“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”
J.K. Rowling
For some people reading could just be about killing time, but for others, it is a passion they have been holding on to for years. For them, getting paid to read books would be a dream come true. People who have a knack for reading books regularly often think they could invest more time in this activity rather than trying to complete their job-related tasks to make ends meet. But, what if there was a way to do both things simultaneously? Just imagine, if you were paid to read books, what a great job would it be, even if as a side hustle.
Well, this fantasy has been realized by numerous websites that pay you to read books. Yeah, you hear it right! We’re going to talk about the websites that you can sign up for to get paid to read books.
How can I get paid to read books?
Paid reading can be undertaken as a full-time remote job or a part-time one and revolves around the usual give-and-take aspect of every business. Such websites usually require you to post some type of feedback or review after reading the book, which benefits the book publishers; hence, you can rest assured that these sorts of paid jobs are not part of some scam. Below are some of the ways of earning livelihood through reading books and the various platforms which offer such opportunities:
Book Reviews — read, review & get paid
The primary mean of earning through reading is by posting a review regarding the book. These reviews can vary from mere 350-word compositions to detailed accounts of about 1500 words. The pay varies according to the word limit and the host platform. Some may pay a meager amount of $5, whereas others may help you make $1000 in no time. There are numerous websites that fall under this category; a few of them are enlisted below:
1. Reedsy Discovery
Reedsy Discovery offers avid readers the opportunity to read a self-published book at their discretion and become book reviewers. This allows users to even get in direct contact with authors to review their respective books. Readers can initiate the process of joining Reedsy as reviewers by signing an application form. The pay, however, is not fixed or determined by the website; instead, people who view the book review tip the reviewers.
2. Kirkus Media
Kirkus media is one of the most trusted platforms for reading and reviewing books to earn money. It operates based on freelance work and may require you to write reviews in multiple languages with a variable word limit. To write paid reviews through Kirkus Media, send them your resume along with a few samples that will be used to evaluate your skills as a reviewer.
3. Online Book Club
Online Book Club is another website that pays to read and review books. Though the pay scale would seem miserly from $5 to $60, they are brutally honest in terms of pay and advise reviewers on their website to perceive it as a part-time gig rather than full-time employment.
4. NewPages
Some people prefer to read small published material rather than dense novels and may not be fond of writing lengthy reviews. For such individuals, NewPages is the perfect destination to read their desired literary work along with reviewing it in mere 100-200 words to earn some cash.
5. Book Browse
Book browse is another platform offering freelance work as a reviewer; however, the genre of reading material is mainly based on adult fiction and non-fiction, with little emphasis on the young adult segment.
6. Instaread
If you are a person who enjoys hefty reading and writing material (obviously with compensation on offer), this website might suit you quite well. Instaread calls for book summaries from readers with a word count averaging 1000-1500 and pays a reasonable amount of $100 for each summary.
7. Any Subject Books
Though the name sounds quite weird, Any Subject Books is a respectable self-publishing platform that provides opportunities for book readers and reviewers to give a book-by-book review. The genre of books depends upon the reviewer; hence, no reviewer is asked to read a book that does not comply with their choice and preference.
8. getAbstract
getAbstract is a unique website that aims to provide summaries of elaborate books. It currently holds a sum of more than 18,000 non-fiction books summarized into 10 min reads. In addition, freelance work is offered to voracious readers to read books and summarize them in a laconic manner.
Proofreading websites
Another way to get paid for reading books other than writing reviews is to proofread them. This mode of earning is especially suitable for people who are avid readers but not particularly fans of writing themselves. However, such paid reading jobs do require the individual to possess sufficient knowledge of language and grammar to properly proofread any given material. Following are some of the websites that offer this facility to earn through proofreading content:
9. Gramlee
Gramlee is a full fledge service provider for proofreading content such as books and even dissertations. You can apply for proofreading either type of content through separate application forms. Proofreaders are hired on a contractual basis. So if you like to read books or even research-related material while earning money doing so, then this might just work for you.
10. Lionbridge
Lionbridge provides several services related to audio, video, and written content. It provides a great platform for readers who want to get paid as full-time proofreaders.
Other freelance platforms to earn money by reading books
Many companies are operating in the market which provides an opportunity to freelancers for offering a plethora of services. These digital marketplaces allow customers and service providers to connect and benefit from each other. Customers have the freedom to select from numerous people offering their services spread over a wide range of professions. Some of these have become quite popular, with thousands of transactions taking place on them regularly. A few mainstream platforms currently operable in the marketplace are:
11. Upwork
12. Fiverr
13. Toptal
14. Freelancer.com
15. PeoplePerHour
Voice-Over Work
Before you jump to conclusions, we’re not talking about voice-over acting in movies. Instead, we’re referring to audiobooks which include voice-over of the whole book done by a professional storyteller. Have you ever read a novel and tried to emulate the dialogues in the same expression as they were written? If so, then you may probably develop an inclination for such kind of work.
These businesses provide a kick-start to the people who want to make a career in rendering their services as narrators and storytellers. The induction process usually involves giving an audition for any book selected by the applicant.
Some businesses which offer opportunities to such readers and storytellers are as follows:
16. ACX
17. Voices
Translation websites that pay well
Though translation wasn’t fun to do back in school, when it can earn you some money, then what the heck, right? Earning money through translating written material is not everyone’s cup of tea. It includes semantic and linguistic proficiency along with reading and comprehension skills, but it can pay good money. Some web places where you can find such jobs are:
18. Ulatus
Ulatus can perhaps be considered one of the most well-established businesses in translating services. It has a global presence in more than 125 countries with an overall client base of more than 200,000. Ulatus includes more than 3000 language experts providing their services in 50+ languages
19. Today Translations
If you possess a linguistic qualification and some experience in translating, then this might be the perfect destination for you
20. Guru
As the name suggests, Guru provides freelance work opportunities to seasoned translators with compensation usually fixed or on per hourly basis
21. Babelcube
Bablecube is a perfectly planned site for readers and translators to earn some good cash along with recognition. You have a choice to translate your choice of book into any of the 15 languages they have on offer. In addition to payment received, the translator also receives acknowledgment in the translated version.
Affiliate marketing
This method involves readers becoming affiliates for vendors which sell books online. The overall process leads readers becoming reviewers to bloggers too, and finally, sellers or intermediaries between vendors and buyers. Amazon Affiliate Program is one example that incorporates this strategy to attract people to buy books through affiliates. People who become affiliates are given specific links to books that buyers can access and purchase the respective books. These links are embedded in the reviews of people who publish them in their blogs. These links also help the company track the sale of books by the respective sellers/reviewer, and hence, grant them compensation accordingly.
Create your own website
If the websites mentioned above do not intrigue you enough, then there’s always the choice to start your own website and offer whatever services you find suitable. This is a great way to get paid while reading, earn a good amount of cash, and simultaneously become an entrepreneur and start your own business.
In retrospect, we can observe how people have transitioned from on-site work to WFH (work-from-home) jobs, especially during the pandemic era. In such circumstances, numerous professionals adopted the change and sought work that could be carried out remotely. This trend has now been partially, if not wholly ingrained in our everyday lives.
Amid prevailing conditions, freelance and remote jobs pertinent to reading and writing seem quite attractive to people with a preference for such things. There are numerous websites as well as freelance platforms currently operating to aid people in making a living from these jobs. So, choose the path that suits you best and turn your passion into a profession.