Get Paid to Read Books

Many people love to read books. If you’re reading this article, you’re probably one of them. So you’re probably thinking about how you can make money reading books. It may sound impossible at first, but you can indeed make a decent amount of money doing it. Some people make their income only by reading books. Of course, that depends on where you live and your living standard. But the main point here is that it’s possible. And to many people, this is a dream job. So let’s see how we can make that dream come true:

How to Make Money Reading Books?

Let’s start with the easiest way to do it. Review books on websites. Many websites pay people to write book reviews. They are becoming more and more popular, and more offers are available every day. The only thing you need to do is register on their website and follow the instructions. But don’t worry. It’s not complicated, and it’s usually very easy to do it. You’ll need to do a few tests or verifications to prove that you’re serious about it. They won’t let everyone do it and have a ton of unhelpful comments on their website. They will lose visitors, and they won’t make any more money. And they won’t be able to pay you anymore.

The most popular website for readers is Goodreads. Whenever someone needs information about a book, this is the first place they will go. Goodreads have many visitors, and many people trust them. If you need information about any specific books, you’ll most likely find it here. Many people that do this have a different point of view, so you won’t rely on a single opinion. That’s why they will most likely allow you to do it. But make sure to make a high-quality resume and a portfolio. Send them a few of your writing samples. And if you have any published articles, even better. You’ll have a much higher chance. 

Another great website is Amazon. In the beginning, Amazon started as a book-selling website. They have grown into one of the richest companies in the world. They have the most advanced technology for readers. They have their Kindle device that can store thousands of books. And there’s an app called Audible where you can listen to Audiobooks. You can find thousands of books that are waiting for narrators. You can apply and start narrating books. You’ll get paid hourly and collect royalties whenever the book is purchased. And their hourly rates are not bad at all.

How Much Money Can You Make?

This is a common question. And there is no single answer because it’s different for everyone. Some people make $50 a month, and others make over $1000. So it depends on how well you do it and how smart you do it. If you have an account on a single website and you’re waiting for your turn, don’t expect to make much money. Even if you’re very good. 

The best way to do it is to find as many websites for book reviews as possible. Create an account on all of them and research how they work. Sometimes you’ll only need to write a simple 200-300 words review. Other times, you’ll need to write a 1000-word review. It depends on the website and the price. But if you’re good at it and you can work fast, you can easily make over $1000 a month. Once you get better at it, you can make even more. Especially if you collect royalties. So the best strategy to have is to find as many websites as you can.

In the beginning, you may only find offers that pay only $5 per review. But as you get better, you will get better offers. Again, it still depends on the website. If you manage to register on a good website, you can earn up to $100 on your first review. There are websites like Women’s Review of Books that pay up to $100 per review. A great website for beginners would be Online Book Club. You may start there if you don’t have any experience. They won’t pay you much in the beginning, but you can start earning up to $50 per review very quickly. 

What Else Can You Do?

You can always go to freelance websites. Create an account and make sure you get verified as soon as possible. This way, you’ll get more jobs faster. The best website to do this is Upwork. This is a great place to find writing and book review jobs. And it’s very easy to do it. But make sure that your profile looks professional and that you have a few examples in your portfolio. It will make it easier for you to get high-paying jobs because people will trust you.

If you have your verification and your profile looks professional, you’re good to go. But if you’re still not getting any jobs, you’ll need to change your strategy. There is a great little hack that you can use when you’re on the platform. Go to the jobs page and search for book reviews. Once you get the list of jobs, go to the sidebar on the left and adjust a few things. Choose entry-level jobs with 0 to 5 proposals. This way, you’ll get many jobs that you can apply to that don’t have competition. This is a great way to get your first job. And once you get a few of these, people will start reaching out to you themselves. So don’t worry about if the first job doesn’t pay that much. The idea is to start getting good rates so people can find you more easily. And be sure to only reach out to clients who are verified. You don’t want to deal with scammers.

Is There Another Way to Make Money Reading Books?

So, you are already doing a few jobs online. You’re doing reviews on many different websites. You’re narrating audiobooks occasionally. Maybe you have a few clients on Upwork. If you combine all of these, you can make decent money. And the amount of money you make will get higher every month.

But what if you have a day job? Maybe you work 9 to 5 and don’t have much time to do all of this and you really want to. Why not try working from home? Most of the jobs that we do in the office can be done remotely. You can talk to your boss about it and see if there is a way for you to continue working from home. You don’t have anything to lose, but you can gain more time and money, so it’s worth trying.

Maybe you don’t have a job or you’re looking to quit your current one. Or maybe you want to find a stable source of income before you start making more money online. Go to your local library and see if they need an extra employee. It’s a perfect job when doing online work like book reviews. You’ll spend the entire day surrounded by books. And the best part is that libraries are usually very quiet, so you won’t have any distractions.

Start a Podcast

A podcast is a great way to monetize any activity that you are interested in. You can read a few books every month and make a podcast for readers to talk about them. You can record episodes to talk about a specific book each time you read it. Podcasts like this already exist and they have many viewers and listeners. And they are very easy to make, even if you’re not very tech-savvy. 

You can record everything on your phone. If you use a smartphone, you probably have a good microphone and a decent camera in your pocket. That’s more than enough to start. You can use free software on your phone to edit your podcast, or you can do it on a computer. There’s a good free software called OpenShot that has everything you need. But if you already know how to do it well, you can use a more advanced one like DaVinci Resolve. They are both free. And if you’re not comfortable being on video, you can record audio only. Later, when you get better at it, consider investing in a good condenser microphone. You should make it sound more professional so more people will listen. 

Start a YouTube Channel

There is a variety of options for book readers on YouTube. You can record book reviews with animations that you can make very easily. You can find whiteboard animation software that’s very simple to use. And they are very affordable as well. These kinds of book reviews generate millions of views. You can make a lot of money using AdSense. You can also have an affiliate link to Audible where they can get the audiobook. And if they prefer a physical version, you can have an affiliate link for them to buy the book via Amazon as well. You’ll get commissions via all three of them and you’ll have a decent passive income. 

If you’re already doing a podcast, you can use that same content on YouTube. This way you’ll make even more money. You will have more options to create many more sources of income along the way. Once you start making more money, you can delegate all the hard work to others. And all you have to do is to read books and get paid.