Do you love reading books and thinking about doing it as a side hustle? Many people don’t realize that it’s possible to turn their passion for reading into a lucrative side gig. There are a variety of opportunities out there that will enable you to get paid to read books. From reviewing books to getting paid to translate and proofread, you can make money while indulging in your favorite pastime. In addition to getting paid to read books, you can also get a headstart in improving your literacy skills which can lead to a long-term career change.
In this article, you will learn six legit ways to get paid to read books and become financially rewarded for your enjoyment of literature. Whether you want to get paid to read books as a freelancer or get a part-time or full-time job, this article will be your guide. Additionally, will cover tips for maximizing your earning potential from reading books.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
What skills do you need to start getting paid to read books?
Before you get paid to read books, you must get hired first. As you know by now, you must go through the hiring process and meet the company qualification requirements before you can work as a book reader. Although the skills, certification, and experience will differ depending on where you work and what you do; the following are qualifications and skills you need to start getting paid for reading books.
- Excellent reading and language comprehension skills
- Ability to spot grammatical errors
- Excellent communication skills
- Strong writing abilities
- Time management
- Ability to work independently
- Details-oriented and self-starter
- Ability to summarize large documents such as books, reports, etc
- Basics of Microsoft Office
- High school diploma. A bachelor’s degree in English or literature will make you stand out
- Experience in proofreading, document editing, translation, and technical writing
If you are ready to start earning money doing what you love, the following are the best ways to get paid to read books.
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1. Get paid to read books by Writing book reviews
As a book reviewer, your main job will be to read books and write reviews. The pay range will depend on your experience and the company you work for. The following are some of the best websites that will pay you to read books and write reviews.
- Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Reviews is one of the largest book review collections that will pay you to read books. This site offers you the option to review books from all genres that include fiction, romance, nonfiction, etc. Kirkus Reviews offers different editing services with different pay ranges. Additionally, reviews are typically 350 words and you get 2 weeks to read and write your reviews. Keep in mind that you might need the experience to stand out.
- Online Book Club. Online Book Club is a free online community for book lovers with more than 10 years in existence. Its most popular features include web app Bookshelves, Book and Reading Forums, and Exclusive and original reviews from a professional review team. If you want to get paid to read books, Online Book Club is a great place to start.
- Booklist. Booklist is one of the leading websites to get paid to read books. Reviews usually range between 150 to 175 words and you can make $15 per review.
- Publishers Weekly. Publishers Weekly is one of the leading websites for online publishing and reviews. If you want to get paid to read books and write small reviews, start with Publishers Weekly. Given its wide range of genres that include fiction, mystery, comics, fantasy, romance, religion mystery, science fiction, and much more, you will find something that resonates with your interests. Publishers Weekly is currently hiring for a wide range of positions that include Freelance Book Reviewers, Editorial Director, Assistant Editors, etc. To learn more about jobs at Publishers Weekly, visit the Publishers Weekly jobs webpage.
- BookBrowse. BooksBrowse is one of the best websites that will pay you to read books. This site offers book reviews, book previews, reading guides, and author reviews. If you want to get paid to read books at BookBrowse, you first need to read reviews on the site to make sure that you can write the same quality reviews. In addition to reading their reviews, you must submit a well-written review sample of at least 300 words together with your application. For more details, read about the application process and submit your Reviewer Application Form.
- Upwork and Fiverr. Upwork is one of the largest job boards and freelancing job-related postings. If you are interested in working with different brands, companies, and individual clients, Upwork is your to-go place. As a freelance book reader, clients will pay you to read and review their books, proposals, and other documents. Another compelling site to get paid to read books is Fiverr. Just like Upwork, Fiverr is one of the largest freelancing sites where you can take on book-reading projects and similar projects from a diverse range of clients.
- The US Review Books. This platform connects book authors and professional reviewers online. In addition, the site publishes those reviews to its audience and more than 21 thousand subscribers.
2. Become a book editor
If you have established experience in book editing, you can get paid to read books by applying for book editing jobs. As a book editor, you will develop titles, evaluate manuscripts, correct grammatical errors, edit books, do fact-checking, research, and much more.
Photo credit: ZipRecruiter.
Your pay will depend on your experience and the agency you work for. But with enough experience, you should make enough salary that justifies the hustle. According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for Book Editor is $63,060 per year. The typical salary range for book editors is $38,000 to $79,500. Book editors make around $30/hr on average with the lowest percentage in this industry making a little over $16k/yr. However, those with established experience in the book editing industry can make as much as $150k.
3. Get paid to read books by becoming a book proofreader
Before books are published they get read by different people with diverse talents and backgrounds for grammar checks and the qualify of writing. If you are interested in making extra cash, then working as a proofreader will be a great way to make money reading books.
As a proofreader, you will have access to unpublished books and your main task will be to proofread them. It is always easy to make mistakes when authors are writing. Even in small documents, people make grammatical mistakes such as forgetting punctuation, misspelling words, or using the wrong tone in some circumstances. That is why different authors and publishers are always looking for people they can pay to read books and catch these mistakes.
How much can you make as a proofreader?
The best way to get paid to read books is to work directly with a company that pays you to proofread. As a proofreader, you should expect to make $56k/yr which is the average proofreader’s salary, according to salary.com.
Proofreaders salaries typically range between $49k(25 percentille) and $64k/yr (75 percentille). The bottom 10 percentile of proofreaders make around $43K whereas the 90 percentile makes around $71K/yr. If you are getting started with proofreading, you might get paid low but the opportunities for growth are limitless.
Use the following guide on how to become a proofreader, where to get proofreading jobs, and tips to increase your earning potential.
Proofreading guide for newbies: How to become a proofreader and get hired fast?
4. Write your own book/eBook
There are many ways to get paid to read books. One effective strategy to start earning quick cash is to write your own books. Most people do not pursue this route because of the effort needed to put a book together. However, writing your own book is a lucrative business and can bring in a decent amount of money.
How to write your own book?
The process of writing a book is simple but requires hard work and determination. In order to write a successful book, you need to find a topic/genre that you enjoy reading and researching. You also need to consider your audience and write your book in a tone that resonates with your targeted audience. Then, create an outline of the book and fill in the rest of the story. Also, use strong opening statements that keep your readers engaged. Make sure that you do enough research and write your book in easy to read and understandable manner.
How to publish your book?
There are many ways to publish your book/eBook. But, all of them can be categorized into three different routes.
- Self-publishing. Comes with faster publishing time, offers higher loyalty, and gives you control over your publication. However, the publishing cost and marketing will come from your pocket. In addition, you might not have access to best-seller lists or mainstream prizes and publicity. You can either work with a self-publishing agency with print on demand method or sell your books on Amazon using Kindle Direct Publishing(KDP).
- Small Press Publishing. Good for a niche audience, faster publishing time, and allows you to work with a small team. But, you will have less loyalty and minimal control over your book.
- “Big 5” publishing. Large publishing agencies, have a chance for mainstream publicity and can make it to the bestseller list. The downside is that you will earn less loyalty, and it takes a long time to get your book published.
5. Get paid to read books aloud
If you have never heard of this side gig, there are many companies that will pay you to read books aloud. And this is a legit way to make money reading books. Why would you read books out loud?
Because that is how audiobooks are created. Not everyone has the physical capability to sit down and read books. There are also those who are busy with their lives and prefer to listen to books as opposed to reading physical books and navigating through hundreds of pages. For example, a person who is working two full-time jobs or working as a truck driver will prefer an audiobook instead of a physical one.
If you have confidence in your voice and have the ability to read books properly and clearly, you can get paid to read books aloud as a narrator. Some of the jobs you will do as a voice-over actor or audiobook reader include but are not limited to.
- Work with documentary makers
- Book authors
- Book publishers
- Radio ads
- Audiobooks makers
- Video game commentaries
- Explainer videos
- iTunes
6. Work as a Book translater
If you speak multiple languages, you can get paid to read books as a translator. As a translator, you will make sure that the original meaning of the book gets translated into the language of intent with the highest level of accuracy and meaning. This is important because it helps books writers and publishers to convey the meaning of a book across multiple languages without altering its meaning.
As a book translator, you can easily work as a freelancer or work for a particular company.
How much can you get paid to read books as a book translator?
According to Glassdoor, the average salary you can get paid to translate books is $59,664 per year. The typical range of salaries for book translation jobs is $45k/yr to $79k/yr. If you are getting started with no experience, you can make as low as $35k/yr. The highest you can make as a book translator is $102k/year, according to Glassdoor.
Where to find jobs that will pay you to translate books?
- Normal job boards. If you are interested in finding translation jobs(full-time or part-time), search on the following job boards.
- Indeed
- Upwork
- Google for jobs
- Monster
- Simply Hired
- CareerBuilder
- Glassdoor
- ZipRecruiter
- For freelancing translation jobs. If you are interested in getting paid to read books as a book translator and work as a freelance translator, search for translation gigs on the following websites.
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- FlexJobs
- Ulatus
- Today Translations
- Guru
- Upwork
- Babelcube
How much can you make reading books?
Yes, you can get paid to read books. But, how much can you really make reading books? The answer to this question is it depends. Your salary will depend on what you do, the number of hours you work, your rate, and the nature of your employment. This is because there is a wide range of things you can do to get paid for reading books and each option pays differently than others.
For example, a person who writes book reviews will be paid differently than a translator. As we have seen throughout this article, depending on the job title and experience, some people can earn as low as $16k/yr whereas others can easily earn six-figure salaries reading books.
Also, someone who specializes in book-reading freelance can make way more or less than someone who works for a particular agency. This is because as a freelancer, you will get paid per project. The more clients you have and experience, the more money you will make.
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