How to Become a Paid Book Reviewer

Do you love to read books?
Is one of your favorite sections of the Sunday paper the book reviews?
Would you yourself like to get paid to write book reviews?

Well, here is a list of online work-at-home (WAH) companies who are willing to pay you to write book reviews.

Which Companies Pay Their Book Reviewers Cash?

Let me just say here, while there are many companies proposing that they do hire and pay their book reviewers, not all of them pay cash. Some companies only compensate the reader with a free copy of the book. There are also numerous scams out there where companies claim to hire book reviewers only to find out that they keep the review and use it to their advantage. Sadly these scammers never pay the reviewer for his/her time.

Some of the companies that have been found (and I am sure I don’t have 110% of them) are listed below:

Any Subject Books- While it is a site that pays book reviewers, the pay will vary by the length of the book, the deadline, and the length of the review.
Book Look Bloggers- This company gives free books to its reviewers, but unfortunately no monetary compensation. In order to receive a copy of a free book, you must write at least a 200-word review of a book and post it on your blog.
Kirkus- This company is probably the best known for hiring book reviewers. Book reviews must be submitted within two weeks of agreeing to do them, and the review must be about 350 words. The pay will vary based on your experience. Payment is made by check and mailed 60 days after the review is written and submitted. While the work is enjoyable for most, the work is not dependable and should not be considered a main source of income.
Online Book Club- claims to pay and give free books to its book reviewers. You can earn $5 to $60 per review depending upon the book being reviewed. This will be paid to you as well as you will receive a copy of the book for you to keep.
Rate It All- This is a site that pays reviewers to review books, electronics, and several other products. You receive 50% of the revenue generated by the ads next to your review when you post it on their site.

In Conclusion

While this may seem like a discouraging list, it really does not need to be. There is money to be made out there as a book reviewer, if you are willing to look for it and pursue it. While book reviewers do not make a lot of money, they do make money and also receive a free book in some cases. Many times authors will seek out book reviewers for future testimonials, which can lead to greater exposure for the book and future work for the book reviewers.

Another avenue that you might want to pursue as a book reviewer, would be to offer book review writing as a paid service in your freelance writing or virtual assistant business. You could charge by the length of the review or by the number of pages in the book.