If you love reading, you may have wondered if you can turn your favorite hobby into a money-making side hustle. You can get paid for reading and reviewing books, and here’s how!
By Jayne Turner – Staff Writer
Publishers pay people to read and review books because reviews help books succeed. Early readers can help catch problems with the writing before the book is published, and reviews create buzz after publishing.
Find a target audience.
When authors write, they likely have a target audience in mind. However, they may find that the audience is more niche than expected: these test readers can help determine the audience so that authors can advertise to the proper audience.
Though a book may have been written with fantasy in mind, it might lean more toward mystery. This is important for the book to gain popularity and be properly shelved in bookstores.
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Creating buzz
Good reviews and bad reviews, as long as they’re honest, create buzz. It causes more people to want to read the book to establish an opinion for themselves.
Well-worded reviews can even be quoted in advertisements, which can be the hook that draws in new readers.
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Requirements for the job
Oftentimes, these people are professionals. Especially if they’re reading a book before it is published to fact-check. However, publishers often pay people who read a lot to write reviews. There is nothing worse than looking at a book and wondering what other people just to see that it says, “be the first to review!” Yeah, I’m picking another book. So, having a few reviews helps greatly with sales.
So, either be a professional or a huge fan of reading. Professionals hold degrees in English, Literature, or related fields. Big fans of reading likely have multiple book reviews and a genuine interest in literature.
Types of readers
Beta Reader: This is where most people start. By joining online reading communities and offering free feedback, you may become a trusted reader by a publisher, which can become a job later. The key is specificity and honesty.
Sensitivity Reader: These reviewers check books for harmful stereotypes or inaccurate portrayals of cultures or identities. If you are a strong activist or have a relevant degree, this could be a position for you.
Professional Book Reviewer: These people usually write for websites, magazines, or blogs. By pumping out consistent, thoughtful reviews, these people gain credibility. This is another position that often begins as an unpaid gig, but there are growth opportunities once you have examples.
Advance Review Readers: These reviewers read books before release and post reviews once the book launches. You can sign up for publisher mailing lists or use other publishing programs to get in the know about this. But be aware: sometimes these positions are paid in free books, not money.
How to get the position
The first step is always to build a resume. If you have no experience, they might not trust you to write honest and intellectual reviews.
Then, check out NetGally, BookSirens, or send a polite, professional email straight to the publisher if you’re really serious about becoming a reviewer.
Remember, this is often nothing more than a side hustle: don’t expect to make millions!