Get Paid To Read Books: 17+ Ways For 2023

How would you like to get paid to read books?

If you relish being indulged in a good read and give your opinion, then I think this article would be just right for you. You can get paid for that passion, and what is better than being paid while doing something you love?

Whether your interest is in nonfiction, genre fiction, classics, or indie books, there is an outlet that’s willing to compensate you if you read and review their books.

In this article we will look into the best ways to earn money reading books, the pros and cons of reading jobs and where to get started finding jobs as a book reviewer, narrator, editor, translator and lots of other reading-related jobs

So, let’s get right into it!

Before I start…

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Can You Make Money Reading Books?

Make Money Reading Books

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Quality book reviewers are always in demand since authors continuously publish new books for people to read and enjoy. Being a quality reviewer doesn’t mean you have to be a professional with years of writing experience. There are plenty of book review websites which provide opportunities for beginners who want to perform a beta reading for a pretty penny.

On the other hand, if you are a more experienced book reviewer and want to earn some good money, there’re also plenty of opportunities for you. Many websites post such opportunities that you can audition for. In addition, more often than not these opportunities usually are targeted at experienced book reviewers, so you have a great chance of being noticed.

There are several ways to make money reading books. They start off fairly easy and tend to get harder as you go down the list.

Reading Books Via Apps: Using a smartphone, tablet or any other digital reader to read for cash.
Writing Book Reviews: Reading books then writing a review telling people what you thought.
Writing Book Summaries: Breaking down the main themes, concepts or plot of a book into a small text.
Proofreading: Reading books and checking for errors, continuity issues or whether books meet a specific criteria.
Editing: Reading books and correcting errors. Or improving books for readability.
Reading Books Aloud: Narrating books and converting them to audiobooks.
Translating Books: Reading books in one language and translating them to another.
Blogging About Books: Starting a blog talking about the books you read.
Podcasting About Books: Recording your thoughts about books for others to listen.
Starting a YouTube Channel About Books: Becoming a “booktuber” and making videos about the books you read.
Publishing Books: Reading books, forming a partnership with authors and marketing them to the public.

Get Paid To Read Books Via Apps

We all have access to our mobile phones and there are many opportunities to earn some extra cash through mobile applications.

Getting paid to read books via apps is easy to get started with. You get paid for the number of words you read.

Boosta is an app you can download from the GooglePlay app store to read on the go. You get to choose from hundreds of digital books including best-sellers and those from various online e-bookstores. The app will give you weekly book recommendations as well. These opportunities not only earn you money but also sharpen your knowledge.

Once you complete reading the book of your choice you will be required to answer five questions on the app which will earn some coins that can be saved up to receive a gift card, coupons, and other offers.

Ebookjobs is another app you can easily download from the GooglePlay app store which will allow you to download books and read them offline thus no internet connection is required! Get some extra cash from reading books on this app.

Appgrooves provides a list of numerous apps you can use to read books, eBooks, magazines, surveys and all the while get paid to do it! You will never get bored with the large variety of options this list provides.

Earnings are relatively low compared to other ways to make money online. $0.25 to $1 is the typical range for about 20,000 words. 20,000 words would take the average reader at least 2 hours to finish, according to Words to Time. In addition, most apps also pay via a point system.

To succeed in this area, you’ll need:

Fast reading ability
Concentration and focus

The advantages of getting paid to read via Apps are; It’s relatively easy to get started and you can read the books you want. The cons are:

Extremely low pay
Most apps don’t allow direct cash outs
Limited choice of books

Goodreads

An experienced book reviewer writing for high-profile websites can make good money from reading books.

Most people get started leaving honest reviews on websites like Amazon and Goodreads first, then graduate to paid work later.

Goodreads is a top-rated social cataloging site that could potentially pay you to review books. Goodreads has a fantastic mobile app which people can utilize on the go and conveniently. You can easily access their mobile app to submit reviews of your favorite books.

Oftentimes, Goodreads has job openings for professional book reviewers to proofread work and offer their book reviewing services. Additionally, they are willing to pay you a good sum of money to complete this in-house job.

If you are a paid reviewer for another site, you can post the link to your reviews on the Goodreads website to increase your chances of selection. This also will give you significant exposure since Goodreads is a frequently used website.

How Goodreads Makes and Pays Money

Goodreads is more focused on the social community aspect of reading rather than the publishing of paid reviews. Amazon is at the forefront of the book publishing business, with their rise to the top being aided by their vertical integration of Goodreads in 2013.

Goodreads offers its readers the intangible benefit of honest book reviews from people just like you! The more friends and recommendations you make, the more Goodreads targets you as a valuable influencer.

In addition, Goodreads and Amazon have put self-published authors in the spotlight beside large publishers to broaden their audience base.

How To Get Paid To Read Books For Amazon

Audiobook Creative Exchange of Amazon (ACX) has many excellent opportunities for avid readers to get paid for reading books! The audiobook market is booming and now is the time to tap into this industry and make additional money; all you have to do is select the book you want out of the thousands of books listed to use for your narrating audition.

Once you are added to the list of narrators, you will be paid by your pre-determined hourly rate. You also have the opportunity to earn royalties from Amazon through customers purchasing the audiobooks you have narrated. Fortunately, this isn’t the only site that pays you for your reviewing services.

Some of these sites include;

Online Book Club:
Pays anything between $5 to $60 per book review. 1 Also pays out via Amazon vouchers. Some users complain about delayed payments and the time it takes to learn the system (reviewers advance levels as they gain experience).
Reedsy Discovery
Works differently in that reviewers earn $1, $3 or $5 tips from other readers rather than direct payment. Most books are self-published. Reedsy is mainly a publishing platform for authors to market their work.
Women’s Review of Books
A feminist book review site that also works in print. You’ll have to pitch reviews to the editor first. Pay is reported to be around $100 per review.
Writerful Books
It pays $100 Amazon gift cards to the top reviewers on the site and between $10 to $50 a normal review. Writerful mainly wants reviews of contemporary fiction.
Kirkus Media
Looks for 350-word reviews of books of all genres.
NetGalley
Connects publishers with readers via a membership platform.
Publishers Weekly
Sometimes offers freelance positions for reviewers and editors.
Tyndale Blog Network
Rewards users with points for social media shares and quizzes more than reviews.
U.S. Review of Books
Asks for 300-500 word book reviews. Pays monthly.

Let’s look at some of these options for both professional book reviews and freelance book reviews.

Online Book Club

Online Book Club was created over 10 years ago and has over one million active members now. Joining Online book club gives the advantage of accessing free books in exchange for a book review. Online book club genuinely seeks avid book readers who are excited about the ability to review the books they read during their off-hours. Don’t leave your 9 to 5 job for this site!

The online book club site is straightforward with the process of receiving and reviewing books where you will get a copy of the book for free, and you will get paid to write reviews of the books.

Additionally, they aren’t trying to hide anything or trick anyone. They are extremely transparent about how much you will get paid, which is between $5 to $60. Getting started only requires going to their site and providing your email address so they can contact you with instructions before they start paying you cash for book reviews.

Reedsy Discovery

This site is best known for its extensive collection of indie books. If you are indeed an avid reader of all things indie, then you will love the chance to read the latest self-published books before others- keeping you ahead of the pack.

There are hundreds of different stories to choose from, and you can create your own individual brand through this site. Once you have an excellent reputation, authors will be able to contact you directly to complete book reviews for them!

To apply, you have to fill out a form to be accepted. Then, after you are officially a new book reviewer, you can begin searching for your next book. Also, you can get tips from other readers for your amazing book reviews. You deserve it, and they’re willing to oblige!

Kirkus Media

This book review magazine is a source for other websites like Amazon to get book reviews. Seeing a book review before you commit to reading it is the specialty of Kirkus media. Next time you’re scrolling through Amazon to find your next book to read, pay attention to the review sources because you’ll most likely see one from Kirkus review media.

They are always on the lookout for experienced and novice book reviewers alike to write reviews. In addition, they always have an open application for people who want to help them produce this widely accepted content. Specifically, they focus on people who can review Spanish and English indie books.

To take on this job, you should be able to write 350-word reviews within a two-week time limit. Then, to get started with Kirkus media, all you have to do is send them your resume and some writing samples of your best work!

Any Subject Books

One of the most intriguing parts about this service is that they pay you cash for your book reviews. This is a self-publishing service that hires book reviewers for individual books.

If you want to start on this site, make sure you’re ready to give in-depth book reviews that will provide a deeper level of honesty for readers to enjoy. They understand that most people have a specific genre they love to read, so they are willing to give you books up your alley specifically. If you love non-fiction books, they aren’t going to make you read a romance novel!

They don’t force you to accept any long-term requirements, given that their hiring method is focused on a book-by-book model. The overall pay you get for your review depends on the subject’s book volume and difficulty level.

For the best pay, make sure you write about various writing topics to include style, plot, characterization, tone, etc. Their application process is a little more variable, so you need to continuously check their site to see when they take on new book reviewers.

Book Browse

This site pays you in ARCs(advance readers copies) for your services. You have the opportunity to read Advance Readers’ Copies of various books, sometimes months before they are even scheduled to be published. There are usually about six different titles published in any given month.

You can browse through the ARC titles to see if any of them pique your interest and once you find the title that interests you, all you have to do is respond to the members-only newsletter to get your shot at reading the book.

Book Browse only has a maximum of 25 ARC copies for each published book. Fortunately, if you are chosen as a match, you will be expected to write a 50 to 100-word review on the book. Your review can’t exceed 300 words, so you’ll need to keep it short and sweet!

U.S. Review of Books

The US Review of Books is an American-based organization that reviews newly released books and publishes them in their newsletters. The U.S. Review of books is a nationwide organization that does not discriminate on the types of books it publishes therefore, you will easily be able to find numerous kinds of books and reviews to choose from.

When they publish a new book title, all you have to do is request to read it, and then they will assign you to the book. You only need to write a 250 to 300-word review. This is a more prestigious site, so they expect the highest level of professionalism within your review.

To get started, you need to submit a portfolio that includes your resume, at least two professional references, and some sample work via email. Make sure you know exactly what they’re looking for in their book reviewers before you take the plunge and sign up!

Women’s Review of Books

Women’s Review of Books is one of the well-known feminist print publications that has been running for many years. WRB shares reviews of various genres like fiction, graphic novels, poetry, and many more. The women’s review of books is part of the Wellesley Centers for Women. It is a highly respected feminist magazine that has been successfully publishing books for over 36 years.

WRB sets its standards by fixing missions to advance gender equality, social justice, and human well-being through high-quality research and as such they expect some level of professionalism from their writers. Majority of the writers are academics and journalists who have prior experience writing book reviews. Well, if you are up to the task, you will receive a whopping $100 for every review. WRB have a good compensation policy compared to other sites. To get started, just send them your proposal via email.

Upwork

Upwork is a freelance platform that enables its clients find trusted professionals. This is a one-stop freelance shop that allows you to accept listings that people post when they are looking for somebody to complete book reviews. Upwork offers a wide range of freelance gigs, and book reviews are just another service they’ve added to the list!

The pay for these jobs is variable, given each job is specific to the client who wants the service completed. There are also no strings attached! The client will likely hire you for one job, and then you’ll get your money and be good to go.

There is also a chance that you could meet a client who wants to collaborate with you for more long-term services, leading to a steady stream of income for you. You can sign up as a freelance book reviewer on this site today!

Moody Press

This is a non-profit organization that publishes reviews of Christian books and Bible study resources. Bethany house is another large independent Christian book publisher. Moody Press is interested in uplifting their readers and supporting them on their faith journey. They produce Christ-centered non-fiction titles as well as popular Christian fiction.

Moody Press has a blogger review program that allows you to receive free book copies that they publish. This is another site where you won’t necessarily get paid for your review, but you will receive the ARC of the book title for free.

All you have to do is complete your review within 60 days of reading the book. The MP Newsroom Bloggers Facebook group is an excellent place for you to chat with people currently involved in the program where, you can see if this is the right path for you!

New Pages

NewPages is another great platform to get paid to read books. NewPages.com contains literary magazines and independent publishers that need short reviews. This is where you come in. This internet portal wants people to write a standard review between 100 and 200 words long on all the books and literary magazines they read.

They want to work with people who love to read small press books and uncommon magazines. Take a minute to look through their archive of past book reviews to see if this style of writing is what you’re looking for.

Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly is a weekly news magazine that publishes industry news, interviews, and book reviews across a wide range of genres. This online magazine places major emphasis on international book publishing to reach a broader audience. This site not only reviews traditionally published books, but it also creates an avenue for self-published authors to get their work reviewed by book readers.

In addition, Publishers weekly hires freelancers to complete reviews of books in order to support the large variety of material they post on their website.

This is a popular site that avid readers and book reviewers alike frequent. Unfortunately, they are closed for applications every so often, however you should check their page regularly to see when they have job openings for you to get your foot in the door!

To write reviews for Publishers Weekly, you’ll need a resume, examples of your past work, and a sample review of a recently published book.

Tyndale Blog Network

The Tyndale blog network is well-known for its ‘My Reader Rewards Club’ program. When you become a member, you are eligible to earn rewards points for specific actions you take to support their site. This can include inviting friends to the program or sharing direct links to their website. For instance, you could earn 10 points for just sharing their link on Facebook!

You can also write reviews for Tyndale through Amazon or Barnes & Noble to receive 10 points with the current limit being 50 points per month. Once you gain enough points, you can receive more books from Tyndale to read and review. Check out their website for more specific information about joining this program.

Wattpad

Wattpad is a global multi-platform entertainment company for stories. It has around 90 million+ active monthly visitors to its platform, which serves as the best platform to exhibit your writing skills.

Wattpad has a mobile application where you can download and review the books and stories on their dashboard to get recognized by the popular Wattpad community members every day.

Once you get recognized you may get a chance for brand collaborations with Wattpad Studios and Wattpad Books.

Booklist Publications

This is a fairly prestigious review journal for librarians. The American Library Association spearheads this initiative. It is prudent to familiarize yourself with the various outlets that Booklist Publications contains before applying.

These book reviews can vary from published book reviews in the Booklist magazine to blog posts in ‘The Booklist Reader’. The reviews to be completed are usually on the shorter side. Although they are short, these 175-word reviews need to be written professionally so this site can continue to provide its readers with an excellent service.

To get started, you should send some of your previous writing samples to the relevant Booklist editor of your choice. Despite being an exceptionally highly respected review journal, freelance writers could still get a chance to show case their talent and earn a few bucks while at it.

Instaread

Instaread is another interesting and high-paying platform to get paid to read books. If you are not a fan of writing short reviews, then you may like Instaread. They have an open call for book summaries that require you to write a recap of the main insights you took away from classically new or non-fiction books. This company is looking for summaries that are 1000 – 1500 words long.

Be prepared to write more than you would for other book review sites. The beauty being you won’t be doing all of this for naught! Instaread provides you with a heavy compensation of $100 per summary you complete. If you want to learn more or go ahead and get started, you can download the Instaread application from the App Store.

NetGalley

NetGallery is a platform that connects book publishers with reviewers to create a win-win deal for both of them. This service focuses on the connectivity part of reading books and writing honest reviews. In case you want to read new or yet-to-be-released books for free, then NetGallery is for you.

When using this site, you have the opportunity to read books before they’re published. The publishers post their digital review copies on NetGalley for members to view and once you find a book you like, you can request to read it. You can read the books you love, and the authors are able to get better at their craft through the constructive criticism you provide!

If all this didn’t sound good enough, it’s 100% free to sign up for this service. You just need to fill out a form and get started reading today.

Writerful Books

This site has various freelance opportunities for people in all stages of their book reviewing careers. They have open positions for beta reading as well as book reviews. If you are a book reviewer who wants your compelling voice to be heard, Writerful books is the site for you.

They usually prefer reviewers to review contemporary titles, including American, Australian, British, Irish, Canadian, and New Zealand authors. But if none of those pique your interest, you can still write book reviews on any book you want. This site usually pays its reviewers between $10 to $50 per completed review.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you will always have a gig lined up for you to complete. However, if you are a regular poster of quality reviews, Writerful books may contact you to complete a book review. If you are ready to get started, go to their website and provide them with some of your best book review samples.

Scribd

Scribd is an app and website that provides multiple eBooks and audiobooks to its readers. It is a well-known digital library with frequent job opportunities for those excited to join the reading space. They not only have openings for book reviewers, but they also need proofreaders as well. Scribd supports a vast collection of eBooks as well as extraordinarily genuine reviews about numerous different books.

They have a large variety of reading material, from popular magazines to famous novels. They even promote a free 30-day trial for anyone interested. If you are chosen to be one of their in-house reviewers, you need to keep to their professional trend. They want honest, subjective reviews that will give readers great insight into what’s lying between the covers of the book they’re about to read!

Fiverr

Fiverr is one of the most visited websites where you can gather information and get in touch with multiple clients. Want to branch out from simply reading books and writing reviews? This website also supports gigs that hire book editors of various skill levels. In addition, Fiverr is a world-renowned marketplace that allows freelancers to get paid for their skills.

The best thing about this site is that it is not only tailored to reading and writing. You could post a gig to promote any skill you have, from graphic design to transcription services, but let’s focus on the book reviews for this segment.

With Fiverr, you are a freelancer, so you get to name your price! Clients will click on your services and pay you to complete book reviews or audio recordings for them. The potential with this site is truly endless because you can price your gig anywhere between $5 to as much as $20,000.

Voice Bunny

This company provides a great hourly rate to share your voice-over talent with the world. You can be a next-level voice-over artist for audiobooks on voice bunny. To get started with this company, you will need to go to their website and provide them with a voice quality test which is a fairly simple and straightforward process.

After you’ve been selected to complete voiceovers for them, you can browse their site to search for jobs you would like to complete. There are thousands of different opportunities for you to showcase your skills. You will need to deliver high-quality content within a short timeframe.

You are considered a freelance voice actor throughout this process because you can set your own hourly rate. Make sure you don’t set your prices too high and scare off potential clients.

The Voices

This is another fantastic platform to use if you make a career out of your voice acting skills. To get started, you can either create a basic or premium membership on their website and then provide them with a demo of your voice. This site prides itself in having the ability to provide clients with high-quality voices, so make sure you put your best foot forward.

Once you provide them with your demo, the voice match engine will match your voice with client jobs. Specific jobs will require a particular kind of voice, so this feature is a great way to match you perfectly with clients looking for your type of service.

This site also works more freelance, so you could potentially rack up a tremendous hourly rate from completing work here. Additionally, you can be sure that your money transfers are secure through SurePay.

getAbstract

If you specifically love to read non-fiction books, then this site is your match. The getAbstract site summarizes over 18,000 non-fiction books into various clips that last about 10 minutes each. Additionally, they have a career opportunities page that allows you to see what job listings they currently have available.

Interestingly, they are intently looking for people who write in the fields of technology and science. If this is you, they want you to write summaries of magazine articles and books for them. This is also an excellent job for freelancers because they pay their reviewers on a freelance basis. Do you fall into any of these categories? If the answer is yes, you can go to their website to learn further details about their application process.

The Pros of Writing Book Reviews

Creative (it’s fun to share your opinion on the books you read)
Chance to develop a strong writing portfolio
Can potentially earn up to $100 per review

Cons of Writing reviews

Don’t always get to choose the books to review
Many authors/publishers will pressure you to give good reviews
Many review sites don’t pay (they give advanced copies)

Get paid to Publish at Amazon Kindle Direct

For book lovers, maybe it’s time for you to try your hand at writing.

Until recently, becoming an author required the acceptance of a publishing company. However, this is no longer the case.

Amazon Kindle Direct is a self-publishing platform that allows anyone to access. Simply write a book, edit it, and put it on Kindle Direct. You can set your own pricing and receive a royalty anytime someone downloads it.

Before you dive in, understand that writing your own book takes a ton of work. You may also have to hire a proofreader.

Spend some time brainstorming and think about whether your ideas would translate well into written form. Then, if you have an idea for a book, start writing and see where it goes.

Who knows? If you’re willing to put in the countless hours as I did, maybe you too can write an international bestseller.

How To Earn Money by Reading

In recent years, many websites have emerged that allow a person to give an honest review about a book they read, good or bad. How great would it feel just to let your words flow without feeling judged or scrutinized for giving your honest opinion? This is what the world of reading books can provide for you while getting free copies of books before the general public.

Aside from just that, you receive passive income that could lead to thousands of dollars in your pocket! You can initially approach this gig as just a side hustle, but you may be able to make a full-time job out of it. This is an extremely low-cost opportunity that can allow you to build your freelance skills while also building your bank account!

How Much Book Readers Are Paid

Now, this is a tough one because the number is so variable! For example, some websites may pay you $5 while others will pay you over $1,000 to read books in exchange for writing a simple review.

Additionally, some of the reviews you write will be as short as 350-word reviews, while others will require you to go more in-depth with 1000-1500 words. Think of this as an excellent opportunity to expand your writing potential.

Also, some companies hire on a freelance basis. This means the prices are highly variable, and sometimes you can even set your own prices. This can help you master your freelance skills while also understanding that people are willing to pay for your talent.

The answer to this broad question is not as simple as providing you with just one number. But that’s what’s so great about joining this community. The money-earning possibilities are endless!

Audiobook Narration for Beginners

Maybe you are a book lover, but you also really love to read aloud. These passions will get you to the doorstep of narrating, but they won’t get you an invitation through the door.

A lot of famous and experienced narrators have some form of previous acting experience. This helps them know how to get into character when they have various characters with different accents and voices.

Additionally, they never start their narration without first knowing how the story ends, being objective with their tone, and painting the perfect picture.

Some essential skills you need are professionalism, stamina, organization, self-management, and a solid understanding of the craft itself. Being flexible in this industry is important because you may need to perform a wide variety of characters.

Just understand this is no walk in the park. It’s demanding work that takes a lot of practice and experimentation with your voice.

How To Become an Audible Book Reader

Have you been a book narrator for a while, and do you want to take your freelancing career to the next level? Then, you can put your talents to the test by applying to become an audible book reader.

How Much Money Audiobook Narrators Can Make

Audiobook narrators make a generous salary! Most of the time, these payments are hourly rates, given the variation in the length of different audiobooks.

Freelance narrators who have experience earn between $90 to $250 per hour of reading, while union narrators with experience earn about $170 per hour. If you do the math, that’s about $1,350 for an eight-hour audiobook. Not too shabby! Whether you are reading indie books or non-fiction books, that hourly rate will stay the same.

Are there better ways to make money?

As you can see from reading there are ways to make money with books but the majority have a very capped income level. You really have to decide whether this is a side hustle or if you’re looking to build a real business from it. There are other ways we prefer to focus on for making money, such as the wealth creation methods taught in The Real World and Hustlers University. As well as doing affiliate marketing with Fullstaq Marketer.

Conclusion

As you can see, there’s a wide variety of ways to get paid to read books and write reviews. From narrating to reviewing nonfiction books and writing summaries. If you’re the type who can never be around too many books, you can earn money by pursuing your passion.

If you’ve been struggling to figure out your niche in the workforce, maybe your honest opinion is your most vital asset! Turn this asset into a full-time income by becoming a book reviewer.

This can be the perfect side hustle to make yourself some extra spending money. There’s no shame in that. Whether you’re already an avid reader or you’re just someone who wants to immerse themselves in this community, sign up for some of these programs today!

Before you leave

If you’re tired of scams and want a real solution for making money online check out my no.1 recommendation.

It’s helped me earn over $300,000 in the last 12 months alone:

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David Fortune

David Fortune has been the editor NoBSIMReviews.com since 2019. He is an expert at writing content on stock advisory services, side hustles, reviewing online business opportunities and many more topics. You can learn more about David on our about us page.

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