How to Get Paid to Read Books: Tips to Get Started

Reading books can be an enriching and fun way to spend your time, but you might be surprised to learn it could also lead to a new income stream. There are a variety of ways to get paid for reading, including writing book reviews, proofreading drafts, and narrating audiobooks.

Publishers Weekly and U.S. Review of Books, for example, hire book review writers on a freelance basis. ACX is on the lookout for narrators to record audiobooks. If you’re a bibliophile interested in turning your passion for reading into a side hustle, read on to learn all the ways you could read books for money.

1. Become an audiobook narrator

If you enjoy reading aloud, you could find gigs as an audiobook narrator. Relevant experience, such as voice acting, acting in plays, or hosting a radio show or podcast, could help you snag audiobook gigs.

One place to find voice actor and audio narration jobs is Audible’s ACX.com, a site that produces audiobooks for Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. ACX has hundreds of titles open for auditions. Alternatively, you could offer freelance narration services or apply to jobs on a marketplace such as Upwork, or go through another audiobook voiceover artist site, such as Findaway Voices or Voices.

2. Become a professional proofreader

If you’re skilled at grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling, consider working as a proofreader. Proofreading is an important part of the publishing process, and books may go through several rounds of proofreading before getting published.

How to get started:

You might proofread for a self-published author or find gigs from an established publishing company. You could also offer your proofreading services through a freelance marketplace such as Upwork, Freelancer.com, Fiverr, and more.

3. Become a book influencer

If you’re looking to read books for money, you could take matters into your own hands by becoming a book influencer. Rather than freelancing or working for someone else, you work for yourself by talking about and recommending books.

How to get started:

Create your own channel on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or another platform, or become a blogger to review and recommend books. You can make a commission every time someone clicks on your affiliate link and buys a book, and could also make money from partnerships.

4. Become a book reviewer

A book reviewer is someone who reads books and then gets paid to write reviews. Being a book reviewer is one of the best ways to get paid to read books (and share your opinion of them).

How to get started:

There are a variety of companies looking for book reviews in English or Spanish. These companies will pay you to read a book and provide book summaries, analyses, or reviews of the work. Reviews might range from a short synopsis to more in-depth literary criticism.

There are many freelance book review opportunities available — we’ll talk about some sites where you can write reviews in a later section. Some places pay for one-off book reviews, while others could allow you to become a regular contributor. Gigs can range from entry-level to more experienced.

5. Become a book translator

If you know multiple languages and you love to read, you could make money by translating books from one language into another.

How to get started:

You could get a job as a book translator working directly for a publisher or another company in the book industry. Alternatively, you can find freelance translating jobs on sites like Babelcube, Upwork, Guru, and more.

Companies that will pay you to read books

If you’re looking to get paid to read books, these companies are worth exploring.

U.S. Review of Books

The U.S. Review of Books sends out a monthly newsletter of book reviews to more than 23,000 subscribers. This company says it provides “Professional Reviews for the People” and looks for 250- to 300-word reviews that contain a plot summary and other insights. You might include quotes from the book, share information on the author, or compare the book to similar titles.

U.S. Review of Books includes both fiction and non-fiction titles. The books available for review are submitted directly by the author.

You can apply to become a book reviewer by emailing editor@theUSreview.com with your resume, sample work, and at least two professional references. If you get hired, you can submit your preferences for book titles and will get paid on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, U.S. Review of Books doesn’t disclose its pay rate.

Publishers Weekly

Known by some as “the bible of the book business,” Publishers Weekly is a weekly news magazine that features articles and news on the international book publishing business. It also publishes more than 8,500 pre-publication book reviews every year.

The site hires freelance writers to write reviews of both traditionally published and self-published works. It publishes reviews of books in a variety of categories, making it a great option for book reviewers interested in all genres. Some categories available include:

• Fiction
• Self-help
• Children’s books
• Memoirs

If you write for Publishers Weekly, you may also get hired to write anonymous book reviews for BookLife, the company’s online publication that promotes indie authors.

You’ll get paid $25 per review. To apply, send your resume and a 200-word sample review of a recently published book to reviewers@publishersweekly.com.

Booklist Publications

Part of the American Library Association, Booklist provides reviews to school and public library workers to guide its purchasing decisions. According to Booklist, its reviews are “the haiku of book reviewing” as they’re “brief but impactful.”

It looks for 150- to 175-word book reviews that provide content, a brief synopsis, and a suggestion for the ideal audience. Reviewers are also expected to suggest “readalikes,” or similar books that readers might enjoy.

You don’t need a library degree to become a reviewer, but you should be familiar with books and libraries. You should also be prepared to sometimes recommend books that you didn’t necessarily like, but that you think would be a good fit for a library. Before applying, you can read through Booklist’s expectations and watch a one-hour informational webinar.

If you decide to move forward, you can submit your application on the Booklist website. Booklist pays $15 per review, but you won’t get paid until the review is actually published. You’ll get a $5 “reject fee” if you reject a title.

Kirkus

Kirkus Media reviews books in a variety of genres. It looks for experienced reviewers to write reviews of English- and Spanish-language titles for Kirkus Indie, its platform for self-published authors. It may be a good option if you specifically enjoy indie books or want to explore titles you may otherwise not learn about.

Books are of all different lengths and might be in digital, hardcover, or paperback format. You’re expected to send a review of about 350 words two weeks after receiving an assignment.

If you’re interested in applying to write Kirkus reviews, you’ll need to email the Kirkus Indie Editor with your resume, writing samples, and specialties. That’s currently David Rapp at drapp@kirkus.com. You could earn $50 per review, which is more than some other sites pay.

BookBrowse

BookBrowse has provided reviews of contemporary fiction and non-fiction since 1997. With the tagline “Your guide to exceptional books,” BookBrowse hires reviewers to write reviews of 300 words or longer. You may even have the opportunity to review current popular books.

If you are hired, expect to receive about one assignment per month with “modest payment” (it doesn’t say what qualifies as modest). You can apply online and will be asked to provide high-quality sample reviews.

BookBrowse is available to reviewers from all over the world, but because it works with American publishers, anyone not based in the U.S. will have to read e-books rather than receive physical copies.

Online Book Club

Online Book Club is another option if you’re looking to make money reading books. It sends reviewers a free copy of a book and pays between $5 and $60 for an honest review, which is a higher earning potential than on most other sites. You can kick off the application process by sharing your email on the Online Book Club website.

It’s easy to sign up to start reviewing books — you simply sign up on the company’s website. However, there’s no guarantee of opportunities. When I signed up, the only opportunities available were offering free books — none offered payment. The good news is that once you reach a higher reviewer level, you’ll have access to better gigs.

Women’s Review of Books

Published by the Wellesley Centers for Women in partnership with Old City Publishing, the Women’s Review of Books has been a leading feminist book review publication since 1983. It reviews scholarship, fiction, graphic novels, poetry, and memoirs, generally written by women and edited by a “feminist author,” Jennifer Baumgardner.

This site may be a good option for you if you specifically enjoy reading titles written by women and want to support other women in the publishing industry. If you’re interested in writing reviews for the Women’s Review of Books, contact the publication at info@oldcitypublishing.com.

FAQs

Other popular side hustles to consider

Bottom line

If you’re a book lover and avid reader, you could turn your passion for reading into a fun side hustle. There are a variety of publications that will pay you to write book reviews, as well as other options for making money with books.

You could work as an audiobook narrator to earn some extra money, or you could create your own social media or online platform to review your favorite reads and earn money from affiliate commissions.

Although you probably won’t strike it rich by writing book reviews full-time, you could earn a few extra hundred dollars per month while doing something you enjoy. For additional money-making ideas, check out our list of the best side hustles you could start today.

If none of the jobs we’ve talked about are right for you, learn about these other bookish side hustles for anyone who loves to read.