Get Paid To Read Books – Make Cash Doing What You Love

Reading is an excellent habit that’s not only great for your brain – it’s great for your soul. What few people recognize, however, is that reading can also be wonderful for your wallet. 

Do you love reading books? Well, there are plenty of ways to start making some cash from your passion – and this article will tell you everything you should know about how to get paid to read books you love.

So, let’s dive in so you can learn how to turn your love of reading into love for wallet too!

Get Paid to Read Books: 6 Top Jobs

Cashing in on your bookworm tendencies is easier than ever – as long as you know which avenues to pursue. While some websites will just toss a few Amazon gift cards your ways, others will provide you with a generous salary in exchange for reading. 

These websites may not pay you enough to replace your annual salary, but they can provide a nice supplement. Here are some of your best options. 

1. Book Reviewers

Becoming a book reviewer is a legitimate side hustle that you might want to consider if you want to get paid for reading books. We’ll give you more information on several of the companies you can pursue for this kind of work below. 

While it likely won’t pay all of your bills, becoming a book reviewer is a great way to spend your spare time and to bring in some extra cash, too.

2. Narrator

Look just about anywhere, and you’ll find audiobooks for sale – these resources for readers have become increasingly popular over the last decade. So many books are now being consumed through our earbuds – so it only makes sense that there’s a huge demand for quality narrators, too.

Consider pursuing a narration job if you have a great voice and the ability to perform in different voices. Of course, you also need to be a strong reader and have access to things like high-quality headphones and recording and editing software to finalize your work, too. 

3. Copyediting and Proofreading

If you have a knack for pointing out errors, have solid writing skills, and are good at marking up documents, then you might want to consider a job as a copy editor or proofreader. If you want to work for a traditional publishing house, you can take an online copy editing course to hone your skills. 

Otherwise, you might consider working in a freelance capacity – we will provide you with some helpful resources to help you get started below.

4. Editing

Of course, you might also consider working from home as an editor. You will often find websites and other online publications that are in search of managing and assistant editors. You can even start your own freelance editing business if you have the business acumen to do so!

5. Translating

Are you fluent in a second language? If so, landing a job as a translator might be in your cards. There are plenty of translating work from home jobs on websites like Fiverr, FlexJobs, and Upwork, so dust off that resume and consider this kind of career instead if you love to read.

6. Layout and Design

Another great job opportunity for those who love to read is a career in layout and design. Writers often choose to self-publish their own books, and while they typically have a knack for storytelling, often, their skills in layout and artwork tend to be a bit lacking. You can help them out by working as a designer or formatter.

Websites That Will Pay Book Reviewers 

Want to get paid to read books? If reading is your passion, and you’re willing to provide some reviews you’ll be able to do what you love by pursuing work at one of the following companies.

1. Kirkus Media

Kirkus Media is one of the best options out there when it comes to getting paid to read books. You’ll be able to submit your resume and a brief writing sample, after which your application will be reviewed and you will be assigned books as soon as you are approved.

After you’ve read the book, you’ll have two weeks to submit a 350-word review. Your final payment will depend on how quickly you deliver the work as well as the volume of the text you’ve been asked to read.

2. Online Book Club

The name of this website truly says it all! With Online Book Club, you can earn up to $60 per book review, depending on how long the book is that you are being asked to read. You will have to create an account in order to work, but then you can select from a long list of books to read.

After completing your book, you will need to write an honest review. The review doesn’t need to be positive – you can be as critical as you’d like as long as the review is original and from the heart. For your first review, you won’t receive cash payment – just a free book (hey, not too shabby, right?). After that, you will receive payment for reviewing books of all kinds.

3. Women’s Review of Books

Are you a woman who enjoys reading and reviewing books? If so, this is the website to consider. You’ll have to complete a sign-up form and submit a short sample book review. If they are happy with that, they will approve your account and you can go on your merry way, writing reviews of assigned books. The requirements for writing reviews on this platform are quite stringent, so you’ll be paid handsomely in return. 

4. Book Browse

Consider signing up by First Impressions, a program by Book Browse in which you’ll get to read Advance Readers’ Copies of books – months before they’re due to be published! 

5. Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly is another website to consider if you want to get paid for reading books. This website often looks for article reviewers and book reviewers. All you have to do to apply is send along your updated resume plus a short 200-word review of a recently published book. If you are selected, your book review project will be paid for in full. 

6. Goodreads

Available as both an app and a website, Goodreads is a service that is easy to access on the go. You can submit reviews of your favorite books for free but there are also frequent job openings for in-house proofreaders and reviewers – and these jobs pay quite well. 

To apply, you will need to submit your updated resume and a writing sample. Of course, you’ll have to send along a few published articles, too. 

7. Scribd

Like Goodreads, Scribd is another service that is well-known and has accessibility on both mobile and desktop browsers. You can sign up for a digital proofreading job or for a book reviewing job. Whichever you choose, you’ll love the large selection of books here. There are also some of the most genuine reviews around! 

8. BookYap

BookYap has some of the best books you can review if you’d rather stick to the nonfiction or motivational genres. To be a reviewer here, you will need to work for BookYap full-time and in-house. Just apply with your resume and writing samples to secure the reading job of your dreams! 

9. Reedsy Discovery

Another great resource to consider, if you are an avid reader, is Reedsy Discovery. This platform will provide you with the opportunity to read all the latest self-published books – months before anyone else! You can browse through hundreds of options and you’ll get a few dollars from authors as a token of their appreciation.

Reedsy Discovery isn’t the best-paying option for people who want to get paid for reading, but it’s better than nothing, right? 

10. Any Subject Books

Any Subject Books is a website that will pay you to read all the books you want. You will work on a book-by-book model, since this company requires no long-term commitment.

To get started, you will need to apply on the website to become a book reviewer. Once you are selected, you will be provided with an invitation to read and then review a book  – the benefit? You only have to read books in your preferred genre. Along with the book you are assigned, you will also receive a brief synopsis.

They’ll pay you based on the book they want you to review – your offer will depend on factors like the difficulty level, volume, and other elements of the book. 

Websites For Getting Paid to Read Books Aloud

For some people, reading books aloud is the way to go. If that sounds like you, then you may want to consider pursuing one of these jobs.

1. ACX

ACX is a company that will allow you to find a myriad of opportunities reading books for cash. You can apply to read any book, allowing you to become the narrator of your favorite tale. Once you’ve selected a job and are shortlisted, you will be paid according to your predetermined hourly rate. You can even earn royalties from the sales of your narrated books!

2. VoiceBunny

VoiceBunny is another fun option to consider. With this website, you can create an account and then submit a voice quality test that will determine your eligibility for future jobs.

After you have been selected, you can search for jobs, with thousands of opportunities available. You’ll need to work fast, as timeliness is key with this website. However, if you are selected, you’ll be able to set your own hourly rate.

3. The Voices

The Voices is another excellent platform to consider if you would like to pursue work as a voiceover professional. You can create either a basic or premium membership, after which you will be prompted to upload a demo. Your skills will be matched with the preferences of prospective clients and once you get a match, you can then approach the client directly. You can get paid hourly or with SurePay.

4. Brilliance Audio

Brilliance Audio is another company to consider if you want to get paid for reading books aloud. A leader in the voiceover industry, this company often hires audiobook narrators for upcoming projects. You’ll find some of the best hourly rates in the business here – but you’ll need to be among the best of the best in order to apply. 

5. Findaway Voices

Findaway Voices isn’t wholly unique from the other options on this list for people who want to get paid for reading out loud. However, it’s important to note that you’ll get 80% of what you charge on this platform, with the rest going as a 20% royalty to the company. 

6. Audible

Audible is another excellent option to consider if you want to get connected to obtain high-quality work in narration. You’ll be paid based on the length of the audiobook you are hired to narrate rather than the time it takes to complete a given job. 

7. Voice123

This is another excellent resource to consider when you are looking for jobs reading books out loud. Voice123 is a unique service that is largely regarded as the best voice-over platform for freelancers. Here, you can participate in either a free or paid account, depending on what you want to get out of your jobs. 

Websites for Getting Paid to Proofreader

If you love to read and are wonderful when it comes to detecting errors and making structural or grammatical changes to a document, you might want to consider getting paid to read books as a proofreader. This is a wonderful job opportunity for both full-time and part-time workers alike! 

1. Amazon Kindle

Most readers are familiar with Kindle –  but did you know that you can get paid to be a proofreader on Kindle You’ll make notes for potential corrections to be made and you’ll be able to choose everything, including the type of book you want to read. Your payment will vary depending on how many pages you read and how expensive the books are.  

2. Amazon Affiliate 

Do you have a blog or want to work with someone who does? If so, you can use the Amazon Affiliate program to help you make some money from your passion of reading books. The Amazon Affiliate program is used by bloggers all over the world to monetize their blogs. They will often look for proofreaders who can read their work and they’ll happily pay you to help them reach a larger audience by creating higher-quality content. 

3. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is another website that will allow you to get paid as a freelance proofreader. Jobs here are ad-free and you’ll find reliable, consistent work here as a proofreader.

4. Fiverr

Fiverr will allow you to search for proofreading jobs all over the world. Check job postings frequently with this website, as it’s updated often. Also, another benefit of using Fiverr is that you can use your Facebook account to log in – no secondary account necessary. 

5. Upwork  

If you’d love to land some full-time proofreading gigs (or even just a side job here and there), Upwork is the way to go. One of the best independent contractors marketplace, this website hosts all kinds of remote jobs for you to choose from – proofreading included. 

The platform charges some pretty hefty fees upfront – you’ll have to pay around 20% for the price of the job for your first few contracts. However, your payment will be protected so you don’t have to worry about not getting paid. 

How to Land a Job as a Professional Reader

If you absolutely love to read and want to get paid for doing exactly what you love most, then you should consider some of the job opportunities listed above.

There’s little you have to do in order to become a professional reader – while it might be helpful to create a blog and a portfolio of work with writing samples you can submit to companies you’d like to work for, that’s about it. 

Otherwise, just keep on reading!