19 Ways You Can Get Paid to Read Books From the Comfort of Your Home

Are you a book lover? Do you spend so much time reading books that you find yourself wishing that you could get paid to read books?

Well, it’s good news – you can! Yes, you really can get paid to read books.

There are a few different ways to do this, and in this article, we will look into how to make money by reading books.

How To Make Money Reading Books

There really aren’t many well-known options for making money by reading books. If you want to make money while reading books, then this article might help out!

Here are a few quick options (that we will go into further detail throughout the article):

Reviewing books
Audiobooks (e.g., narrating)
Reading books out loud

Is Reading Books For Money Worth It?

Whether reading books for money is worth it or not is up to you! If you are someone who loves reading, then getting paid for it is a bonus.

If you are wondering whether or not it will make you a lot of money, the honest answer is that it probably isn’t going to.

It will depend on what you do and how much you do, but it is a good side hustle to try out.

Other ways to make money:

How to Get Paid to Read Books

Let’s look at some different ways that you can get paid to read books, mainly doing book reviews:

Women’s Review of Books

Women’s Review of Books is a feminist magazine that is proudly in print (their words!).

They do reviews of women’s books, by women and for women, and you can do book reviews for them and be compensated.

They offer $100 per review, and they ask to pitch a review of an upcoming book. You just need to send a book proposal along with the publication date and your angle to their editor.

Online Book Club

We love the ease of doing book reviews with the Online Book Club. You can sign up for free, and you will be offered a selection of books to review – for free.

The books will initially be offered to you for free in exchange for honest reviews, but after your first review is done, you become eligible for paid reviews.

The pay per review is currently between $5 – $60.

Upwork

Upwork is one of the most popular sites for freelancers and businesses to find workers!

If you search on Upwork, you should be able to find book reviewer jobs. The type of review will vary depending on the client, but they will list all of the information on the job spec. The pay will also vary depending on the client and what they want.

Fiverr

Fiverr is a great place to find freelance work, and you can find all different ways to get paid to read on there.

You can try out audiobook narration, offer book reviews, and you could even try out things such as proofreading or editing books.

Start Your Own Book Blog

As well as doing all of these other things, you could start your own book blog so that you are in control of your content and publishing.

You can make money from affiliate marketing, sponsored posts from companies and use them to attract attention as a book reviewer or any other service you are offering.

How Much Money do You Get Paid to Read Books?

How much you get paid to read books really does depend on what you are doing exactly.

If you are a successful narrator, you could anticipate earning over $1000 at least per audiobook.

Get Paid to Review Books

As mentioned, there are ways that you can get paid to review books. Let’s check out some more sites:

Booklist

Booklist is a review journal for librarians, and they accept book reviews on their publications – namely, Booklist magazine, Book Links, and The Booklist Reader blog.

To apply as a book reviewer, you will need to fill out an application, and they ask that you get familiar with their publications and writing style. They also have a webinar that you can sign up for with more information on reviewing books for them.

The fee is $15 per review, and this is paid upon publication of the review.

BookBrowse

This website is one for the true book lovers out there, as you won’t be paid in cash for your review, but you will instead be given free books.

Bethany House

If you enjoy Christian fiction and non-fiction and have an online presence (such as a blog or Youtube channel), then you could be a book reviewer for Bethany House.

Kirkus Reviews

If you’ve looked at book reviews before, you’ll have likely come across Kirkus Reviews.

To apply to be a book reviewer at Kirkus Reviews, all you need to do is send your resume and some writing samples. They ask that you have experience and can complete a 350-word review within two weeks.

Publishers Weekly

This is a publishing business where you can get paid for book reviews – you can get paid between $200 – $1,000 for these.

Moody Press

Moody Press is a publisher of Christian books which pays for book reviews – with books. Great if you are a true book lover!

U.S. Review Of Books

This website takes on freelancers to write their book reviews, with the standard reviews being around 250-300 words.

To apply, you need to contact the editor with a resume, examples of your work, and two professional references.

Get Paid to Read Books Aloud

You can also get paid to read books aloud, so let’s take a look at where you can do so:

VoiceBunny (now BunnyStudio)

To be a ‘Voice Artist,’ you will need to submit your application and wait to see if you are accepted.

You are free to set your own rates and your own schedule, which we love!

Backstage

This is a site where you can search for job opportunities, but you do have to pay to sign up, so bear this in mind.

Voice Jungle

To sign up, you will need to upload a demo audio. They ask that you have a home studio and any demos that you create to meet their quality standards. They also ask that you can submit work within 24 hours.

Any Subject Books

Any Subject Books is a self-publishing service that hires book reviewers and asks your book genre preference to make sure you’re reviewing the kind of books you like.

Get Paid to Read AudioBooks

Reading audiobooks is a great way to get paid to read – here are some of our favorite sites to use:

PeoplePerHour

This is an excellent site for freelance work, especially for audiobook narration or audiobook proofreading.

The beginner pay rate for this kind of service on PeoplePerHour starts at $100 per finished hour.

Freelancer.com

Similar to the above, the beginner rate is $100 per finished hour. You can also provide audiobook narration or proofreading on this site.

Podcasts

Did you know that you can get paid to read out books on podcasts? There are so many different genres that you can get involved in, and these can garner large audiences.

How Much do Audiobook Narrators Make?

The average pay for an audiobook narrator is about $800-$1200 per book. Most companies will pay you $200-$400 upfront and the rest after completing your work.

You can also get paid if the book is made into a movie or TV series!

How to Get Paid to Read Books For Amazon

You can get paid to read books for Amazon on their Amazon Audiobook Creative Exchange (ACX).

You can use this platform to be connected as a narrator to books that need to be narrated. It’s a win-win!

How to Become a Book Reviewer For Amazon

To become a book reviewer for Amazon, you will need to have purchased products in the last 12 months from Amazon (worth at least $50) to be able to do a review.

Unfortunately, you cannot get paid to be a book reviewer on Amazon as they do not allow any kinds of rewards in exchange for reviews.

How Much do You Get Paid to Read Books For Amazon?

If you are using the Amazon platform, you will not get paid to review books through them, as this is against their terms.

There are other ways that you can get paid to read books on Amazon, such as creating reviews on your blog and making money through ads.

Is Reading Books For Money For You- Final Thoughts

If you want to get paid for reading books, several opportunities will provide you with the highest pay rates.

Of course, it takes some time and dedication to become an Amazon book reviewer or a blogger that gets paid to promote products on their blog.

Is it worth it? Yes! You can make your hobby of reading books into a successful online business.

Get Paid to Read Books For Money Q&A

Let’s take a look at some of the questions that you may have:

What job should I have if I love books?

There are so many that you can do, such as:

Narrator
Proofreader/copy editor
Literature teacher
Librarian

How much do book readers get paid?

The amount you get paid really depends on what you are doing and how much experience you have.

It can start at $10 for a book review and head up into the hundreds per hour for narration work or similar.

Is it legal to read books on Youtube?

In short – it depends. If you are just going to be reading a whole book aloud, this won’t be allowed.

Most books are under copyright, although some will allow excerpts to be read aloud for the purpose of a review if you aren’t sure – best to check in with the author or publisher!

How can I get free books sent to me?

There are lots of ways that you can get free books sent to you, not just including the ways that we have discussed, like narration or proofreading.

You can also get free books by:

Downloading free audiobooks from Libby
Your local library
Better World Books

Can you really read books for money?

Yes! You can read books for money. There are different jobs where you get paid to read books.

Can you make reading and reviewing books a full-time job?

Yes, you can make a living off of reading and reviewing books. However, it depends on what you mean by “full-time job.” It takes some time to become successful as an Amazon book reviewer or as a blogger that makes money from promoting products.

Also, join us on Pinterest for more money-saving tips and tricks!

Related money-making articles:

Grab Your FREE Budget Binder Today!

Start saving more money and pay off your debt with this FREE Budget Binder