Reading books has been proven to improve literacy, expand our understanding of the world, and develop critical thinking skills. Additionally, reading books is a great option for a pastime and fighting boredom. What most people do know, however, is that they can also get paid to read books. That is right. There are legit websites that pay you to read books and you get to choose the books you want to read from all genres such as Fiction, Novel, Non-fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, etc.
If you are a book lover, don’t just read books. Instead, start getting paid to read books as a way to supplement your income while doing what you love. Some of the job opportunities to read books for money include reading and writing book reviews, proofreading, editing books, narrating books, and many more.
With a wide range of websites offering great payouts for book readers, it can be hard to know where to begin or which site offers the most for your time. This article aims to provide you with an overview of the 10 best sites that pay you to read books, including the specific features of each one and how much you should expect to make reading books.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
1. Booklist
Photo: Booklist
- Pros. Reviews are small and concise with 150 to 175-words
- Cons. Not always hiring
- Pay. Booklist pays $15 per review
- How to apply? Booklist is currently not hiring. But, the website says that “The application for reviewers will open again at the end of June during ALA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition ’23. https://2023.alaannual.org/.” This link will take you to the Annual Conference and Exhibition.
Booklist is part of the American Library Association. The reviews conducted by Booklist help public library workers and schools in selecting and purchasing books. If you want a well-established website that pays you to read books, then Booklist is one of the best sites to start with.
Before you can get paid to read books on Booklist, you will first need to meet the website requirements. The website suggests that in order to work for them, you need to “be familiar with both books and libraries. A library degree is not required.” That means if you ever worked in a library or have a library degree or related education, you will easily stand out among other candidates.
How much can you make reading books and writing reviews on Booklist?
If you are ready to make money reading books and writing reviews on Booklist, first familiarize yourself with its writing and publication syles. To check out Booklist daily reviews and their styles, click on this link.
Photo credit: SimplyHired.
What makes Booklist one of the best websites that pay you to read books is that the reviews are short. Each review must have between 150 to 175 words which is manageable. On the downside, a $15 pay-per-review is not that great compared to the national average.
According to SimplyHired, the national average salary for book reviewers is $67,323/yr. This salary is way too high compared to the $29K/yr you would make from Booklist. Keep in mind that the bottom 10% of book reviewers make around $37k/yr on average. So, if you are getting started with no experience, Booklist could be a great place to start.
2. Kirkus Reviews
Photo credit: Kirkus Reviews
- Pros. Kirkus is a well-established and reputable book review firm. Many libraries, schools, authors, publishers, etc, rely on Kirkus Reviews to publish or replenish their collections which ensures long-term career success. Additionally, Kirkus Reviews gives you 2 weeks to review and submit your reviews which is enough time for busy people.
- Cons. Does not have an online application process except for submitting your resume, writing sample, and reviewing specialties to [email protected].
- Pay. Not disclosed. Although the pay for Kirkus reviews reviewers is not disclosed, you can expect to make a great pay rate given the fact that this site is well-established and a leading reviewer in the industry.
- How to apply? Submit an application to David Rapp at [email protected] who is the Editor of Kirkus. For more details, visit Kirkus Reviews’ career opportunities page.
Kirkus Reviews is one of the best websites that pay you to read books and it offers reviews of all kinds of book genres, for digital, hardcover, paperback, format, and in all lengths. Among the genres reviews offered by Kirkus include but are not limited to Fiction, Romance, Mystery and detective, non-fiction, Science and Fantasy, History, Biography and Memoir, Children’s books, Novels, and much more.
Reviews from Kirkus help librarians and scholars to update their collections from well-trusted reviewers at Kirkus. Kirkus Reviews hire book reviewers in different languages as some of the reviews are conducted on books written in different languages such as English, Spanish, French, etc.
Reviews sizes and what you need to start getting paid to read books
Kirkus Reviews are usually about 350 words and must be submitted 2 weeks from the date the book was assigned. This gives you enough time to read the book, write a compelling review, and make money reading books on your own schedule.
If you want to get paid to read books at Kirkus Reviews, you will first have to submit your resume, and your area of focus such as mystery, novel, fiction, etc. You also need to provide a writing sample to make sure that you meet the company’s writing talents and specifications.
Currently, Kirkus Reviews is looking for experienced reviewers in Spanish and English languages. Once hired, you will review on the Kirkus Indie which is the book review magazine’s section that is dedicated to self-publishing authors.
3. Online Book Club
Photo by: Online Book Club
- Pros. Great pay and a large collection of books of all genres
- Cons. It is sometimes hard to navigate group conversations and their dynamics
- Pay. $5 to $60 per review
- How to apply? Just create an account to get started.
Online Book Club is an online free website for book readers with a large collection of books and readers from all over the world. The website has been around for more than 16 years and gives away more than $1,000 every month in prizes. Plus, you get to sign up for free.
Some of the most popular features of Online Book Club include the following.
- Book & Reading Forums. Via this forum, you can discuss your book with other people who are reading the same book for free without scheduling appointments.
- Free web app Bookshelves. Allows you to store, track, and share all the books you have read.
- Exclusive original reviews. These reviews are conducted by professional book reviewers of all kinds of books of all genres.
How to get paid to read books on Online Book Club?
To get paid to read books and write reviews on Online Book Club, all you have to do is to sign up as a book reviewer and complete a free review. This allows the site to evaluate your book reading and reviewing abilities and grammatical skills. Your book reviews must be about 500 words. The website will give you a list of free books to choose from in exchange for a review.
Once your first review is approved, you will unlock the eligibility to get paid to read books and write reviews for the platform.
Honesty is the biggest factor in writing reviews as it gives the true nature of the book and helps book writers and readers worldwide. That is why Online Book Club states that ” You do not have to say you loved the book if you didn’t. You are being paid for an honest, quick review, not a positive review”. Honesty is what you will be getting paid for. Not a positive review.
How much do you get paid to read books at Online Book Club? The payment ranges from $5 to $60 per review. You can make a lot of money reading books if you are a fast book reader.
4. Findaway Voices
Image credit: Findaway Voices
- Pay. Undisclosed. But, according to ZipRecruiter, you should expect to make around $16/hr which is the average salary for audiobook narrators in the United States.
- How to apply? Create a profile as a narrator, upload a sample of your work, send in a cover image and avatar, introduce audio, and start getting gigs from different authors.
Findaway Voices works the same way as Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing(KDP) or ACX. But the only difference is that Findaway Voices is an aggregate audiobook distributor, according to Speechify. Authors choose their narrators to create audiobooks for them in their chosen languages. After audiobooks have been created, the website helps book authors distribute their books worldwide.
To get paid to read books at Findaway Voices, you will be working as a voice actor narrating books for different publishers. First, you need to create a profile account on the website and choose the narrator option.
Since you will be getting paid to narrate books from different publishers, you will be classified as a contractor. For this reason, you must sign the Independent Contractor Agreement for Narration Services during the signup process.
You will also be given a survey which will enable the team to access your narrating skills and abilities. After you have been approved, Findaway will recommend different projects that match your skills and talents.
5. The US Review of Books
- Pros. Great for freelancer book reviewers
- Cons. The audience is not large enough for authors and book reviewers compared to its competitors.
- Pay. Undisclosed. But will range between $20 to $75
- How to apply? The application process works the same way as any other job. Just send in your resume, references, and sample of your work to [email protected].
The US Review of Books is one of the best websites to make money reading books online. This website connects book authors with reviewers. All reviews are then posted on the platform which gives easy access to more than 21.5k subscribers on the platform.
What makes the US Review of Books one of the best websites that pay you to read books is that reviews are shorter and the pay is reasonable.
Review on The US Review of Books ranges between 250 to 300 words which pays around $25 per review. However, you can get compensated as much as $75 for longer reviews of up to 600 words.
6. Upwork
- Pros. Offers protection fees and you can choose projects with hourly rates over the milestone option. In addition, the platform comes with a wide range of freelancing options with high to low-paying rates.
- Cons. A lot of fees are paid to the platform in commission. Fees start at 20% of the first $500, then 10% until you have made $10k, and finally 5% after making 10K. There is also a lot of competition.
- Pay. Vary by project and client
- How to apply? Create an account on the platform, get clients, and start getting read books.
Finding book-reading jobs on Upwork is easy and straightforward. All you have to do to get paid to read books on Upwork is to create an account. Again, clients judge your talent based on the quality of your profile, qualifications, and experiences. All this information can be showcased on your profile.
Creating an eye-catching title and client-focused overview helps Upwork to match you with the right work, Upwork says. That is your profile should show your experience, skills, and your photo with an introduction video. Since you will be getting paid for reviewing books or reading books, your profile should highlight your skills in these areas.
How do you make money reading books on Upwork?
At Upwork, you can bid for jobs, pitch your projects, and more importantly, discuss your skills with recruiters. What makes Upwork one of the best websites that pay you to read books is that the platform offers secure payment systems. It also comes with fixed-rate protection where payments are released based on the project milestones. That is you can make money reading books even before you finish your project.
Due to the popularity of Upwork, the competition for freelancing work is intense. There are a lot of freelancers on the platforms. The good news is that being popular with high competition also means that there are a lot of clients that will pay you to read books on Upwork. As long as you build a professional profile on Upwork that showcases your experience and qualification, you should find book-reading side gigs.
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7. Fiverr
- Pros. One of the best freelance websites to find book-reading side hustles.
- Cons. High competition from other freelancers
- Pay. Vary by projects and clients
- How to apply? Open an account and create a profile. Usually, clients browse and hire you based on your qualification and experience.
If you enjoy reading and want to get paid to read books, Fiverr is one of the top places to find book-reading side gigs. A common way to make money reading books on Fiverr is to become a beta reader. Beta reading involves reading books, manuscripts, and other unreleased documents for clients.
You can also get paid to read books on Fiverr as a book narrator or voice-over actor, and proofreading. If you are keen on grammar, you make money editing books. Again, the type of work you do will depend on your qualifications, area of interest, skills, and experience.
To get started with Fiveer and get paid to read books, create a profile account on the platform. Make sure that you have a catchy title that reflects what you do and a profile description that highlights your experience and skills.
How much will you get paid to read books on Fiverr? There is no minimum or maximum amount you can make reading books on Fiverr. Most freelance book readers set up their rates given the amount of work they will do and their experiences.
If you are getting started, start with a rate that reflects your level of experience and increase your rates as you gain more clients and experience. You should also compare the rates of other freelance book readers to make sure that you are not overcharging or undercharging.
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8. BookBrowse
- Pros. Best for freelancing side gigs and a great selection of books
- Cos. High competition
- Pay. Undisclosed but defined as Modest
- How to apply? Create a profile, submit your reviews, and provide a link to other reviews you have made if you have any. If you are ready to apply, submit your application.
If you want a place where you can get paid to read books as a book reviewer, BookBrowse is your to-go place. Typically, you will work as a freelance and write reviews on a large selection of books which include adult fiction and nonfiction books. On top of a book review, you will write a ” beyond the book” article for every book you review. What makes BookBrowse one of the greatest websites that pay you to read books is that the pay is great and it is open to reviewers overseas. However, you need must be able to read books as eBooks since most authors are U.S. based and cannot ship printed copies overseas.
Before you submit an application, you first need to read some of the reviews they have and prepare at least a 300-word or more review to prove your book reviewing skills. How much can you get paid to read books at BookBrowse? Unfortunately, the website does not disclose the actual amount. However, it is said that you will receive a”byline and modest payment”.
9. Reedsy Discovery
Photo by: Reedsy Discovery
- Pros. You earn tips and the site has many books to choose from. You will also give reviews in many formats such as video reviews and written reviews which adds more flexibility to your work.
- Cons. Tips are low
- Pay. Earn tips between $1 to $5
- How to apply? Submit your email, and full name, to create an account. Then upload an avatar. You will then go through a few questions and reading habits and reviews you want to make. Then you will be on your way to making money reading books on Reedsy Discovery. If you are interested in getting paid to read books at Reedsy, submit your application today.
Reedsy Discovery is one of the best websites that pay you to read books. At Deedsy Discovery, you will work as a book reviewer for self-published authors. This website has a large database of books to choose from which allow you to work on books of your own choosing and build a brand.
While this website does not give you a designated salary for doing reviews, it does give you tips for your reviews. Additionally, some authors can contact you directly to review their books.
How much money can you get paid to read books and submit reviews on Reedsy Discovery?
The tips you earn usually range between $1 to $5. While this tip is considered low compared to regular book reviewers’ pay, it can make a lot of difference especially if you are doing it as a hobby.
10. Women’s Review of Books
- Pros. Well-established and offer a large category of books to write reviews
- Pay. You can get paid as much as $100 per review
- How to apply? To get paid to read books, first, contact the Women’s Review of Books for the application process at info@oldcitypublishing[dot]com
Women’s Review of Books has been in business since 1983. This publication company remains a print publication and it is part of the Wellesley Centers for Women. Women’s Review of Books is one of the most respected websites that will pay you to read books and write book reviews. As a book reviewer, you will work on a wide range of genres which include but are not limited to fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, poetry, scholarships, etc.
