11 ways to make money reading books
Are you someone who can’t stop reading? We feel the same way. So we started looking into how to make money with this amazing hobby. Continue reading to learn how you can make money reading books.
It might seem like there is nothing better than reading a book. It’s possible to get paid for your time spent reading your favorite stories.
There are many ways to make money reading, including joining BookTok and starting a blog.
Some can be used as side hustles, while others can be used to make a full-time income. You will find the money-making ideas that work for your needs in our list.
How to make money reading books
These are the top ways to save money on books:
BookTok
TikTok is a powerful tool that has changed the habits of many people in the UK and around the globe. BookTok recommendations have led to a rise in book sales. This is because BookTok is where you can find book-focused videos on TikTok.
Book-related content is also known as Bookstagram on Instagram or BookTube on YouTube. BookTok allows you to easily share similar content on Bookstagram or BookTube, allowing you to expand your online brand across multiple platforms.
A BookTok account can be a great place to begin if you are looking to establish yourself as a book critic. You can turn your hobby of reading into a way to make a living on social media.
BookTok will not make you much money when you first start out. Once you have a large following, you can look into brand sponsorship or affiliate marketing opportunities.
There is a chance to make a lot of money reading books. One anonymous content creator said that they could charge as high as PS8,000 for two videos in a Guardian article on BookTok.
There is a concern that not all sponsored content published on BookTok includes genuine recommendations. It’s possible to make money by writing content that is honest about your feelings about books. This will allow viewers to trust you.
How to open a BookTok Account
BookTok is easy to get involved with. Create a TikTok account dedicated to reading and include a username, profile photo, and a book-related profile photo. Follow other BookTokers and see what books they are reading, as well as what trends they use for their videos.
Understanding the trends in books and TikTok is key to creating great BookTok content. These trends can be used as inspiration, but you should still use a creative approach in your videos to make them reflect you.
Try to review both big BookTok titles and lesser-known books in your videos. You will show your audience books you’ve read, and they will discover new titles.
Tag your videos with the appropriate hashtags (especially #BookTok), so that you can reach the right audience.
Popular BookTok Books
These are some books that are very popular on BookTok right now:
- Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo By Taylor Jenkins Reid
- It Ends With Us Colleen Hoover
- Book Lovers by Emily Henry
- Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
- The Year of Rest and Relaxation By Ottessa Mohfegh
- People By Sally Rooney
As a freelancer, you can write book reviews
Do you love books? Do you love writing? You might also consider becoming a freelance writer.
It can be hard to get paid as a freelancer. However, it is possible.
It helps to be able to provide examples of articles you have written to improve your pitching. These articles could be published on you own website or for publication such as a student paper at the university.
When you start pitching, make sure to focus on magazines and newspapers that are more in line with your tastes. If you are interested in writing about classics from the nineteenth century, a magazine that only focuses on current bestsellers is not right for you.
You might consider writing reviews for sites like Reedsy Discovery. There are tip-based payments. You can send readers a tip of $1 (around P0.85), $3 (around P2.50), or $5 (around P4.20).
In our guide to making money writing, we have additional tips for how to pitch article ideas to freelancers.
Start a book blog
A blog gives you freedom to write whatever you like, whenever you want. It’s also possible to make money with it.
Earning an income as a blogger is not easy. You can earn steady income by blogging over time. As the blog grows, so will the income.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to make money with your blog. This is basically when a publisher (i.e. You, the blogger, recommend a product or service. You earn a small commission if readers buy a product or sign up for a particular service that you recommend.
You can also make money by advertising on your blog and guest posting. Learn more about making money blogging.
Run a book club
Book clubs allow you to meet like-minded people, share books and have fun. Is there anything better?
It does. You could also run a bookclub and make money.
You could charge members a small fee for running the book club, online or in person. Because the members are aware of how much effort and time goes into running the club smoothly, they will be willing to pay a small fee for you to act as an organizer.
You must ensure that the book club is fun and well-run, even if you charge a fee. You will not be able to keep members coming back week after week if you don’t.
A strong understanding of literature and literary criticism will be a plus. For example, if you are studying English Literature at university, make sure to highlight this in your adverts for your book club.
You could also host author events in addition to traditional book club sessions, where everyone reads the same book together and discusses it. You could invite an author to participate in a Q&A with your book club.
Meetup is a great place to find book club members. If you’re looking for a new book club, this site will help you find people in your area or globally.
Each member of the book club will only pay a few pounds each week. If you use our meal planning, this should be enough to cover groceries for a group of 10.
Proofread books to make money
Why not make a living reading fiction and non-fiction books? You can become a proofreader and editor for authors.
While you are still at university, proofreading books could be a lucrative business. Freelance book proofreaders can advertise their services on sites such as Fiverr starting at PS4.43 for a basic plan. This involves proofreading small amounts of text.
Sometimes, proofreading novels or novellas can cost up to PS700+.
You will need to be able to pay attention to details and have a good grasp of grammar and spelling to do this job. It is important that you can meet deadlines.
Are you new to freelancing? You will find the answer to all your questions in our beginners guide to freelancing .
Become a book podcaster
You could make money hosting a podcast on literature. Ideal.
You might consider advertising or sponsorship opportunities if your podcast is successful. It can be difficult to get to this point, but it is possible if you are committed to making your podcast a success.
You could make as much as PS900+ per Month with a successful podcast.
However, there could be hidden costs. You will likely need audio recording equipment to become a podcaster.
To save money, you could record the episodes on your smartphone when you first start out. If your audience grows, it might be a good idea to upgrade to better-quality equipment.
Earn money to narrate audiobooks
You don’t have to be a book talker to make a living, but you can also earn money reading audiobooks aloud.
Narrating audiobooks is akin to voice-over acting.
Relevant experience is a plus for this job. You can improve your narration skills by having worked as a volunteer book reader, in student radio, or studied drama at university.
You can audition to narrate audiobooks through the ACX website. This is a great way to start in this field of work. The audiobooks produced on this site can then be sold to Audible and Amazon.
The amount that you earn for your narration depends on the terms you have with the author of the audiobook. A one-off payment, or a portion of the royalties could be offered to you.
There are many ways you can get audiobooks for free – even by reviewing them.
As a book editor
We mentioned earlier that proofreading is a way to make money reading. While proofreading is a part of being a book editor, it often involves more than just pointing out typos. It also includes reviewing the entire development and production process.
Book editing positions within publishing houses are typically full time graduate roles. A degree in English Literature or similar will be helpful.
Glassdoor reports that the average UK salary for a book editor is approximately PS36,000.
You can pursue a career in literary agents
The success of published authors is dependent on the effectiveness of literary agents. Good agents will identify potential authors and help them through their writing career.
They are often responsible for reading and editing manuscripts, as well as negotiating book deals with publishing companies.
This is a full-time job for an avid reader who understands what it takes to make a book a success (both critically and commercially).
A relevant degree such as English Literature will be helpful.
According to Glassdoor, the average UK salary for literary agents is around PS28,500
Book covers designed by David Hockney
Book covers are a great way to combine your love for reading and art. Illustration of book covers is one of our top selling art.
You can use it to earn money while you are at university, or as a permanent job.
You can advertise on websites like Upwork and Fiverr to find freelance work. These gigs can pay you a lot depending on your skills and how long it takes to complete.
To get an idea of the price you should charge, check out what other designers are charging on Fiverr or Upwork.
You could also consider working at publishing houses if you want to make book illustration a full-time job.
You could join the publisher as a design assistant, which is an entry-level position. Glassdoor shows that the average salary for Macmillian Publishers’ design assistant is around PS23,000 to PS25,000.
Translate books into another languages
A book translator is a great career choice if you are looking to make a living from your language skills.
Book translation is more than just understanding the meaning and rewriting the text in another language.
Due to the differences in syntax between languages, translators are often faced with difficult literary decisions. Translators must reflect the style and rules of the original text while translating it into the appropriate language.
Sometimes the original author may use words and phrases that are not common to their language. Translators will need to determine the best approach to this situation from both the perspective of the author and the reader.
If you are confident that the reader will understand the meaning, this could mean leaving certain words in their original language or translating them into words similar but not identical.
When you next read a translation of a novel, check if there is a note from the translator at the end. These notes can provide fascinating insight into the difficult word choices made by the translator.
It is a good idea to have at least a bachelor’s degree in a second language.
According to the Society of Authors, translators can earn around PS95 per 1,000 words. 20 percent of author’s royalties will be paid to translators. It can differ depending on the individual contracts between translators or publishers.
