paid book reviews uk

Best Paid Book Review Sites for Authors

Reviews are the lifeblood of your book’s success. Getting them is vital throughout your author journey, starting from before until long after you launch your piece of writing. Paid services are, of course, well aware of this fact. There are so many to choose from, so if you’re wondering what the best paid book review sites are, keep reading!

Dozens and dozens of companies are happy to take your money in exchange for the promise of landing you some good reviews.

With the many book review sites out there, you might be wondering which one should you choose.

Not All Paid Book Review Sites Are The Same

You can easily find plenty of companies out there that promises reviews in exchange for dollars. But, as much as you’d want them to be, not all of them will turn out effective. In fact, you may come across some that aren’t even legit.

Rather than take you through all the options available, I’ll share the tried-and-tested ones we use to help get your search narrowed down.

Here at Book Launchers, we use:

• BookSirens, and
• Booksprout for our authors.

Now, you might be thinking, “ A review is a review. So why so many different sites for the same thing?”

Well, if you haven’t noticed, paid book review sites aren’t all the same. Your book category, overall strategy, goals, and who you’re targeting are essential aspects to consider before going with a review company.

Still, every review site has the same ultimate goal: increase your exposure, find new readers for your book, and bump up those review counts.

Not all sites can make sense for every author. The best course of action would be to pick those that best suit your unique needs.

Here are the four best paid book review sites you can rely on for non-fiction authors, each with its distinctive features.

#1 goodreads.

Goodreads is the most popular review site in the publishing industry today. It remains the top on-line community for book lovers and authors alike.

Amazon runs it, so it boasts some perks for authors with books in the Amazon database.

Right through the site, you can claim your profile and earn a badge that verifies your identity. You’ll also be able to access a wealth of statistical information on your books listed on KDP.

So, how do you know if Goodreads is the way to go? Well, if you want your book to go viral and gain as much exposure as possible, Goodreads could be your ticket.

Here, the strategy is to get people to add your book to their virtual bookshelves, and of course, leave some reviews on it.

This way, your book gets raised visibility. Other users can now see it in their friends’ feeds, giving it a much better chance to be added to their reading list.

Think of it as like playing a giant book-fueled game of telephone with 80 million people.

Speaking of games, did you know that we have an entire YouTube channel dedicated to guiding authors like you to create an excellent self-publishing game plan. Check it out, and if you like what you see, let’s see how fast you can smash that subscribe button.

Back to our topic, you can also run a giveaway on Goodreads, a surefire way to get book reviews. It’s something we do regularly for our clients.

All active giveaways are listed on the giveaway section of the website. Your fans can link to it and encourage their friends to enter the giveaway.

Here’s a video dedicated entirely to helping you get all the goods you can get on Goodreads.

#2 NetGalley

Next up on the paid book review site list is NetGalley. NetGalley is a service that delivers digital Advanced Reader Copies, better known as ARCs.

This service provides ARCs of your book to professional readers. We’re talking about reviewers, media, journalists, bloggers, librarians, booksellers, podcast hosts, and many others.

These professional readers use NetGalley to access digital copies of your book, making it an effective marketing tool not just for your book but for your entire brand as an author.

It allows your work to be made available to people who want to read it in their professional capacity.

A NetGalley promotion offers your ARC three months to be highlighted in their database’s recently added and read now sections. The promo also lets you showcase your book to the sections specific to your title’s categories.

By opting for this promo, all users will see your book listed on the NetGalley website.

There’s a lot more to NetGalley when it comes to figuring out if it’s the right one for you.

To help you out, we have a video that goes into all the details of this review site. We also dive deep into costs because it can be pretty expensive and may not be worth it for all books. Stick to the end of this video to make sure if this review site is for you.

The following two on this list are similar to NetGalley. These two book review sites also deliver your ARC copy to both readers and reviewers. But, they focus more on getting your ARC securely to reviewers, bloggers, and your book army.

#3 BookSirens

BookSirens boasts over 10,000 readers across various genres with an average review rate of 75%, making it an attractive site to get book reviews.

The high average review rate is because their users are vetted and accepted as serious book reviewers. Before users can get approval to join BookSirens, they must have posted at least 20 starred ratings on Goodreads.

How this works is that you first need to send your book to the BookSirens team for evaluation. They will then confirm if it is a quality book – something that they want to offer to their users. Once approved, they will add your book to its appropriate category where users can discover it, download the ARC, and start reading.

A remarkable feature of BookSirens, which leads to their 75% success rate, is that readers can only download one ARC at a time. They can’t download a new ARC until they finish reading and reviewing their active one.

This feature is pretty cool for authors because your advanced reader is much less likely to ghost you without leaving a review. And they’re entirely focused on one book at a time.

BookSirens will also give you a direct link that you can send to your book army. So, those folks can hop on over there and securely download their ARC for free.

You also have the option of choosing whether your reviews are posted on Goodreads, Amazon, or both. Now if you’re wondering about getting book reviews from your book army (And how to keep them from being removed) – check out this article .

#4 Booksprout

Booksprout is another option to consider if your main priority is a prelaunch review push.

Similar to BookSirens, Booksprout is a review site that automates the delivery of your ARC to over 40,000 users.

Their average review rate is around 79%. Even your book army will find it challenging to beat that.

Before you get all excited, we’ve been testing this one for some time, and we’re getting mixed results.

Self-Publish and Succeed , well after launch, got four reviews from a single Booksprout listing. Yet, the other books we tested did not bring any results.

Right now, we’re playing with it to figure out whether it’s a timing issue, a topic, or something else.

We’ve experienced the same thing with BookSirens. My book wasn’t even accepted by them for their reviewers. So, I only used BookSirens for ARCs, but some authors from our client base have gotten good reviews.

BookSirens Vs. Booksprout

So what’s the difference between the two paid review sites? Which one is better for you? Let’s discuss the main differences between BookSirens and Booksprout:

• Booksprout focuses on getting reviews by a specific date, while BookSirens focuses on getting a particular number of reviews.
• On BookSirens, you can post your book and have the reviews roll in for as long as your little heart desires. But on Booksprout, your reviewers have a time limit to read and write their review.
• Booksprout also limits the number of reviewer downloads depending on your subscription level. The more money you spend on their service, the more downloads you can do.
• BookSirens is a fee-per-book service, letting you choose the number of downloads from as little as 5 to as many as 250.

On the plus side, you can request Booksprout reviews posted on up to eight different sites rather than just Goodreads or Amazon. They include options like Kobo, Apple Books, Google Books, and even BookBub.

Whether you go with BookSirens, Booksprout, or both, these two book review sites are easy to use. They’re effective if you need a little help building up your audience.

If this is your first book or your book army looks a little sparse on the prelaunch battlefield, one of these two review sites, or maybe both, could be your answer.

Now that you know some of the best sites that can help you get book reviews in bulk, maybe it’s time to get in touch with us. See what we can do to help you take off even further, even months post-launch.

Here at Book Launchers we help authors like you in every stage of the self-publishing process. Whether you write the book yourself or with our help, we’re with you every step of the way.

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How to make money from a book review blog

BY READERS DIGEST

7th Jan 2022 Life

Books are wonderful. They transport us to different places, even new worlds, and there are always readers out there looking for the next big thing.

That’s why book review blogs are always in demand. Although it might not be the highest paid blogging niche, many book reviewers are still making it work. So, if you dream about starting a book blog, don’t let money hold you back.

There are many ways to monetise a blog. Some turn to affiliate marketing, others are simply content with receiving free books from publishers to review. No matter what your goals are, there are a few things to consider when starting and running a book review blog.

1 Find your niche

In the context of book blogs, niche is your genre. If you are an avid fantasy reader, it doesn’t work if you tailor your blog for crime readers and vice versa. Finding a niche and owning that niche makes it easier to market your blog. That starts with thinking about your interests. Maybe you have a broad taste and want to reflect that on your book review blog, or perhaps you are geeky about something specific, like horror or classic science fiction? Once you know what books you will be writing about, you can get started with a great business name . Something that encapsulates your blog.

2 Develop a strong brand

Another aspect, which is closely linked to your niche, is branding. You might think that is only for companies and advertisers, but writers need branding too. It’s your way of showing your readers who you are and what you stand for. Good branding evokes feelings and sets expectations. It gives people an immediate sense of what’s on offer when visiting your blog. Finding a motivational podcast can be a great source of inspiration when you develop your brand, as it’s good to learn from others.

3 Write authoritative content in a unique voice

Being a real voice within a field requires knowledge, passion and grit. Get into the habit of following the latest news about people’s reading habits, trends and new releases. This starts with being curious. Get to know what readers turned to in the pandemic , or how the book industry is faring overall. All this is useful knowledge if you are to write blog posts on a regular basis. Reach out to other bloggers, publishers and writers to make connections and, in time, you will be flooded with free books.

4 Advertising and affiliate marketing

Making money from a blog requires a large readership. Once you have that, it’s easier to find sources of income, especially within advertising. One of the simplest ways to make money from a website or blog is to place pay-per-click ads on your site. This could for example be in one of your blog posts. Others choose pop-up ads or product reviews. For a book reviewer it makes sense to focus on book-related products. While this can be smaller companies, it can also be affiliate links to Amazon. It all depends on how much money you hope to make.

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6 of the Best Ways to Get Paid to Read Books

Arvyn Cerézo

Arvyn Cerézo is an arts and culture writer/reporter with bylines in Book Riot , Publishers Weekly , South China Morning Post , PhilSTAR Life , the Asian Review of Books , and other publications. You can find them on arvyncerezo.com and @ArvynCerezo on Twitter.

View All posts by Arvyn Cerézo

It’s true that reading books is beneficial in so many ways, including improving our mental health . But there’s an unpopular benefit that reading books can also provide: money. Indeed, reading can become an income stream, turning passion into profit. Ever wondered how to get paid to read books?

While there are several, broad avenues to do that — such as getting a job in the publishing industry , becoming a book editor or proofreader , narrating an audiobook , developing ebooks for a living, or becoming an audiobook proof listener — I’d narrow in on the easiest route, something that could be done right away: book reviewing.

I’m a writer and journalist regularly reviewing books for Publishers Weekly , and I’ve been doing this for four years now. Although the pay isn’t that great, it helps me hone my writing and reviewing skills. It also helps me build connections within the publishing industry. But a gig such as this might as well be a full-time job itself; reading a book for review purposes is a different thing from reviewing a book for leisure. There’s a lot of things to consider, and it might not seem that enjoyable at it appears.

But if you’re interested to become a book reviewer and get paid to read books along the way, I have a list of six ways for you to try below. The list includes writing for traditional magazines and publications that are proven to pay freelancers after a published review. Maybe after trying these gigs out, you might get interested in working in publishing. So, to test the waters, a book reviewing side hustle might be ideal.

Here’s how to get paid to read books through reviewing gigs:

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Writing Book Reviews for Publishers Weekly

PW , the industry magazine, pays $25 per review that runs about 180–200 words. You can choose how many books you can review in a month. In my case, I recently switched to one book per three weeks because of my schedule. But before, I used to do two books a month. In addition to that, you can decline a book if you don’t feel like it, but I’m not sure if it’s the case with every editor.

There are also opportunities for other kinds of writing, such as a Q&A and an author profile, which you can pitch to your editor.

Publishers Weekly accepts reviewer applications occasionally. All you have to do is send a CV and a sample review à la PW . They don’t assign a byline, however.

Writing Book Reviews for Kirkus Reviews

This magazine also accepts applications for freelance reviewers . However, it won’t be for traditionally published books, unlike with PW . Instead, reviewers would be working on self-published books for the indie section of the magazine called Kirkus Indie.

The review runs about 350 words and is due two weeks after the book is assigned. They pay $50, but it could go upwards to $75 if they see some great writing. For picture books, they pay $40 for a review of 250 words. As with PW , they don’t give a byline.

“Reviewing for Kirkus Indie was fun. I got sent a steady stream of books to recommend, usually 1–2 per month,” shares Sarah S. Davis, former Kirkus Indie reviewer and a Book Riot contributor. “I did have an opportunity when I first started to list what genres were my preferred genres to recommend. You don’t get to choose which book you get, but they will often give you a sub-genre or category that you connect well with. For example, for me that was books about health, psychology, and spirituality. My friend who reviewed for Kirkus, however, ‘specialized’ in geotechnical thrillers.”

To be considered, submit a sample review in the style of Kirkus.

Reviewing for Booklist

Booklist is a magazine catered toward librarians. They also occasionally publish reviews in their print and online versions. Just like the magazines aforementioned, Booklist is also constantly looking for reviewers.

For a word count of 150–175, the pay is a meager $15. If you reject a book, you get $5. Nonetheless, the best thing here is that the reviews are signed. That means you get to have a byline attached to the review, whether in print or online. In some instances, however, the payment could be delayed because the review is scheduled for a later issue. But once it gets published, you get to be paid.

Here’s how to apply as a Booklist reviewer . Once accepted, you’d become an apprentice reviewer.

Writing Audiobook Reviews for AudioFile Magazine

AudioFile is a magazine that regularly reviews audiobooks. If you’re an avid audiobook listener and feel like recommending best new titles, then this is for you.

AudioFile assigns a couple audiobooks in a month, and you have to write a review of about a hundred words. They pay $10 apiece, which is disbursed twice a year. Because of this payment scheme, it would take a long while to receive the payment. Still, you have the freedom to choose the genre of audiobook you want to review, such as young adult, fantasy, classics, literary fiction, etc. In the review that appears in print and online versions, you get to have initials as your byline, but you don’t get to have your name printed in full.

Reviewing an audiobook, however, is an altogether different realm. Make sure to read the magazine to get familiarized with the style.

Writing Book Reviews for Online Book Club

This is a forum that publishes book reviews, and they always accept reviewers. Since it’s a forum — not a magazine or a publication — you get to choose what appears as your byline. Pay varies per book, but it usually ranges from $5–60 per review according to their website.

“Reviewing books for the Online Book Club was a good experience because I got to read books and give my opinion about them, which I enjoyed,” says Yolimari Garcia, a former reviewer. “You can choose which books you want to review from a list. However, you can only pick the books with higher payments if you have a high reviewer score. I reached the highest level, which was six. A level-six reviewer is allowed to be an editor, which I was too.”

According to Garcia, the reviewers receive feedback from the editors, who also assign ratings based on the Review Team Guidelines. The objective is for the high-quality reviews to receive a high score and those with low quality to receive a low score. Some reviews cannot be published because it is clear that the writer did not read the book or adhere to the rules, according to Garcia.

“You can review as many books from the list as you can in a month as long as you follow the Review Team Guidelines and meet the deadlines…The payment is lower if you are a low-level reviewer and higher if you are a high-level reviewer,” she adds. As with other publications that publish book reviews, Garcia says that “don’t expect to make a salary” and “see it as a hobby, a side gig, or a medium for gaining experience writing professional book reviews .”

Here’s how to apply as a reviewer for Online Book Club .

Pitching Directly to Magazines and Publications

This is the recommended option if you’ve already gained an experience writing professional book reviews or if you have a stellar writing portfolio. Many publications allow unsolicited pitches to editors; The New York Times , The Guardian , and other major outlets may accept such pitches.

The rate is significantly higher, reaching as high as $800 for a 1,000-word review . However, since this is the high-paying path, it’s also the most difficult one. It takes a lot of effort to craft the perfect pitch to an editor, and sending the pitch doesn’t even guarantee an assignment. It might depend on the quality of the pitch, the publication’s editorial calendar, the strength of the writing portfolio, relevance of the book, etc. To get paid to read books in this manner, one must already be an established literary critic. Think of it as the be-all and end-all of reviewing.

For more tips on how to pitch an article to a major publication, here’s a guide .

There are several ways to get paid to read books, but book reviewing seems to be the easiest path. Because of the nature of this gig, though, you might want to supplement it with other book-related jobs. Here are audiobook narrator jobs for beginners and other jobs for book lovers !

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Blog – Posted on Wednesday, Mar 27

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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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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Are Paid Book Reviews Worth It?

Paying for professional book reviews is a controversial topic throughout the writing and publishing community, and it’s hard to find practical, unbiased information about the benefits. In fact, it’s not even well-known that paid book reviews exist, and even less is known about the value of such reviews.

Before I discuss the pros and cons of paid reviews, I want to define them (strictly for the purposes of this post).

• Trade book reviews. Trade publications are those read by booksellers, librarians, and others who work inside the industry (as opposed to readers/consumers). Such publications primarily provide pre-publication reviews of traditionally published books, whether from small or large presses. Typically, these publications have been operating for a long time and have a history of serving publishing professionals. However, with the rise of self-publishing, some trade review outlets have begun paid review programs especially for self-published authors. Examples: Kirkus Reviews and Foreword Reviews .
• Non-trade book reviews.  Because of the increased demand for professional reviews of self-published work, you can now find online publications that specialize in providing such services. These publications or websites may have some reach and visibility to the trade, or they may be reader-facing, or a mix of both. Examples: Indie Reader , Blue Ink Review , Self-Publishing Review .
• Reader (non-professional) reviews. It’s considered unethical to pay for reader reviews posted at Amazon or other sites, and Amazon is actively trying to curb the practice.

This post is focused on the first two types of paid reviews; I recommend you stay away from the third.

Some of you reading this post may be looking for a quick and easy answer to the question of whether you should invest in a paid book review. Here’s what I think in a nutshell, although a lot of people will be unhappy with me saying so:

The majority of authors will not sufficiently benefit from paid book reviews, and should invest their time and money elsewhere.

However, this can be a more nuanced issue than this broad statement indicates. Here are three questions I ask authors when advising about the value of paid reviews:

• Do you have a well-thought-out marketing plan that targets librarians, booksellers, or schools?
• What is your overall marketing budget, and does it include hiring a publicist or outside help?
• What’s your book category? Are you trying to market a children’s book?

Let discuss each issue in more detail.

1. Are you targeting the trade?

It makes little sense to pay for a trade book review if all you’re going to do is make your book available for sale on Amazon or other online retailers and consider your marketing job done. This is a huge waste of your money, yet this is what many authors do, because what they’re mainly after is validation, not a marketing tool.

Ask yourself: Do you want this review because you feel it’s part of having “real” book published—that having it gives you some additional credibility? If that’s your only motivation, you are paying to feel better about yourself and your work, not to sell books.

A better way to sell more books on Amazon, or through online retail, is to generate as many reader reviews as possible. Some might argue that having a professional review as part of the book’s description on Amazon (and elsewhere) adds a sheen of professionalism and leads to more readers taking a chance on the book. But I believe readers are generally not persuaded by one professional review when there are few reader reviews and/or a low star rating. Like it or not, purchasing behavior online is driven by quantity of reviews that help indicate a book is worth the price, assuming no prior exposure to the author.

However, if you have an outreach plan that involves approaching libraries to consider your book, or if you’re trying to reach independent booksellers, then having a positive review from a source they know can help you overcome an initial hurdle or two. It will not guarantee they will carry or buy your book, but it may help make a favorable impression. (That said, they may know your review was paid for if your book is self-published. This probably won’t matter to them as long as they trust the review source.)

Another thing to understand is that even if you pay for your trade review, that doesn’t mean it will have as much prominence or visibility as other (unpaid) reviews from that publication. Paid reviews are typically segregated and run separately from unpaid reviews, so a bookseller or librarian may have to actively seek out reviews of self-published books. How much attention these reviews receive from the trade, in aggregate, is anyone’s guess. One thing is for sure: there’s a ton of competition even just among traditionally published books.

All of this assumes that the paid review you receive is positive or will make a good impression. The review may, in fact, be negative, and you won’t be able to use it. (In such cases, the trade review outlet allows you to suppress publication of the review altogether.)

If you are targeting the trade, and you’re operating on a professional level, then consider approaching trade publications just as any traditional publisher would: four to six months in advance of your book’s publication date. (Since the focus of these trade publications is on pre-publication reviews, they won’t review your book if you don’t send the copy several months in advance of your pub date.) Send an advance review copy along with a press release or information sheet about the book, and cross your fingers that your book is selected for review (for free). If not, later on you can consider paying for a review if necessary.

If you’re not targeting the trade, sometimes a paid review can still be helpful. That brings us to the second question.

2. What does your overall marketing plan look like?

If paying for a review consumes all of your marketing and publicity budget, stop. This isn’t what you should spend your money on. You’d see far more sales from spending that money on a BookBub promotion or on other types of discounts or giveaways to increase your book’s visibility.

On the other hand, if the paid review is just one piece of a larger marketing plan to gain visibility, then you’re in a better place to capitalize on a positive paid review. If you can see it as a steppingstone—as a way to get people on board quicker—that’s the right mindset. A positive review from a known or trusted source can help lead to other reviews—or interview opportunities, or other media coverage. Or you could use the review in advertisements to the trade.

With paid reviews, remember: steppingstone. It’s not paid review = book sales . A good marketer or publicist can help open doors for you, and they could have an easier time if they’re armed with some good blurbs or coverage (including that paid book review) to start.

If all you intend to do with your paid review is add it to your book cover, your website, your Amazon book description, or other online marketing copy, then it is not likely to have any noticeable effect on your sales. (And frankly, in such cases, there is no way to measure if it really did make a difference.)

3. What’s your book category?

The children’s market is one area where I think paid reviews can make the most sense, because you’re not typically marketing directly to readers (children) but to educators, librarians, and schools. The children’s market highly values trade publications such as School Library Journal  or  Publishers Weekly ; these publications help them understand what’s releasing soon and make good choices about what to buy, often on a limited budget.

Here’s the rub: you can’t buy a review in either of those publications I just mentioned. You would have to submit to them through the traditional channels at least a couple months (or more) in advance of your publication date.

I spent more than a dozen years in traditional publishing and oversaw the publication of hundreds of books. During that time, only a handful of our titles received professional trade reviews. By and large, our company did not submit books for review, and pre-publication reviews did not perceptibly affect our sales when they did appear. That’s because our books were mainly in instructional or enthusiast nonfiction categories, where sales aren’t typically driven by professional or trade reviews.

If you don’t have industry experience, it may be difficult to figure out if a paid review might make a difference for your particular book category. Here’s what I recommend: Using Amazon, find books that would be considered direct competitors to yours. Take a look at their Amazon category or genre (e.g., paranormal romance, cozy mystery, etc.), then look at the bestsellers in that category over a period of a week or two. (If you can, make sure you research a good mix of both traditionally published and self-published titles.) Read the books’ Amazon page descriptions and see what review sources are quoted. Many times, you’ll find (free) blogger reviews and a variety of (free) niche publication reviews, rather than reviews from the companies I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

Taking the time to pursue free reviews or reader reviews is the preferred method of established, career indie authors; they’re rarely concerned about courting the traditional gatekeepers, unless their work is of a literary bent.

Paid Book Review Benefits That Don’t Really Mean Anything

Most paid review outlets promise that your review will be distributed to Ingram, online retail sites, and all sorts of important-sounding places. This type of review promotion doesn’t discount any of what I’ve discussed above. Again, just because the review is distributed or available doesn’t mean it will be seen or acted upon. And I don’t recommend that you pay these companies for extra promotion or advertising of your review unless you really know what you’re doing and a marketer or publicist thinks it will get your book in front of exactly the right audience. Too much of online advertising is like flushing money down the toilet—whether it’s done through these companies or not. If you’re interested in quality and targeted advertising for your book, consider  M.J. Rose’s AuthorBuzz service , but even then, make sure it’s only one part of a larger marketing plan, not the only part.

Are Paid Book Reviews Tainted?

Yes and no. As I said at the outset, this is a controversial topic, and perceptions about the practice widely vary. I’m not typically an advocate of paid reviews, because in most cases I think that authors fail to capitalize on them and also that authors can achieve much the same results if they put in the (time-consuming) effort to secure the many types of free reviews available to them. It’s not that I’m morally against paid reviews, although I do think paid review services can make it sound like all sorts of wonderful, influential people will suddenly take notice of your book when that’s seldom the case.

If professional trade reviews are very important to you or your work, I highly recommend (as suggested before) that, rather than paying for a review, you send advance review copies to trade review outlets four to six months in advance of your publication date and proceed through the process just as other publishers would. While your chances of getting a review might not be as good as the chance a recognized press would have, you still have a shot if your work appears to meet professional standards in every other way. Darcy Pattison has shown that it’s possible , and so have many others. Too many self-publishers don’t have the patience to wait, yet still want the same review consideration or coverage as traditionally published authors. Fortunately, I think many self-publishers don’t need the same kind of professional review coverage or attention that traditionally published authors receive; you have other tools at your disposal that can be just as effective in driving sales.

I’d love to hear in the comments from authors willing to share their experience with paid review services—positive, neutral, or negative.

Additionally, The Alliance of Independent Authors has posted their anecdotal findings and research into the issue in the following two posts, which have interesting comment threads. So far, they’ve only focused on Kirkus.

• Is a Kirkus Review Worth the Price?
• Is Kirkus Selling Dreams—Or Do They Deliver?

In October 2022, publisher and author Ian Lamont wrote about his Kirkus Indie review for the Harvard Business Review. Be sure to read it before paying for a Kirkus review.

Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet , the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.

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[…] The majority of authors will not benefit from paid book reviews, and should invest their time and money elsewhere. Here's why.  […]

I bought a paid review from Kirkus for my speculative fiction novel, Duo. While the review was largely positive, so much of it was devoted to outlining the plot, I felt anyone who read it would be be deprived of enjoying the discovery of the story for themselves. And, I could be wrong, but the tone of the comments led me to believe that the reviewer had speed-read the book (which, if they’re getting paid by the review, would make sense), and that led to conclusions that none of my other reviewers, who had read the story for enjoyment, agreed with. Overall, I did get a couple of good quotes to excerpt on the book jacket, etc., so it was worth it for my marketing mix, but I think there are probably better ways to spend marketing dollars.

Much appreciate you sharing your detailed results here. Thank you!

One of my authors (I’m an independent editor) had the same experience with Kirkus. The review was positive, but was 90% devoted to detailing the plot, including spoiling a major plot twist. There was nothing really “quotable” in the review, so the author was unable to use it — even though he got a good review.

TK Greenleaf, I’ve found this endless synopsis thing to be true with many of these review sites, whether paid or free, and I don’t get it. I write reviews for Blue Ink Review, and we are required to read the entire book, and I spend as little of my word count as possible on the synopsis, and always read the whole book, for better or worse. My guess is that any of the bigger review sites require the same of their reviewers, whether individual reviewers follow through or not. That client is shelling out a ton, and it’s just unethical not to respect that.

Thank you for your honesty.

My novel has been all of five weeks, and I have 43 reviews…all four-and-five stars. Not one of those has been paid, and it’s fun that so many reviews came from strangers. I’m VERY proud of what I’ve accomplished, but getting those reviews has been harder than writer the book (not really, but sort of).

I’m trying to get 60 reviews and saving my money for BookBub for the very reasons you laid out. It’s interesting because my first inclination about “paid reviews” was it’s unethical, but I do respect Kirkus. Thanks for really making me think, Jane.

43 is fantastic! I’ve only gotten 23… it is HARD WORK! You’re right.

Thanks, Cathey. I knew it’d be hard, but even so much harder than I expected. I can name 8 people who’ve read my novel and liked it (they told me through email, Facebook, Twitter) and SAID they would write review, but haven’t. Grrr.

Good luck with you and gathering reviews.

I also had multiple individuals say they really liked my book, but didn’t write a review… even after I sent them a detailed description as to how it could be done on Amazon, B & N and Goodreads!

I’ve found the same thing. I’ve had readers tell me how good the book was, said that they would write a review, and yet they haven’t written one. I thought writing a book was hard but I think unless you’re willing to shell out lots of money for reviews, the getting of reviews is much harder. I’ve begged for reviews and I’ve only gotten one or two by begging. I’ve written to reviewers who said that they would review my book if I sent it to them. I’ve sent it to them and then waited for their review. Out of many that I wrote to, only a couple actually wrote a review. So far I’ve gotten eight reviews on my latest book in over a year of trying to get them. I write a blog, use twitter, and facebook. I’m not willing to pay for reviews and maybe that’s my problem. All of the paid review sites tell you how great they are and how well they work. However, I personally think that they only work great for them to make money. Thank you Jane for bringing up this issue. There must be a trick without spending lots of money that we’re not aware of. I hope that if anyone finds out what it is, they’ll let us know.

Stanley, You are so right! Lots of people will promise, but it takes time. Jane’s article gives great advice, and is my go to for any self publishing advice. It is a lot like running for office, you have to all the little things, as hard as that may be.

Hey there, can you give me some advice on getting reviews? I’ve approached a metric ton of bloggers, emailed 800 top reviewers, posted on all sorts of communities asking for reviews over the last 4 weeks, and I have 5 reviews total.

My findings, exactly! Getting honest reviews is harder than the writing… by far.

I am so glad you published this post. There’s something about paying for a review that has never appealed to me. And when authors promote a Kirkus review, I tend to dismiss it. I would much rather promote my readers’ reviews than a review I had to purchase. Reader reviews are authentic, more meaningful, and, of course, provided without compensation.

Thanks for that Frances, I think I will follow your lead. I write books, and of course I also want to sell my books, to help people get inspired by what I have written for them.

As an expert in paid reviews, and the COO of Self-Publishing Review, one company you linked to, I feel I need to get into this – you could have come to us, the specialists in the field for advice and comment; instead you have drawn conclusions without reliable data. I saw your post on Facebook where writers were saying paid reviews were useful to them, but I’m not seeing that here. You have not reported it. Some said it wasn’t useful as well, but this seems to be a blanket dismissal of something that works for a lot of writers, or it wouldn’t be increasingly commonplace.

To start, this paragraph doesn’t make a lot of sense:

“I believe readers are generally not persuaded by one professional review when there are few reader reviews and/or a low star rating. Like it or not, purchasing behavior online is driven by quantity of reviews that help indicate a book is worth the price, assuming no prior exposure to the author.”

People get an editorial review to put in the Editorial Reviews section on Amazon so that people might be more inclined to buy the book and add a customer review. Amazon have done this officially because expert reviews are more valued by consumers more of the time than a customer review – I have independent studies to prove this. This is because an expert reviewer can judge a book’s viability, readability, and the writer’s talent much more astutely than someone who reads a few books a year. We have scientific data on this I would have been happy to share if you had asked.

Another: “If all you intend to do with your paid review is add it to your book cover, your website, your Amazon book description, or other online marketing copy, then it is not likely to have any noticeable effect on your sales.”

You don’t understand the reason an author needs an editorial review. Reviews of any kind cause a cumulative effect and not a direct sales to review ratio. The main difference between an editorial review and a customer review is this: A customer buys the book before they write a review. The editorial review is written before a customer buys the book. So you’re working back to front if you want customer reviews to sell books.

For the vast majority of self-publishers, where KDP is their bread and butter, libraries and “the trade” aren’t important. Honestly, this seems sort of old-fashioned and print-centric for today’s industry. What authors mostly want is a review to get the ball rolling with readers directly. Authors are much more concerned with Kindle sales than library distribution, which they can get anyway with Smashwords or with KDP extended distribution. This is your core argument, but there’s a really small percentage of writers who even have a book in hard copy these days. Seems really out of touch to be talking about this as a main concern.

You’re underestimating how difficult it is to get reviews for free. If you send a query to 100 book blogs and don’t receive many responses, or get a badly written 100-word review on a low-traffic site, that does nothing for sales. Additionally, a review from a higher-profile source can help get a foot in the door with book bloggers than a book that has no reviews from other book sites. Even if you do get free reviews, again, these don’t look professional on your Editorial section, and do nothing to augment your book selling plan.

I have worked with thousands of indie authors so I know what they want – library exposure is not one of the wishlist, especially given many libraries are closing and don’t have money for trad books, let alone taking a shot on a self-publisher. Sales and ranking are the main concerns these days, both of which are helped with an editorial review. It’s about getting a manuscript critique that’s live on the site/social networks, and making an Amazon page/author site/marketing materials as enticing as possible.

We get reviews in front of nearly a quarter of a million readers when someone buys a review from us. That’s not nothing.

It’s strangely narrow minded to dissuade writers from any useful tool when bookselling is becoming increasingly more difficult. It’s highly fashionable to criticize paid reviews without really researching the plus points, but it’s really a lack of understanding of how hard it is to promote a book among the millions of titles available, and honestly, this article does not reflect your findings on Facebook, which I monitored, that were clearly as positive as they were negative, with authors reporting good sales after paid reviews – something I can corroborate.

I’m sorry you thought you had to join in the paid review bashing. Unfortunately you did not report the facts from your research correctly, and although you linked to us, did not ask us or any of the other companies listed for our opinion, comment, or advice. We have loads of facts and figures from independent studies conducted by marketing experts, universities, and even Amazon that we could have shared with you instead of your points in this post, that are honestly kind of misleading and yet again don’t give the right up-to-date information for indie authors today.

The amount of professional care and attention we give to reviews is beyond just writing a few paragraphs, and I deeply resent the myth being perpetuated by articles like this that as book professionals we don’t do everything in our power to make sure authors get the most they can out of their review package. This whole idea of rejecting book marketing experts in self-publishing has to end. It’s just silly, and smacks of being stubbornly against the tide of progress for no reason. There are going to be a lot of noses cut in spite littering the self-publishing industry floor at this rate, and a lot of disappointed writers who read articles like this and think it’s fine to scrimp on professional tools. It’s not.

Thanks for adding your perspective, Cate. If you’re willing to share links to the independent studies and scientific data here in the comment thread, I know my readers would welcome them, as would I.

I think it’s extreme to characterize my post as bashing paid reviews or rejecting book marketing experts. I stated what I believe are the limitations of paid book reviews, and clarified that some authors can benefit from them with a well-thought-out marketing plan. I’ve worked with self-published authors for a long time as well (since 2001), so I’m not without experience of my own. This is my professional opinion, not a journalistic investigation.

If anyone would like to review the full comment thread at Facebook where I asked authors to share their experiences with paid reviews, here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/jane.friedman/posts/10153906010842417?pnref=story

I wish that when bloggers blog about paid reviews they would use hard fact instead of opinion. I work with paid reviews every day for 16 hours a day. I see hundreds of authors making sales as a result. Some have even gotten trad book deals from our reviews.

Here are the independent study links I collated into a piece 2 months back. Research comes from the UK government, several universities and well-known marketing sources used in the book industry.

http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/2015/12/how-paid-reviews-sell-books-facts-and-figures/

I really think you’re looking at self-publishing through the lens of traditional publishing. Most self-publishers have very little interest in the library market – they’re interested in Kindle sales and online marketing. So, yes, a paid review won’t necessarily help you reach library buyers, but if that’s your main argument against paid reviews, it’s a very narrow lens. And then you say this:

“If the paid review is just one piece of a larger marketing plan to gain visibility, then you’re in a better place to capitalize on a positive paid review. If you can see it as a steppingstone—as a way to get people on board quicker—that’s the right mindset. A positive review from a known or trusted source can help lead to other reviews—or interview opportunities, or other media coverage. Or you could use the review in advertisements to the trade.”

Then what’s the argument against paid reviews, given that the majority of authors use a review exactly like this?

You mention in passing things like back cover copy/Amazon Editorial review/marketing materials like those are small issues – those are huge parts of a book release. I obviously have skin in the game of paid reviews, but this really isn’t looking at what paid reviews offer in the current market.

You’re conflating paid review and “professional trade review” like they’re the same thing – as if the main reason people buy paid reviews is to be recognized by mainstream publishing. It just isn’t. This is a Kindle world now – that’s where most self-publishers want to be recognized.

My opinion in this post is based mostly on these 2 things.

1. Customer reviews (quantity and star rating) matter more to a book’s visibility and sales success on a site like Amazon. This is fairly well-established in the Amazon self-publishing community and emphasized in all the how-to guides. This is why indie authors-marketers, such as Tim Grahl or Sean Platt, tell authors why and how to get as many reader reviews as possible on the first day or week of a book’s release. An example: http://timgrahl.com/amazon-reviews/

2. A broader societal trend has questioned the role and meaning of the professional review or critic in light of recommendations from non-professional sources (user-generated reviews, social media, and other word of mouth). I don’t think it’s possible to attend a publishing conference today without a panel on “Is Book Criticism Dead?” Don’t get me wrong—there IS a place for professional reviewing and criticism, but the landscape isn’t the same as it used to be, and I believe professional editorial reviews matter mainly to people in the profession. There are always exceptions, of course, which I believe are driven mainly by the category of book we’re talking about.

I don’t know whether a majority of authors use paid reviews or not (although that hasn’t been my impression). But if there is a large number of authors who use paid reviews, I don’t find that a convincing argument for their sales and marketing benefit. Indie authors often lack experience in marketing, or don’t know what to buy or what’s helpful for them. You can see this play out clearly in the types of over-priced publishing services and marketing packages that exist out there (e.g., AuthorSolutions). Just because such services get a lot of customers doesn’t mean that they sell books.

Addressing your points.

1. Editorial Reviews are listed before customer reviews on Amazon, so Amazon itself prizes them more. In the study Cate links to, it’s determined that a reviewer with an established reputation has a greater impact than customer reviews. Obviously, customer reviews are hugely important, but a good Editorial Review can help get that process started. You’re linking to Tim Grahl – someone with an established reputation and fan base. Many self-publishers do all of the things he says and come up empty. It’s the kind of thing that’s encouraging to read, but doesn’t always work in the real world.

2. I really don’t think paid reviews and “professional criticism” are nearly the same thing. In my experience – and that experience is 100 hours a week working with self-publishers – the people who care about professional criticism and “the trade” are approaching zero. This isn’t about gatekeeping, it’s about exposure. There’s more exposure on a site with good traffic. And there’s more clout with an established service than Bob’s Book Reviews.

3. If you’re conflating paid reviews with Author Solutions, that’s pretty low. To not just me, but everyone who uses the service, which comprises all types of writers. Our lowest priced review is $69 – it’s hardly a rip-off to get book cover copy, Amazon Editorial Review, social media posting, etc. I just really think you’re underestimating how hard it is for so many authors to get any sort of coverage. There are millions of books all vying for attention, so authors need every tool they can get. If having an Amazon Editorial Review is better than not having one, then you’re steering authors away from something that can help them.

Henry, I apologize if it appeared I was conflating SPR or paid reviews with AuthorSolutions. That was not my intention, and I don’t think that SPR (or paid review services) are ripping off writers. The price charged for the review is more than fair—that’s not the issue in my mind. Rather, I don’t agree with the argument that popularity of an offering equates with its usefulness or appropriateness.

I’m well aware of how difficult it is to for any author or book to get coverage, but I don’t believe paid book reviews are the best or only solution to that challenge. It’s one solution, and I’ve tried to address the limitations of it.

This IS a good point for all of us to remember, Cate, when you say, “Reviews of any kind cause a cumulative effect and not a direct sales to review ratio.” I think that’s important to remember. I just really love all the information I’m gathering here. Thanks.

Perhaps thou doth protest too much.

Thank you. As a self published author this comment is very helpful (and encouraging)

Thank you for all this information, Jane! What a great article. I’m an indie author of a children’s picture book, and I’ve been working hard to get free PR wherever I can. It pays off; I got a big story in our newspaper, but I just got lucky (my news release hit the right person at the right time). I’ve gently prodded my book buyers to provide free reader reviews, and it does start gradually paying off. But it’s gradual … it’s hard to get a reader to sit down and write a review. I’m now considering purchasing a Kirkus Indie review, only because it is one of the requirements for a Texas book contest I want to submit my book to (a favorable review from one of 5 outlets is required, and Kirkus is one of those; the others wouldn’t accept a self-published book). And of course, I’ll just have to hope that the review is favorable, if I do decide to pay Kirkus. It’s a gamble, but this book contest is an important part of my marketing plan — realizing of course that I might not even win. You’re so right – it’s not just about sales. It’s also about networking with libraries, schools, local bookstores, etc. I’m doing all that, and it seems to be working. Keep writing great articles like this, I appreciate it very much.

Appreciate you taking the time to share your experience here, Cathey. Best of luck with your ongoing marketing and PR push!

[…] Are Paid Book Reviews Worth It? […]

[…] Are Paid Book Reviews Worth It? (Jane Friedman) Paying for professional book reviews remains a controversial topic that very few authors have practical, unbiased information about. In fact, it’s not even well-known in the author community that paid book reviews exist, and even less is known about the value of such reviews. […]

Anyone considering paid review services should read a recent article in The Huffington Post entitled “Book Reviews: Should You Pay for Them?” which you can find here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-houghton/book-reviews-paidfor-or-n_b_7903594.html

It’s a very refreshing article that concludes that “if you have the money to pay for a review, and feel comfortable doing it, then do so. It pays to remember that getting reviews for your book is akin to getting publicity for it. Time, effort, some money spent, and being tenacious are needed.”

Self-publishing authors are at a big disadvantage over traditionally published authors. So is it any wonder they pay for book reviews to help get visibility of their books?

The reason I like the article is because it is brutally honest in admitting that authors do pay for book reviews published on Amazon, Goodreads, and in blogs.

Many authors may not like the idea of paid book reviews, but as long as they are honest, and not misleading the reader, it’s just part of modern day ebook marketing. Just like many were against shops open on a Sunday, or advertising on football shirts, it’s just the way it is right now. To ignore it, is simply to get left behind.

Authors don’t select to use paid review services because they want to cheat or mislead the reader. They do it because indie authors today play on an uneven playing field which is stacked in favor of the traditionally published author.

Unlike traditionally published authors, self-published authors have practically no presence in actual bookshops. Print distribution and lack of shelf space in bookshops and other stores is literally stacked against the self-published author. While indie authors continue to hit the bestseller lists, their presence in bookstores remains negligible if non-existent. This is a shame because it is clear that indie authors can write books as well as any traditional authors.

The second major challenge or barrier facing indie authors is the lack of traditional media coverage. Despite self-publishing authors making the big-time bestseller lists both on Amazon and the New York Times, and having lots of social media support, recognition from the traditional literary community is practically non-existent. Few, if any, top book reviewers published in the traditional newspapers and magazines will cover indie titles.

Thankfully, there are some very reputable and established review services like Kirkus and Self-Publishing Review that will support indie authors. Yes, they are paid review services, and they are honest ones with strong reputations.

So I say hallelujah to these great champions of the self-publishing world. Without them, indie authors would have very few other places to go to help them promote their books and get honest reviews.

[…] one of her regular posts for the author corps, Jane Friedman titled a Monday article Are Paid Book Reviews Worth It?. Friedman is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest and Scratch magazine. She is teaching at […]

Get Paid To Review Books

Getting Paid For Reviews

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How to review a book, read and review books for money.

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How to Make Money Writing Book Reviews: 9 Websites that Pay

• by Michelle
• November 1, 2020

As an avid reader, you may be thinking of how to use your hobby and passion for books to make money. You can use your critiquing skills to make money writing book reviews that can help other readers get a detailed insight into a book. You don’t have to be a professional writer to earn money with your passion for books.

There are many opportunities available for freelance reviewers to earn a side income while doing the thing they love. There’s a whole new marketplace for book readers and writers. You can easily turn your hobby into a profession in a matter of clicks.

List of websites that Pay for writing Book Reviews

Online book club.

Online Book Club is a free reading site that has been on the internet for over 10 years. It has a large reading community from all over the world. This platform is also a great opportunity for reviewers to earn some side income.

For your first review, the Online Book Club will give you a book to review for free after which you will be able to get a reviewing opportunity with a small fee. As a reviewer, you have to write a professional review that covers all aspects of the book, including mentioning the right audience for the book. You are not expected to only write a positive review. Remember, if you don’t like the book, you can mention that in the review and then rate it accordingly.

Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine that has gained a good reputation for its quality reviews. It is a great place for book reviewers to publish their content on an authentic and respectable forum.

Currently, Kirkus media is looking for book reviewers who can write professional reviews on English and Spanish books for Kirkus Indie, which is a section for self-published books.

Reviews should be 350 words long and due two weeks after the book is assigned. There are no charges for the books, they are completely free. You can write reviews for both print media and soft media books as well as paperbacks.

The US Review

The US book review is a popular book review publication that is known for its quality reviews. The online publication offers the opportunity for freelance writers to earn by writing book reviews for unpublished books. If you want to apply for this job, you can send your resume, along with writing samples and two professional recommendations either through email or regular mail.

The US Review website lists the books for reviews. From there reviewers can select the books to review by mentioning their preferences on the list. The books are then assigned in order of reviewer request. Once the book is sent, you are expected to write a review in 2-3 weeks.

New Pages is a site that provides online news, information, and guides to literary magazines. The website offers the opportunity for freelance writers to earn by writing flash reviews. You only have to write 100-200 words, although you can write up to the limit of 300 words. Reviewers can give their honest opinions on any of the latest books, magazines, or individual writings they have read recently.

Booklist Online

Booklist is an American journal that publishes book reviews and has helped thousands of librarians in selecting the right books. The company has other products such as Booklist magazine and Booklist reader. They offer opportunities to write book reviews for Booklist magazine and Booklist reader.

Your review should follow the guidelines provided by them. Reviews are generally around 175 words, however, if the book is an outstanding one, you may write a review of up to 200 to 225 words. Once you send in your submission to Booklist, it will be reviewed and if accepted, it will be edited by the editors before being published.

Writerful Books

Writerful Books is an editorial company that assists authors in securing a publishing deal through book editing and manuscript assessments.

Currently, the company is offering freelance job opportunities for book reviewers. They are recruiting a panel of experts to review contemporary books from American, Australian, British, Irish, Canadian, and New Zealand authors. Once you become a trusted reviewer at Writerful books, you can get an offer for earning opportunity.

Reedsy is a website that has everything about books and writing. It publishes book reviews of many unpublished books and you can become a part of this thriving community. Hundreds of authors submit their books for reviewing. Not only you will get a chance to write reviews but also get those books for free.

Reedsy doesn’t directly pay reviewers for their work. Reviewers get paid by the readers who are reading your book reviews and enjoying them.

Get Abstract

Get Abstract is a website that provides summaries for all kinds of books. It offers summaries on a variety of books including academic books and journals. The website is offering opportunities for reviewers to join their teams in Switzerland and the US. To be a part of this team, you can send your resume to the email listed on their website.

Book Browse

Book Browse is a website that publishes reviews of some of the best books out in the reading world. They also publish reviews for adult fiction and nonfiction as well as books for young adults. As a freelancer, you can apply for the reviewer position at Book Browse and become a part of their community.

You can write a review on monthly basis and get a small payment for it. As an expert in the USA, you can get a paperback for review. But if you reside outside of the USA, you can get an ebook to review.

As a book lover there are other kinds of earning opportunities available as well. For instance, you can sell your old books online and make money from that!

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Indie Authors, Get Your Book Reviewed By LoveReading

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Why Choose LoveReading?

• LoveReading is the original and UK’s biggest and best known book recommendation brand comprising of LoveReading.co.uk , LoveReading4Kids.co.uk and LoveReading4Schools.co.uk
• Since 2005 we have been the trusted advisor of readers looking for credible recommendations and book reviews.
• Our reliable teams of Expert Reviewers, Ambassadors and Consumer Review Panel provide honest and accessible reviews to help promote books.

Publishers love us, we review books for every main UK publisher including Harper Collins, HQ, Penguin, Puffin, Bloomsbury, Macmillan, Walker Books, Bonnier, Zaffre, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Orion, Oxford University Press and many more.

• Most titles (and definitely every promoted and selected title) on our websites has been read, reviewed and loved by our expert panel. That’s what we do. This review is then used to spread the word. If you get us the proof early enough, these quotes can be used on the book jacket, like hundreds of others have done in the past.
• Due to popular demand we are now offering a service enabling indie authors to get much-needed feedback on their books. Our panel of Ambassadors are ready and waiting to review your book.
• Books that are well reviewed by our Ambassadors will gain the opportunity to be featured on the main LoveReading and / or LoveReading4Kids site.
• We do not guarantee positive reviews, unfavourable reviews can be taken as valuable feedback for improvements and ultimately will not be published on our site. This is why our readers trust us and why our endorsement is so meaningful.
• Our first stage review package is just £120 making it accessible for authors to receive valuable feedback on their book.

How It Works

Submit a book.

Click the "Get Started" link above or click here to choose the review package you would like to go for . At this stage you will be requested to enter payment details. When you complete your submission, you'll get an email from the LoveReading team confirming receipt of your request.

Upload Your Book

You'll have 2 options to choose from when submitting your indie book. We request that you upload your book as a PDF, epub or mobi file. Should you wish to send us a physical copy, please use a PDF of the book cover in your submission, let us know you would like to send a physical copy by emailing [email protected] and we will arrange for an ambassador to review the book and let you know where to send it. Please be aware that posting of physical copies of your book will cause a delay and may have an impact on when we are able to get your feedback returned to you.

The Selection Process

After receiving your book, our Editors will allocate your book to one of the team of Ambassadors who will review the book and provide a detailed review which will then be emailed to you within our turnaround time. Turnaround times start from within 4 weeks of submission. You can see the detailed breakdown of each review option and their respective turnaround times in the 'Review Options' section below.

Positive reviews will be listed at no extra charge on LoveReading.co.uk or LoveReading4Kids.co.uk. If our ambassadors really loved your book, it could also be awarded an "Indie Books We Love" badge, at the reviewer's discretion, and will be listed in our Indie Books We Love section and on the homepage for one month.

Selling Your Books

If your book is listed on LoveReading or LoveReading4Kids we may also be able to sell your book through our website.

Since we have launched as a bookstore with social purpose, we are able to sell a huge amount of books on our sites. However as we are donating 25% of the cover price to schools, we are unable to sell every book published. We are working with Gardners Wholesaler as our exclusive supplier for our online bookstore. Unless the book is available from them and with a significant enough discount available they will unfortunately show as not available to purchase through our site. In our FAQs section of the site, we display a graph of our new business model to demonstrate.

It won't preclude us from shouting about books of course! After all, for the past 18 years, we have been used as an information source, rather than bookseller and we are under no illusion that people will entirely leave their loyal retail preference and come to us. We are merely offering a socially responsible alternative, and offering a revenue stream to schools - who are struggling with funding cuts - to enable them to invest in more books for their children.

Only for indie author books, are we happy to include links to other booksellers on the book pages, so when we send you your feedback we will ask you to send us links to your preferred bookseller so that we can feature them with your review.

If your book is available from Gardners, but not at a significant enough discount, we invite you to contact your account manager there and discuss. We need 45% for the book to show as available on our site and still deliver on our business model mentioned above.

Indie Books We Love

As above, the books that are awarded the Indie Books We Love Badge will also qualify for discounted further promotional packages. ONLY OPEN TO INDIE BOOKS WE LOVE.

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LoveReading has featured lots of times in the press including newspapers such as The Times, The Independent, Evening Standard and the BBC.

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"Its jam packed with fantastic titles, informative descriptions & fantastic reviews and has a vast array of great features & competitions. "

13 YEARS AS NUMBER ONE FOR BOOK REVIEWS IN THE UK

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Review Options

Indie author - book plan 1.

£120.00

• Book review and feedback by a LoveReading ambassador
• Addition to our monthly email offering your book to our consumer review panel of up to 3000 reviewers who may or may not wish to review your book. (digital copies only)
• *A positive ambassador review results in a free listing on LoveReading.co.uk and/or LoveReading4Kids.co.uk
• *If our ambassadors really loved your book, it could also be awarded an "Indie Books We Love" badge, at the reviewer's discretion.
• Turnaround Time 8 weeks
• * Under no circumstances do we guarantee positive reviews, all reviews will be 100% unbiased.

Please be aware that posting of physical copies of your book will cause a delay and may have an impact on turnaround time.

Indie Author - Book Plan 2

£170.00

• Turnaround Time 4 weeks

Indie Author - Picture Book Plan

Review option details.

• Traditional Reviews - an approximately 250-300 word review that includes a general summary for context and a concise, unbiased opinion of the book’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Longer Reviews - an approximately 500 word review that includes a general summary for context and a concise, unbiased opinion of the book’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Children’s Book Review - an approximately 200 word review that includes a general summary for context and a concise, unbiased opinion of the book’s strengths and weaknesses. (Includes picture books)
• Series (2 Books) - an approximately 250-300 word review for each book in the 2-book series that includes a general summary for context and a concise, unbiased opinion of the book’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Series (3 Books) - an approximately 250-300 word review for each book in the 3-book series that includes a general summary for context and a concise, unbiased opinion of the book’s strengths and weaknesses.

Q. Who are your review Ambassadors?

A. Our Ambassadors are hand-picked from thousands and include book bloggers, librarians, authors, professional reviewers, media execs and more

Q. Who are your consumer reviewers and will they review my book also?

A. We have over 3,000 consumer reviewers who are a mixture of avid book readers and reviewers. We send out a monthly email which will include your book (digital copies only), offering it for review. The number of reviews from this varies, depending on the appetite for your book. We do not guarantee reviews from our consumers but it will be seen by a lot of reviewers who will have the chance to review it.

Q. Will my review feature on Amazon and GoodReads?

A. To post the review on Amazon, please contact an Amazon representative directly. Whilst not guaranteed, most of our reviewers will be active on main book sites and with your permission can share these on a case by case basis.

Q. If my review is negative, will it be made public or shown anywhere?

A. No. LoveReading is a site that centres around positivity and we believe that everyone's reading tastes are subjective. A book that may not be for us doesn't mean that it's not the perfect book for someone else. We will share the feedback privately with you as unfavourable reviews can offer valuable feedback for improvements, but we will not share any negative thoughts on any books and no one would see it without your permission.

Q. What happens if my Ambassador review is positive?

A. Should your Ambassador review be positive, we will list your book on LoveReading.co.uk and/or LoveReading4Kids.co.uk at no extra charge. If our ambassadors really loved your book, it could also be awarded an “Indie Books We Love” badge, at the reviewer's discretion, and will be listed in our Indie Books We Love section and on the homepage for one month. We will also give you our coveted “Recommended By LoveReading” graphic to use as you see fit.

Q. Is this service ethical?

A. YES. Our intention is to give honest feedback from a trusted LoveReading Ambassador, and to also provide wide book exposure to mainstream readers and to reward books people love with added exposure. We have worked hard to provide the best value offering on the market.

Q. Yes but I heard it is wrong to pay for reviews.

A. You are paying for a service. You are paying for an honest review. You are also paying for the opportunity to gain exposure to thousands of other reviewers who may want to read your book. And, you are paying for the chance to feature on one of the leading book recommendation sites and online bookstore should your book be positively received. We are presenting this opportunity as an author care and promotion package and have priced it to be accessible to all.

Q. Do I need an ISBN number?

A. You are not required to have an ISBN number in order to complete the submission. However if the book receives positive feedback and is added to the website we will need an ISBN or ASIN as well as a publication date in order to create the book page.

Q. How do you compare on price?

A. Favourably. Although there is no like-for-like service to what we offer in the UK, there are dozens of sites who charge 2-5 times our price just for a review. Our package delivers a review, the potential to get more reviews from avid readers and the possibility of added exposure on our trusted network of high traffic sites.

Q. Why should I move forward with this opportunity with LoveReading?

A. We have reviewed top titles for over 15 years from every leading publisher as a book recommendation site. We’re one of the leading book recommendation sites and online bookstore and have a vast following and newsletter audience of over 500,000 as well as very busy sites with hundreds of thousands of visitors a month. We do not guarantee positive reviews, unfavourable reviews can be taken as valuable feedback for improvements and ultimately will not be published on our site. This is why our readers trust us and why our endorsement is so meaningful.

Q. How will you choose my review Ambassador?

A. To ensure our ambassadors are reading the genres they enjoy and create the best environment for favourable feedback we send regular emails to our ambassadors with the latest submissions and they select the books they want to read.

Q. How can I send my book to you for review?

A. We prefer sending digital copies online but can also accept hard copies in most cases if you send us an email to [email protected]

Q. Will my review be positive?

A. We guarantee at least one review but do not guarantee that the review will be positive. If we did, it would not help you or our readers in the long run. Unfavourable reviews can be taken as valuable feedback for improvements but ultimately will not be published on our site. This is why our readers trust us and why our endorsement is so meaningful.

Q. What genres do you accept for review?

A. We accept any type of book, from self-help to religious books to fiction. Our panel of ambassadors have a diverse range of reading preferences. We would however advise that this system is not suitable for specialised or academic texts.

Q. Do you review kids books?

A. Yes. LoveReading4Kids.co.uk is one of the leading children's book review sites and is now also an online bookstore. We have thousands of children's book reviewers on our consumer panel and well-respected children's book ambassadors on our elite panel.

Q. How long will it take to receive my review?

A. Your Ambassador review is guaranteed within 4 weeks for our expedited package and 8 weeks for our standard package. Reviewers from our consumer panel are sent within a monthly newsletter so vary but we normally ask our consumer reviewers to review books within 4 weeks of receiving them.

Q. Do you only review self-published books?

A. No. With these particular packages we review self-published books and books from small to medium publishers.

Q. Do you review Audiobooks?

A. We can, but please email [email protected] at the time of your submission so that we can work through the process with you and ensure that we deliver your feedback within the correct time frame.

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A. Please email [email protected] and we will be happy to answer any questions you have.

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Top 10 Paid Book Review Sites That Can Springboard Your Career

by admin | Oct 25, 2017 | Uncategorized | 10 comments

Reviews are a crucial part of an author’s book marketing strategy. In today’s digital age it has become quite common for readers to post book reviews on sites. These include Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. However, there are still a lot of authors who scramble for professional reviews from credible sources.  For this reason, many successful authors have utilized paid book review sites at some point in their career. It might be hard to believe with all of the criticism surrounding paid book reviews, but it’s a fact!

10 Paid Book Review Sites

New authors, indie authors in particular, depend on paid book reviews to spread the word about their books. Because it is much more difficult for indie authors to get noticed, paid book review sites can be appealing. If you are a newbie and are struggling to organically attract the interest of popular reviewers, ChatEbooks suggest that you invest in the following paid book review sites to help you get the word out.

1. Kirkus Indie Reviews

One of the more popular paid book review sites online, Kirkus is known for using professional reviewers. Because of their reputation, they are able to charge authors as much as $500 for 250-word book reviews (librarians, journalists, business executives, etc.) with a turnaround time of seven to nine weeks. When using Kirkus, you are primarily paying for the name that the brand brings to the table.

Opinions surrounding this book review site vary. However, they do provide a relatively cheap $69 review package designed to deliver quick exposure. With a decent social media following, SPR delivers when it comes to speed, cost and marketing opportunities.

3. BestThrillers

Authors looking for a keen eye that understands thriller and mystery will appreciate this website.  BestThrillers not only offer free book reviews. They also offer $99 paid review services that posts reviews on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. This site specializes in providing book reviews for the thriller and mystery genre.

4. IndieReader

An established online resource for indie authors, IndieReader claims to be the most cost-effective of paid book review sites around.  Their current rate is $100 for a 300-word review. The website’s reviewers have a concise understanding of the industry which in turn empowers them to provide very constructive criticism.

5. Foreword Reviews

Foreword has a firm foundation and a solid reputation when it comes to paid book review sites. Their service is reliable and their website is busy but also clean. The only downside is that they don’t offer many extras, especially with regards to marketing and exposure.

6. ReaderViews

ReaderViews has a variety of reviewing service packages that are designed to appeal to authors with budgetary constraints. Expect to spend between $119 and $499 for book reviews, many of which are posted to audience-specific websites. 

7. RT Book Reviews

This site’s lofty $425 price tag for book reviews might scare some people away. However, this magazine has been around since the 1980s and is therefore a name that people know and trust. RT Book Reviews carry weight because they are written by accredited and trusted reviewers. 

8. Publishers Weekly

Once you register your book with this website, you can sign up and pay for a variety of services in addition to book reviews. Publishers Weekly tends to excel when it comes to marketing. They feature their book reviews in their magazine, newsletters, and social media channels.

9. Net Galley

You will spend $399 to get professional readers to not only read your book but to review and recommend it from one location. Book reviews can come from bloggers, booksellers, librarians and even professional book reviewers. You have to first pitch your book to these professional readers before you can receive the book reviews you desire.

10. BlueInk Review

This service favors books whose publication has been achieved in part through the efforts and financial contributions of the author. They favor indie authors and accept submissions from outside the United States. Expect to spend an estimated $500 for fast track (4 to 5 weeks) book reviews.  

A word of caution- Do NOT use paid book review sites that you haven’t first investigated and done your due diligence. Book reviews from websites with a bad reputation could actually do more harm than good to your credibility as an author. So take the time to explore every single book review website that piques your interest before trusting it with your book.

User Review

10 comments.

I recently had “KindleBook Review post their comments on a work of mine and though I didn’t agree with the general critique of one reviewer, I found their reviews (two of them) to be objective and well considered.

Recommendation

I am a veteran author with several romance novels to my credit. Recently, I tried https://usabookreviewers.com and I must say that I am impressed with their services. I received 20+ in-depth reviews for my book and I am more than pleased !

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (4) No

It is so difficult for new authors to get noticed, whether they’ve written a traditionally published book or through a publisher like Lulu or Amazon. I’m hesitant to use a paid book review site, but it’s better than paying for someone to give you a positive view (that’s as sketchy as it gets). I think the best way would be to solicit reviewers who might be interested in your book.

Wow, I actually didn’t know about this. Though I haven’t any current plans to write a book as of the moment, it’s still at the back of my mind and I think about it from time to time. This will definitely come in handy when the time comes. I think it would be justifiable if the site prices more than others, if they do delivery more valuable service! It would also help that we actually find others with huge influence or social media following (with a good reputation of course) to read our book. That’s what they always say, when you a good network, you can go places!

oh I’m so glad I found this post. I didnt know about these services. Im definitely going to check them all out and see what I can afford. Super excited about this!! Bookmarked it!

Yeah I wouldnt want a paid positive review I would want my reviews to be genuine which I believe these sites do. Ive heard of a few of them and they seem legit to me.

[https://usabookreviewers.com] is the main reason that I had over two hundred ratings and a hundred and fifty reviews on Goodreads on Risuko’s publication date.

Second Opinion

A colleague of mine suggested finding a few different places and getting my book reviewed because it’s always good to have a second opinion. I’m just really afraid of what they might say about my book because even I don’t think it’s that good. Everyone else has told me it’s great though so I don’t know if they’re just being nice or I’m being too hard on myself.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes No

Perfect Timing

I wrote a short story that I have been looking to get reviewed so this is perfect timing! I am going to check into each one of these places, most sound like exactly what I was looking for which is great. Thanks for this list of honest review sites. They are hard to find online since so many places want to scam you.

Great, but what if.....

I have just had my 5th book released and, for the first time, am being more serious at promoting and marketing my work. I researched quite a boat load of reviewers willing to review my book for free (most obtained from Goodreads.com). The reason for this decision was made because, being retired on a limited income, I simply cannot afford the fees charged by services like those listed here, and others I found online.

This seems to be the hardest hurdle for authors I have encountered — having the financial resources to devote to promotion/marketing. Thankfully I entered into writing without any delusions of making a large number of sales. My main aim is to endeavor to have as many people simply pick up my books to read because they sound interesting. So I do as much online promo as possible without draining my bank.

Did you find this review helpful? Yes (1) No

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The Work at Home Wife

Helping you work at home and make money online

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

Last Updated: August 4, 2023

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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