid to Read:

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there jobs that pay you to read books?

How much do book readers get paid?

How can I write a good book review?

Can I get paid to read books out loud?

Wrapping It Up & Actionable Tips

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6 of the Best Ways to Get Paid to Read Books

Arvyn Cerézo

Writing Book Reviews for Publishers Weekly

Writing Book Reviews for Kirkus Reviews

Reviewing for Booklist

Writing Audiobook Reviews for AudioFile Magazine

Writing Book Reviews for Online Book Club

Pitching Directly to Magazines and Publications

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Get Paid to Review Books: 5 Book Review Jobs Sites That Pay Reviewers

Book review jobs sites that pay reviewers

1) The US Review of Books

2) Kirkus Reviews

3) OnlineBookClub

4) Booklist Publications

5) Women’s Review of Books

Ready to begin your book reviewer job?