Websites to Get Paid to Read Books: A good book is often the best way to pass the time for many people. But you might not have thought about making money from your love of reading. Many websites will pay you to read, review, or even just record books.
There is no such thing as a free lunch when it comes to side jobs that help you make money quickly. That means you’ll have to work hard to get paid. But you can make up to $300 an hour by recording books and up to $100 by writing short reviews of books you’ve read.
How can I make money by reading books?
Keep in mind that when you’re looking for companies that will pay you to read books, there’s usually more to the deal than just reading the book. Some businesses want short reviews. Some will want articles that are longer. Companies that make audiobooks will ask you to record yourself reading the book. This is a great way to make money on your phone.
How do I get Amazon to pay me to read?
If you like to read and review books, you may have thought about Amazon, which is the holy grail of online bookstores. But you can’t get paid by Amazon to review books, or your account could be banned.
You can get free books from authors and then write reviews of those books on Amazon. The author can’t ask for a review in exchange for the book, though. You also can’t review any books or products written or sold by a close friend, relative, business partner, or employer.
Start a website that reviews books. This is the best way to get paid by Amazon for reading books. Then you can try to get an Amazon Associates account and put links to Amazon products on your own site as part of product reviews. You have to say that the links are affiliate links and that you get a cut of every sale made through them.
In general, affiliate marketing works best when the audience is interested and the website gets a lot of traffic. However, some of the best affiliate marketers make as much as $100,000 per month. If you are just starting out, you can expect to make less than $1,000 per month.
Who will give you $200 for each book you read?
WordsRated said that their “Bibliophile-at-large” would get $200 for each book they read. The job required reading books and taking notes on things like the setting of the story, the number of key words and phrases, the number of questions asked in the book, the animals in the book, and the number of characters by gender. The company used the information to make studies and statistics about all kinds of books, from the classics to the latest bestsellers.
The website says that applications for the bibliophile-at-large position are no longer being accepted. But you can also get paid to read books on the sites below.
10 Websites to Get Paid to Read Books
Even if you can’t make $200 per book, you can still use these sites to make reading books your side job.
1. Kirkus Review
Payment: Not known
Kirkus Review is a well-known website that reviews books in all kinds of formats and styles. Kirkus Indie is looking for experienced people to review books written in English and Spanish by self-published authors.
The site asks for a resume, samples of your writing, and a list of your reviewing specialties, so it doesn’t look like this job is for beginners. Most freelance jobs depend on how good your writing samples are and where you’ve been published. The better your samples and the more prestigious the places you’ve been published, the more likely you are to get the job.
How to Use: To put your name in the running, send your application to Kirkus Indie Editor David Rapp at [email protected]
2. Booklist
$15 for each review
The American Library Association is where Booklist fits in. Its reviewers help people who work in school and public libraries choose books to buy or recommend to library users. Booklist calls its reviews “the haiku of book reviews,” and it asks for 150–175-word reviews that give a summary of the plot, say who the book is best for, and suggest similar books.
Booklist isn’t taking applications right now, but they say they will start again in January 2023.
3. ACX
Pay: by the hour or 50% of royalties
Have a great voice and love listening to audiobooks? ACX lets professional narrators and audiobook producers work with published authors who need a narrator for their book and get paid for it.
To finish and finish up your audio recording, you can ask other studio pros for help. You’ll get paid when the audiobook comes out, or you’ll get 50% of the royalties from sales every month. You can apply to be an Audible Approved Producer once you’ve made at least 25 audiobooks.
Through the Bounty Referral Program, you can also make money by telling other Audible users about your recorded books.
How to Use: Start by going to the ACX website and making a profile. You can upload samples of your voice work with different accents, styles, genres, and more. When an author or Rights Holder chooses you, you’ll record an audition by reading a few minutes of their manuscript.
4. Voices of Findaway
Pay: Not known
Findaway Voices is like ACX in that authors choose narrators to read their audiobooks. It gives you a full guide with all the tools you need to be successful.
To apply, first make a narrator profile. You’ll get a custom URL so that authors can find you easily. Then, add samples of your work, an audio introduction, a bio, a cover image, and an avatar.
5. Voices
Pay: Different
Voices is a place where people who do voiceover work can find jobs or let people know they are available for projects. More than 5,000 jobs are posted each month, according to the platform. When you finish a project, your payment goes straight into your PayPal account.
Under the “audiobooks” skill, there are projects that pay anywhere from $250 to $375. When you list your services as a voiceover artist, you can choose your rates and delivery time.
How to Use: Make a profile and post samples of your work. You can post as many samples as you want for free. If you pay for the Premium membership, jobs that fit your profile will be sent to you.
6. The US Book Review
Pay: Not known
The US Review of Books puts out a monthly newsletter of book reviews with the tagline “Professional Reviews for the People.” This helps authors get the word out about their new books. Reviewers are supposed to write between 250 and 300 words about the book, giving a summary of the plot and their thoughts on it. The site’s rules say that reviews should be written with “heart and brevity” and that first-person language should not be used. The review can compare the book to others like it, give an opinion, or talk about the author’s experience and other books.
Reviewers can choose their favorite titles from a list. The US Review of Books wants reviews to be sent in within two to three weeks after they are assigned.
To apply, send an email to [email protected] with your resume, a sample of your work, and two professional references.
7. Reedsy Search
People who read your reviews will give you tips ranging from $1 to $5.
Reedsy Discovery does not pay reviews a flat rate or even an hourly rate. Instead, it lets readers thank reviewers for their work by giving them tips of $1, $3, or $5. Writing reviews for Reedsy won’t make you rich, but it’s a great way to improve your skills if you want to write reviews for larger, more well-known sites like Kirkus Reviews.
How to Apply: It’s simple to apply for Reedsy. To make an account, you only need to give your email address, first name, and last name. You’ll also be able to upload a picture of yourself. Then, answer some questions about how you like to read and what kinds of books you want to review. Include a brief bio. Share links to some of your best reviews to improve your chances of being chosen. You can send in reviews in both written and video form.
8. BookBrowse
Pay is unknown, but it is said to be “modest.”
Before applying to review for BookBrowse, you must have at least 300-word samples of good reviews. Along with each review, reviewers must also send in a “Beyond the Book” article. Most reviewers write about one book a month, which could be fiction or non-fiction for adults or fiction for young adults.
To apply, you just need to list your favorite genres, share two high-quality reviews (and a link to other reviews, if you want), and write a short bio. The application process is easy.
9. Upwork
Pay: Different
Upwork is one of the biggest online marketplaces for freelancers, and among other writing jobs, you can find a lot of opportunities to review books. Different clients and projects will have different qualifications and requirements. Upwork is one of the best sites that, in a roundabout way, will pay you to read books. In many cases, it can help you get a job as a book reviewer that will last for a long time.
To apply, make a Freelancer account on the site, list your skills and experience, and upload a portfolio. Then look for jobs and send proposals for the ones you want. A client will send you a contract if they want to hire you.
10. An online book club
Pay: $5 to $60
OnlineBookClub.org gives you a list of books and lets you pick the ones you’d most like to read. You get the books for free and then review them. The website says that you won’t get paid for your first review, but reviews after that pay between $5 and $60.
To apply, you don’t have to send in an application or show examples of book reviews you’ve written before, which is different from many other online review sites. That makes it easier for new reviewers to use this website.
