Recently, I was having a conversation with a friend who stated, “I love reading; I wish there was a way for me to get paid.” My cognitive wheels began to spin as I wondered, “How can she get paid to read books?” I started pondering previous conversations and experiences; conducted a little research; and came up with the following 7 ways you can get paid to read books.
7 Ways to Get Paid to Read Books
1. Book reviews
There are two ways to get paid for book reviews: work for a company or charge authors. When you work for a company, you are hired as a contractor or employee to read books and then write reviews. Your schedule and rates are usually predetermined.
On the other hand, you can charge people to write reviews on your site if 1) your site is popular 2) you have a large social media reach or 3) you have great offline influence. You may not have a lot of comments on your site, but you may have a huge Facebook, Twitter and YouTube following. Also, you may have a lot of influence in the groups to which you belong and in the community in which you live. You can determine which books you will review and set your own rates.
2. Affiliate programs
You can write book reviews to get paid by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other affiliate programs. Many programs pay a percentage for the sale of each book sold from the referral. The amount you earn will vary depending on the program and the number of books sold.
3. Magazines
Submit reviews to the book section of your favorite magazines or other print or online publications that target your book’s audience. There is no guarantee that you’ll be published. Pay for these opportunities range from free to a fee. If you are not paid, just seeing your name in the byline is very satisfying and worth the effort. If you are paid, the rates will vary according to publication. There is always a possibility of getting hired by a publication to be a book reviewer.
4. Ghost blogging for authors
Many people who write books are not gifted or talented writers, but they have editors and proofreaders to make them look good. These days everyone is being encouraged to create blogs, including authors. If an author hires you to blog for him or her, be sure to include your reading time in your rate unless you just love reading.
5. Create programs and products from books you’ve read
If you have read several books and can create a workshop, training or some other program or product based on those books, do it. You are just using information you’ve gained to create tools and products to help your audience. You may also be able to get paid by selling these books through an affiliate program.
6. Edit other people’s work
If you are a skilled editor, you can offer your services as an independent editor or work for publishing companies. Depending on your level of expertise, you can name your own rate when working for a company. You can definitely charge your own rates as an independent editor.
7. Audio Books
You can read books- your own or someone else’s – to make them audio books. Create your own audio books to enhance your product offerings and bottom line. If you are working for someone else, be sure to charge accordingly.
Above are 7 ways you can get paid to read books. It is a win-win for you especially if you are getting paid for something you love to do.
What are some other ways you can get paid to read books?
Image: thebest50years
About Ms. Marcie
Morning Marice,
The creating an audio books seem like a smart plan, you could use blog posts and create a series and sell them. Product creation with hardly any additional time needed.
I agree, Simmeon. And so many bloggers miss this opportunity to get paid – myself included.
Hey Marcie,
I like the way you grab ideas and develop them into interesting blog posts. I hope this friend of yours will start getting paid by doing what she likes
Thank you Enstine. Even if my friend doesn’t use this information, I hope this article inspires others to get paid to read, especially if it’s something they love to do.