1. Proofread

If you find yourself catching typos and grammatical errors in books, you’d probably make a great proofreader. Strong reading skills are essential for proofreading, as they enable you to spot mistakes and improve the quality of written content. There are companies you can freelance with, so you can keep your day job. Or you could turn proofreading into a full-time career. Some companies you can freelance with include Scribendi, Gramlee and ProofreadingPal.

2. BookTok

BookTok is a sub-community on TikTok where book enthusiasts post book related content such as reviews, reactions, and commentary. There are several ways to earn money. Many BookTokers earn $2,000 to $4,000 on brand sponsorships. Whether you have brands depends on the number of viewers and your engagement rate. You may also make money from publisher promotions. This is when a publisher hires a BookToker to promote a new release. BookTokers can also charge consultation fees for their expertise, write advice posts or collect donations from fans.

3. Blog

You’ll be free to review any book and write what you want. It takes time to be a blogger, but it does pay off in the end. You can earn money from affiliate marketing. That’s where you recommend products and when the person clicks through your link and buys it off the product’s site, you receive commission off the sale. You can also make money through an ad exchange. Companies like Ezoic will run ads on your blog and you’ll receive a portion of the proceeds. Another way to earn money is to correct info products like courses.

As a book blogger, one of your main activities will be to write book reviews. This not only helps you engage with your audience but also opens up various opportunities for monetization.

4. Join a Book Club

Run an online book club as one of the many side hustle ideas. This will give you a chance to meet like-minded people. Charge each person a fee of five or ten dollars to join the meeting. They can pay through Venmo or PayPal. Once you have their payment, send them the link to the next book club meeting. When you can, contact authors or publishers and invite them as a guest periodically. This will add an added dimension to the club. Meetup is a great place to ask for members, but use other forms of social media as well.

5. Podcast

Starting a podcast about books provides you with several opportunities to earn money as a book reviewer. Once you have your podcast off and running with listeners, look for sponsorship opportunities. When you reach 1,000 downloads, you’ll be eligible for advertising. Membership plans can also be a great way to generate income. Create a Patreon for your listeners. Patreon is a membership site. It gives subscribers access to your exclusive or extra content. You could also sell digital products. Record a video at the same time you’re recording your podcast, and you can upload it to YouTube.

6. Translate

If you know a foreign language, translating books can be a profitable hobby. You can translate books into another language or into English, either as a freelancer or as a full-time job. Some companies that will have you translate are Babelcube, Guru, Ulatus and more.

7. Narrate Audiobooks

Narrating audiobooks is one of the many hustle ideas similar to voice-over acting. If you’re a reader who has also worked in radio, studied drama or volunteered as a book reader at the library, this may be for you. You can audition to narrate books at acx or Voice Talent Online.

8. Review Books

The Women’s Review of Books involves writing reviews about women that women write. You must first apply by sending your resume, cover letter and any samples of published reviews you’ve done. If you don’t have any published reviews and you have published online samples, submit those. They want lively reviews that are thought-provoking.

9. BookTube

BookTube is a subgroup of social media platforms, specifically YouTube, where people can create and share videos about books and literature. Your video podcast could go on BookTube. Some types of videos that are popular are reviews, challenges like “Rip It or Ship It”, unboxings, reading challenges, reactions and more. Once a BookTuber has 1,000 subscribers and four thousand watch hours per year, they receive a percentage of the ad revenue from ads show in their videos. They can put affiliate links to the products they promote in their descriptions, attract sponsorships, or start a Patreon.

10. Booklist

Booklist is part of the American Library Association. It seeks freelancers to write reviews of books to guide school and public library employees in purchasing books for their libraries. Booklist is looking for freelance reviews around 150 to 175 words. The plot, suggested ideal audience and more are in the review.

11. Kirkus Media

Kirkus Media reviews are often seen on Amazon. They publish many of the blurbs on Amazon and it’s a respected source of book reviews. Kirkus has an open application for people who want to review books. They search for people who speak English and Spanish. Kirkus Media is looking for reviewers with a keen eye and ability to write about a 350-word review. You’ll have two weeks to read the book and write the review.

12. BookBrowse

BookBrowse is one of the prominent book review websites that reviews non-fiction and adult fiction. They sometimes review youth fiction. BookBrowse pays monthly. You must have good-quality sample reviews that are at least 300 words. Their site doesn’t say if they must be published. So, if you aren’t published, consider writing a review of a book you’ve read.