Get Paid To Read Books – How It Works, The Process & What You Will Earn

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If you are someone who likes to read a lot, getting paid to read books can be an exciting way to make money.

Now, the real question is: How can you get paid to read books?

There are 6 best ways to get paid by reading, and they are:

  • Voiceover for Audiobooks
  • Proofreading
  • Copyeditor
  • Translator
  • Converting e-Books
  • Book Reviews

As a matter of fact, many of these book reading jobs can help you make a pretty decent income which can go up to $500 per HOUR.

So, are you interested to make up to $500 per Hour? Am sure you want to.

Let’s dive in and see how you can do that.

Bonus Tips:

6 Best Ways To Get Paid To Read Books

1. Voiceover For Audiobooks

Voiceover Artist

There has been an exponential increase in demand for people who have the ability to create Voice overs for audiobooks.

If you can speak clearly and you have a very pleasant voice, you can make good money by narrating audiobooks.

What I mean by good money is that you can easily make anywhere between $100-$500 per audio hour.

Pretty impressive isn’t it?

According to Business Insider, voiceover artists who are just starting can expect to make at least $100 per HOUR.

The awesome thing about this type of work is that you don’t need any start-up costs or ongoing costs.

Actually, you don’t need any special skills or previous experience in the field to be eligible for this job. The only things that you will need to get started are:

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  • A computer or laptop.
  • A quality microphone with a good stand pop filter.
  • Headphone.
  • A good audio software which you will use for recording. The thing is: You don’t even need to buy the software. You can easily use free software like Audacity which is free and open-source software.

If you want to learn more about Audacity, here is a full guide that will help you get started:

Note: If in the beginning, you are having difficulties finding work for a good business book, you can try some freelancing for a Children’s book which can be the perfect place to start.

Here are a few places where you can find jobs as an Audiobook Narrator:

If you are curious to know how much freelancers are making, then a quick search on Upwork will give you a general idea.

This is how much people are making per hour on average:

aubiobook narrator

As you can see, freelancers are making anywhere between $100-$250 per hour.

But, now let’s get into more starts, shall we?

Here is how much audiobooks narrators are making:

Annual SalaryMonthly PayWeekly PayHourly wage
Top Earners$47,069$3,922$905$23
75th Percentile $38,701$3,225$744$19
Average$31,988$2,665$615$15
25th Percentile$32,425$2,702$623$16
Data Source: ZipRecruiter

2. Proofreading

Proofreading

Proofreading is another fantastic way to make money by reading. With so much written content on the web, Publishers, Authors, and content creators are constantly looking for proofreaders. This applies to both fictional and non-fictional content.

Now, you must be wondering how much you can make as a proofreader?

Well, according to Salary.com:

Here are the yearly earnings for proofreaders in the US:

PercentileYearly Income
10th Percentile$42,104
25th Percentile$48,228
50th Percentile$54,956
75th Percentile$62,752
90th Percentile$69,850
Data Source: Salary.com

Not a bad income for a proofreader, isn’t it?

So, if you are someone who has the special skill to attention to detail, this can be the ideal job for you.

The awesome thing about being a proofreader is that you can work from home, you don’t have to follow any specific schedule to complete the work. You can work whenever you have some free time. But you do have a deadline to complete the job.

Here are some places where you can find jobs as a proofreader:

3. Copyeditor

copywriter

Copyediting is almost the same as a Proofreader. As a proofreader, you will be required to fix typos and correct grammar and spelling, but as a copyeditor, you will be required to do some advanced edits.

As a copyeditor, you will be required to:

  • Proofread text, and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
  • Verify if the information is legit, such as dates and statistics.
  • Check for the text style and readability.
  • Arrange page layouts for articles, advertisements, and photos.
  • Edit the content so that it improves quality and readability.

Now, what about the earning potential? Well, I am glad you asked.

According to Salary.com:

Here are the salaries for Copyeditors in the US:

PercentileYearly Income
10th Percentile$54,520
25th Percentile$62,785
50th Percentile$71,863
75th Percentile$83,126
90th Percentile$93,381
Data Source: Salary.com

As you can see, as a copyeditor, you can make a lot of money.

So, if you are interested in a career as a copyeditor or you want to start your own copyediting company, it’s crucial to have a copyediting certificate.

This certificate will greatly help you to get started as a copyeditor on many different online platforms.

That being said, here are a few places where you can apply for the certificate:

If you want to get started as a copyeditor, you will find a lot of freelance jobs at ZipRecruiter or you can apply at SuperCopyEditors.

4. Translator

Language translator

If you are bilingual or even multilingual, becoming a translator can be an awesome way to make some money.

Right now authors of both fiction and non-fiction books are searching for people to translate their books into other languages. The main reason is to be able to reach a wider audience and increase their sales exponentially.

Apart from book translation, translators are usually required for business, technical, legal, and scientific written content. These can often include work as letters, reports, and articles.

As a translator, you will need to have the following skills:

  • You must have the ability to work within tight deadlines.
  • You must have the ability to grasp new concepts very quickly.
  • Your writing should be impeccable without any grammar or spelling mistakes.
  • You must have the ability to focus on minute details.
  • You must be very fluent in at least 2 languages.
  • You must have basic IT skills.
  • You must be an outgoing person who has the ability to develop good relationships with clients.

Now, with so many requirements, I am sure you must be wondering how much you can potentially earn.

Well, according to Salary.com:

Here are the salaries for translators in the United States:

PercentileYearly Income
10th Percentile$42,589
25th Percentile$48,785
50th Percentile$55,591
75th Percentile$63,909
90th Percentile$71,481
Data Source: Salary.com

If you are just starting out, here are some companies where you can find a job as a translator:

CompanyAdvantagesPayment Method
GengoConvenient interface and lots of jobs are availablePayPal only
OneHour TranslationGood support offered to translatorsPayPal, Payoneer, and Wire transfer
TextMasterGood rates, Good communityPayPal and Payoneer
UnabelSimple content is available, and you will get paid per hourPaypal and Payoneer
ProZ.comA huge community and lots of jobs are availablePaypal, Wire transfer, and Check
UpworkLots of jobs are available, and a Long track recordDirect to a local bank
FiverrLots of opportunities are available, a great platform for beginnersPaypal, Wire Transfer, Direct Deposit, and Payoneer
SmartCatEasy UI, lots of opportunities are availableWire Transfer, PayPal, and Payoneer

5. Converting E-Books

Another fantastic way to make money is by converting eBooks.

The thing is: Most authors are very talented when it comes to creating awesome content. But they don’t want to deal with the technical aspects of creating eBooks.

So, to maximize their profit, they need people who have the required skills to convert their written books into e-Books.

The main reason for converting content into e-Books is the flexibility it allows to increase sales. According to Statista, the number of e-readers in the US was more than 900 million in 2018. And it has been increasing steadily.

This is why most authors want to convert their books, as there is a lot of money to be made on platforms like Kindle.

The only problem they face is that Kindle doesn’t support the most popular eBook formats such as EPUB.

This is where you can offer your services and potentially create a business out of it.

By offering your services, you will provide great support for authors who can focus their time and energy to create more written content.

The awesome thing about this type of work is that you can easily do it from the comfort of your home.

Here is a simple video that will guide to create an eBook using just your mobile phone:

6. Book Reviews

Another way you can get paid to read books is to become a reviewer. If you are an avid reader and you just love to read books, this can be an awesome opportunity to make a side income.

What better way is there for a reader to be able to read books, gather knowledge and at the same time make some money.

As a book reviewer, you will need to appreciate a wide variety of writing styles, analyze and evaluate books according to their merits, and share your opinions.

Here are some Responsibilities that you will have as a book reviewer:

  • Have the ability to review books according to a schedule.
  • Research personal and professional information about authors.
  • Meet all deadlines.
  • Use your reasoning to form opinions in genre, writing, and audience.
  • Write reviews in a conversational tone.
  • Use digital media tools to research and write reviews.
  • Find appropriate photos and graphics that will be included in your reviews.

According to ZipRecruiter here is how much book reviewers make:

Annual SalaryMonthly PayWeekly PayHourly wage
Top Earners$110,000$9,166$2,115$53
75th Percentile$74,500$6,208$1,432$36
Average$62,017$5,168$1,192$30
25th Percentile$31,500$2,625$605$15
Data Source: ZipRecruiter

Now, this doesn’t mean it is the maximum you can earn. By becoming a better book reviewer you can rise to a higher level.

For instance, there are some salaries for book reviewers who are in a higher position(Stats from ZipRecruiter):

Job TitleAnnual SalaryMonthly PayWeekly PayHourly Wage
VP Book Typing$127,851$10,654$2,459$61.47
Vice President Book Typing$127,851$10,654$2,459$61.47
Book Sales$100,591$8,383$1,934$48.36
Book Agency$99,094$8,258$1,906$47.64
Head Of Book Typing$96,495$8,041$1,856$46.39

Now, many websites offer jobs as book reviewers on a freelance basis which makes it easier for almost anyone to apply.

Each website has its own style and requirements, while others are looking for beginners and others are looking for more established book reviewers.

Here are some companies where you can get a job as a book reviewer:

CompanyEarnings per reviewAdditional Information
Online Book Club$5-$60 per reviewFor every 30 reviews, you will get a free Amazon gift card($25).
Writerful Books$10-$50 per reviewThe best quality reviewers get a $100 Amazon gift card.
Women’s Review of Books$100 per reviewYou will get reviews of books for Women only.
Booklist Online$15 per reviewYou also get paid $5 for a rejected review.

Final Thoughts: How To Get Paid For Reading Books

Getting paid to read books is an awesome way to turn your favorite hobby into a side hustle. As you may have noticed there are different ways you can make money by reading.

But if you are a beginner, you can consider a career in proofreading, which can help you make a good income.

Now, if you are someone who really loves the idea of becoming an entrepreneur, then you can start your own little business by converting books into eBooks.

I hope that this blog will help you find the right type of job so that you can make a decent income online.

If you liked this post, please don’t forget to share it with others as it will greatly help me to reach more people.

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