A critique partner, otherwise known as a CP, is a fellow writer who agrees to critique your work. When looking for the right critique partner, search out online writers’ groups, social media, writer websites, and even job boards.
While critique partners often share work and do so at no cost, if you are a qualified writer and another writer asks you to review their work, they will likely be happy to pay you for your expertise.
A professional reviewer is someone whose job is to read books and write about the book’s overall quality. If you want to become a professional reviewer, consider starting a website and posting reviews of books there.
Build your presence on Goodreads and social media, and make sure your reviews are thoughtful and target your intended audience. Once you familiarize yourself with the process, submit reviews to professionals in the industry, send in applications, or consider starting a freelance career.
While writers are often told to write what they know, part of the creative process is dreaming up characters. However, it’s crucial that fictional characters are well-written and humanized. This is where sensitivity readers come in.
If you want to get paid to read books, consider your background, ethnicity, and cultural experience. Then build a website and market your services, or apply to work for a publisher as a sensitivity reader. One reader offers the following rates:
5,000 words and under: $50 flat rate5,001-10,000 words: $50+ (# words over 5,000) x ($0.01 per word)10,001-30,000 words: $100+ (# words over 10,000) x ($0.0075 per word)30,001 and over: $250+ (# words over 30,000) x ($0.005 per word)
Ever wonder where those voices come from for audiobooks? Well, if you want to get paid to read books aloud, consider becoming an audiobook reader! If you have a background in voice, theater, or public speaking, this will be a tremendous aid.
While Brilliance Audio’s rates vary from book to book, they are known as one of the leading companies in the audiobook industry. Showcase your audio quality, favorite genre to read, and then negotiate with the author for your pay rate.
Books that are largely successful are frequently translated into other languages…but who does that job? Well, if you are fluent in another language, consider translating books either as a side hustle or even as your main income stream.
Keep in mind that due to writing the book in another language, you are in fact an author of the book you work on. This means you can be subject to receive royalties, just as the author does.