I find it hard to find my way in a good book. I’m determined to find a book that will take me away from reality and give me an escape from reality. My mind always goes back to personal finance. I like to find ways to maximize my savings.
Time is money. When you are hustling and trying to improve your cash situation, it is hard to take the afternoon off to read a book. Maintaining a healthy balance in your life is dependent on finding the time to relax and enjoy a good book.
You can find a way to get paid to read books.
There are many ways to do that. You don’t have to be an expert to start. You can learn how to bring in cash by reading. You can make money reading books if you sacrifice your love for books in order to make a living.
21 Ways to Get Paid to Read Books
Here are the best ways to make money reading books:
- Find Proofreading Gigs
- Kirkus Media
- Reedsy Discovery
- BookBrowse
- Online Book Club
- Women’s Review of Books
- The US Review of Books
- Be an Audiobook Narrator
- Work for a Publishing House
- Publish Books on Amazon Kindle Direct
- Become a getAbstract Freelance Writer
- Teach English Literature
- Edit eBooks for Businesses
- Become a Book Blogger
- Review Books on YouTube
- Read to Kids
- Become a Caregiver and Read to Patients
- Work for a Library
- Work in a Bookstore
- Booklist Publications
- Writerful Books
BONUS: Best Books to Read to Help Your Financial Future
1. Find Proofreading or Copy-Editing Gigs
A solid proofreader is behind every great author. Many authors would struggle to perfect their work without a dedicated proofreader. If you’re detail-driven, you can earn income by proofreading other people’s work and revising it with a critical eye. You may edit a future book if you find the right author.
Authors prefer working with fast, flexible, and easy to work with proofreaders. Quality work, in a timely manner, is highly sought after by authors. Do you know what it takes to proofread for money? If you have an eye for detail and a good sense of language, then you may be able to make a living as a proofreader. Gigs can be found on the following sites. These sites can be used to make money on the side.
Fiverr
Fiverr is another top freelance marketplace. The site is a better source for short-term work. It’s great for people who want to work from home. While you might not be getting paid to read a full-length book, you will have the chance to work on smaller jobs. This is a great way to build up your experience as a reader.
Upwork is a free service. The company takes 20 percent of what you make. Before taxes are applied, this percentage is taken from your gross earnings.
FlexJobs
FlexJobs is a search engine for finding remote gigs. You will have to pay to use this site, but it is a good source for proofreading jobs. The service offers four different price tiers:
- $9.95 (weekly)
- $24.95 (monthly)
- $39.95 (quarterly)
- $59.95 (annually)
I think the one-month package is the way to go. It’s a great way to get started. You will pay more for it, but it may take some time to find a job, and one week may not be enough. Try the package and see what you can find. Don’t miss out on this chance to get a great selection at an unbeatable price. You can upgrade to the yearlong subscription to get the most bang for your buck if it turns out to be a lot of work. If you want to know how it works for you, you can always start with a monthly subscription.
2. Kirkus Media
Kirkus Media publishes Kirkus Reviews, a top book review magazine. The company is looking for experienced book reviewers to read works in Spanish and English for its magazine, which is dedicated to self-published authors. This is an excellent opportunity to gain professional experience, as selected reviewers will be compensated for their reviews. Kirkus Reviews publish many of the reviews for Amazon, so if you’ve been shopping for books on Amazon, you’ve probably read some of the reviews. Kirkus Reviews is a trusted source of book reviews and their expertise is sought after by many publishing houses.
3. Reedsy Discovery
Reedsy Discovery helps readers discover self-published authors. You can interview Reedsy. Authors, publishers, and other industry professionals can be promoted through these interviews. You will make money from tips only if there is no base pay. This site can be used to build up a portfolio of writing samples. This site is a great place to get exposure to a wider audience. You can use the reviews to land other jobs with different companies if the company accepts your work. These reviews can be used to build your credibility in the industry.
4. BookBrowse
BookBrowse pays freelance writers to review books and help readers find great titles. Quality paid book reviews that are at least 300 words are produced by the company. Readers can view and purchase the reviews on the company’s website. One article is written by a book reviewer per month. They may review more than one book.
5. Online Book Club
Online Book Club is a free online community for book lovers. There is a wide selection of books to choose from. After your first review, you can make money with pay ranging from $5 to $60 per review. You can increase the number of reviews you take on each month if you have a few under your belt. You will get a free book out of the deal. It’s definitely a win-win situation.
6. Women’s Review of Books
7. The US Review of Books
The US Review of Books is a well-known book review publication that comes out once a month. To find work through this publication, keep an eye out for book titles on the site. If you’re interested in submitting your work, you can reach out to the editors directly. Request to review it when you see one that you like. Before making a decision, be sure to ask the seller any questions. The reviews need to be between 250 and 300 words. The pros and cons of a product or service should be included in a product or service review.
8. Be an Audiobook Narrator
ACX is Audible’s publishing platform. Signing up and creating a profile is what you should do if you have a voice like James Earl Jones. You may soon be in demand for narration projects. Many self-published authors are looking for audiobook narrators. Many authors are looking for the perfect narrator to tell their story.
Your work can be uploaded with different styles and accents. This will help ensure that you are versatile as a voice actor. Authors can have an easier time discovering you if you put a lot of samples on your profile. Having a larger portfolio can help an author stand out from the crowd.
If you are interested in pursuing this, you can get paid to read books for either a per-hour rate or 50 percent of royalties. Regardless of your interests, there are opportunities to read books for a variety of genres. You don’t have to do any writing for that commission. It’s a great way to make extra money.
While authors can find your profile on the site, you can also try out for audiobook narrator jobs that you like. You can connect with authors and publishers directly, which will allow you to find work more easily.
9. Work for a Publishing House
You might want to consider a career in publishing. The career path starts with a bachelor’s degree in a related field. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, many students pursue additional certifications and internship to further their expertise in the field.
You need a degree to get a job in the publishing industry. Networking with people in the publishing industry will give you experience. Gain hands-on training through internship, editing, and training courses. You can join professional organizations, attend conferences, and network with other professionals in the field.
Check out the American Copy Editors Society, which offers comprehensive editorial training and certification. You can get up to speed with professional editing standards with these paid courses. These courses will teach you the editing techniques used by industry professionals.
Most industries require you to work your way up to becoming a book editor or book coach. It’s important to remember that there is no single path to becoming a book editor or a coach, the most important thing is to gain as much experience and knowledge as possible. You can work with talented writers and get paid to read books at the same time. You may have the chance to influence which books make it to publication, making this job even more exciting and rewarding.
Book editors make an average salary of $62,760 per year. In addition to their yearly salary, book editors may also receive other benefits such as healthcare and retirement plans.
10. Publish books on Amazon Kindle Direct
Maybe it’s time to try your hand at writing if you love to read. Writing can be a great way to express yourself.
Authors used to have to accept a publishing company in order to become an author. This is no longer the case. People can access information from virtually anywhere thanks to technological advances.
Amazon Kindle Direct is a self-publishing platform that anyone can access. Write a book, edit it, and put it on the internet. You can set your own pricing and get a royalty when someone downloads it. It’s possible to make money from your book without going through a publisher.
It takes a lot of work to write your own book. It may take some time to write a book that you are proud of, so be prepared to commit yourself to the process and be patient. You might have to hire a proofreader.
Think about if your ideas would translate well into writing. Once you have a few ideas, write them down and plan out how you would incorporate them into your writing. If you have an idea for a book, start writing. If you want to stay on track with your goals, you need to set aside time each day to work on your book.
Who knows? I was able to write an international bestselling book because I put in so much time.
11. Become a getAbstract Freelance Writer
getAbstract condenses books and articles into summaries. It is for busy people who don’t have time to read but want to access the bulk of a book’s message.
You can get paid to read and write summaries. You could use this opportunity to make a career out of writing summaries for books. The company is looking for writers with a background in science and technology. We’re looking for writers who love learning about the latest scientific and technological advances.
Sound interesting? The application process requires a writing sample and a brief application. A decision will be made after the application is submitted.
12. Teach English literature
If you have an advanced degree in English, you should consider teaching at a college or university. It is possible to share your knowledge and experience with the next generation of English students by teaching at a college or university. This is one of the best ways to make a full-time income. This is an opportunity that should be taken advantage of.
You will most likely receive medical benefits and weekends, holidays, and summers off if you teach at a regular college or university. You can engage with students in a variety of ways, such as through lectures, research projects, and mentorship. Night classes can be taught at a local community college. An additional source of income can be provided by teaching night classes.
English professors in the U.S. make a median salary. is $93,989. This could be a great career option for you, as the job entails more than just reading books. This could be the perfect job for someone who wants to make a living out of books.
You can also look into teaching English online.
13. Edit eBooks for Businesses
eBooks can be used to sell products and services. Businesses can use eBooks to reach new and existing customers.
A traditional book can run anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 words. eBooks can be used to gain knowledge quickly and easily. It usually requires a lot of editorial production and copy editing. Ensuring accuracy and clarity of the final text requires copy editing. eBook writers can benefit from book coaching. Authors who want to take their writing to the next level can use book coaching.
You can find eBook editing opportunities on freelance sites like Fiverr and Upwork.
14. Become a Book Blogger
Being a book reviewer is a great way to get paid to read books. It’s a great way to connect with like-minded readers and explore new genres of literature.
You can sign up for a free site using WordPress or Medium.com and have the freedom to say virtually anything you want in your honest review.
It is possible to make money as a book reviewer through advertisements and links. With enough effort and dedication, you can become a successful book reviewer who is able to make a living while sharing their love of literature. One way to do this is through the Amazon Affiliates program. By linking to someone’s product page with an affiliate link, you can potentially get a cut of the profit when someone buys something because of your content. This is a great way to make passive income.
You can give a book a review and link to it on your website. This is a great way to support authors and help readers discover new books. Payments could be made any time someone clicks on the link and buys a copy. If the customer purchases other related products, you could be eligible for additional commission.
15. Review Books on YouTube
If you aren’t camera-shy, you should consider creating a YouTube channel and talking about books.
You can talk about almost anything related to books as a booktuber. You can offer tours of your favorite shops, interviews, and book reviews.
You can make money on YouTube through advertising revenue, channel memberships, and selling branded merchandise, to name a few examples.
If you’ve got what it takes to be a YouTube book reviewer, take a look at SavidgeReads for inspiration. There are more than 23,000 subscribers to this account. It is one of the most popular accounts. Who knows? Maybe one day you will have more. Whatever you have now, make the most of it.
16. Read to Kids
Reading to kids is not for everyone. It can be rewarding for those who take the time to do it. There is a lot to like about this type of work. It is rewarding to watch a child’s eyes light up when they hear an exciting story.
You will help kids foster an appreciation for books. Critical thinking and problem solving are skills that you will be able to help them develop. Reading to kids builds attention spans and gets them off electronic devices. It helps to build a foundation for future education by encouraging creative thinking.
You will be valuable if you can get kids to listen. This is important for a side hustler. Having a side hustle gives you the chance to explore different areas of business and gain valuable experience that could help you in other aspects of your life. Readers keep kids occupied and allow them to complete other tasks, which is why teachers, parents, and caregivers love to hire readers. Readers help children learn new things by providing fun and engaging stories.
Contact your local schools and daycare centers to get paid to read books. You can reach out to organizations that provide audio books for the visually impaired. You can try to get support from your friends on Facebook. You can use social media to spread the word about your event.
You might want to consider partnering with local facilities that offer field trips. Additionally, these partnerships can provide an excellent opportunity to engage with the local community and expand your customer base. Professional narrators are hired to read books to children at these places. The narrators bring the stories to life with their enthusiasm and use of different voices for each character.
You won’t make a lot of money reading to kids, but it will be a fun home job for the right personality type.
17. Become a Caregiver and Read to Patients
Older people, people with special needs, kids, and even pets are helped by caregivers who go into patient homes or work in health care settings. Individuals who need assistance in their daily lives are helped by caregivers.
caregivers often read to their clients The act of reading can be calming for both the client and the caregivers. It is a great way to connect with patients and is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a caregivers. Being a part of the care team allows me to make a difference in someone’s life.
You will most likely have to perform other duties as well. Your supervisor should give you a list of all the job responsibilities. Depending on the role, you may have to cook, clean, shop for groceries, and transport patients to doctor’s appointments, classes, or stores. Helping patients dress, bathe, and eat is one of the activities you may be responsible for.
If you’re interested in this line of work, head over to Care.com to find full-time and part-time work as a caregiver.
The average pay for a caregivers is fourteen dollars an hour. Health and retirement benefits are offered to caregivers. Make sure to keep your full-time job because you can earn some cash this way. This type of side hustle may not be for everyone.
18. Work for a Library
A library is a great environment for a book lover.
You will have free books at your disposal as a librarian. You can use those books to improve your skills. This is the perfect time to completely immerse yourself in reading. Benefits include health insurance, paid time off, and job security. You will have the chance to work with a team of dedicated professionals. School librarians get paid holidays, weekends, and summer vacations. Many school librarians have health and dental insurance.
If you want to become a librarian, you need to gather up your references and put together a resume. Determine what type of library you want to work in. There are school libraries, university libraries, public libraries, academic libraries, niche libraries, and national libraries. Each of the libraries have their own purpose and are useful to the communities they serve.
You will need to decide on the type of role you want to pursue in the library. You should seek out training for your role once you have a clear idea of what you want to do. If you want to succeed in your role, you need mentors and experienced professionals who can help you. A master’s degree in library science is required for many librarian positions. They may be expected to know about computer programs and technologies related to library science.
The amount of money you make depends on your title. Higher-level titles tend to have bigger salaries and more benefits. The librarians make over fifty thousand dollars per year. Health insurance and other perks are available to librarians. The median salary for library services directors is $116,468. Due to their ability to manage and coordinate library operations, library services directors are in high demand.
19. Work in a Bookstore
If you don’t want the pressure of a full-time library job and are into the gig economy, you should consider working for an independent bookstore or a national chain. You’ll have the flexibility to work when and where you please, while gaining valuable experience in the bookselling industry.
This is a great place to find part-time work. There are many opportunities for those willing to work hard. You can pursue full-time opportunities as well. It’s important to remember that if you’re looking for flexibility and freedom, you may not get the same security as a full-time job, and you should be prepared to invest in yourself and your business if you choose to go.
stocking shelves, operating the cash register, and possibly serving coffee are some of thethings that may be done at a book store. It requires a love of reading and an ability to communicate with customers. A bookseller needs to be knowledgeable about literature, authors and genres.
The average salary for a full-time bookstore clerk is $27,880 per year, so this won’t be able to replace your full time job. You can use the extra income to supplement your current salary and provide some financial relief.
20. Booklist Publications
Booklist Publications is a legit book discovery service. As a member of the American Library Association, Booklist reviews help school and public library workers find new materials. Books, audio books, videos, and digital media are some of the genres covered in booklist reviews.
After publication in its magazine or digital properties, the company pays a review fee. This is a great opportunity for writers to make extra money.
21. Writerful Books
Writerful Books is an Australia-based company that helps publish emerging writers.
The company is looking for book reviewers to cover American, Australian, British, Irish, Canadian, and New Zealand authors. The reviews should give an accurate portrayal of the books.
Best Books to Read that Can Lead You to Financial Freedom
Your next big money-making idea may be hidden in the pages of a book. You don’t have to read the whole book to find it, just a few strategic chapters may be all you need.
These books can help you develop a money mindset and achieve long-term financial independence, even if you don’t get paid immediately after reading them. By applying their principles and advice, you can begin to create a plan for financial success that will pay off in the long run.
The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller
Best Book for Real Estate Investing
The Millionaire Real Estate Investor is a must-read if you’re serious about entering the real estate game. You will learn how to build long-term financial wealth by investing in properties. The best strategies to generate income and get the most out of your investments will be discovered.
The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
Best Book for Passive Income
The 4-Hour Work Week explains how to ditch your full-time job and start making money through passive income. If you want a different approach to working and making money, read this book. The book will give you innovative ideas for achieving financial freedom.
Best Investing Advice
The Little Book of Common Sense Investing provides a primer on index investing.
Author John C. Bogle is the founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Group, a leading provider of low-cost investment funds. If you want to build a well-rounded portfolio, read this book. The book can be used to learn how to make smart investment decisions.
Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days by Chris Guillebeau
Best Book for Making Money
Side Hustle is an excellent choice if you’re getting serious about growing your revenue streams. Chris Guillebeau wrote a book that explains how to start and profit from a side hustle. The book teaches readers how to prioritize their goals and develop an action plan to make their dreams a reality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the most frequently asked questions are about getting paid to read books. What are the best books to read?
Does NetGalley offer free books?
NetGalley provides a way to request and recommend books before their release date. The company does not pay for reviews. It is against company policy to give incentives in exchange for a review. Readers can get advanced review copies. Readers can get an early look at upcoming books before they are released. If you put your name out there as a reviewer, you can get books before other people do. It can be fun and you may discover some hidden gems that you wouldn’t have found otherwise.
Is reading books a legit way to make money online?
If you enjoy the process and have time for it, reading is an excellent way to make money online. It can be a great way to expand your knowledge. Compensation can vary greatly from job to job. If you think you deserve higher pay, it’s a good idea to research industry standards and understand your worth. There is a big difference between running a library and reviewing a book. It takes a higher level of commitment and dedication to run a library.
Should I read as a side gig for extra money?
It is possible to make a wonderful side gig out of reading. It can be a great way to make extra money. It can be a real drag if you are on a tight schedule. It’s important to plan your day so you can maximize it. It is not fun to stare down a deadline with hundreds of pages to read and review and no time to do it. Frequent breaks throughout the process and rewards for completing tasks will make the experience more enjoyable. If you decide to read books as a side gig, you need to make sure you have the bandwidth for it. It is important to be realistic about your time and energy commitments.
You may find that it’s best to read for pleasure during your downtime and stick with a side hustle that’s faster and easier. Managing social media accounts, babysitting, and walking dogs are some examples. There are many flexible job opportunities out there.
What is Publishers Weekly?
Publishers Weekly is a website for publishing businesses, booksellers, and literary agents. Head over to Publishers Weekly JobZone to access a running list of open book publishing jobs. If you want to find work in the publishing industry, this job board is a great place to start. You have access to the best opportunities when it is updated regularly. You can also find publishing gigs on sites like Indeed, Monster.com, and ZipRecruiter.
Should You Get Paid to Read Books?
There are many ways to get paid to read books and write reviews.
If you are the type of person who can never be around too many books, you can make money by pursuing your passion. You can make money through advertising, affiliate marketing, and selling merchandise on your website.
It’s a good idea to think about which opportunities fit your lifestyle. Take the time to research the opportunities available to you and see which ones match your goals and expectations. You never know when you might find a job that makes you rethink how you think about work. Don’t miss out, it might be just around the corner, and you never know what opportunities will come your way.
