online book reviewer jobs

OnlineBookClub.org

Get Paid to Review Books, Completely Free

First of all, this is not some crazy online get-rich-quick scheme. You won't get rich and you won't be able to leave your day job. This also isn't one of those things where we promise you billions of dollars if you just send us a small fee. This is completely free to you, the reviewer.

For your first review, you will just be given the book for free. After that, you will be eligible for the paid review opportunities.

You do not have to say you loved the book if you didn't. You are being paid for an honest, quick review, not a positive review.

Most payouts currently range between $5-$60 per review.

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Get Paid to Review Books: 5 Book Review Jobs Sites That Pay Reviewers

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Writing book reviews is one of the best ways to get paid to read books online.

As a book reviewer, you’re tasked with reading and reviewing books, which in return can earn you a paycheck.

This blog post will show you five of the top-paying book review sites where you can submit your pitches and get hired for book review jobs.

To review books effectively, having a good education is important. EduBirdie can help you improve your skills and knowledge, making you better at reviewing books.

Book review jobs sites that pay reviewers

So, if you want to get paid to review books online , here is a list of five websites that you can explore to find book review jobs:

1) The US Review of Books

The US Review of Books has fair terms for reviewers, and the pay is usually between $25 and $75. To be accepted you’ll need to submit your resume, samples, and references. You’ll also be asked to do a sample review.

The site doesn’t have tough guidelines, the reviews can be half summary, half commentary. Most of the reviews requested will be around 300 words and you can expect to earn $25 for each. For longer reviews that are around $600 the pay can be as high as $75

The first review you will do will be treated as an application and you are compensated nonetheless, whether you’re hired eventually or not.

The pay might not seem much especially when you factor in the hours it will take you to read a book. However, if you are a faster reader, you can easily lock in $250-$750 doing 10 reviews a month.

Another added benefit of writing reviews for The US Review of Books is that you will be listed in its directory of reviewers that you can use as social proof and also get a backlink to your site.

The site pays via PayPal. US Review of Books encourages readers and authors alike to visit their website.

2) Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Reviews isn’t transparent with their rates but some people claim that it’s usually $50 per review.

The media company has been in existence since 1933, so it is a legitimate company. That said, the reviews from Glassdoor seem to suggest that the editors will ask you to change your review if it’s negative, thus interfering with your work ethics as a book reviewer.

The reviews are around 350 words long with 2 weeks turnaround time. If you still want to apply, simply head over to this page and contact an editor.

3) OnlineBookClub

Though a popular book review website, many people do not recommend OnlineBookClub because of its tough and demanding guidelines with extremely low pay.

While they claim to pay up to $60 per review, most reviewers earn their lowest rates, which is actually $5 per review.

Reviews are easily rejected and can affect your review score. When you join, your score will be below 35, meaning that you will be bagging home $0 per review as they only begin to pay beyond the 35-point mark.

There are no clear guidelines on improving your score apart from the fact that you will have to engage in a forum and give shoutouts on social media. The editors aren’t as responsive either.

4) Booklist Publications

Booklist Publications is a book review website whose pay is not as appealing. Booklist pays $15 per review and only upon publication. This means that even if your review is accepted, you might have to wait a while

For published reviews, you will get one line credit and you can also be listed as a reviewer on their directory page.

To get started, you will need to fill in an application form answering basic questions and if you are fit the team will get back to you.

5) Women’s Review of Books

Women’s Review of Books is a publication of Wellesley Centers for Women, a part of Wellesley College, and reportedly pays $100 per review.

The publication specifically reviews books about women or written by women.

They expect their reviewers to have journalistic, academic, or strong book review backgrounds.

So if you believe that you can develop thought-provoking reviews you can start pitching your idea to them.

They pay on a review basis. To get started, send in a review pitch proposal about the book you want to review, its publication date, and your angle to the editors. You can find contact details on this page.

You will be paid upon review publication and you also get 12 months of subscription to their monthly issues.

You can also find more writing guidelines in this document . Make sure you adhere to them when writing the reviews.

Ready to begin your book reviewer job?

Book reviewing is a lucrative yet demanding career.

However, if it’s something you love doing and have a passion for writing, then book reviewing can be another source of income for you.

If this isn’t the case, I would advise you to look for other ways to earn money online such as freelance services, info products, or affiliate marketing.

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Get Paid to Read Books: 8 At-Home Jobs for Book Lovers

By Angie Nelson

Last Updated August 4, 2023 . Disclosure: We may receive compensation if you sign up for or purchase products linked below. Details on offers may change, and you should confirm them with the company prior to taking action.

If reading is your great love in life, why not turn it into a side hustle and get paid to read books?

One of the best things about the book publishing business is that thanks to the internet, it adapts well to copy editors, designers, and even editors looking for a home job, as well as voice talent for narrating audiobooks.

And if you’re simply a book lover who gets excited about free copies of new young adult lit or interesting nonfiction, you can turn your passion for reading into pocket change by writing a book review.

So settle in, my excellent bookworms! I’ve got some great ideas that’ll let you read books and make money in a remote job .

Make extra money with book review opportunities

If you aren’t necessarily looking to pay all your bills by reading books, you may be able to find work as a paid book reviewer or at least get a free book in exchange for an online review. Here are some sites where you can provide paid book reviews or get a new book.

• Online Book Club requires your first review to be unpaid, but you’ll still get a free book to review! After your initial review, most projects offer $5 to $60. As you can see, book reviewing really isn’t a gig that compensates well for the time involved. You really need to love to read — and quickly — and consider any compensation a bonus while having fun .
• Kirkus hires freelance reviewers and expects a 350-word review within a 2-week time frame.
• Booklist accepts freelance book reviews – assigned reviews only. Freelance opportunities are limited but pay $12.50 for a blog post and $15 for a full book review.
• The US Review does pay reviews, though their website does not say how much. Reviews must include a short book summary, be turned around within 2-3 weeks, and follow a style guide.
• Bethany House specializes in Christian books and is specifically looking for reviewers who have an existing online platform like a YouTube channel, a book blog, etc. There is no mention of compensation, but you may be able to use your affiliate marketing link within your review on your own website or channel.
• Writerful will allow you to submit an honest review of any book of your choosing. You just won’t get paid as a new reviewer, so expect to put in some time on the site. Paid book reviewer opportunities are offered if you become a trusted, experienced reviewer. These paid opportunities compensate $10 to $50 per review.
• Moody Publishers is another publishing house specializing in Christian titles. They do not pay for your reviews, but you will receive free books.

If you need to earn a living from your side hustle , you’ll probably have to do more than review books. Here are some additional opportunities that pay more and will still have you reading.

Also see: How to make money as an Amazon reviewer

Become a narrator

Audiobook narration is an industry that has been picking up steam in the work-at-home world in recent years. With so many books now being consumed through Audible and similar services, even self-publishers are publishing their works on various platforms.

To become an audiobook narrator , you’ll need a great voice, the ability to perform in different voices (training as a voice actor helps), and editing skills (most narrators do their own post-production file editing). You can mark up the manuscript or printed book with tips to help you avoid problems when narrating.

Audiobook work also requires the right equipment, such as a microphone, a pop screen filter, good-quality headphones, a tablet or e-reader, and recording and editing software. Learn more about becoming an audiobook narrator here .

Copy editing and proofreading jobs

Large and small publishers — not to mention websites, magazines, and corporations — often outsource online proofreading jobs as well as copy editing jobs. If you’d like to copy edit for a traditional publishing house, it will most likely require you to have a professional copy editing certificate, which you can get by completing a copy editing course. Universities often offer these courses, and many can be completed online.

If you aren’t able to get a certificate right now, don’t worry! You can still land a professional proofreader job or copy editing position from someone else, such as a website or corporation. To apply for a copy editing or proofreading job, simply demonstrate your superior grammar and spelling skills! If you are looking at some resources, two that were helpful to me were this free workshop with the basics of getting in the proofreading business and The Copyeditor’s Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications by Amy Einsohn. (Be sure you pick up the latest edition.)

With a little bit of luck, you can score an editing work-from-home job . These opportunities are not that common, but you’ll periodically find websites or online publications looking for assistant editors and even managing editors. A small traditional publisher may also work with remote editors. Bookjobs.com is one great place to keep an eye out for book editor openings; you can also keep a tab on Indeed, and make it a habit to regularly check the Careers page on your favorite websites.

Or you could develop your own freelance editing business , selling your services to authors seeking a professional evaluation and polish of their manuscripts. This will take some time and legwork on your part. You’ll need to build your business from the ground up: decide your rates, design your website, and gather customer testimonials. Then you’ll need to land clients!

You may want to look for editing jobs via other services while you work on your own base of operations as a freelancer. You can find a remote editing job on various low-paying job boards (such as UpWork) or via better-paying Virtual Assistant companies (like Time Etc). This work-while-you-build strategy serves two purposes: First, it brings some money in, and second, it lets you collect testimonials about your performance. Be careful when employing this tactic, however. Make sure you don’t poach customers from another service or violate the terms of your agreement with any virtual assistant platform.

If you are fluent in a second language, you may find online opportunities for translation jobs . These gigs are plentiful on sites like UpWork in addition to translation services and marketplaces such as:

Today Translations

Translators Base

Layout and design

There are a lot of emerging opportunities to work with writers who are self-publishing these books. While these folks may have a great story to share, they may not be as passionate about formatting their book or graphic design needed to create a compelling book cover.

You can learn how to do book layout and editorial or graphic design for free at sites such as The Book Designer . And many great desktop publisher computer programs, such as Adobe InDesign, Quark XPress and Microsoft Publisher, can help you with the actual book layout.

Then just hang out your shingle as a designer or formatter! You can create a website to advertise your book layout and design services, network with authors and publishers on social media, and look for designer gigs in all the usual places.

Some smaller publishing houses even hire freelance book designers, giving you the opportunity to establish a lucrative business relationship. Or you can actively seek out self-publishing authors getting their books ready for print-on-demand and ebook stores like Kindle. (The latter will likely be your primary clientele.)

Become a book publisher

This is the ultimate “get paid to read books” job.

Let’s say you’ve been building all the skills I outlined above. You’ve maximized your opportunities in the book business. You can recognize good writing. You’re a good copy editor and overall editor. You know how to make a book look beautiful on the page and on the screen. So why not start publishing books yourself? Go into business to create your own publishing company!

If you’re a writer, you could start by self-publishing your own work. Once you’re established as someone who can turn out a beautifully designed and cleanly edited product, you can start looking for other authors to publish. You’ll need some start-up capital to land your first author, but you’ll have all the skills and a golden opportunity to create a book that you believe in. And be sure both you and the author make some money, of course!

Marketing and public relations

One of the key tools in your arsenal is knowing how to market yourself, your skills, and your products. Not only is this crucial to making your own freelance editing or publishing business work, but you can also turn book marketing and public relations into its own business! With so many self-published authors new to the field every month and traditionally published authors who are struggling to come up with their own PR strategy, there are tons of opportunities to step in and help them out. You can become their freelance book marketing and publicity pro, who lines up blog tours, plan author interviews, and really gets the word out about their books with viral marketing .

Where can I find these jobs for book lovers?

• Kirkus hires book reviewers as well as several of the positions mentioned above.
• Freelance Writer’s Den offers a job board specifically for writers and editors.
• Publishers Weekly offers several freelance publishing positions, such as book reviewer and editor.

Are you a book lover who’s excited about these opportunities? I’m excited for you! There is so much remote work for you to turn your love of reading into a livelihood, and now you know how to look for it. Whether you’re reviewing books for extra cash or narrating the next best-selling audio book, I’d love to hear from you about any and all jobs you land and businesses you begin from here!

About Angie Nelson

Angie Nelson began working from home in 2007 when she figured out how to take her future into her own hands and escape the corporate cubicle farm. Angie’s goal is sharing her passion for home business, personal finance, telecommuting, and entrepreneurship, and her work has been featured on Recruiter, FlexJobs and Business News Daily..

Angie Nelson began working from home in 2007 when she figured out how to take her future into her own hands and escape the corporate cubicle farm. Angie’s goal is sharing her passion for home business, personal finance, telecommuting, and entrepreneurship, and her work has been featured on Recruiter, FlexJobs and Business News Daily.

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How to become a book reviewer in 12 steps.

Most book critics have a pretty thankless job. If they give a bad review, they’re often accused of sour grapes (“If they could write, then they wouldn’t be reviewers”) and when their write-ups help a book to take off, they almost never get the credit (“the author’s talent sold the book, not the review”).  Yet literary criticism is an essential driver in the book-world — now more than ever in our age of online purchases and algorithmic curation. Which means there’s no time like the present to learn how to become a book reviewer .

In this post, we’ll look at the value of book criticism and show you how to become a book reviewer with our 12-step plan.

Why is book criticism important?

By conservative estimates, over 600,000 books are published each year in the US alone. Even the most voracious reader could only read a tiny fraction of those titles. Without literary criticism, the only thing to determine which books receive exposure would be the marketing teams of Big 5 publishers who would — dollars to donuts — always choose the titles they think will sell the most copies.

In the film Ratatouille , the fearsome food critic Anton Ego has something of an epiphany in the final reel: “There are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new.” In many ways, that is the reason why literary journals, newspaper book reviews, online review blogs, and Amazon user reviews exist: all of these play an important role in championing new authors and new ideas.

As we’ll discover in the next section, the book critic’s job is not just to serve as an arbiter of taste, lording their influence over authors. When they’re doing their job right, they’re serving as a shepherd, not just for readers but for writers as well.

Why would you want to become a book reviewer?

Before we get into the topic of what a critic personally gets out of reviewing books, let’s expand a bit on the role they play.

First (and arguably foremost), a critic’s job is to guide readers . They need to present a book to the reader in a way that gives a flavor of what it’s like: they might choose direct quotes, isolate individual sections — whatever it takes to help the reader to form their own impression of the title.

The reviewer should also be well-read, so they can not only provide a personal reaction to the book, but justify that opinion as well. In an age of online ‘reaction videos’ where novices offer their knee-jerk opinions of music, films, and books they’re not familiar with, the critic should ideally provide a more rounded, informed account. They should be able to put a book into context, comparing and contrasting the author’s approach based on what works have come before it.

Some may see this as an elitist approach, but surely we read reviews because we’re interested in what the critic knows — not what they don’t know. Not to mention that authors hoping for reviews will appreciate a well-informed reviewer!

Book reviewers also have an influential platform . Whether they’re writing product reviews for an online retailer or penning 1,200 words for The New York Times , they can use their soapbox to shine a light on new authors. If we want to get lofty about it, you could say that it’s a critic’s responsibility to seek out and champion new talent: give them exposure that they wouldn’t get if we were to leave it to the marketing team at HarperCollins, for example.

In this next section, we’ll show you how you can get involved in the world of literary criticism and become a book reviewer.

How to become a book reviewer in 12 steps

If you're looking to become a professional book reviewer and reach a growing audience, you could do a lot worse than to follow these twelve steps.

Step 1. Read abundantly

If you don’t already read like a maniac , then one might wonder why you’d want to become a book reviewer in the first place. Reading certainly won’t get any more enjoyable when you’re faced with a deadline. Plus, as we mentioned before, one of the best things you can bring to the table as a reviewer is your understanding of the history and landscape of the genre. When you’re reviewing a new horror book set in small-town New England, you should be, at the very least, well-versed in Stephen King books.

While you're at it, read other book reviews as well. You might as well learn from the best!

Step 2. Start reviewing books for free (or for money!)

Guess what? You can become a book reviewer today! You just need to log into your account at an online book retailer and drop a review of a book you’ve enjoyed. You can even write quality commentary with the help of our book review templates .

Okay, this article’s done now. Turns out, we only needed two steps. Roll credits.

All joking aside, reviewing books on retail sites is not a bad place to start. It gives you an opportunity to exercise your reviewing muscles and have your write-ups seen and enjoyed by folks browsing for their next big read. You can get feedback on your review (“20 people found this helpful”) and even contribute to the success of a book you like.

Once you feel confident in your skills (and are ready to take the next step), you can look at some of the online platforms which are always on the lookout for reviewers.

One of the most difficult parts of being a first-time author (especially a self-publishing one) is getting editorial reviews in time for the release of their book. If you look at the product description of a book’s Amazon page, you’ll often see that they include an extract from a review. If it’s a prominent release, the review may be from a national broadsheet; if it’s a smaller release, it may be from a smaller online reviewer. A few services specialize in providing authors with paid editorial reviews, which naturally requires reviewers. Some of the services will even pay them for their reviews (with some significant strings attached).

So which review platforms should you consider?

Some of the best-known review services include Kirkus, The U.S. Review of Books, Online Book Club, and Publisher’s Weekly — all of which offer a small honorarium in exchange for reviews. The review copies of the book are free (ideal!) but almost all of these services will give the reviewer no exposure (not ideal — especially if you’re looking to build your own profile as a reviewer).

The team here at Reedsy recently launched Reedsy Discovery as an alternative to these services. The reviewers on the platform have to submit examples of their writing for quality control, but once accepted, they can access and review a massive pool of upcoming indie books from their chosen genre.

The edge that Discovery offers reviewers is visibility . Each reviewer has a bespoke landing page where all their reviews can be found, along with a bio, headshot, and newsfeed. Readers who like what any given reviewer has written can choose to “follow” them and receive alerts about new reviews. Overall, Reedsy Discovery aims to give critics a platform (and the social networking tools) to build their personal profile and readership, two things that will come in handy as your reviewing career progresses.

To register as a reviewer on Reedsy Discovery, click here .

Between these options, you should have a few places where you can start writing reviews almost immediately! If you'd like to double-check, we recommend taking this quick quiz to find out which review community is the right fit for you:

Which review community should you join?

Find out which review community is best for your style. Takes 30 seconds!

And then, before you take a step into the big leagues, let’s cover some best practices.

Step 3. Always follow guidelines

Following guidelines is a good reviewing habit to develop early on — it will save you from a lot of rejection and rewrites. Sites like Kirkus are notorious for requiring an exact format for each review, while Reedsy Discovery and a few of the other sites allow a bit more freedom.

As you start to work with editorial staff, this ability to stick to guidelines will help you with your reputation as someone whose reviews don’t require an immense amount of feedback and editing — something that time-strapped editors appreciate.

Step 4. Always think of the reader first

In your life as a reviewer, you will almost always have a choice of which books to write about. So if a book has been utterly terrible, you can always choose not to write about it at all. Instead, find another title that might actually deserve getting the push that your review can provide. Look for books that sound intriguing; then if you love it, find a way to convince your readers that they might love it too.

Step 5. Host all your reviews in one place

Any freelance writer (such as a reviewer) these days needs to have a strong online presence. If you’re looking to build your portfolio and profile, you need to keep most of your work in one location .

This might mean starting your own website or maybe a Tumblr page ( maybe ) as an easy, low-cost alternative. Reedsy Discovery effectively gives reviewers a homepage where all their reviews can be found (okay, the last mention of Reedsy Discovery for a while, we promise!).

Essentially, you just want to be able to send anyone a single URL where they can browse through your back-catalog of work. This will come in extra handy if you’re ever applying to a high-profile reviewing (or any other type of writing) job: your whole portfolio will be in one convenient place to impress employers.

Step 6. Become a specialist

It can be hard to sell yourself as a jack of all trades. If you tell an editor that you are the right person to review ‘anything’, chances are they’ll think you’re deluded.

Instead, focus on a few genres that you know intimately. Through your work, you want editors to know you as the go-to person for certain genres — so when a conspiracy thriller or what have you crosses their desk, they’ll know exactly who to assign it to (you).

Once you know your specialty, make sure you’re familiar with trends in that category, and review a lot of titles in those genres. When it comes to pitching to review the next big book in that niche, you’ll be able to point to your past work as why you’re uniquely qualified to take that job.

So now that we’ve built you a reputation, a small following, and a massive body of work, you may want to take the next logical step: writing a review for a paper or a big online outlet. To do this, you’ll need to get yourself on the radar of some editors.

Step 7. Put together a packet of your best reviews

If the editors of a magazine or paper have never heard of you, then your work is going to have to knock their socks off. The prime way to do this is to assemble a packet of your best work . Yes, you should already have your full portfolio in one place — but this will be a “greatest hits” compilation of sorts, so editors can see your maximum potential.

Perhaps choose a mix of recognizable, traditionally published titles and indie books, so they know you have a wide range. Then, as you start getting published in more prestigious publications, begin working those reviews into your pack, and continue the cycle as you write more and more. After all, it’s much easier to get published if you can show that you’ve already been published.

Step 8. Join an association

Being part of a community is an important element of entering any profession. And book reviewing is no different! If you’re based in the US, check out the National Book Critic’s Circle : membership currently costs $50 a year for freelancers and it gives you access to a bunch of great resources and access to its Emerging Critics Fellowship.

Step 9. Find out upcoming releases

Once you know what books are coming up, you can start creating a shortlist of books you want (and are suited) to review.

Step 10. Start small-ish

Even if you’re a freakishly prodigious writer, chances are you won’t be able to make the jump straight to The New York Review of Books . Instead, look for more modest opportunities at smaller local papers, online magazines, and certain literary journals . As you research, make yourself a “hit list” of possible review outlets, figure out which upcoming books might be suited to those outlets, and start pitching.

Step 11. Pitch reviews effectively

First of all, always make sure that you’re contacting the right person at a magazine or newspaper. Don’t send your pitch to the city editor or the sports desk — word will get out that you don’t know how to do basic research.

It’s also good to bear in mind that you’re not pitching the idea of a review: you want to pitch the story your review might tell . The editor might not have considered running a review of the book you’re putting forward, so you have to sell them on the idea: why should they print a review of that book? Is it newsworthy (e.g. does it cover a topic in the current zeitgeist, or that is about to have a major anniversary)? Is it the latest book in a category that’s about to explode?

Once you’ve convinced an editor that the book you’ve proposed is worth reviewing, you’ll also have to make a case for why you should be the one to do it. Of course, you’ll want to link to your review samples to prove that you can write and that you’re well-versed in the genre. This should demonstrate your understanding and passion for that type of book and prove that you’re the ideal candidate.

To see what that might look like, check out this post from writer Erika Dreyfus. She provides an example where she mentioned how her grandfather was a businessman in post-WWI Germany as part of her successful pitch to review a new memoir set in that era.

Also, don’t pitch too late. Magazines will assign reviews weeks (if not months) in advance, so get your pitch in there early.

Step 12. Always follow up politely

Some people call this “hustling,” but in truth, it’s basic common sense. Wherever there is a submissions process, you can bet that there’s some poor soul who has to go through hundreds of emails. Naturally, emails will get lost in the pile and forgotten. If you don’t receive a reply from an outlet after two weeks, drop them a short polite reminder .

And if the answer is “no thank you,” then be gracious. Just because they don’t want you to review this book for them today, doesn’t mean they won’t be interested in something down the line. Who knows: after a few pitches, they might remember you as the “reviewer who’s big on Civil War fiction” and think of you the next time something appropriate turns up. So make a good impression and leave things on a positive note.

Keep plugging away, never stop reading, and always review with an eye to championing new talent and broadening readers’ horizons. You’ll eventually get a lucky break — and when that happens, you’ll be ready to seize the opportunity!

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Where to Find Real Book Reviewer Jobs

So, you already do tons of reading. Why not get paid for sharing your thoughts on it, and even get the subject books for free?

It probably sounds like a fantasy. 

But, thankfully, there are numerous paid book review jobs that you can do from the comfort of your own home.

Besides getting paid for your opinion, the only other difference review jobs have from your regular reading is a timeline — most employers will provide a few weeks to complete the book. 

Though, this is a good thing; you get to spend more time doing what you love.   

Let’s get right into the sources of these awesome jobs.  

6 Places You Can Make Money Reviewing Books

1: online book club.

Online Book Club is a free reading website that’s been around for over 10 years. It pays its reviewers in cash. 

For the first review, you only get a free book and no cash payment. The company will use this to assess your capabilities as a books reviewer. It qualifies you for the paid review opportunities.

The pay ranges from $5 to $60 per review, and is made through PayPal. The exact payment will depend on factors like the length of the book. Plus, you get to keep what you read. 

The review does not have to be positive — only honest. It should come to at least 400 words, or 300 words for Children’s books.

When working on a review, you are required to:

• Confirm whether you have successfully downloaded the book within an hour of accepting to do the review. 
• Mark the book as read within 14 days of confirming you have downloaded it.
• Submit the review seven days after reading the book. 

You can become a member for free — get started by signing up on the Online Book Club website. You will then get access to the review team page.

2: Kirkus Media

Kirkus Media is a reputable review magazine, and it’s one of the best places to get review jobs that pay in cash. There are plenty of jobs that are posted all year round on the career page .

Each review is around 350 words and should be detailed. They’re due two weeks after the book has been assigned.

The subject books are free and come in different lengths, genres, and languages. They can be in digital, hardcover, or paperback format.

Kirkus media does not mention how much it pays, but book reviewers who have worked with the company claim — according to the reviews left on Glassdoor — that it pays more than most review publications . You will also get paid on time.   

For consideration as a reviewer, you will need to submit the following to the email provided:

• Writing samples
• A list of your reviewing specialties

3: Women’s Review of Books

Here’s a special one for the ladies — Women’s Review of Books . 

It’s a publication that specifically reviews books about women or that were written by women. Women’s Review of Books is based in “ Wellesley Centers for Women ” at Wellesley College.

You have to be exceptionally good to land a job with the Women’s Review of Books — the publication expects its reviewers to have experience as a journalist, academic, or a strong background as a reviewer.

They expect thought-provoking reviews that appeal to a broad audience. The number of words and timeline is provided when the review is assigned, but it is usually 1500 words.

Payment is made upon publication of the review.

Make your application by sending the following to the editor :

• Your resume
• The genre you would like to focus on

You can also pitch a review of a forthcoming book through the contact provided on the website.

4: The US Review of Books

Another place that you may get regular and paying review jobs at is the U.S. Review of Books . This website seeks to connect authors from different genres with professional book reviewers, like you.

The reviews should be 250 to 300 words, insightful, factual, and unemotional. They should be written according to the guidelines provided by the US Review of Books. 

The timeline provided for each review is 2 to 3 weeks.

You may get hired as a freelance reviewer by sending an e-mail to the editor using the address provided on the website . 

It should include:

• Two professional references
• Samples of your best work

If hired, you get to choose your preferred book titles from the list of books published on the website. Then, you’ll get assignments based on your preferences and qualifications.

The payment amount is not specified. According to reviews on Glassdoor, it is competitive with frequent raises . 

Payment is on the 5 th day of every month, and this is usually compensation for the reviews completed in the previous month. 

5: Booklist Online

Booklist Online is a review magazine by the American Library Association that helps librarians select the best books. It publishes about 8,000 book reviews per year.

The magazine outsources some of the work to freelance reviewers.   

The limit for each review is 175 words, but book reviewers may extend up to 225 words for exceptionally good books. 

The reviews must stick to the magazine’s writing style and provided guidelines.

Booklist Online pays $15 for each approved review. But even if it’s rejected, the magazine will still appreciate your effort with $5 per review.

You may become one of Booklist Online book reviewers by sending in your samples. Choose a category that you would prefer to work in and make your application to the editor .  

6: Freelancing Websites

Freelancing websites connect independent contractors with employers in need of book reviews.

These websites contain thousands of job listings for reviewers; a good example of a reputable freelancing website is Upwork .

Here are two examples of review jobs on the website:  

PeoplePerHour is another reputable freelancing website where you may find remote book review jobs. Here’s an example of a job opportunity on their website:

The pay varies across employers.

In the case of Upwork and PeoplePerHour, you will need to create an account on the website. You can then send a proposal to the employer, which should include the amount you will charge for the task.

There are commission fees that both Upwork and PeoplePerHour charge on freelancers’ earnings.

You can also try freelancing websites like Guru and Fiverr.

How Can You Make Some Extra Money as a Book Reviewer?

As you apply for these paying book review jobs, work on creating your own book review blog. It should focus on one genre where you’re the most well-read — such as music, children’s books, or others.

Here are three ways a book review blog will help you:

• It will establish you as an expert reviewer in a particular genre.
• You can use it to showcase your book reviewing skills to potential employers.
• You get to build relationships with authors and publishers, and they will help in reviewer job applications where professional references are needed.

In addition, you can earn from this blog through affiliate marketing . This is where you earn commissions by promoting other people’s products. In this case — books.

Get started by signing up with an affiliate program, such as:

• Book Depository

You will get an affiliate link from the program. Every time a user clicks on the link on your blog and makes a purchase, you get to earn a commission.    

You can learn how to best optimize your website for search engines using the Small Revolution SEO Copywriting Course. 

Our SEO Copywriting Course is designed to nurture highly sought-after copywriters. And what could be better than becoming your own website’s copywriter?

With this course, we will turn you into an expert in drawing traffic to your site. Plus, you’ll also learn how to keep your followers interested in your site using great content.  

Ready to Begin Your Book Reviewer Job?

You most certainly can earn a decent income from writing book reviews. But, like any other remote job, you have to learn the technical and behavioral skills needed to succeed.

This is where Small Revolution comes in.

We have created a resourceful online learning platform — it has a library of articles and courses that will make you a better reviewer and remote worker.

Begin with our comprehensive SEO copywriting course first. With it, apply SEO techniques to create an authoritative book review website in the niche of your choice. 

Then, you may use it to prove your book reviewing skills as you pitch potential employers. 

Katrina McKinnon

I'm Katrina McKinnon, the author behind Small Revolution . With two decades of hands-on experience in online work, running eCommerce stores, web agency and job boards, I'm now on a mission to empower you to work from home and achieve work-life balance. My passion lies in crafting insightful, education content. I have taught thousands of students and employees how to write, do SEO, manage eCommerce stores and work as Virtual Assistants. Join our most popular course: SEO Article Masterclass

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