Home / Truth checks / Can you really get paid to read books?
Can you really get paid to read books?
Only as a skill. People are paid to review, proofread or edit. Reedsy requires 3 years of experience as a book reviewer, and a portfolio.
What is real
| Work | Pay | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Reedsy Discovery reviews | $50 to $99 per review | Depends on word count. Reedsy requires 3 years of reviewing experience |
| US proofreaders, employed | $24.58 an hour | 2025 median, or $51,120 a year. The job is projected to decline |
| Other review sites | Sources disagree | Figures on blogs disagree, so we show none |
Why ‘just read’ offers fail
A publisher pays for a written review or for fixing a text, because that is what it can use. An offer to pay you just to read has nothing to sell, so ask how it makes its money.
If the offer asks for money
- Never pay a fee to get a job, the FTC says.
- A ‘starter kit’ for readers is a fee by another name.
Read next
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Sources
- Reedsy Discovery: best book reviewer jobs, checked 5 Nov 2026
- O*NET (US Department of Labor): Proofreaders and Copy Markers, checked 5 Nov 2026
- FTC: job scams, checked 5 Nov 2026