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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 The online publication offers the opportunity for freelance writers to earn by writing book reviews for unpublished books.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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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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Last update on 2024-08-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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• Make Money Online
• July 14, 2024

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I am a published author of 8 books, all traditionally published. I am look for work as a book reviewee

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Get Paid To Write Reviews: 14 Top Sites

Get paid to write reviews by reading our guide with all the top sites for you to check out. Earn money and home and increase your skills today!

Before you purchase products or download apps, do you read the reviews? Most consumers do. A study published by Qualtrics showed that 93 percent of customers read online reviews before buying a product. Product reviews are important to people’s purchasing decisions, and review sites are everywhere.

Companies know that they will make more money if their products have positive reviews, so they’re willing to pay people to write product reviews for money. If you are wondering how to get paid to write reviews and blog articles, try applying to these sites for review writing jobs .

1. Writers Work

2. get paid to write reviews for amazon, 3. get reviewed, 4. crowdtap, 6. listverse, 7. capterra, 8. usertesting, 9. gartner peer insights, 10. harris poll online, 11. g2 crowd, 12. review stream, 13. inboxdollars, 14. swagbucks, final word on where to get paid to write reviews, is it illegal to write fake reviews, where can i write music reviews, how do you make money by giving reviews, how to get paid to write reviews.

Writers Work connects writers with companies looking for freelancers. With thousands of jobs available, it’s an ideal place for new and experienced freelancer writers to find work. The site has built great relationships with many established companies requiring writing , from general content to blogging to copywriting and reviews; endless opportunities exist. The average earnings on the freelance site are anything from $20 – $65 per hour, making it a lucrative option for writers to get involved in.

Writers Work contains freelance writing opportunities for writers who want to start their career

Many freelancers earn commissions from Amazon by writing product reviews. Amazon pays reviewers who successfully try a product and refer it to new customers. This process is a type of influencer work called affiliate marketing, which can be used through the Amazon Associates program. Whenever a customer uses your affiliate link, you’ll receive a small commission on the sale.

For example, if you were to try a product and then post about it on your blog or social media with an affiliate link, your viewers might then buy the Amazon product, which means you earn a commission. There are many different niches for bloggers to choose from, like food, fashion, beauty, tech, and entertainment.

If you want to write product reviews for money, one of the best places to look is Get Reviewed . The website will pay you cash for sponsored reviews and blog posts. If you want to participate in this program, you need to have a self-hosted website with a strong domain authority of at least 20 or above. To elevate your domain authority, focus on a specific niche.

Then, convince others to provide links that point back to your website. This will position your site as an authority in the field.

If you want to get paid to write a review on this site, submit your blog for consideration. After your blog is accepted, you will display your blog on the marketplace. Then, advertisers can view your blog and order a product review from you. If someone places an order for a review from your website, you will receive an email notification.

Based on the email request, you can either accept or reject their review request. You also negotiate the price of your review with the client. Once you and the client agree on a deadline and rate for the job, you’ll write the review and get paid! Typically, you get paid 14 days after the article has been completed. The site pays a paid reviewer by PayPal.

If you want a fun way to review products from your phone, check out CrowdTap . You can access the program through your smartphone. Then, you can look at their “daily missions,” which products they would like you to review that day. If you review their products, you will be rewarded for leaving a high-quality review.

You get paid in a variety of ways. For example, some companies will reward you with product samples. Other companies will reward you with gift cards. You may also be given merchandise rewards you can redeem at certain brands and establishments.

This is one of the top review apps out there. There are other ways you can earn points as well. For example, you can complete daily polls, fill out surveys, and share your reviews on social media channels. You can get additional points if you share your reviews on your blog.

Another review site you may want to check out is called Ciao . This is a review site based in the UK, but it is open to the international community, including non-English speakers. They have various products listed on the website, some of which are Amazon products.

The website also has a rotating category of focus or high-authority products. These are products that they need reviews for, so they’re willing to pay extra money for writers. The payment for each review varies, but it is directly tied to the amount of traffic that a specific review generates.

You don’t have to make much money to request a payout. As long as you have a balance of five pounds or more, or about $6, you can request to be paid. It might be challenging to generate a lot of traffic with your first review, but you can make significant money online once you get a lot of practice.

If you are more of a long-form paid reviewer, check out ListVerse . This website will pay you money to make a “top 10” list. Often called “listicles,” this is an opportunity to get creative. You have a lot of control over the products you decide to review, and you can make several recommendations in a single article.

You may want to write a paragraph or two on each item before moving forward. After your list has been published, you get paid through PayPal.

Next, you may want to check out Capterra as well. If you have looked for reviews of specific products, including software programs, you have probably come across Capterra. You can also get paid to write reviews for them. Typically, you need to use the product before you write the review, which may require additional work; however, you can also get paid more for each review.

On Capterra, you get paid approximately $10 for each review that is accepted. Because they are one of the largest players in the industry, they vet all of their reviews closely to ensure they meet their requirements. You need to verify your identity using LinkedIn, and you might get asked to send screenshots of the software or product you want to review before they let you write the review. For this reason, they pay more money for each review.

If you are someone who enjoys testing websites and applications, you may want to take a look at a website called UserTesting . During the review process, you need to make a 20-minute video. Then, you’ll be paid $10 for each review you give. Try this website if you would rather talk about a product or service instead of writing about it.

If the platform can download the necessary recording software, you can record it using any device you want. This could include a desktop computer, a laptop, a smartphone, or a tablet. You will also need to record yourself testing the app or website in real-time. Companies will pay a lot for people who record themselves using their products or services.

Therefore, this could be one of the most lucrative ways for you to make money through product reviews.

Another website that will pay you a lot of money for each review is called Gartner. Gartner is a leading technology and software review company. The goal is to help users make educated decisions on the products they use. Even though you can only write ten reviews annually, the company pays you approximately $25 for each successful review.

Caveat: Gartner closely vets every review before it is published to ensure it provides customers with real insights into the product. The more details you can give about your experience, the greater the chance your review gets accepted. You need to know a lot before you write your first review on this platform. So, check out Gartner’s FAQ page to figure out how to take advantage of this opportunity.

You might also want to consider Harris Poll Online . They are one of the oldest research firms in the industry, and they have a sterling reputation. Most of the surveys and reviews you complete for Harris will focus on their current marketing campaigns.

For example, you might be asked to watch a series of marketing videos a company produces. Then, you’ll be asked to share your opinion. You might also be asked to recommend improving their marketing videos to better speak to someone like yourself.

Every time you complete a survey for this company, you’ll be given points to redeem for gift cards. You might also be given a bonus award if you win the raffle. You get an entry into the raffle with every survey or review you complete.

G2 Crowd is a crowdsourcing platform for reviews. The amount of money you can make on this platform can vary widely depending on what you review. The average review pays between $5 and $15, but you could earn up to $25 per review if you review specific types of software. The website has hundreds of thousands of reviews, so it is one of the most popular review websites on the internet.

Similar to other software review websites, there are strict requirements you need to follow to make sure your review is accepted. You’ll also have to verify your identity by tying your LinkedIn account to your review.

Review Stream will allow you to make money by reviewing just about every product. Furthermore, if a user likes your review, you could get paid a bonus. If you get a vote of confidence from a user, this indicates that the person found your review useful.

Even though you can write a review on just about anything, you can look at what is currently trending on social media. Generally, ReviewStream will pay more money for products and services that have become popular. Furthermore, if you write a review that matches the publishing guidelines of the platform, they might pay you more money. These reviews are also more likely to be deemed useful by users.

InboxDollars has an excellent reputation for paying users to take surveys, shop online, and read email newsletters to assess them for clarity and effectiveness. You can get paid to write product reviews and collect rewards easily on this platform.

InboxDollars partners with top research organizations that are looking for feedback and input from the public. All you need to do is sign up and give your opinions on surveys, and you’ll be paid cash when you’ve completed your task.

Swagbucks is one of the most popular loyalty and consumer rewards platforms online. It’s free to join, and members receive gift cards or cash for the everyday activities they complete online. Tasks include web searching, playing games, watching videos, and shopping online. You can also scan your receipts for cash back, making it easy to earn extra cash without completing hundreds of surveys.

If you’re interested in answering surveys and giving reviews for cash, Swagbucks also pays users to take surveys on topics like personal finance, favorite foods, vacations, and more. Swagbucks has already paid its members over 5 million dollars, solidifying it as one of the most reliable online paid review platforms.

These are some useful review sites to apply to if you want to write product reviews, book reviews, and more. Writing legit reviews is also a great way to get free products, as lots of companies will send you new products and samples to write about on a review website. You can also combine writing reviews with other proven methods that will help you get paid to write .

These sites are a good side-hustle choice before applying to the best affiliate marketing programs and publishing review content on your website.

FAQs About How to Get Paid To Write Reviews

Section 5 of the FTC Act 15 U.S. Code 45 makes fake testimonials illegal in the United States. It can also dent your customer’s trust in your business. It should be noted that a man was jailed after posting fake reviews on TripAdvisor.

Many music writers start their careers by launching their blogs. However, several magazines and websites accept freelance reviews. Two Story Melody gives a list of sites that accept music reviews.

There are several ways to make money by giving reviews, depending on the platform or industry you are involved in. Here are a few methods: 1. Sponsored reviews 2. Affiliate marketing 3. Paid survey sites 4. Blogging or YouTube channels 5. Paid review websites

Are you a passionate book reviewer?

Streamline your workflow, access hundreds of books for free before they are published, and earn money while doing what you love.

Apply to become a reviewer

Read new books for free before anyone else!

Hundreds of authors have submitted their books to be discovered. As a reviewer you get access to our submissions pool and can read and review these books before they launch.

Manage submissions directly from authors

Improve your workflow and manage all of your submissions from one place. Access the reviewer dashboard where you can hunt for new stories, and manage submissions from authors who contact you directly.

Help authors launch their books on Discovery

On the author’s launch day your review will go live on Discovery and be exposed to thousands of readers. Each week the most upvoted books will have a chance to be featured on our homepage and in our weekly newsletter.

Complete your profile and build your brand

Your profile is where readers can find your published reviews, learn more about your reading tastes, and turn into followers. Discovery can complement your existing blog and allow you to reach a whole new community of bookish fans.

Get rewarded for your work

When readers enjoy your work, they can send $1, $3, or $5 (or an amount of their choice) your way. These small thank yous can help you monetize your reading addiction.

Submit your application

The best books go undiscovered — be part of the movement that shines a light on them.

• Submit your book
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Adam Morgan

Writer, editor, culture journalist, critic.

74 Publications That Pay Freelancers for Book Reviews, Interviews, and More

Book reviews aren’t as ubiquitous as they used to be, but as of 2022, at least 74 publications still pay freelance writers for book reviews and author interviews.

To build this exhaustive list as a free community resource, I collaborated with the wonderful Chelsea Leu to create a more detailed version for the National Book Critics Circle , including points of contact and some nonpaying outlets. Visit their page here .

For this abridged version, I’ve just included rates and links to submission guidelines (where available). Rates vary wildly from $15 to more than $1,000, depending on the outlet and the assignment. Another great resource is Who Pays Writers , and here’s an old thread of mine on how to pitch book reviews . Note that while the rates are accurate at publication, editorial budgets change all the time.

If you see any omissions or mistakes in the list below, feel free to contact me at adam[at]adam-stephen-morgan.com, just keep in mind that this version of the list is only for outlets that pay freelancers .

4 Columns – Book reviews ( how to pitch )

The Adroit Journal – Book reviews and interviews ( how to pitch )

Air Mail – Book reviews, interviews, and features

AGNI – Book reviews ($20 per printed-out page, how to pitch )

Asymptote – Book reviews and interviews ( how to pitch )

The Atlanta Journal Constitution – Book reviews (~$250)

The Atlantic – Book features ( how to pitch )

The AV Club – Book reviews and features ($75)

The Baffler – Criticism and essays ($250+, how to pitch )

Black Femme Collective – Book reviews ($150-$300, how to pitch )

BOMB – Book reviews and interviews ($150 for web interviews)

Booklist – Capsule book reviews ($15, how to pitch )

BookMarks – Book review…overviews? ($35-$800, how to pitch )

BookPage – Book reviews and author interviews

Borderlore – Book interviews, features, essays

The Boston Globe – Book reviews ($450)

The Brooklyn Rail – Book reviews and interviews ($75, how to pitch )

The Chicago Reader – Chicago-based book reviews and profiles ( how to pitch )

The Chicago Review of Books – Book reviews, interviews, and features ($25, how to pitch )

The Christian Science Monitor – Book reviews and interviews ($200)

The Cleveland Review of Books – Book reviews ($70-$200, how to pitch )

Electric Literature – Book related essays, interviews, and lists ($100, how to pitch )

Esquire – Book features and interviews (send pitches to assistant editor Adrienne Westenfeld, awestenfeld[at]hearst.com)

Event mag – Book reviews

Foreword Reviews – Book reviews and interviews

Guardian (The) – Book reviews and interviews

Houston Chronicle – Book reviews

Hyphen – Book review and interviews ($25, how to pitch )

I n These Times – Book reviews ($0.25 per word, pitch Sherell Barbee at sherell.inthesetimes[at]gmail.com)

Jewish Currents – Book features and essays

Kirkus Reviews – Capsule book reviews and interviews ($50 for reviews)

LIBER: Feminist Review – Book reviews and features ($100 for reviews, $500 for features, how to pitch )

Literary Hub – Book features and essays ( how to pitch )

London Review of Books – Book reviews, essays, and features ( how to pitch )

Los Angeles Review of Books – Book reviews, interviews, and essays ($50-$100, how to pitch )

Los Angeles Times – Book reviews and features ($400)

Lux – Book essays ($0.50 per word, pitches[at]lux-magazine.com)

The Markaz Review – Book essays ($120)

Millions (The) – Book reviews, interviews, and features ( how to pitch )

Mother Jones – Book features

Nation (The) – Book features ($950-$1250)

New Criterion (The) – Book essays ($100)

New Republic – Book reviews ($500-$2,000 for print, $250-$400 for web)

New York Post – Book features, occasional author interviews ($500-$1,000, pitch Mackenzie Dawson at mdawson[at]nypost.com)

New York Review of Books – Book reviews and essays

New York Times Book Review – Book reviews, interviews, and features

New Yorker (The) – Book reviews and essays ($0.75 per word for web)

Newsday – Book reviews and interviews

NPR – Book reviews ($300 for fiction)

Oprah Daily – Book reviews, interviews, and features ($2 per word)

Observer (The) – Book reviews and interviews (pitch Erin Taylor at etaylor[at]observer.com)

Paris Review (The) – Book essays for The Daily ( how to pitch )

Paste Magazine – Book interviews and features ($100, who to pitch )

Pittsburgh Post Gazette – Book reviews

Ploughshares – Book reviews and interviews ($25, how to pitch )

Publishers Weekly – Capsule book reviews ($25-$50)

Puritan (The) – Book reviews ($100, how to pitch )

Reason – Book reviews ($500)

The Rumpus – Book reviews and interviews (pays small honorarium, how to pitch 1 and 2 )

San Francisco Chronicle – Book reviews ($165)

SFWA – Book reviews ($0.10 per word, how to pitch )

Shondaland – Book interviews and features ( how to pitch )

Slate – Book essays ($300-$500, how to pitch )

St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Book reviews ($85+)

Star Tribune (Minneapolis) – Book reviews ($150)

Tampa Bay Times – Book reviews ($150)

Times Literary Supplement – Book reviews and essays ( how to pitch )

USA Today – Book reviews ($300)

Wall Street Journal – Book reviews ($400-$1,000)

Washington Independent Review of Books – Book reviews ($25, how to pitch )

Washington Post – Book reviews

Words Without Borders – Book reviews and interviews ($100)

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3 thoughts on “ 74 publications that pay freelancers for book reviews, interviews, and more ”.

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Bless you Adam. There is so little out there in the way of transparency over pay to writers and that enables many outlets to underpay writers because they can’t be openly compared to reasonable payers.

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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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Trending Stories

12 Best Places to Write Paid Reviews: Get Paid to Share Your Opinion

This article was subjected to a comprehensive fact-checking process. Our professional fact-checkers verify article information against primary sources, reputable publishers, and experts in the field.

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies .

Getting to write reviews for money might sound too good to be true, but it’s actually a fairly easy and common side hustle you can do from the comfort of your own home. Companies rely on online reviews to test and improve their products and serve customers. Collecting positive reviews can also help expand their customer base and increase their bottom line.

Because reviews are so valuable, some companies will pay you to test their products and services and share your opinion. While it won’t compare to a full-time income, sharing your opinion could get you some extra cash.

You probably won’t work with a company directly; instead, sign up for a third-party site like LifePoints or SoftwareJudge.com to share your thoughts.

Read on for a closer look at the best sites that pay you to write reviews and take surveys.

Make Money: Discover 17 legit ways to make extra cash

Key takeaways

The 12 best paid review side hustles, best paid review sites comparison, how to choose the best places to write paid reviews, faqs about writing paid reviews.

• Best places to write paid reviews: Bottom line

Methodology

• Almost 95% of online shoppers read reviews before making a purchase, according to a Spiegel Research Center survey.
• Because reviews and user feedback are so valuable, companies will pay consumers to write reviews and take surveys.
• Rather than working with a company directly, you can find most opportunities through third-party sites that partner with brands.
• Payment for writing reviews and taking surveys may come in the form of cash, gift cards, or free products.
• You could also make money reviewing products on your own blog, YouTube channel, or another platform.
• Product Review Jobs
• SoftwareJudge.com
• TryProducts
• Slicethepie
• American Consumer Opinion
• InboxDollars
• UserTesting
• Survey Junkie

1. Product Review Jobs

With Product Review Jobs, brands will reach out about product testing gigs after you’ve filled out your profile and indicated your shopping preferences. You can choose which ones you’d like to accept and receive about $25 per product review.

The site’s handy earnings calculator helps you estimate how much you could earn on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. You’ll earn payment directly from brands you work with rather than through the Product Review Jobs site.

Sign up for Product Review Jobs .

2. Capterra

If you frequently use software for work or school, you could share your experience on Capterra, an online marketplace vendor that helps people find business software. Capterra will pay you for reviews of software like DocuSign and QuickBooks — but only if your review is approved.

Along with writing a high-quality review, you may need to send Capterra proof that you have real-life experience with the software under consideration. You’ll receive a gift card as payment if Capterra publishes your review.

Sign up for Capterra .

3. SoftwareJudge.com

Like Capterra, SoftwareJudge.com is a software review website. The site says it looks for “tell-it-like-it-is, no marketing BS, straight talking” reviews of software products listed on its site.

You can contribute up to three reviews per day, but you should probably submit one and wait to see if it’s approved before submitting more. If your review is approved, you could receive up to $50.

Learn more about SoftwareJudge.com .

4. Crowdtap

With more than 2 million users, Crowdtap is a popular app for taking paid product surveys. It’s free to sign up, and you can redeem the rewards points you earn for gift cards starting at $5. Top members get paid $25, $50, or more in rewards for their opinions on new products.

Find out more about Crowdtap .

5. TryProducts

TryProducts sends you free products in exchange for your opinion as a product tester. While you won’t get additional payment, you might appreciate the free products you could get from over 300 different brands. Products to test include lip balms, birthday candles, snacks, and more.

Learn more about TryProducts .

6. Slicethepie

Consumers have left over 63 million reviews on Slicethepie, which claims to be one of the largest review sites in the world. You can review music, clothing, and other services and products and get paid for sharing your opinion.

Payment will vary depending on the category of the item you’re reviewing and the quality of your review. You can withdraw the cash you earn to a PayPal account, with minimum withdrawals starting at $10.

Find out more about Slicethepie .

7. LifePoints

LifePoints is an app that rewards you with points in exchange for taking surveys. You’ll get 10 points automatically upon signing up and will earn more after completing surveys on products from popular brands.

This global app has members in over 40 countries. If you participate and earn rewards, you can redeem them as PayPal credit or gift cards.

Sign up for LifePoints .

8. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion has more than 7 million active consumers and 20 million surveys taken. You can sign up for free and earn points as you take surveys.

Most surveys and research projects earn you 100 to 5,000 points, which equates to $1 to $50. According to American Consumer Opinion, you can expect to receive survey invitations several times per year.

Of course, like other survey sites, you may not qualify to complete every survey.

Learn more about American Consumer Opinion .

9. InboxDollars

When it comes to making money on InboxDollars, you can do so in a few different ways. These include taking surveys, playing games, and getting paid to read emails.

Most surveys on the site pay between $0.50 and $5, though some pay $20 or more. They typically take between three and 25 minutes.

Sign up for InboxDollars for free and earn a $5 bonus when you open your account.

Sign up for InboxDollars .

10. UserTesting

UserTesting pays consumers to share their perspectives on products, and you’ll need to pass a practice test to participate. If your application is accepted, you can answer screening questions to match with test opportunities. You’ll need a microphone to participate.

Payment amounts vary, and you’ll get paid seven days after completing a test. You can cash out your earnings into a PayPal account.

Learn more about UserTesting .

11. Survey Junkie

As the name indicates, Survey Junkie exclusively focuses on surveys. You earn points by completing your profile, taking surveys, and participating in occasional studies and focus group opportunities. You can also choose to share your online activity using Survey Junkie Pulse. You can redeem points via PayPal or gift cards, including Target, Walmart, Sephora, Starbucks, and more.

Sign up for Survey Junkie .

12. Swagbucks

Swagbucks offers points for shopping, using its search engine, signing up for deals, and completing surveys. You can redeem points for gift cards or a PayPal transfer. Swagbucks could be a good fit if you want to do more than just surveys.

Sign up for Swagbucks .

Various websites can connect you with opportunities to make money by writing reviews and taking surveys. Consider the following factors to choose the right one for you:

• Your area of expertise. Some websites let you write reviews on various products and services, whereas others are specific to a certain type of product (e.g., book reviews). For instance, you might find higher-paying opportunities to write reviews if you have specialized software knowledge.
• The amount of time you can commit. Most of these sites are flexible, letting you participate as much or as little as you want. However, some sites require longer surveys than others, so consider how much time you want to commit when choosing the best place to write paid reviews.
• Ease of use. Ensure the site you choose has a friendly user experience. One person might prefer a mobile app that lets you take surveys from everywhere, such as Crowdtap, while another might enjoy taking surveys through a microphone, as with UserTesting.
• Earnings potential. Of course, you want to ensure a site is worth your time and will compensate you fairly for your opinion. Several of these sites don’t share their rates upfront, instead saying they vary depending on the length of the survey and the product category. If you try a site and decide the earnings are too low, switch to an alternative.
• How you can redeem your rewards. Finally, consider how you can redeem your rewards, whether as direct deposit, PayPal credit, or free gift cards. Keep in mind that some sites send you free products in exchange for your opinion rather than offering cash payouts.

If you’re committed to making money as a product reviewer, you could also consider developing your own platform, such as becoming a blogger, being an influencer on a social media channel, or starting a YouTube channel. If you build a big audience, you could make a significant amount of money through affiliate marketing, referrals, ads, or sponsored posts.

For example, you could offer honest reviews of Amazon products on a YouTube channel and include affiliate links. Be sure to disclose that you’re doing an ad or paid promotion to stay compliant with Federal Trade Commission guidelines. As you develop an audience, those reviews could become a source of passive income.

Creating your own online business can be one of the best side hustles since there’s virtually no limit on how big it can grow.

Can I get paid for writing Amazon reviews?

While Amazon doesn’t offer payment for writing reviews, it does have an affiliate program that allows you to market various products sold on Amazon. If you start a blog, become a social media influencer, or grow your own YouTube channel, you could review products on Amazon and make a commission when a member of your audience makes a purchase from your affiliate link.

Is it legal to write reviews for money?

It is legal to write reviews for money using a reputable website such as UserTesting or SoftwareJudge.com. However, companies should disclose if someone endorsing their product has been compensated for their review, whether in the form of cash or a free product.

Can I earn money from Google reviews?

Google offers an app called Google Opinion Rewards that pays up to $1 via PayPal for quick surveys, some of which take less than 20 seconds. After downloading the app, you’ll be notified if a survey is ready for you. Be sure to use the official app if you’re going to participate. Beware of Google Opinion Rewards scams that are after your personal information or ask for your credit card or bank account details.

Best places to write paid reviews: bottom line

You can make money online by writing reviews. Various websites will pay for your specialized software knowledge or first impressions of a new product.

Along with writing reviews, you could also get paid to share your opinion through online surveys, which you might take on your phone or computer or by speaking through a microphone. Some surveys only take 10 seconds, whereas others could take 20 minutes or more.

Remember that the best sites for writing reviews for money are free to join. If a site asks for your credit card information, be careful — it could be a scam to steal your money or identity. Confirm that a site is reputable through online reviews and consumer review sites like Trustpilot before joining.

By the way, writing reviews isn’t your only option for making money remotely. Here are 10 other legit ideas for making money from home  and 7 places to get paid to test products .

The companies provided on this list may be current or past FinanceBuzz partners. We did not review all companies in the market. When evaluating these companies and compiling this list of the best places to write reviews for money, we considered factors such as availability, ease of sign-up, and earnings potential.

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Earn Cash Taking Surveys

SurveyJunkie Benefits

• Over $55,000 paid to members daily
• Earn up to $130 a month taking 4 or more surveys daily
• $76 million paid out to date
• 20M+ lifetime members and BBB accreditation

Author Details

Get Paid to Write Reviews: 17 Easy Ways

Did you know that, as a consumer, you can earn extra cash for your opinions by writing reviews online? Book reviews, software reviews, sponsored reviews, there’s no shortage of ways to make money writing online.

Keep reading to learn the best ways to get paid to write reviews.

17 Ways to Get Paid to Write Reviews

Here are the best ways to write reviews for money:

• 🏆  Crowdtap

InboxDollars

Survey Junkie

Prime Opinion

• Slicethepie
• Opinion Outpost
• UserTesting
• Panel Pay Day
• American Consumer Opinion
• Product Report Card
• Clicks Research
• Review Stream

1. Crowdtap

Crowdtap is an online survey platform that conducts market research for large companies like eBay, Sony, and Verizon.

Once you set up your account, choose the mission (or task) you want to complete. Missions include answering survey questions, participating in discussions, and product testing.

Completed missions earn points you can redeem for digital gift cards to retailers like Amazon, Sephora, and Walmart. (Crowdtap does not offer an option to receive PayPal cash).

2. InboxDollars

When writing online reviews, it helps to work with well-known providers with established histories so you don’t get ripped off or risk giving away personal information to unknown sources.

One company with a good reputation is InboxDollars, a site that lets you take paid surveys, shop, and read emails. You can get paid to provide product reviews and collect cash rewards.

InboxDollars has been around for about two decades and has paid over $80 million to participants.

Learn More:

• InboxDollars Review

Sign Up Bonus: $5

With InboxDollars, you take surveys and earn cash, it's that simple. You can even earn by watching tv!

3. Survey Junkie

Not everyone wants to spend time writing lengthy articles. Survey Junkie is great because it saves time while providing an excellent platform for providing feedback and reviews.

Users build profiles based on their interests. The site then sends short surveys to match consumers with questions. Answering surveys allows you to earn rewards in the form of virtual points, and you can redeem these points for PayPal and e-gift cards.

• Survey Junkie Review

Survey Junkie is the most reputable online survey company and an easy way to make some extra money in your free time.

4. Swagbucks

Ask any avid online reviewer where to turn for work, and you’ll hear the name Swagbucks.

Swagbucks is a legitimate rewards site that offers users a variety of earning opportunities.

With Swagbucks, you can get paid to take surveys and give your opinions about products and services. You can also get paid to test products and write reviews. It’s fun, easy, and reliable.

You can also make extra money on Swagbucks by surfing the web and playing games. Head over to Swagbucks and poke around to see if it’s worth it.

• Swagbucks Review

Swagbucks - Easy Online Rewards & Surveys

Sign Up Bonus: $10

Swagbucks is a legit money-making app where you can make money taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, and more.

5. LifePoints

The LifePoints program offers a chance to earn points by taking surveys. Sometimes, the surveys are based on general concepts and can also focus on recently purchased products.

When you complete surveys through LifePoints and provide reviews, the site issues points you can redeem for cash, donations, or gift cards from leading retailers.

Using a site like LifePoints won’t lead to unimaginable riches, but it can be a fun and easy way to collect cash and provide reviews.

• LifePoints Review

Earn points redeemable for free gift cards just by completing some online surveys with LifePoints. LifePoints’ website is clutter-free and colorful, which makes it enjoyable to navigate and start earning points today!

6. Prime Opinion

Recently founded, Prime Opinion is a legitimate survey site that pays for your opinion on a range of products and services from major brands. You could be paid to review anything from your favorite soap to the TV you prefer to watch.

Once you sign up with your email address, you can scroll through available surveys and see an estimate of how long they’ll take to complete.

After completing a survey, you’ll be instantly awarded points. You can redeem points for gift cards, cash, or charitable donations when you hit 500 points, or $5.

• Prime Opinion Review

Price: FREE

If you enjoy providing your opinion to help companies provide better products and services while making a little extra money on the side, Prime Opinion is for you.

7. Slicethepie

If you’re looking for variety when writing reviews, Slicethepie has many options. This online review site can pay you to cover various areas like music and fashion. You can even watch commercials on Slicethepie to earn some extra dough.

Here’s how it works: provide reviews based on what you see and get paid. You can cash out via PayPal once you earn $10.

• Slicethepie Review

Toluna is looking for influencers to connect and exchange ideas with their community.

Simply sign up for Toluna and start providing opinions about products and services. Toluna makes it clear they’re looking for quality content.

The company issues rewards for time and effort through points that can be redeemed for cash or vouchers with retailers.

• Toluna Review

9. Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost is another community that pays consumers to sign up and provide their opinions.

This site offers rewards for taking online surveys, allowing you to get paid for your reviews and opinions.

• Opinion Outpost Review

10. UserTesting

Another site to consider is UserTesting , a platform that pays consumers to give product feedback.

All you have to do is sign up for UserTesting, take a practice exam, and join their global community. Then, once you’re in, UserTesting gives you tests and asks you to provide feedback about various products.

The best part is step three: getting paid. UserTesting gives users $10 for every 20-minute test and even more for people who take the time to complete interviews. Once you’ve earned some cash, the funds get sent directly to your PayPal account.

11. ListVerse

For people who prefer to write lists instead of long-form reviews, there is ListVerse — a site that pays $100 to make “top 10” lists, which is darn good money for freelance writers who don’t want to spend their days trolling Fiverr looking for potential work.

The cool part about ListVerse is you don’t need to be an expert to make money. All you have to do is sign up, write a list with at least ten items, and submit it.

If the list gets accepted, the company publishes your work and pays you through PayPal.

The great part is that you can cover just about any topic that interests you (within reason). You don’t need to include pictures or video, either.

12. Panel Pay Day

Panel Pay Day , recruits participants to complete online surveys. While they don’t pay you directly, the company that hired them does, it’s a great resource for finding the best survey opportunities.

13. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion  is one of the most well-known names in the review industry, with a network of more than 7 million freelancers worldwide who regularly get paid to participate in research opportunities.

Membership is free with American Consumer Opinion, and you can make money by trying and evaluating new products, taking surveys, and testing new advertising.

According to American Consumer Opinion, the company has paid over $35 million in rewards.

14. Product Report Card

The Product Report Card program is another fun and rewarding site to consider.

Simply sign up for Product Report Card and start getting survey requests within 24 hours. It’s free to join, and you can get paid for each survey you complete.

On Product Report Card, you can earn gift cards for leading retailers and even free products by participating and providing feedback.

15. Clicks Research

Clicks Research is a pretty straightforward user testing site offering rewards in exchange for opinions.

Users are asked to sign up for the Clicks Research site as product testers. The site then sends free items in the mail.

Once the items arrive, users need to test products, take short surveys, and provide feedback. What’s great is that Clicks Research lets you keep the products you receive.

The site offers household items, cosmetics and toiletries, clothing, food and drinks, and even pet products, among other examples.

16. PINCHMe

There’s no shortage of fun happening over at PINCHMe . Just take one look at their website, and you’ll see for yourself.

Here’s how the PinchMe program works: Sign up for their site by creating a profile. Claim product samples each month. Then, wait for the site to ship you free samples. It simply asks for your feedback in return.

They’ll keep sending items as long as you keep providing great opinions and reviews. It’s that simple.

The site offers coins that can be redeemed as rewards. While you won’t get rich with this site, this could be the place to go if you want to have fun and get some cool items for your efforts.

17. Review Stream

Review Stream is a website that pays customers to write and submit reviews online.

This requires using products and then writing reviews on them. The site mainly aims to collect feedback on consumer experiences with certain products and services.

• Get Paid to Write Amazon Reviews

Why Get Paid to Write Reviews?

There are many reasons to consider writing reviews online. Here are a few of them.

Work from Home

There’s nothing better than making money from the comfort of your own home . You can write reviews from home or anywhere else you want, as long as you have an internet connection.

Best of all, there is virtually no overhead. You don’t have to pay for gas or spend time traveling to and from destinations. All you need is a computer or mobile device, an internet connection, and sometimes an address with a mailbox to receive products for testing.

By avoiding driving, you’ll pocket more of your income instead of spending money on gas. You will also avoid putting wear and tear on your car.

Be Part of the Gig Economy

The gig economy is growing by leaps and bounds every year as more and more people work flexible side jobs. You can become part of the gig economy and participate in this exciting trend alongside millions of other workers.

Pay Down Debt

If you’re in debt, you’re (hopefully!) working to get out of it as soon as possible. By writing reviews, you can bring in cash to help pay down your high-interest credit card debt or student loans. However, if you really want to pay down debt, you will probably be better off focusing your time on a higher-paying side hustle .

Save and Invest

Bringing in more cash can also give you more opportunities to save and start investing to build a brighter financial future for yourself.

The more you put into the bank for growth while you’re young, the less work you have to do when you’re older.

Tips for Writing Reviews Online

Consider the following points when you want to get paid to write reviews.

1. Watch Out for Scams

Unfortunately, the internet is filled with scams. While the websites mentioned above are all legit, there are many others out there that aren’t. I am talking about sites that collect and resell sensitive consumer data without providing value to you or your brands.

It’s important to be careful about the websites you use to avoid running into scams. The last thing you want to do is have your identity stolen while trying to make a few bucks online.

• Read Reviews: Read peer reviews and research providers. Try to stick with brand-name sites whenever possible to avoid complications. Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, and Consumer Affairs are all good resources to check when vetting survey providers.
• Never Send Money: Another thing to consider is that you should never have to wire money or pay for a service to test anything.
• Never Share SSN or CC Number: You also shouldn’t have to supply sensitive information such as your Social Security number or credit card information.

If a site asks for this type of data, it’s a surefire sign that it’s a scam and something you should avoid. Also, when it’s time to redeem your rewards, make sure to collect money through secure payment services to be safe (e.g., PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle).

2. Your Time is Valuable

Time is of the essence when completing online reviews. When reviewing an assignment, the first thing you should do is figure out approximately how long it will take you to complete it and what you’ll earn.

The general rule of thumb is to avoid reviews that take a long time with little to no valuable payout. For example, if a review takes you an hour to try the product and another hour to write a review, you’re looking at two hours of work.

Make sure the pay is commensurate with the effort you’re putting in, or you could get ripped off.

3. Know Your Payment Options

Many of these sites look similar, but they have small differences with their payouts that you should understand. For example, some pay in cash while others pay in rewards. This is something to note before getting started. If you need cash, reward cards might not be that helpful.

4. Write Quality Reviews

You don’t need to write like Hemingway when filling out online reviews. But you do need to try your best when writing and taking surveys.

If you write poorly or fill out surveys as quickly as possible, you could run into payment issues or have your account restricted.

The above sites have built-in quality control mechanisms to prevent users from exploiting them with fake reviews.

So, do your best to write detailed reviews and provide honest feedback. This is especially important if you are receiving actual products in the mail.

5. Consider Starting Your Own Blog or YouTube Channel

The most successful people start their own independent review sites on platforms like YouTube and WordPress.

Taking this approach requires putting in a bit more effort. After all, blogging or vlogging isn’t easy.

However, becoming a blogger can lead to greater returns — especially if you partner with brands or make targeted advertisements. Who knows? You could become the next best influencer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should i write reviews on social media.

Putting reviews on social media can be tricky. On the one hand, you can earn a lot of money if you have a big following. On the other hand, it’s sometimes not easy or even possible to get paid. You might also open the door for negative comments or arguments. If you take this route, you must be prepared to defend yourself (or the brand) in a public forum. The nice part about working with third-party review sites is you will almost always receive compensation for your work while shielding yourself from public scrutiny.

Should I take Amazon cards or cash payments when submitting online reviews?

When you have the choice, it’s almost always better to take cash payments than accept gift cards to online marketplaces or merchants.

For example, suppose you receive $25 in rewards for completing an online review. You could invest that money in the stock market or put it into a bank account for emergency savings. Online rewards for Amazon products are fun, but it’s always worth remembering that rewards aren’t equal to cash.

Do online reviews generate passive income?

Usually not. Most online review opportunities are one-offs, meaning you write a review and collect payment for it.

The only real way to generate passive income with online reviews is by starting a blog, writing reviews, and inserting affiliate links that pay you when someone clicks and makes a purchase. Of course, you may also be able to bring in revenue through ad sales if your blog receives a lot of traffic.

The Bottom Line

Everyone wants to be heard, and now, you can get paid to give your opinions about various products, services, and experiences.

Always provide honest reviews and try your best. But remember, don’t spend too much time doing them. Make sure the reward is worth the effort before getting started.

Writing reviews online won’t make you a billionaire, but it can be a great way to build up an emergency fund and eventually stack up enough cash to begin investing.

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Smart Money Tips!

33 Legit Ways to Get Paid to Write Reviews (in 2023)

Written by Schiavonne Robinson - Verified by Amanda on April 19, 2023

If you like leaving reviews for products or services, you’d be glad to know that you could get paid to write reviews for certain companies.

Giving businesses feedback does more than allow you to express your views.

Online reviews aid consumers in making purchasing decisions.

In fact, a PowerReviews survey shows that over 99.9 percent of customers read reviews when they shop on the Internet, and 98 percent consider them important sources when choosing to buy something.

Some web reviews encourage potential buyers to purchase a service or product.

That said, other web reviews advise against buying something to protect consumers from getting ripped off or wasting their time.

Reviews can even serve as a wake-up call to companies to clean up their act to avoid going out of business.

Best of all, many establishments are eager to pay people like you to share opinions on snacks, music, appliances, and more.

So without further ado, here are businesses where you can make extra cash by giving feedback on products/services.

Table of Contents

Companies That Pay You to Write Reviews

Check out these sites to earn money writing reviews.

1. Capterra

Frequent software user?

Then, sign up for Capterra!

This site offers over 30,000 software products to review, so you’ll have plenty of work.

If Capterra publishes your review, you’ll get a gift card as a thank you.

2. Inbox Dollars

With Inbox Dollars, you can earn between $.50 and $20+ per survey.

The company also pays you to shop online, play games, and shop for groceries.

Inbox Dollars even starts you off with $5 after signing up.

3. Crowdtap

Crowdtap has over two million users, and it’s simple to see why.

Unlike many survey sites, you earn points even if you complete a one-question survey.

Share your views on brands via your computer or phone, then convert points into gift cards.

Download the app for Android or iOS.

4. GetReviewed

If you enjoy writing blogs, then consider creating a GetReviewed.

This platform lets you submit blog posts of product reviews to advertisers.

Upon approval, GetReviewed will display your articles on its platform and pay you via PayPal.

G2 allows you to make money by posting reviews about IT, customer support, marketing, and other services or software.

You can make up to $25 per post.

However, you need a LinkedIn account to qualify since G2 requires users to connect their LinkedIn accounts when submitting reviews.

6. UserTesting

Wanna get paid to test websites and apps and give your reviews?

You can do that through UserTesting!

Depending on the tests you conduct, you can make between $4 and $120 per session.

Click on “Get paid to test” to begin.

7. ReviewStream

Through ReviewStream, you can make extra cash by posting articles about your experiences with certain products, places, and services.

Any review you post on this site can’t be published elsewhere.

You can also earn more money by referring others to ReviewStream.

8. ListVerse

ListVerse doesn’t entirely focus on reviews.

However, you can use its platform to write and submit listicles of the best (or worst) products/services.

It pays $100 per accepted article.

9. Survey Junkie

Be a survey junkie with Survey Junkie!

When you earn at least 500 points (equivalent to $5), you can cash out and redeem them for gift cards, bank transfers, or PayPal.

Survey Junkie has another money-making option called Survey Junkie Pulse, a feature that lets you earn money passively via activities like ad views and site visits.

10. Gartner Peer Insights

Gartner Peer Insights pays you $25 per review on software and technology products.

That said, the site lets you submit only 10 reviews per year.

(Hey, it’s better than nothing!)

11. Slicethepie

When you work for Slicethepie, you receive payment for every review you leave.

Some of the things you give feedback for include clothing, music tracks, and more.

I read from some sources that you can make about $12 an hour through Slicethepie.

12. YouTube BrandConnect

Are you a charismatic individual who loves being in front of the camera?

Sign up for YouTube BrandConnect!

After joining (which is invite-only), you’ll see sponsors to choose to partner with.

You set your own rates and receive payment by check or PayPal.

13. LifePoints

With LifePoints, you earn points for sharing your opinions on various products and brands.

Each survey you choose to answer takes about 10 to 20 minutes to complete.

The points you get from taking LifePoints are redeemable for e-gift cards and PayPal payments.

14. Tryazon

Tryazon lives up to its name since it offers many types of products to try out, like board games, toys, food, and other merchandise.

Once you sign up, you compete with other users for review opportunities.

If selected, you’ll receive a sample box of products, aka a Tryabox. (You can even host a party based on the product(s) you receive if you apply and get accepted for its party-hosting opportunities.)

Then, you leave a review on your social media account or blog.

While you don’t get paid to write reviews for this company, at least you get to keep the products you try.

(There are currently no Tryabox opportunities, so you can check out the Party opportunities if you want to host an event with friends and family members.)

15.   Apperwall

Review apps through Apperwall!

You’ll receive apps to download, use, and give feedback for.

You can make $30 a month. ($100 a month if you refer friends.)

Download for Android or iOS.

16. Clicks Research

Clicks Research rewards you with Click Points when you complete its surveys.

How does this work?

Once you create a Clicks Research account, the company sends you products like pet supplies, cosmetics, and beverages to sample.

After you submit your survey responses and earn at least 2,500 Click Points, you receive a £25 bank transfer. (Plus, you keep the sample products.)

17. Swagbucks

You can share your opinions on brands by taking surveys through Swagbucks.

It also allows you to make money in other ways, like playing video games, searching on the Web, and shopping online.

Then, you can redeem points for PayPal or gift cards.

18. Smiley360

Smiley360 is sure to make you smile because it provides you with free products to sample.

After you try a product, you submit reviews through a platform so your followers, friends, and advertisers can read them.

You can also participate in online discussions and opt into offers tailored toward your interests.

19. MyPoints

With MyPoints, you can get:

• Up to 2200 points per survey
• Up to 4 points per game you play
• Up to 20 points cash back when you shop online or at grocery stores

You even get $5 as a Welcome bonus.

20. American Consumer Opinion

Earn 100 to 5,000 points per research project or survey when you sign up for American Consumer Opinion!

This company pays you to test advertising, participate in focus groups, and sample products.

Redeem points for charity donations or cash.

21. TryProducts

TryProducts partners with 300+ brands to provide 400+ products, so you’ll have plenty of stuff to sample.

Create an account, and then wait for the company to send you candy, household cleaners, and other goods to your home.

After trying them out, share your views and keep the products as a reward.

22. ProductReviewJobs

ProductReviewJobs brags that you can make up to $500 per week sampling and reviewing products.

It seems plausible because its website says users earn an average of $25 per product review.

23. Kirkus Media

Do you enjoy reading?

Kirkus Media frequently hires avid readers to write book reviews for its book review magazine section Kirkus Indie.

You submit 350-page reviews for paperback, hardback, and digital books.

Send your writing samples and resume to [email protected] .

24. Pinecone Research

With Pinecone Research, you can try various products and services before they hit the market.

However, you need to receive an invite from another user before taking advantage of its opportunities.

Once you sign up, you can take part in studies, earn points, and exchange them for prizes or cash.

25. Publishers Weekly

Publisher Weekly pays $25 per book review.

You’ll read and write reviews for book genres like:

• Children/Young Adult

Send your resume and sample book review to [email protected] .

26. Branded Surveys

Make some extra cash by signing up for a Branded Surveys account!

You take surveys provided by Fortune 500 companies to give feedback on various products and services.

Then, you earn points that are exchangeable for PayPal or gift cards.

27. The US Review of Books

The US Review of Books pays you to write 250-300 word book reviews.

Here’s how it works: you receive a list of books to read and then submit your reviews.

Send your resume, samples, and professional references to [email protected] .

28. PINCHme

What’s cool about PINCHme is that it releases new free samples every Tuesday.

You can sample peanut butter, skincare products, and other stuff and share your views to earn PINCHme coins.

29. BookBrowse

BookBrowse will pay you and even give you a byline when you submit well-written book reviews.

You’ll write reviews for adult and young adult non-fiction and fiction genres.

BookBrowse’s site even has fun quizzes you can take if you wish. (I recommend the reader personality quiz.)

30. Amazon Vine

If you like shopping on Amazon, consider becoming an Amazon Vine member!

This invite-only program allows you to place orders for free items and leave reviews for prospective Amazon customers.

All reviews you post on Amazon will be labeled with the “Vine Customer Review of Free Product” badge.

It doesn’t pay money, but you keep the products you review.

31. Harris Poll Online

With Harris Poll Online, you can influence market research trends by responding to surveys (and getting paid to do it, too).

When you earn $10 (1,250 points), trade them for gift cards or merchandise, or you can donate to charity.

Harris Poll Online is an interesting survey site because it pays you even if you don’t qualify for a survey (about 15 points). And that, to me at least, makes it one of the best legitimate online survey sites !

Note that it only accepts Canadian residents.

32. Moms Meet

If you’re a mom, you might want to check out Moms Meet.

You can join as a Moms Meet Creator, an individual who samples products and reviews them through your blog or social media.

Your reviews might help fellow moms make the best decisions for themselves and their children.

Some rewards you’ll earn include printables, gift cards, surprise packages, and more.

You even get 100 points just for joining Moms Meet.

33. MyVoice

Between 14 and 24?

Sign up for MyVoice!

This website lets you share your views on political topics via text message.

MyVoice gives you polls once a week during a 12-week period.

You’ll receive $5 as a sign-up bonus, then $1 per poll. (Total is $15.)

Writing Online Reviews for Money FAQ

Here are frequently asked questions about becoming a reviewer and getting paid.

Can you get paid for writing reviews on Amazon?

Yes, you can get paid for writing reviews on Amazon through their Vine program or by working with companies who offer compensation for reviews.

What’s the income potential of Review Writing?

The amount of money you can make from review writing depends on various factors, like how much money a site pays and how much time you put into writing reviews.

Some review sites pay a few dollars per review, while other sites— like ProductReviewJobs — allow you to make hundreds of dollars per week.

Some sites don’t pay you at all; however, you do receive “payment” in the form of free products.

Which is better: gift cards or cash?

I can’t tell which is better for you since the “better type of compensation” is subjective.

However, I can help you decide whether gift cards or cash are best suited for your goals and interests.

Are you looking for extra cash to spend on groceries or bills?

Then, review sites that pay in cash should suit you.

If you enjoy shopping at retailers like Home Depot or Best Buy but don’t want to spend your own money, then go with gift cards.

Are there ways to make money writing reviews other than joining a review site?

Yes, there are.

You can create your own YouTube Channel if you don’t mind broadcasting videos of yourself reviewing products/services.

Another option is creating a review blog and becoming an affiliate for a retailer like Amazon, aka Amazon Associates Program . (Unlike the Amazon Vine site, you actually make money with this option.)

When visitors click on the products you recommend and buy them, you earn a commission.

Are there other places to make money writing reviews online?

How can i prove i’m a trustworthy reviewer.

Sadly, many reviews on sites like Amazon, Yelp, and Google aren’t real.

Some people post phony feedback because they’re secretly paid by someone to do so, or they want to ruin a company with false and hurtful stories.

If you want followers and potential customers to see you as an individual with integrity, I suggest the following:

• Snap photos of receipts to prove that you bought a product or service and post them on your blog or social media posts.
• Make unboxing videos, which show viewers that you purchased something.

Becoming a Paid Reviewer!

Writing reviews not only helps customers make better buying decisions but also encourages businesses to improve their products or services.

And the best part of review writing?

You can earn sweet rewards like gift cards, cash, or even freebies just by sharing your honest opinion.

So why not turn your words into valuable currency and start getting paid for your reviews today?

9 Places To Get Paid To Write Reviews In 2024

How often do you look online for honest reviews when shopping online? 93% of all consumers look for product and service reviews before they spend money . Have you written honest feedback yourself?

We're here to tell you a secret: You can get paid to provide honest reviews or write reviews and get free products and free samples in return!

If you're interested in boosting your personal finance by answering surveys and writing reviews, keep reading and learn the ABCs of making extra money by giving your opinion .

Get Paid to Write Reviews Online

Here’s our pick for paid review sites worth checking out if you want to earn money for writing reviews online. From answering online surveys to writing more detailed reviews for market research, here are the best sites for writing online reviews!

Writers Work

Writers Work is a one-stop shop for all freelance writers to find their next gig. While it's not a dedicated review site, you can still make money by writing reviews if you find someone who needs help with that.

The website offers you a distraction-free webpage, and an easy journey between jobs, as they provide you with many open job positions that match your skills, interests, and experiences !

You can either sign up and advertise as a freelance writer for review platforms or scour the website's freelance marketplace and choose the listing you want.

The amount of money you can make depends on the job offer you apply to or the hourly rate you set. The hourly rate varies from around $10 to $50 per person, but the compensation for open job positions depends on the company.

Amazon Vine

Amazon Vine is an exclusive platform run by Amazon. After you receive an invitation to join Amazon Vine, you'll receive free packages with products to test and review. If you love shopping online and expressing your opinion but want to earn money instead of spending money, this one's for you!

This website seeks reliable, honest people who give unbiased opinions about their products and write paid reviews.

Here's how you get chosen: review the products you buy on Amazon. Make sure they're grammatically correct and helpful for potential buyers.

Since there's no rhyme or reason on how new reviewers are picked, there's little you can do. If you write enough high-quality reviews, Amazon will likely choose you for the Amazon Vine platform.

Get Reviewed

Get Reviewed is a unique platform where businesses and companies can order reviews of their products and services from bloggers. They set up an account, choose as many niches as fit their products or services, and then pick a blogger willing to review their goods.

Each blogger can set their price within reason, and businesses have an open line of communication with the writer to ensure satisfaction and transparency on both sides. It's a straightforward transaction!

After you write a review, the company approves it, and 14 days later, you get paid. Easy as pie.

You'll have a deadline for submitting your review for approval, and if you're late by three days, your offer will be withdrawn, and you won't get paid. So, make sure that you're on time!

UserTesting

UserTesting is a company that helps companies and businesses understand the experience of their customers. A company sends its software, services, or products to UserTesting, and dedicated testers try it out, writing reviews afterward.

To become one of the testers on UserTesting, you have to apply and take a practice exam, and if you're chosen, you get to earn money for testing and writing reviews about the product or service you've tried !

How much will you make? According to their website, "reward amounts range depending on the test type – your test feed will always show you the amount you'll get paid for each test. Payments for completed tests are usually sent 14 days later."

The only way to cash out from UserTesting is by using secure payment services like a PayPal account, so make sure you have one! All you need is a computer or mobile device, an internet connection, and, in some cases, an address with a mailbox to receive products for testing.

American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion is a paid opinion site. It's run by Decision Analyst – a credible market research firm.

If you choose this review site, you can make money through online surveys, product testing, online focus groups, diary surveys, and a referral program. Once you collect at least $10, you can exchange them for charity donations, a gift card, PayPal cash, or sweepstake entries!

The American Consumer Opinion has paid out 35 million dollars in rewards to 7 million members worldwide who have taken over 20 million surveys.

This option is great for younger people because it welcomes anyone older than 14 to share their opinions!

Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost is an industry research firm where millions of members can collect points for sharing their opinions online. They claim to pay their community over $390,000 monthly through commissioning over three million surveys every month!

You can watch ads, take surveys, or test products and earn money! How much can you make? The average survey pays around 10 points but can be worth as much as 250 points.

Opinion Outpost offers rewards such as cash or gift cards to Target, Amazon, iTunes, Walmart, and more!

Harris Insights & Analytics

The Harris Poll Online is an American research and analytics company that opened in 1963! The company works in various North America, Europe, and Asia industries.

After you sign up, you become part of a rewards program, where you can earn points for your participation. As you earn points, you can redeem them for goodies, such as gift cards from Amazon, Starbucks, and iTunes!

Review Stream

Review Stream was launched in 2005 as a platform for genuine consumers to share their opinions. The site invites you to share your experience and opinion about any product!

Here's how it works: you set up an account, upload a photo of something you're reviewing, write a few paragraphs about your experience and opinion regarding the thing you're reviewing, and then upload it. If your review is approved, you'll make money – it's that simple.

What differentiates Review Stream from similar websites is that visitors can vote on which reviews they like best. The more votes you get, the more you get paid – each vote is worth $0.1.

You can also reply to questions about what you're reviewing and boost your earnings even more. Each reply will give you an additional $0.1!

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is one of the online marketplaces where you can make money online by doing many things, like taking online surveys, watching videos, playing games, and writing reviews.

You can get paid to write product and service reviews, software reviews, etc. Moreover, you can give your opinions on various topics through paid surveys.

Survey Junkie is one of the most popular survey sites to make money as you complete surveys. You can earn points and cash out through PayPal cash or exchange them for gift cards.

The average person can make a few bucks every day by watching videos or make money writing reviews on Survey Junkie.

Is It Legal to Write Fake Online Reviews?

If you're from the U.S.A., it's important to remember that it's illegal to write fake reviews under Section 5 of the FTC Act 15 U.S. Code 45. Fake testimonials could result in a hefty fine or even a jail sentence.

A similar law applies in Italy, where a man was jailed for nine months after writing fake reviews on TripAdvisor. A tourism business owner was convicted for selling made-up reviews of local businesses across Italy . He also had to pay a fine of 8,000 euros!

Thus, we're here to remind you to be careful and to produce a high-quality review for each product you try within the review process.

Can You Get Paid to Write Reviews on Social Media Channels?

The only practical way to make money writing reviews on social media is to write sponsored reviews. Such reviews are often written by influencers, who get paid to write book reviews or reviews about products by the companies that sell them.

Suppose you have a considerable number of followers on social media sites like Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, or TikTok. In that case, you can earn money for writing reviews on social media!

If you're the proud owner of your own blog, you can make money from sponsored blog posts as part of an affiliate program (read our blog to learn more about affiliate marketing videos). Or you can start a review blog, test products, and then review products you liked or didn't like.

How Much Money Can You Make Writing Reviews on a Review Site?

While getting paid to write reviews about your favorite products sounds like a dream, we're here to tell you that it won't make you rich. But it can help cover some of your more minor expenses!

The amount of money you can make per review varies, but the average person can expect to make $1-$5 daily, depending on the review sites they choose and how many reviews they can write.

Do Online Reviews Generate Passive Income?

No, writing online reviews doesn't count as passive income because you're usually paid to write a specific number of positive reviews. Then, you earn a particular amount of money for each review.

If you’re looking for passive income ideas, read this blog post .

Can You Earn Money From Google Reviews?

No, Google doesn't allow individuals to get paid to write reviews online. Google strongly believes in authentic and unbiased reviews, so you won't get paid for writing reviews online.

How do you stay safe when you test products and write reviews?

Online safety should always be your number one priority when surfing the web. This includes writing reviews and testing products. If a review website asks you to add your personal information before you start earning money, be cautious.

It's always a good idea to check in with websites like Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau. This way, you can ensure you choose to work with the safest and best sites in the industry. Making money through paid reviews is enticing, but your safety and privacy should always come first!

Write Product Reviews and Make Money Today

If you've read this far, congratulations. Now, you can confidently choose the best review website to get paid to write reviews and earn money online! Start your money-making journey today and get paid to write reviews online!

Here's a piece of advice – if you want to double your earnings as you write reviews, you can use Honeygain. Honeygain is a passive income app that works in the background of your laptop or phone as you share your unused internet connection.

Yes, it's really that simple. You share your unused internet connection with Honeygain. Then scientists and researchers use that connection for research and data-driven project. And you earn money for your input into their work!

Leave Honeygain running, share your idle traffic, and get paid to write reviews simultaneously!

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Brett Helling is a gig economy expert who has been running his own small business for over 10 years.

How & Where To Write Reviews For Money As A Side Hustle

Do you want to write reviews for money? Check these nine beginner-friendly websites that offer paid reviews in cash, gift cards, and other rewards.

• Writing online reviews can earn you money through cash bonuses and gifts.
• You can earn $2 to $40 per hour depending on review type and quality.
• Essential needs: internet-connected device, stable connection, payment method, writing skills.
• Top platforms: InboxDollars, Slice the Pie, ListVerse, Capterra, American Consumer Opinion.

Table of contents

Are you fond of writing online reviews and hope to get paid for them? You can!

Many companies worldwide value honest customer reviews to help them spot their product’s strengths and weaknesses.

Incentivizing writers and testers through cash bonuses and gifts is their way of attracting substantial feedback from reviewers like yourself.

Best of all, you get paid to write regardless of your educational background or location!

There are various apps and paid review sites to choose from. Today, we’ll focus on nine places to write reviews for money without prior experience.

But first, let’s get the basics covered.

Can You Get Paid to Write Reviews?

Yes, you can earn money writing reviews. With the popularity of online shopping, businesses have acknowledged the validity of sponsored reviews or blog posts to elevate their brand’s likability to customers.

This is supported by a research published at Frontiers, revealing how online reviews affect 93% of consumers’ online shopping choices .

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how product or service reviews can bring a potential increase in sales when written by actual users.

How Much Can You Make by Writing Reviews Online?

You can earn $2 up to $40 per hour or a fixed $50 incentive per review. However, these figures constantly fluctuate and depend on the following:

• Review platforms
• Review quality
• Product or service industry
• Platform fee or commission (if applicable)
• Review type

Generally, you get higher pay if you write product reviews compared to taking online surveys, which often only give $1 to $3 earnings per entry.

Some sites also offer reviewers free products instead of actual cash as compensation.

What You’ll Need to Get Paid from Writing Online Reviews

Writing reviews don’t require any startup budget, which makes it an easy gig for anyone who enjoys sharing honest reviews.

Other than your thoughts, here are the essential items you’ll need to get started.

• Laptop or Mobile Device: Whether you’re answering surveys or writing reviews online, you’ll need your gadgets to input and submit reviews. Some sites are compatible with both. Others may prefer one of the two.
• Stable Internet Connection: You must at least have an internet speed of 25 Mbps to get things running. This is crucial, especially on survey sites requiring you to review several pages before completion. Having a solid data connection minimizes the risk of web pages crashing while you’re in the middle of answering.
• Payment Method: Secure payment services like PayPal, Payoneer, and Stripe are used by many companies to send you cash payments. Identify what method your platform uses and open an account.
• Writing Skills: While you don’t have to be a freelance writer to start this gig, you must be skilled at writing or communicating vital aspects of an item in a short, easy-to-understand, written format.
• Email Address or Login Details: Platforms often require you to register using a valid email address, phone number, or social media account. Have all these ready when signing up.

Where to Write Reviews for Money

From answering a simple yes-no question to writing an extensive product review, you can choose from multiple online options. Here are our nine recommended websites this 2023:

• InboxDollars
• Slice the Pie
• American Consumer Opinion
• Review Stream
• Survey Junkie
• Online Book Club

1. InboxDollars

InboxDollars is a trusted platform that pays you for taking online surveys.

You must create an account and answer a four-part profile questionnaire to help the site match your interests with their partner brands.

Once approved, your dashboard will show you up to 10 surveys you’re qualified to join.

While individual survey payout doesn’t amount to much at first glance, InboxDollars is still one of the high-paying surveys in the industry , claiming a running total of $56 million payout to users since its 2020 inception.

How Much You Can Make

Surveys with InboxDollars vary in price, but the platform claims to offer up to $5 per survey. Other users report getting survey requests for lesser value at $0.01 to $0.75 each.

The length of each survey also varies. The easiest ones can be completed within two minutes, while lengthier requests last up to 20. The minimum payout required is $30.

What Makes This Option Great

With an average 4.3 star rating online, InboxDollars is a reliable survey site with over two decades of experience.

Signing up also grants you an automatic $5 bonus. The platform’s accessible through your browser and Android and iOS app, making it a convenient choice even while on the go.

• Fees/Commission: InboxDollars charges a $3 transaction fee automatically debited for every payout request.
• Payment Methods: PayPal cash, gift cards, direct deposit

2. Slice the Pie

Slice the Pie is a popular platform for anyone who wants to get paid to write reviews about muic.

The platform is free to use. You sign up with your email and other personal details, browse your preferred song categories, listen to any track for about 90 seconds, and write a review.

It’s a fine alternative for similar gigs like earning money through movie reviews , which takes longer to complete.

The average review rate per song is $0.20 to $0.30. Once you join, you’ll be assigned a one-star rating which impacts the pricing of all items you review.

The more quality reviews you submit, the faster your star rating increases, translating to a higher review rate.

Slice the Pie’s required minimum payout is $10.

This platform’s excellent if you love music and aren’t looking for a fast payout.

It’s also an incredible way to discover budding musicians whose songs you might want to add to your playlist.

Besides music, Slice the Pie also showcases paid review opportunities for clothing, fashion, phone cases, and accessories.

• Fees/Commission: Slice the Pie doesn’t charge you anything, though you must shoulder any transaction or admin fee from PayPal if applicable.
• Payment Methods: PayPal

3. ListVerse

ListVerse is one of the most exciting sites to try on if you’re a fan of writing list reviews.

The rule is simple. You list ten items minimum, provide one to two-paragraph content for each, and submit it to the platform.

You’re free to write about any topic, but you must make it interesting and fun for the platform’s readers.

If you’re looking for companies who pay you for ideas , ListVerse is a great way to get started.

ListVerse pays a fixed rate of $100 per approved list.

Remember, however, that they don’t guarantee approval for every submitted entry.

Reading sample articles on their site is crucial to help you get a feel of the type of articles they publish regularly.

ListVerse is excellent if you prefer writing long-form articles. Discovering quirky and fascinating facts while researching is also a bonus.

The platform doesn’t require you to sign up, so providing all your details is unnecessary, thus saving time.

• Fees/Commission: ListVerse doesn’t charge any commission or signup fee.

4. Capterra

Tech-savvy individuals shouldn’t miss writing reviews for Capterra .

Readers of this platform are looking for quality, first-hand reviews from software users, which is perfect if you’re actively using tools like accounting software, CRM and SEO software, and more.

Unlike creative side gigs like writing short stories , this platform requires technical expertise and proof of use, as you’ll likely be required to send screenshots supporting your review.

Capterra pays you $5 for your first review and $10 each for the following ten reviews.

Each submission is subject to approval, so you must write a comprehensive, high-quality software review to make it count.

Capterra also limits you to up to 11 submissions. Once you’ve reached the threshold, they will no longer compensate you even if you submit more reviews. Users report total earnings between $5 to $150.

Captera’s an excellent short-term review website for tech-savvy individuals.

While your total earnings before maxing out your allowable reviews don’t amount to much, it’s still a great way to showcase your expertise to the platform’s millions of readers.

Impressed readers might even pay you to address their technical queries.

• Fees/Commission: Capterra is free to use. No extra fees are charged.
• Payment Methods: Capterra pays you using Gift Cards, which you can use to purchase goods from popular sites like Amazon. Redemption instructions will be sent through email upon request.

5. American Consumer Opinion

American Consumer Opinion (ACO) is our list’s oldest paid survey provider, with over 40 years of experience.

Participants will get paid to test products, evaluate advertising strategies, and participate in focus groups to provide feedback on a company’s new product.

Like most survey apps, ACO desires to empower any online retailer by providing quality customer input. If you like being a part of something big, this platform’s where you want to start.

ACO surveys can pay between $1 to $50. Product testing pays even higher, up to $200. The platform pays you using its point system. One point is equal to $0.01.

ACO is completely free to use with global reach. They have an extensive brand partnership worldwide, which opens more review opportunities.

They’re also among the ones with the best earning potential and flexible payment methods.

• Fees/Commission: ACO is free to use, but you’ll shoulder any fees associated with your external payment method.
• Payment Methods: Hyperwallet, PayPal, gift cards, check, charity donation, sweepstakes entries

6. Review Stream

Review Stream is the most extensive platform on our list that pays you to write reviews about anything. Popular product categories include electronics, art, food, cosmetics, and fashion.

Much like writing reviews on Amazon , Review Stream showcases actual user experiences but with the opportunity to earn from them.

Readers can also upvote your review, which adds to your cash incentives.

Every approved review can pay you between $5 to $18. If a reader loves your review, he can upvote your entry which adds $0.10 to your earnings.

Review Stream is great if you’re looking for a platform with unlimited allowable reviews.

Its broad category base also makes it easy to handpick items you’re already using and write your experience about them.

You also don’t need to worry about getting penalized for pointing out product cons since the platform focuses on publishing authentic user experiences.

• Fees/Commission: Free to join

7. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a household name when it comes to online surveys. Its clutter-free platform interface and straightforward setup method make it a top favorite for first-time users.

The platform pays you to answer surveys of any product or company that matches your profile information.

It’s one of the fastest survey sites that pay instant cash as soon as you reach the required threshold of $5.

Survey Junkie has a point system. You’ll need 100 points to earn $1, and so on. Signing up automatically grants you 25 points and another 50 once you complete your profile.

The average survey payout on this platform runs between $0.50 to $3, or 50 to 300 points, respectively.

Survey Junkie is great for beginners who don’t want a lengthy signup process to get started.

Its over 20 million users are clear proof of its global popularity, which makes it more attractive for companies who wish to put out their surveys.

• Payment Methods: PayPal and e-gift cards, which you can use to redeem items from Amazon, Sephora, Starbucks, Walmart, etc.

8. Online Book Club

Do you love books? Online Book Club allows you to earn by reading newly-released titles and writing reviews about them.

Many budding writers sell their short stories for money online and seek opportunities to gather quality reviews from readers.

This platform is one of those avenues to get reviewers on board. If you enjoy reading and want to get paid, this avenue is a potential starting point.

Book reviews on this platform can pay between $5 to $60.

Online Book Club is ideal for booklovers with a genuine passion for reading and giving quality reviews to other readers.

All paid reviews will be published under your registered name, which can be an excellent means to market yourself and build a potential network.

9. LifePoints

LifePoints is another excellent survey platform that covers a broad range of topics. You sign up and provide your user profile, which is then used to identify whether you qualify for available surveys.

Surveys update often, so checking the site to get the latest gigs is crucial.

One feature that sets it apart is its booster mode, which allows you to earn 20% more points when you enable the location services function in the app.

The more points you get, the higher the rewards you can redeem in cash or Amazon gift cards.

Each survey has an equivalent life point depending on the length and complexity. This can equate to $0.83 to $0.90 per survey. The current minimum payout is $5, equivalent to 550 life points.

LifePoints is available in 26 languages, which makes it an easy choice for anyone around the globe.

Partner companies also have global reach, and survey options range from product-specific questions to general concepts.

While you can’t expect this platform to earn you a fortune, it can be a fun alternative to collect useful gift cards from top shops like Amazon, eBay, iTunes, and Google Play.

• Fees/Commission: Free to use
• Payment Methods: PayPal, charitable donations, gift cards

Why You Should Consider Writing Reviews as a Side Gig

Getting paid to write reviews is a great way to capitalize on your opinion. When done right, it can even open you to long-term writing opportunities.

If you’re inkling to get started but not yet ready to commit, the following factors might help you decide faster:

• Various Reward Options: Earning cash is one, but getting free products, gift cards, discounts, and vouchers are excellent perk alternatives you can enjoy as rewards.
• Free to Join: Most, if not all, review websites are free. You only need to log in to get access to all review opportunities you can join.
• Improves Your Writing Skills: The more you write reviews, the better you become at identifying and writing what elements should be included, what to drop, and what people are likely to be looking for.
• Fully Remote and Time-Flexible: You get full control of your time. You decide when and who to write for. While sponsored blog posts often have deadlines, when to take one is your decision.

Problems With Writing Reviews for Money

As with most side hustles, some elements might be a disadvantage, especially when trying to earn a target dollar payout.

Here are some issues you’d deal with when writing reviews as a side gig.

• High Competition: Because the job is remote, anyone globally is welcome to participate. Brands with international reach attract more reviewers, which can mean intense competition.
• Can Take Time: The tough competition makes projects hard to come by, so earning more money will take time. Unless you consistently land high-paying review requests, it can take weeks, even months, to make a few hundred.
• Minimal High-Paying Review Sites: Companies who pay well treat sponsored reviews as ads, so they’re looking for reviewers who deliver a high-quality review with honest feedback on their product’s best features. You must prove to be above the fold to get their attention.
• May Prompt You to Write Fake Reviews: Some paid review sites want you to write positive reviews and disregard the cons. This is an issue if you value writing honest reviews, including the disadvantage of using a product or service.

How To Write Reviews Online for Money: Step-By-Step Guide

Now that you know where to check paid review opportunities, it’s time to work on the steps to set you up.

Step 1: Decide on a Review Website or Platform

You’re not limited to choosing a single platform, so trying several at once is an option. Try signing up for two or three options.

You can choose one survey platform and mix it up with a product review site. You don’t need to submit anything yet. Use this chance to familiarize how the portals work.

Step 2: Choose a Product to Review or Surveys to Take

Once you feel comfortable navigating the website, start answering surveys or writing reviews.

Give your honest opinion or response, and don’t dwell on an item for so long. There’s no right or wrong answer, and you won’t be penalized for providing your viewpoint.

Step 3: List Down Product or Service Pros and Cons

This applies to product or service reviews requiring specifics of an item. This should be easy if you’re familiar with the product.

Otherwise, research from various reliable sites and note common features highlighted by other users.

Step 4: Identify Features and Pricing

Price and specifications are two elements that buyers use to decide on a purchase. Ensure you get accurate data on prices and specs from major online shopping sites or company websites.

Step 5: Start Writing Reviews on Both the Technical and Personal Aspects

Combine the tech side of a product with how you feel using them. This adds personality to your review and makes it more relatable for readers.

Things to Consider When Writing Reviews for Money

Writing reviews can be fun and profitable if you choose a reliable platform. Other than that, you’ll also need to consider the following:

Personal Expertise

What do you specialize in? Niche gigs like software reviews may be your best pick if you have a technical background in the topic and are familiar with its jargon.

If it’s your first review, starting with topics you’re interested in is a great way to kick-start the gig.

Time Availability

How often do you plan to write reviews? The extra money you earn depends on the quantity you produce, and platforms price them differently.

If you’re eyeing to take home a certain figure, you’ll need to create a schedule and decide what review to write at what time.

Review Website

This can refer to your preferred review platform or your personal review blog. Decide what review type you’d want to focus on.

Will you only take on surveys, or are you into product and service reviews?

Long-form reviews take longer to submit, but they also pay better. Surveys are the easiest and are often the most competitive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to the questions most people considering writing reviews for money ask:

What is the Best Niche to Review?

There isn’t any published data specifying niches you should review. Still, a great way to get the ball rolling is to begin with consumer-favorite industries like technology, books, cosmetics, fashion, and health. Usually, these companies are the ones that invest in market research and paid surveys.

How Long Does it Take to Write Reviews?

This depends on what you’re writing about. Complete surveys can last for 3 to 5 minutes, whereas book reviews can go up to a week, including the time spent reading the material.

Simple product entries, like apps or software reviews, can be done in minutes to a few hours.

Similar Ways to Get Paid

Is writing not your cup of tea? Here are other great alternatives to earn extra money online:

• How to Sell Notes : Are you skilled at note-taking? Learn how to sell your notes online from the best platforms that offer decent pay.
• Get Paid to Go to School Online : Here’s your chance to save money and get online education from trusted universities that provide huge discounts and competent allowances.

Wrapping Up

There’s a solid demand for well-written reviews that many companies worldwide are willing to pay. Earning decent cash and rewards is straightforward if you know where to look.

Use our list to start earning during your free time, and let us know which option you think is best!

Have you tried writing reviews online? What platform do you recommend?

Brett Helling is the founder and owner of Gigworker.com. Having worked in the gig economy for nearly a decade, he has mastered freelance, remote, and app-based work. You can learn more about his journey in his book, "Gigworker: Independent Work and the State of the Gig Economy", now available on Amazon.

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How To Get Paid To Write Reviews – My 16 Favorite Ways

Did you know that 86% of consumers read local reviews when searching for products/services in their area, and reviews can be almost as powerful as personal recommendations.

So, it's no surprise that many brands and companies are willing to pay you to share your opinion about them. And that's why you can actually get paid to write reviews if you know where to look.

In this post, I'm covering 10+ of the best ways to write reviews for money that you can use to make some extra money on the side.

One of the ideas in this article even paid me $50 for just 10 minutes of my time, and there are plenty of other companies and websites that also pay quite well.

Looking for other easy ways to share your opinion for cash? Checkout :

• Branded Surveys   – A popular survey site that pays you with PayPal and free gift cards.
• Swagbucks – A fun way to get free gift cards and PayPal cash for completing easy online tasks!

The Best Ways To Write Reviews For Money

I've been testing out different ways to make money online for years. And in that time, I've been paid for writing countless reviews as a freelance writer, as well as by different companies and paid review platforms.

1. Start A Review-Based Blog

I want to include blogging as a way to write reviews for money because, in my opinion, this is the most sustainable method out of everything I have listed.

Starting your own blog and growing an audience, while difficult and time consuming, can present a lot of money making opportunities.

It didn't take me too long to create a $100/month blog. And these days, WebMonkey makes over $20k a month between Mediavine display ads and affiliate marketing .

In fact, my blog made $272,000 in 2022 , so this is personal proof that you can get paid to write reviews. And if you enjoy writing content in a niche that is popular for influencer marketing, you can definitely start making money with product or service reviews.

Just take a look at this review-based blog, WireCutter, down below. They write in-depth product guides and reviews about things like electronics and appliances, and the website earns commissions if readers end up purchasing the products they review.

It might take many months or years to grow a sufficient following, but this is a route you can embark on. Besides, affiliate sales + advertisement revenue are also factors to consider.

2. G2 Crowd

G2 Crowd is another one of my favorite ways to get paid for writing reviews, and it's actually one I use regularly to get free money .

With 700,000+ verified reviews G2 Crowd is definitely a major player in the space, but they have the same never-ending need to keep the positive (and paid for) reviews coming in.

And I know this is a legit way to write reviews for money since I actually earned a $50 USD free Amazon gift card for writing a review of PartnerStack, an affiliate management platform I use for this blog .

All I had to do was look for the opportunity on G2 crowd, share my experience with PartnerStack, and then upload some screenshots for proof that I use the software.

This was an easy way to make $50 fast , and plenty of other software reviews pay $10 or more on G2 Crowd.

3. Become A Freelance Writer

Like blogging, another lucrative option to get paid to write reviews is to make money with freelance writing .

I've been a freelance writer for the last three to four years. In this time, clients have paid me thousands of dollars to write review content for their websites. And I even got a full-time writing gig at one point  just  writing reviews every day as a freelance writer.

Freelance writing also gave me the freedom to quit my office job and make more money. And these days, I write full-time, traveling the world while making money with a laptop .

The downside to this online side hustle is that it takes time to find clients. But I made a video that shares how to find freelance writing gigs so you can get started.

You can also find easy writing gigs by looking for beginner jobs on Upwork , Fiverr, and remote job boards like FlexJobs . And I've even found gigs by asking my network in the past.

Overall, this is one of the more consistent, lucrative ways to write reviews for money. And it can even turn into a full-time job!

4. Amazon Vine

If you shop and review items on Amazon frequently, you may end up being invited to join Amazon Vine . And this is one of my favorite ways to write product reviews for money.

Amazon invites trusted reviewers to write reviews for new or pre-released items on the Amazon marketplace. The goal of Amazon Vine is to ultimately help other consumers make better purchasing decisions .

Vine members receive free products in return for their reviews. So, it's technically a way to get paid for reviews, and you can always sell the products you receive down the line on Facebook or Craigslist to make some cash.

To become an Amazon Vine reviewer , you must have a high reviewer rank and be invited. Reviewer rank reflects the quality and helpfulness of your product reviews, so keep this opportunity in mind the next time you write a product review!

Extra Reading – 18 Ways To Make Money On Amazon .

5. Write Fiverr Reviews

Now here's the funny thing about Fiverr and Amazon when it comes to writing reviews for money: Amazon actually sued over 1,000 fake Fiverr review writers in the past for this sort of stunt.

Fiverr used to be inundated with fake review offers, and while Fiverr fully complied with Amazon and banned sellers/restricted those sorts of gigs, there are plenty of people still trying to make a quick buck :

Some of these gigs even have the word ‘Amazon' in them, which I think is pretty damn funny considering the past lawsuit.

Anyway, Fiverr has a healthy mix of product, book, and Amazon review offerings, and while a lot of sellers are vying for free merchandise in exchange for their work, some clearly expect cash for a quick Amazon review or 5 star rating.

6. Private Facebook Groups

While Fiverr used to be the place to go if you wanted to write reviews for money, private Facebook groups are much more popular these days, especially for paid Amazon reviews .

A quick search of ‘Amazon Review Groups' in my search bar brought up plenty of budding communities of reviewers, and hundreds of posts are made in these groups on a daily basis:

As you can see, reviewers either get free products, massive discounts, or monetary compensation for providing positive feedback. Some groups require their members to be Amazon Sellers, but most don't.

This whole method definitely feels like an underground way to earn with review writing, and it honestly is, but this is the name of the game these days it would seem!

7. Local Classifieds

While this option to get paid to write reviews isn't as common, a search of ‘Amazon review' or ‘product review' on your local classifieds like Kijiji or Craigslist can turn up postings that offer free or discounted products in return for a favorable review.

Just check out the offer I found in my city on Kijiji : It gives you a free LED tape light strip if you test it and leave a review.

I have no idea if this is a scam or not, but these sorts of listings pop up pretty regularly. They do violate the terms and service from my understanding so they get taken down just as frequently, but hey, maybe there is some cash or freebies to be found here.

Extra Reading –  The Best Things To Sell On Facebook Marketplace .

8. TryProducts

Anotjher way you can snag free stuff is to try product review gigs with companies like TryProducts.com .

With TryProducts, you get free merchandise and everyday essentials sent to you for free. You then write a review/piece of feedback to help the brand improve its products.

TryProducts works with over 300 brands to give its members free stuff. Examples of products you can get in exchange for your reviews include:

• Beauty products
• Baking supplies
• Outdoor gear

This is a similar concept to companies like PINCHme , although it's only available in the United States. You won't get rich with this site either. But it's an easy way to score free stuff which is basically making money for writing reviews.

Learn more about TryProducts (U.S. only.)

9. Capterra Software Reviews

When it comes to the world of software reviews, Capterra is one of the largest players out there. From cloud computing to accounting software, Capterra is a one-stop-shop for everything you need to know when making a purchase decision on software.

Like all review-based websites, it's the user submitted content that actually creates value. Since Capterra is interested in compiling as many great reviews as possible from real customers to make more money (through affiliate/lead generation deals), they are willing to pay for reviews.

Now here's the thing: Capterra makes it very clear in their guidelines that they vet reviews and  only pay for reviews that pass approval.

When reviewing on Capterra, you verify your identity through LinkedIn, and as this Reddit thread describes , you might have to send screenshots of the software you are using/further proof you have real experience.

Regardless, if you frequently use software for work/school or are decent with language and can paraphrase other reviews, writing reviews on Capterra for money seems like an easy flow of $10 gift cards.

10. Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus was actually founded in 1933, and the Kirkus Reviews magazine is a successful magazine that brings the latest and greatest book reviews to readers around the world.

Kirkus is also currently looking for experienced book reviewers of English or Spanish works, and you can apply for the job on their website.

Just note, reviews are generally around 350 words and are expected to be completed 2 weeks following a book assignment, so slow readers should shy away from this one!

11. Gartner Peer Insights

Gartner is another popular software/technology review website, and like Capterra, the only way Gartner can provide value is through continuing to grow their list of user reviews and resources.

Like Capterra, Gartner is also willing to pay users to review software and offers a rate of $25 per verified review and a total of 10 reviews per year .

So, if you actually use a lot of software, this could be a decent way to make an additional $250 a year without much problem. Similarly, if you are looking for a new side hustle idea and don't have any ethical qualms about paraphrasing, you could probably make a quick buck anyway.

This Reddit thread breaks down some payment proof and tips for writing reviews on Gartner, and you should note that you need a business email address  to work for this program…No Gmail or Outlook.

Extra Reading – How To Make $100 A Day On PayPal .

12. ApperWall

I'm using Apperwall for an example of how you can make money by reviewing apps or games but this website is really one amidst a sea of other sketchy platforms that sort of work.

The premise behind Apperwall is simple: create and verify your account/phone, and then earn money for downloading and reviewing specific apps.

Apperwall and similar websites generally pay out between $0.25-$1.50 for accepted reviews, but the main issue with these platforms is that they tend to come and go.

Writing fake reviews is against the Google PlayStore or App Store terms of service, so these companies rarely have a smooth ride. However, if you do a bit of research or even try out Apperwall for yourself, you might be able to make some decent side income in your spare time.

I've actually written a post that covers ways to make money by testing websites and games , and I would argue that user testing work is higher paying and more reliable than app review writing, so this is another option to consider as well!

Extra Reading – How To Make Money Playing Video Games .

13. Online Book Club

Online Book Club is exactly what it sounds like…An online book club.

On OBC, the process is simple. Each day a free or heavily discounted e-book will be announced, and users have the opportunity to read and review (if they wish) the book.

While most readers will probably not make money for their reviews, the most popular reviews can earn up to $50, and at the very worst this is just a straightforward way to get a bunch of free e-books every year.

If you are a serious fan of reading and like to voice your opinion for a chance to make money I'd recommend checking out Online Book Club!

You can read my OnlineBookClub.org review for all the details!

14. Other Book Reviewing Websites

If you want to get paid to write book reviews, there are plenty of other options publications or websites out there currently hiring reviewers, including:

• BookBrowse.com
• TheUsReview.com
• NewPages.com
• AnySubject.com
• PublishersWeekly.com

Just keep in mind, a lot of these publications are very competitive, so don't expect easy money from the world of online book reviews!

15. Start A YouTube Channel

Alright, I know this isn't exactly a way to write reviews for cash, but the premise is the exact same.

If you're an expert on something, you might be able to share your opinion for it on the internet and to basically get paid to give advice .

If you've ever searched for a product/service review on YouTube, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Hell, you don't even have to be an expert. After all, channels like Ryan ToyReview grossed more than 20 million in revenue in 2018 , and the channel is run by a kid.

Granted, you probably won't become the next Ryan, but if you have a passion for a niche you can probably take a crack at YouTube or blogging just to see how things turn out. You might be surprised at the results after a few months of hard work!

Extra Reading – How To Make Money On YouTube .

16. Try Slice The Pie

While Slice The Pie isn't my cup of tea, it's another way you can make money writing music and product reviews if you're completely out of options.

In a nutshell, Slice The Pie lets you review :

• Accessories
• Various other products where you give overall brand feedback

Music is the most popular, and you have to listen to new tracks for at least 90 seconds and write a decent review. You don't earn much per review, maybe a few pennies to $0.05 to $0.10 at  most , and it takes $10 to cash out with PayPal.

But, if you're out of options and want to get paid to listen to music , you could check it out.

However, I'd probably try websites where you get paid to test websites and apps before trying Slice The Pie. You can also check out Slice The Pie review for more information.

Extra Reading – How To Get Paid To Review Movies .

Can You Get Paid To Write Fake Reviews?

Yes, you can get paid to write fake reviews since companies are willing to pay people for favorable reviews. This is especially true for ecommerce websites or brands selling on websites like Amazon. However, you can get banned for this, and it's not the sort of job that usually pays a lot of money .

Additionally, search engines and marketplaces like Amazon are getting better at detecting fraud, and they are also making an effort to remove and ban fake reviewers from their platforms because it detracts from their reliability.

If you are actually serious about making money through review writing, you will probably have to spend many hours of unpaid work building up history on your Amazon, Google, Yelp, or whatever other account you will be using .

I suggest remaining honest and only writing reviews for products or services you use, but hey, do whatever you have to do .

Additionally, you might want to have backup accounts at the ready in case you get banned or your reviews just automatically get flagged as spam.

In my opinion, the best way to gain from writing reviews is to ask for free products in exchange for reviews, or to create your own blog that is in a very narrow niche and to pitch sponsored posts to companies.

At the end of the day, I think fraudulent reviews are never going to disappear , and you can definitely use review writing to make extra money on the side, but I wouldn't bank on this one for a long term, life-sustaining hustle.

What's The Best Way To Get Started?

In my opinion, starting a review-based blog is the best way to get paid to write reviews.This is because blogging is a long-term strategy where you can build a brand people trust and turn to in order to find info about various products and services.

My blog is an example of this. I made $22,000 blogging in 2020 , and in 2021, WebMonkey earned $92,000 . I then earned nearly $300,000 in 2022.

App reviews and side hustle reviews have always been a massive part of my content strategy. So, this is a real-life example of how you can start writing reviews for money and turn it into a full-time job.

There are also  so  many ways to monetize your review blog. Affiliate links are the obvious example, but you can also run ads with companies like Monumetric or Mediavine. Additionally, starting a blog opens the door for sponsored posts, selling your own products, and coaching.

This is just my opinion, but if you want a long-term strategy, I definitely recommend starting your own blog!

Start a blog with SiteGround today and start making money!

Final Thoughts

I hope this guide on how to earn money by writing reviews clarifies the best methods to start out this side hustle.

As mentioned, I think it's important to be honest and never write fake reviews since doing so can get you into serious legal trouble. Plus, it isn't ethical!

But, there are still loads of legitimate methods and free online jobs out there you can use to make extra cash every month!

Extra Reading:

• 40+ Ways To Make Money Online .
• How To Become A Pinterest Manager .

Tom is a full-time blogger and freelance writer with a passion for side hustling, passive income, and making money online. His work has appeared on dozens of personal finance websites like Money Crashers, The College Investor, Forbes, and more.

Tom also founded the blog This Online World - a finance site dedicated to helping people make money online - in 2018. After 6 years, that site merged with WebMonkey, with the goal of helping even more people earn their first dollar of online income.

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How to Get Paid to Write Reviews Online (Up to $100 Each)

Here's how to get paid to write reviews online at up to $100 each.

Let me know what you think, ask me a question, or suggest something I cover in the future in the comments below!

Slice The Pie

At Slice the Pie, you get paid to review songs and fashion as well as refer new members.

You need $10 in your account before you can cash out via PayPal.

Referral code: U462C13E

Software Judge

If you want to get paid to review software, try Software Judge.

They pay around $50 per software review that is detailed and honest.

Want to make $100 per “Top 10” list post that you write? At Listverse you can get paid via PayPal to write “Top 10” posts in all sorts of categories.

At Kirkus, you can get paid around $50 each for 350 word book reviews.

Online Book Club

At Online Book Club, you can make $5-$60 per book review and you don't even need much experience.

US Review of Books

Although they don't specify exactly how much they pay per review, US Review of Books pays you to write 250-300 word books reviews.

The books are assigned to you and the review will usually be due within 2-3 weeks.

Publishers Weekly

At Publishers Weekly, you can get paid around $25 per book review if you get a job as a reviewer.

Check their jobs page frequently and apply ASAP because these gigs seem to go pretty fast.

Women's Review of Books

At Women's Review of Books, you can get paid $100 per book review if you have experience.

Blogsvertise

Want to get paid to publish product reviews or sponsored posts on your own blog instead of someone else's?

At Blogsvertise, you can get paid via PayPal to connect with brands and make deals to earn revenue from affiliate links, referrals, clicks, ads, etc.

At G2, you can earn $10-$25 per business software review that you get published. Payment is usually via Amazon or Starbucks gift cards.

To make an account with G2, you will be required to provide a screenshot that proves you use the business software or app you're reviewing.

More Make Money Online Gigs to Check Out:

14 replies to "how to get paid to write reviews online (up to $100 each)".

Hi Justin, my name is Sharon, I’ve been following you for a while, and it seems all the site are not for me. I live in NJ, I am young grandmother whose trying to build an online business but also very family oriented. I feel like I’ll never find a LEGIT way GOD Bless.

Hi Sharon, I believe the best thing you can do is find a business that allows you to leverage your strengths. Think about what you like doing, what you’re good at, what your personality type is and maybe go for something that checks those boxes. I hope that helps!

hi justin my name is lillian i have no experence , in all these area… really need a job in the hotel housekeeping over seas can you help please send information [email protected]

How do i become a review writer

This is an awesome list of things to do from home. I just wanted to add a little bit more to the blog idea you shared. You can carry that a step further and get a website, buy a domain name, and then put all of the sites you freelance for that have referred codes that will pay you anytime someone clicks on your link through whatever money making idea that you are sharing. Just don’t forget to state openly and honestly that you will be benefiting from their going through your page.

Great article

Ok how do we make money

Thanks for sharing. I tried Listverse but I am yet to hear from them. Maybe they didn’t approve my post. I will not give up but try others that you have shared. Thanks

Hi Justin, I am Adil from India and 19 years old. As a college student in India, we didn’t have any source to earn. We cant work on some shop for some income. I request you to make a video or write a blog on this topic. If you need further details on these things, then you can mail me. Please do something.

Thanks for all this info, it was an eye opener for me during lockdown.

Thanks for this

Thanks Man, great job but You failed to tell us where this things works and where they don’t (countries)

There are 2 broken links on here as they no longer exist Slice The Pie and Blogsvertise (the link you have in the article isn’t there anymore) abd Women’s Reviews of Books links to Wellesley Women’s Center

Thank you! I fixed the links

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12 Legit Ways to Get Paid to Read Books

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While reading is often a one-person activity, odds are there are thousands of people that would benefit from your newly found knowledge. Here's how to cash in on your perusal of parchment.

• Side Hustles

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Some of the best side hustle ideas are the ones that combine making money with a favorite hobby or passion. For avid readers, a side gig that pays you to read books could sound like a dream come true.

But can you actually get paid to read books? Surprisingly, you can and there are multiple ways to earn a side income from your love of books. Professional reader jobs do exist, and they can offer a way to make money from your favorite reading spot.

If you’d like to get paid to read books online, here are some of the best ways for book lovers to make money.

Sites That Pay You to Write Book Reviews

One way to get paid to read books is by writing book reviews. Book review sites ask readers to share their opinions in a detailed review and offer payment in the form of cash or free books.

Here are some of the most popular review sites to make money reading books.

1. The US Review of Books

Pay rate: Varies per review

The US Review of Books hires experienced reviewers who want to earn money reading books online. With this company, book review opportunities are posted and assigned based on your experience, skillset, and reading interests.

If you want to write for the US Review of Books, you’ll need to apply first. The site asks for a resume and samples of your writing. You’ll also need at least two professional references if you want to be considered. They prefer reviews that are short, succinct, and professionally written, so make sure the samples you’re sending meet those criteria.

The US Review of Books pays for completed book reviews monthly, with checks sent out on the 5th day of each month.

Related: How to Get Paid to Write Reviews

2. Kirkus Media

Kirkus Media is one of the most established and well-known book review companies around. This company looks for book reviewers who are fluent in English and/or Spanish to review indie book titles.

Reviews are typically around 350 words each and have a two-week turnaround time. If you’d like to apply, you’ll need to email their review editor with a resume, some writing samples, and a rundown of what you specialize in as a book reviewer.

Before you can get paid to read books online with Kirkus Media, it helps if you have some experience as they do require a resume and some writing samples. If you also have editing experience, that may be worth mentioning as Kirkus occasionally hires editors.

3. Online Book Club

Pay rate: $5 to $60 per review

Online Book Club pays less than $100 per review, but it’s a good side hustle idea to consider if you want to earn a little extra money for your time spent reading.

You can apply to become a book reviewer through the Online Book Club website . It’s quick and easy to create an account and start reviewing books.

One thing to note, however, is that your first review isn’t paid; instead, you get a free copy of the book you’re reviewing. After that first one is completed, you can start getting paid to read and review books. And review copies of any subsequent books are also free.

4. Women’s Review of Books

Pay rate: Not specified

If you want to get paid to read books written by women or that center on women’s themes or issues, Women’s Review of Books is worth checking out. You can pitch ideas for book reviews directly to the editor.

The Women’s Review of Books generally prefers experienced reviewers, journalists, or readers with an academic background. But if you’re a good writer, consider applying anyway. You might be accepted as an online book reviewer based on the quality of your review writing samples.

5. Publisher’s Weekly

Publisher’s Weekly is a news magazine dedicated to the book publishing industry. In addition to the latest updates and trends, they also publish book reviews written by freelance writers and book reviewers.

The pay isn’t specified, but this could be a great option if you want to make money reading books and you prefer a variety in the genres you read. Publisher’s Weekly publishes book reviews on everything from sci-fi to romance, nonfiction, and horror.

You can check their online listings to see if any professional reader jobs are available. When you’re ready to apply, you’ll need a resume and a couple of well-written book review samples.

6. WordsRated

Pay Rate: $200 per completed book 

Not quite a book review per se, WordsRated is a non-commercial research company that studies book and reading trends, and shares that data with the public. 

Similarly, however, you’ll be asked to read popular books — usually New York Time best-sellers — and record notes about the characters, their demographics, how frequently they make appearances, and the like. 

It’s actually rather mundane, easy work, but the pay is amongst the best of any review company: $200 per completed book. 

Other Ways to Make Money Reading Books

Book review companies aren’t the only way to get paid to read books. Depending on how much time and creativity you have, you could make money reading with any of these options.

7. Become an audiobook narrator.

Audiobooks have grown in popularity thanks to companies like Audible. If you have a good speaking voice and a talent for acting, you could get paid to read books out loud as a narrator.

This is a side hustle you can do at home, which is good if you need a flexible way to make money. It requires minimal equipment; all you’ll need is a microphone and a way to record your voice. You might even go into a studio to record the book if that’s available.

If you’re interested in finding audiobook narrator jobs, you can try sites like ACX or Voices.com. Upwork is another place to look for paid audiobook narration jobs.

8. Start a book review blog, YouTube channel, or podcast.

If you want to get paid to read books and write reviews but you don’t want to work with a book review company, you could monetize your reading skills with a blog, YouTube channel, or podcast.

There are a variety of ways to make money with a book review blog, including:

• Earning money from book referral affiliate sales
• Selling digital printables such as a reading tracker or book journal
• Partnering with authors or publishing companies to write sponsored posts
• Hosting ads on your site

Starting a blog is something just about anyone can do, even if you don’t have stellar technical skills. If you’re interested in this but aren’t sure what to do to set up a blog, check out our step-by-step guide .

If writing isn’t your strength or you want to try a different medium, you can set up a YouTube channel or podcast to review books. Those can be monetized through affiliate partnerships with sites like Bookshop.org, sponsorships, and ads. You might even offer a premium paid subscription to your podcast.

9. Become a freelance book review writer.

If you have decent writing skills, you can turn that into a side hustle as a freelance book review writer.

Freelance book review writers work with different companies and brands. For example, you might write reviews or content for sites like BuzzFeed Books, Book Riot, or BookBub in addition to your own blog. And as a freelancer, you’re not an employee making this different from working as a professional reader.

Writing book reviews on a freelance basis can be a good way to make money reading books if you want something flexible that fits around your schedule.

Related: How to Become a Freelance Writer

10. Become a book proofreader or editor.

Before books are published, they go through multiple rounds of edits and proofreading. Editors review the content of a book and make revisions to help improve the flow, clarity, and organization of ideas. Proofreaders review what’s written to check for spelling errors, grammar errors, punctuation mistakes, and capitalization errors.

If you don’t have any professional editing or proofreading experience, those are skills you can learn. Taking an online course, for example, can help you learn the basics of how to make money proofreading . You can also try testing out your services on sites like Fiverr before trying to turn proofreading or editing into a side hustle or full-time job.

11. Become a freelance beta reader.

Beta readers get paid to read books when they’re in the finished manuscript stage and awaiting final publication. A beta reader’s job is to read the manuscript and offer a critique from a reader’s point of view. That critique can then be used to polish the final manuscript so the book can eventually be published.

Becoming a freelance beta reader requires an eye for detail and fluency in the language of the books you’re asked to read.

If you’re interested in finding freelance beta reader jobs, you can try a site like Upwork or Fiverr or search an online job board like Indeed.

12. Learn a new skill and implement it.

If you want to get paid to read books online, you could always come up with your own creative way to do it. For example, translating books is one option if you’re fluent in another language.

You could offer your services as an eBook formatter if you’re willing to learn the different online publishing platforms. You might even offer cover design, book marketing services, or author coaching services.

There’s an endless amount of possibilities you can offer if you want to get paid to read books.

Do What You Love and Monetize Your Reading Hobby

Having a hobby is great but having a hobby that makes you money is even better. If you love to read, finding ways to get paid to do it is a great side hustle idea. And you can always try different ideas to see which one works best.

Starting a book review blog, for example, could be lucrative over the long-term if you’re able to monetize it. But in the meantime, you could earn some quick cash writing book reviews or picking up freelance proofreading jobs online.

The more open you are to experimenting, the more possibilities there are for getting paid to read.

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6 of the Best Ways to Get Paid to Read Books

Need some extra cash? Get paid to read books by writing books reviews for magazines and publications. Here’s how it’s done.

Arvyn Cerezo

Arvyn Cerezo 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 Cerezo

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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eBiz Facts is reader-supported. When you buy with our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more .

Updated: September 4, 2023

Get Paid To Read Books

11 legit ways to make money from your reading habit.

This is the definitive guide on how to get paid to read books 📚

I’ve been working online for several years and spent 15 hours researching what you can do to earn cash remotely if you love to read.

If you want to:

• Learn the best ways to earn money reading books
• Understand the pros and cons of reading jobs
• Know where to get started finding jobs as a book reviewer, narrator, editor, translator and lots of other reading-related jobs

Then this is the guide for you.

📚 How To Make Money Reading Books: 11 Best Ways

There are several ways to make money reading books. Here are the 11 best. They start off fairly easy and tend to get harder as you go down the list.

• Reading Books Via Apps Using a smartphone, tablet or any other digital reader to read for cash.
• Writing Book Reviews Reading books then writing a review telling people what you thought.
• Writing Book Summaries Breaking down the main themes, concepts or plot of a book into a small text.
• Proofreading Reading books and checking for errors, continuity issues or whether books meet a specific criteria.
• Editing Reading books and correcting errors. Or improving books for readability.
• Reading Books Aloud Narrating books and converting them to audiobooks.
• Translating Books Reading books in one language and translating them to another.
• Blogging About Books Starting a blog talking about the books you read.
• Podcasting About Books Recording your thoughts about books for others to listen.
• Starting a YouTube Channel About Books Becoming a “booktuber” and making videos about the books you read.
• Publishing Books Reading books, forming a partnership with authors and marketing them to the public.

Let’s take a deeper dive into each.

Get Paid To Read Books Via Apps

Getting paid to read books via apps is easy to get started with.

You get paid for the amount of words you read. 

🤑 How Much Can You Earn Reading Books via Apps?

Earnings are relatively low compared to other ways to make money online . 

$0.25 to $1 is the typical range for about 20,000 words ( source ). 20,000 words would take the average reader at least 2 hours to finish, according to Words to Time .

Most apps also pay via a point system. 

😎 Legit Places to Make Money Reading Books via Apps

• Booksta Read and earn coins that you can later redeem for gift cards. Popular vendors include Amazon, eBay and Delta Air Lines.
• Bookshout Another similar app but you can’t earn cash. You can only redeem points for ebooks in their store.

🤓 What Skills Do I Need to Make Money Reading Books via Apps?

Skills that could help you include:

• Fast reading ability (but natural enough that speed trackers don’t suspect foul play)
• Concentration and focus

📱 What Equipment Do I Need to Read Books via Apps?

You can get started with most apps with only a smartphone. 

A tablet or eReader, thanks to larger screens, could help improve reading speed.

The Pros and Cons of Getting Paid to Read Books Via Apps

• Very easy to get started
• Read the books you want
• Extremely low pay 
• Most apps don’t allow direct cashouts
• Limited choice of books

Get Paid To Write Book Reviews

An experienced book reviewer writing for high-profile websites can make good money from reading books.

Most people get started leaving honest reviews on websites like Amazon and Goodreads first, then graduate to paid work later.

🤑 How Much Can You Earn As a Book Reviewer?

Earnings are variable. For many clients, you’ll be expected to pitch a rate. Typical earnings range between $10 to $100 per review .

😎 Legit Places to Get Paid Writing Book Reviews

Here are 4 legit sites that pay writers per review .

• Online Book Club : Pays anything between $5 to $60 per book review .

Other sites that pay freelancers for book reviews but aren’t that clear on rates include:

• Dog Eared Reviews Book marketing company that pays for positive (4 stars and above) reviews only.
• Kirkus Media Looks for 350-word reviews of books of all genres.
• NetGalley Connects publishers with readers via a membership platform.
• Publishers Weekly Sometimes offers freelance positions for reviewers and editors.
• Tyndale Blog Network Rewards users with points for social media shares and quizzes more than reviews.
• U.S. Review of Books Asks for 300-500 word book reviews. Pays monthly.

Gain more experience reviewing books and the potential to earn (or turn it into a full-time gig) could be a reality.

Here are some high profile places you could land freelance opportunities . You’ll have to pitch the editorial team for each.

• Chicago Review of Books
• NewYorker.com

Most big news and culture sites pay book reviewers well.

A few book review sites that give advanced book copies in exchange for reviews include (but don’t pay for reviews):

• Book Browse
• Moody Press
• Lola’s Blog Tours
• Bethany House

🤓 What Skills You’ll Need to Be Successful Reviewing Books

To be successful in book reviewing you’ll need to be able to write well, give honest reviews and work to tight deadlines.

Freelance writing courses could help. Earn More Writing scores well according to our review .

💻 What Equipment You’ll Need to Review Books

You’ll only need a computer and basic word processing software to get started.

The Pros and Cons of Writing Book Reviews

• Creative (it’s fun to share your opinion on the books you read)
• Chance to develop a strong writing portfolio
• Can potentially earn up to $100 per review
• Don’t always get to choose the books to review
• Many authors/publishers will pressure you to give good reviews
• Many review sites don’t pay (they give advanced copies)

Get Paid To Write Book Summaries

Summaries are becoming more popular with people too busy to read books.

Getting paid to write them is another legit way to earn.

🤑 How Much Can You Earn Writing Book Summaries?

The best gigs, with well-known companies like Blinkist and GetAbstract , are usually full-time.

This article estimates similar content writing positions paying around $75,000 per year . Don’t take this as the norm though, you’ll need extensive experience to land anything near this.

😎 Legit Places to Get Started Writing Book Summaries

Here are 2 legit places to earn cash writing book summaries :

• Booklist Publications Pays $12.50 for 175-word book summaries. Also pays out $5 for rejections.
• New Pages Looks for 100 to 200-word summaries on books or literary magazines. Doesn’t specify pay.

🤓 What Skills You’ll Need to Write Book Summaries

To do well writing book summaries you’ll need the ability to read fast and distil things down to a few major points.

Skills are similar to those needed by book reviewers.

💻 What Equipment You’ll Need Writing Book Summaries

A computer and basic word processing software.

The Pros and Cons of Writing Book Summaries

• Upward trending industry with increasing opportunities
• Book summary websites and apps are on the rise
• Summaries can be harder to write than reviews
• Might not be able to choose the books you summarize

Get Paid To Proofread Books

Proofreading is an important part of the publishing process. Authors or publishing companies will sometimes pay you to read texts first before they go out to the public.

This is a role that’s slowly becoming more automated, especially with tools like Grammarly.

🤑 How Much Can You Earn Proofreading?

Basic book proofreading jobs don’t pay that well. But when combined with other writing-based roles, especially editing and writing, you can expect to make anything between $35,000 – $120,000 for a full time remote position.

It’s possible to work with publishing houses directly as a proofreader. Doing so can often lead to higher paying opportunities. It involves reaching out and making contacts though. 

😎 Legit Places to Get Started Proofreading

The best places to get started proofreading are the same as those we recommend for finding editing jobs : Flexjobs, Upwork and PeoplePerHour.

Similar opportunities to find work proofreading include getting paid to read manuscripts. AgentQuery is a good site to check out if that’s something you’re interested in. Sometimes they post book review opportunities too.

• More info about proofreading jobs

🤓 What Skills You’ll Need to Be Successful Proofreading

Entry level proofreading jobs require only basic skills.

You’ll need to have a close eye for detail and be able to communicate any errors quickly.

💻 What Equipment You’ll Need For Proofreading

Basic computer equipment only.

The Pros and Cons of Proofreading

• Minimal skills needed for basic proofreading
• Though it’s not easy to find ‘proofreading only’ jobs for books (most look for writing and editing skills)

Get Paid To Read and Edit Books

Experienced editors have lots of opportunities when it comes to earning cash via reading.

Their role is important in helping to make texts easier to read. Most editors combine their work with other skills like proofreading and copywriting to increase their hourly rates.

🤑 How Much Can You Earn Editing Books?

The median salary for book editors is around $59,000 per year .

Many top level editors can make more than this, especially if they have direct connections with big publishers. 

Entry-level editing work usually pays in the region of $10 – 20 per hour.

😎 3 Legit Places to Get Started Editing Books

• FlexJobs There are lots of remote editing opportunities here. Most are US-based full-time positions but there are lots of freelance and part-time positions listed too.
• Upwork Upwork is the place to go for freelance or hourly-based editing positions. A few of their recent listings include positions editing short stories in paranormal romance, non fiction business books and childrens books.
• PeoplePerHour Many editors get started advertising their services here and taking on short-term gigs to build their experience. You’ll notice lots of proofreading and editing opportunities here.

🤓 What Skills You’ll Need Editing Books

Most top level editors have a range of skills. These include:

• Proofreading Editors skim texts and identify problems
• Grammatical changes Editors have a high command of the language and know how to use grammar precisely
• Writing Changing wording to improve readability 

A lot of these skills can be developed and improved through courses. Check out our articles:

• Best Copy Editing Courses on Udemy
• Best Writing Courses on Udemy
• Earn More Writing Course Review

💻 What Equipment You’ll Need Editing Books

You don’t need any specialist equipment to make a good living in editing. A basic computer set-up should be enough.

The Pros and Cons of Editing Books

• You get to read and help shape the books you read
• Experienced and well-regarded editors can make good livings working from home
• Many people competing for the same types of jobs
• More info about editing jobs

Get Paid To Read Books Aloud

Getting paid to read books aloud sounds like a dream gig for a keen reader.

You get to read and others get to listen to the audio recording of the book. It’s not as easy as it sounds however.

🤑 How Much Can You Earn Reading Books Aloud?

There’s no such thing as typical earnings when it comes to narrating or reading books aloud. Pay depends on the length and type of book. The more experienced you are the more you’re likely to earn.

Business books tend to pay more than short children’s books. Especially those written by established authors. Most books in this genre pay around $50 – 100 per finished hour on sites like ACX.

Jobs are almost always on a freelance basis , meaning earnings are less dependable than some of the other full-time options on this list.

😎 The Best Place To Get Started Reading Books Aloud

Amazon’s ACX is like a freelance marketplace for publishers looking to convert texts into audiobooks.

Connecting narrators and sound engineers to authors or publishing groups, you have to audition for gigs. Each new listing shows reading time and earning rate (usually per finished hour).

Voices and Bunny Studio are two other places to explore but most opportunities are for things like adverts or podcasts rather than audiobooks.

🤓 What Skills You’ll Need To Read Books Aloud

Most narrators scoring gigs at ACX are trained actors with a background in theatre or film.

You’ll need a good reading voice and understanding of pacing to do well.

💻 What Equipment You’ll Need To Read Books Aloud

Reading books aloud needs some specialist equipment. Basic things include:

• Voice editing software
• Access to a soundproof studio

The Pros and Cons of Reading Books Aloud

• Can choose which books to read
• Highly competitive
• Pay can be misleading (you get paid for an hour of finished audiobook, not an hour of work)

Get Paid to Read and Translate Books

Getting paid to read a book and translate it into another language is a highly technical skill.

To make it work you’ll need an audience in the language you’re translating a book to or from. 

🤑 How Much Can You Earn Reading and Translating Books?

The pay in translation work varies a lot. Generally it depends on three factors:

• Language competency

The better you are in each the higher hourly rate you’ll be able to command. But you’ll also need to work in languages that are in high demand. 

Less widely spoken languages seem to have less competition when it comes to jobs though.

😎 Legit Places To Get Started Translating Books

The best places to find translation jobs are the same as those for editing and proofreading work. These all require working in English to some extent.

• FlexJobs Recent opportunities here include German, French, Italian and Japanese book translation work. Earning ranges from $25 – $30 per hour.
• Upwork Book translations aren’t as common as stand-alone article translation work but they still appear regularly. Earnings range from $6 – $25 per hour.

More options and info about translation jobs .

💻 What Equipment You’ll Need To Read and Translate Books

Basic computer equipment is all you’ll need.

🤓 What Skills You’ll Need To Read and Translate Books

Aside from having mastery in another language, you’ll also need these skills:

• Writing ability
• Communication
• Organization

The Pros and Cons of Reading and Translating Books

• Regular opportunities (especially for widely spoken languages)
• Don’t get to choose what to read
• Competition for work (intense for commonly spoken languages)

Freelance 👉 Authority

Most of the options listed so far can be considered freelance work. Freelancing is one of the easiest ways to get started earning money online .

The next few options are more about building an authority business . These kinds of businesses can be more rewarding creatively and financially, but it usually takes more time and effort to see results.

Get Paid To Blog About Books

Starting a blog about books gives you a lot of creative control over what you can read.

It also opens up the possibility of more monetization options. But you’ll need a broad skill-set – successful bloggers don’t just read and write!

🤑 How Much Can You Earn Blogging About Books?

Blog earnings are variable. Work hard and it’s possible to make a full-time living (and more).

Here are the ways most bloggers make money:

• Amazon Affiliates Make a commission from recommending books and reading-related products on Amazon (eg. tablets and Kindle devices). The higher the cost of the item, the more money you’ll make, but Amazon’s commission rates are notoriously low, usually less than 5% of the purchase price.
• Display advertising Placing ads on your blog is another way to increase your earnings. The more traffic you can drive to your site, the more impressions the ads will get. You’ll make more as a result. Popular ad platforms include Ezoic, AdThrive and Mediavine.
• Sponsored posts Sometimes publishers of product marketers will pay you to promote things on your blog. Usually they’ll do this by providing a guest post talking about their product or service.

😎 Legit Blogs About Books That Earn Money

There are many legit blogs centered on reading books. Here are two interesting ones:

• Brainpickings Brainpickings started as an email series set up by Maria Popova talking about the lessons she was learning from books, creativity and art. Originally intended to be shared among her colleagues in advertising, Brainpickings has since grown into a blog that’s read by over 7 million people monthly. It’s monetized mainly by donations.
• Nat Eliason Nat Eliason has grown his personal blog into a monetization machine that promotes his courses and marketing business. The site gets a lot of traction thanks to Nat’s book notes (a category he calls “The Brain”). There are over 250 books covered here, mainly non-fiction. Nat earns from packaging these notes as well as affiliate commissions through Amazon.

🤓 What Skills You’ll Need to Read and Blog About Books

To do well in blogging you’ll need a broad skill-set. You’ll need to have some technical experience setting up a site and using a content management system like WordPress.

You’ll also need to be persistent, disciplined and resilient. It can take a long time to get results.

💻 What Equipment You’ll Need to Read and Blog About Books

You only need a basic computer set-up to get started blogging. 

The Pros and Cons of Reading and Blogging About Books

• High earning potential (if you succeed)
• You get to choose what to read and write about
• Need a big audience to earn well
• Return on investment is slow (you could be blogging for years before you’re able to earn money)

Get Paid To Podcast About Books

Just like blogging, you can earn by podcasting about books. A lot of the pros and cons are similar.

🤑 How Much Can You Earn Podcasting About Books?

Podcasts mainly earn by paid sponsorship. The amount you can earn depends on the number of downloads from listeners.

Industry standards are around $20 – 25 per 1000 listens for a 60-second mid-roll promotion ( source ).

Patreon is another popular way to earn money from podcasting. Subscribers pay a monthly recurring fee for early access.

😎 Legit Podcasts About Books That Earn Money

• Book Riot A weekly podcast connected to another successful book blog. Has over 400 episodes available for public download.
• So Many Damn Books Popular podcast run by two New York-based book-enthusiasts that earns from both Patreon donations and advertising sponsorship.
• Book Fight Another two-person podcast that earns from Patreon and commissions from book sales made through Book Fight’s website. 

🤓 What Skills You’ll Need to Podcast About Books

To make a good podcast you’ll need sound recording, editing and software skills.

You’ll also need strong research and organization skills to plan podcasts, book guests and publicize your show. 

💻 What Equipment You’ll Need to Podcast About Books

As well as basic computing equipment you’ll want a good microphone.

Access to a soundproofed studio could also help improve production quality.

The Pros and Cons of Podcasting About Books

• You get to choose what to read and talk about
• Slow return on investment (you could be podcasting for years before you’re able to earn money)

Get Paid to Talk About Books on YouTube

YouTube is a creative and potentially lucrative platform to share your love of books and reading.

Becoming a successful “booktuber” isn’t easy however. There’s a lot of skills you’ll have to master.

🤑 How Much Can You Earn As a Booktuber?

Creators on YouTube monetize their videos via a mix of YouTube advertising, affiliate commissions and sponsorships. The more views you get, the more money you’ll make.

• See examples of YouTubers from different niches and how much money they make

😎 Legit Booktubers Earning Money Reading and Talking About Books

• PolandBananasBOOKS With over 400K subscribers, Christine Riccio makes weekly vlogs about books, comedy and everything in between. Some of her more popular videos discuss the Harry Potter and Twilight fiction series.
• Jessethereader Jesse is another big booktuber who does predictions, round-ups, unboxing and other fun book-related activities. His most watched videos are list-type comedy videos but he also has interviews, challenges and product reviews.
• Katytastic Kat talks about both reading and writing on her YouTube channel. Her updates are less frequent than the above examples but she’s still grown a sizable platform of 250K subscribers.

🤓 What Skills You’ll Need To Read and Talk About Books On YouTube

You’ll need to have some diverse skills to make it on YouTube. 

Video editing and recording skills are a must starting out. You’ll need to get comfortable talking in front of a camera and be creative when it comes to video topics.

Building a personal brand is crucial to making YouTube work.

💻 What Equipment You’ll Need To Read and Talk About Books On YouTube

You can get started making videos with basic video recording equipment on a decent smartphone or laptop. 

Develop a following and you could reinvest into more high-tech hardware and software later.

The Pros and Cons of Becoming A Booktuber

• Good earning potential (if you succeed)
• You get to choose what to read and make videos about
• You’ll probably need to sell your personality more than your love of reading
• Building an audience can take a while

Get Paid To Read Books As A Publisher

Starting a book publishing business could bring a lot of opportunities to read and discover new books and authors. Although it isn’t necessary, it’s definitely one perk of the job that will appeal to book lovers. 

🤑 How Much Can You Earn Publishing Books?

Running a publishing business isn’t easy. You won’t earn per hour or project. You’ll have to buy or negotiate the publishing rights to books and hope they sell well to earn a percentage.

How much you earn depends entirely on your business skills.

😎 The Best Sites To Get Started In Publishing

To do well in publishing you’ll need to tap into self-published authors and market their books effectively. Sites like Amazon and Goodreads can be great for this. Especially the new author or self-published categories of either site. 

Approaching bloggers or YouTubers that have good audiences is another idea. You could strike up book deals with these creators and negotiate a percentage of the sales on your behalf.

🤓 What Skills You’ll Need To Be Successful In Publishing

Doing well in publishing means doing well in business. To do that, you’ll need the following skills:

• An eye for talent
• Ability to negotiate (especially when it comes to royalties, commissions or percentages)
• Organization and management

💻 What Equipment You’ll Need To Get Started In Publishing

Starting out, it makes most sense to stick to digital books rather than paper.

A basic computer set-up is enough.

The Pros and Cons of Publishing

• High potential earnings (especially if you find and market a best-seller)
• Good business model for people with an existing platform (blog, YouTube channel, etc.)
• Very difficult to get started with
• Need strong business skills

💬 Know other ways you can get paid to read books?

If so, let us know in the comments below .

Other ways to make money online

There are many other ways to make money online, to work from home or anywhere in the world.

• Full list of ways to make money online
• More profiles of online money makers

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How Do You Get Paid for A Book Deal? – Insights & Beyond

• August 29, 2024

Writing a book requires a significant investment of time and work, requiring authors to consider the financial outcomes – it’s not greedy; it’s natural. While the subjective reward of producing meaningful work is undeniable, it is easy to doubt the monetary returns, particularly for a first book.

Good work is a reward on its own, be it done solely on your own or with the help of an author advertising agency . Though, yes, it’s challenging to put a price tag on the feelings of accomplishment that come with releasing a book and realizing it will contribute to your legacy for years to come. However, it’s entirely sensible to be curious about the financial returns your first book may yield.

The process of determining income from book sales often appears unknowable and covered in secrecy. In this blog, we will clarify this aspect by offering a clear and straightforward explanation of how authors receive compensation and, consequently, providing insights into the potential financial gains you can anticipate from your first book.

How Authors Are Paid ?

Understanding the intricacies of author compensation is crucial. Authors receive royalties from publishers, a compensation intricately linked to the book’s sales. No such thing exists as “standard book contract royalties.” The rates vary considerably, ranging from a modest 4 percent to a more lucrative 30 percent. Numerous factors influence the royalty rate, including the author’s role (sole author, coauthor, contributor), prior book sales history, retail price, publisher’s sales forecast, and market competition .

Royalties can be based on the retail price or the publisher’s “net receipts,” representing the revenue derived from sales. Suppose you secure a 14 percent royalty based on net receipts, and your book, priced at $15, sells 5,000 copies within the initial twelve months of release. Considering the common practice of publishers selling to retail outlets at a 50 percent discount or higher, the calculation unfolds as follows:

14 percent royalty x $15 retail price x 5,000 copies sold x 50 percent discount = $5,250.

Therefore, $5,250 signifies the royalty your book would accrue during its first year of publication. This example illuminates the tangible connection between sales, pricing, and royalties, providing a straightforward insight into the potential financial outcome of a debut book.

In short, while the fulfillment of bringing a book into the world is priceless, authors are justified in contemplating the financial fruits of their labor, as understanding the dynamics of book-based income allows for a more informed and realistic perspective on the journey ahead.

Decoding Working Dynamics : Understanding How Royalties & Advances Work

The connection between advances and royalties is subtle yet pivotal in the publishing world. Publishers , in their perceptive pursuit, pay an advance against anticipated royalties, a sum based on the number of copies they think will sell over some time —typically spanning a year. To exemplify, envision a publisher foreseeing a scenario similar to our earlier example and offering an advance of $5,000.

Suppose your book surpasses expectations, notching up to selling 5,000 more copies in a total of 10,000. This is where things will start to get interesting; imagine your agreement with your publisher dictating a royalty boost to 16 percent after the initial 5,000 copies. The intricate arithmetic unfolds as follows:

For the first 5,000 copies: 14 percent royalty x $15 retail price x 5,000 copies sold x 50 percent discount = $5,250.

Adding the following 5,000 copies: 16 percent royalty x $15 retail price x another 5,000 copies sold x 50 percent discount = $6,000.

The total is $11,250.

Often, publishers reserve a portion of sales to account for potential returns. However, assuming all 10,000 copies sold and didn’t return, your cumulative royalty income is $11,250.

If your initial advance was $5,000, the publisher acknowledges your literary success by disbursing an additional $6,250. The measure of royalty payments varies among publishers, but a widespread practice is a biannual disbursement—twice a year. This cadence coincides with the delivery of a royalty report, a detailed manuscript explaining the number of copies sold, and the corresponding dues destined for your authorial funds.

Factors Influencing

• Every factor in this equation substantially influences the ultimate sum.
• Your royalty rate is a variable subject to fluctuation (can be lower or higher).
• The retail price of your book, whether exceeding or falling below $14.99
• The publisher’s chosen discount percentage further sways the financial outcome, oscillating between more or less than 50 percent.
• The number of copies sold—embraces uncertainty, with figures likely deviating (lower or higher) than 5,000 or 10,000 copies.

In this complex equation, you can tweak any of these elements, observing the impact on the total. There is a tool, the Author Income Calculator, serving as your compass that empowers you to visualize the ripple effects of altering these factors, providing invaluable insights into the ever-shifting landscape of authorial earnings.

Unlocking Additional Revenue Streams for Authors

Authors, take note of a pivotal avenue for income generation—selling copies of your book. Publishers often extend an enticing opportunity known as an author’s “buyback discount,” enabling authors to purchase their books at a discount exceeding standard trade channels, particularly when acquiring a substantial quantity.

While these copies typically incur no royalties, they present a lucrative prospect for generating revenue. Consider this: procuring 1000 copies of your book at a compelling 65 percent off the retail price. The math on your cost reads as follows:

1000 copies x $15 retail x 35 percent (the percentage you pay after a 65 percent discount) = $5,250 + shipping.

Now, envision selling these copies throughout the year at the standard retail price of $15. A thousand copies multiplied by $15 results in $15,000. Deduct your cost and shipping, and you’ll likely exceed $9,000 in revenue.

This scenario unveils a potential income of over $9,000 from 1000 books sold, excluding any advance. Balancing this strategy is vital for both your rapport with the publisher and the overall success of your book. Embrace a multi-pronged promotional approach, ensuring your self-sold copies complement, not overshadow, the publisher-distributed ones in the market. This holistic strategy showcases the significant financial potential awaiting authors within traditional publishing and author advertising agencies .

The Universal Factor

The common denominator is sales, whether you’re crunching numbers for your advance, total royalties, or potential earnings from self-sold copies. The financial landscape for authors isn’t shrouded in mystery; it’s a matter of simple arithmetic.

If sales are the common denominator, what’s the key to maximizing them? Surprisingly, it’s no secret knowledge. Successful book sales result from cultivating an audience over time and crafting a compelling book that delivers substantial value.

Contemplate these questions as you embark on the journey of writing and publishing your book:

• Who comprises your audience?
• What practical and meaningful problem can you solve for them? As Pamela Slim wisely suggests, “ Define your audience by their problems, not their demographics.”
• Are you committed to dedicating a year or more to assisting your readers in solving that problem (i.e., promoting your book)?
• Where does your audience congregate?
• How can you attract them and build an email list of potential readers?

Similar to other worthwhile endeavors, building an audience and crafting a book demand time. Yet, the gratification of introducing your book to the world can be among the most fulfilling achievements you’ll ever experience. In the journey ahead, collaborating with an author advertising agency can further strengthen your efforts, ensuring a broader reach and heightened success for your literary creation.

FAQ’s – Frequently Asked Questions

1. how much money can you expect from a book deal.

The amount provided might vary greatly, ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 for individuals who are fortunate enough to get a contract.

2. What are the possibilities of getting a book deal?

Currently, the odds range between 1% and 2%, prompting many writers to choose self-publishing for greater control and accessibility.

3. Do publishers foot the bill for your book?

Indeed, a reputable publisher not only offers an advance but also shoulders all publishing expenses. A crucial piece of advice: steer clear of any publisher demanding payment from you to publish your book, as this goes against industry standards and professionalism.

4. How is payment structured for a book deal?

Payment consists typically of an advance ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, as well as royalties dependent on book sales. The advance is an upfront payment, whereas royalties are calculated as a proportion of each sold copy. This dual remuneration scheme links the author’s success with the book’s market performance, creating a mutually advantageous agreement between the author and publisher.

5. Can authors negotiate payment terms in a book deal?

While advances and royalty rates often adhere to industry standards, there’s room for negotiation. A good negotiation can increase the advance, achieve better royalty rates, and create a more profitable contract. Successful bargaining not only reflects the worth of the author’s work but also ensures a fair and fulfilling collaboration with the publisher, matching both sides’ interests.

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