If you like to read, writing book reviews is a great way to earn extra money. You're going to read anyway - you might as well get paid for it. This article outlines some of the different ways you can get paid for writing book reviews, and also includes some helpful tips.

As long as you have a moderate amount of writing talent and a high-school-level ability to analyze literature, you should be able to write coherent, informative book reviews. A true book review is more than just the typical book report you wrote in elementary school - it needs to explore the book on a deeper level, discuss the positives and negatives, and maybe compare or contrast it with other books of the same genre or by the same author.

Before you get paid to write book reviews, you need to read some good reviews by others to see how it's done. Get a sample copy of a magazine that publishes book reviews (such as Rain Taxi or The New York Review of Science Fiction) or read sample reviews online. Book reviews vary greatly in quality, length, and content.

Now it's time to practice. Write a review of a book you've already read, analyzing the book's plot, characters, and theme. Pay special attention to character development and the author's use of dialogue or action. Once you're satisfied with the review, give it to someone you know to read and critique. Write as many "practice" reviews as you can; if they're good, you might be able to sell them later on.

Once you think you've more or less got the hang of it, here are some magazine and website markets that will pay you to write freelance book reviews for them:

- Black Gate
Black Gate is a magazine of epic fantasy. They pay three cents per word for all nonfiction, including book reviews. Check their website for current submission periods.

- Conscience
Conscience is a quarterly Catholic magazine that seeks book reviews 600-1500 words long. They pay $75 on publication, plus free copies of the issue your review appears in.

- Dovetail
Dovetail is written for an audience of Jewish/Christian interfaith families. Reviewers receive $15 plus a year's online subscription to the magazine in exchange for all rights to a 500-word book review. Issue deadlines are posted on the website.

- The Pedestal Magazine
The Pedestal accepts reviews of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction books. Query before submitting a review. Payment is two cents per word for reviews, which should be between 850 and 1,000 words.

- Star*Line
Star*Line pays one cent per word (rounded to the nearest dollar) plus one contributor's copy for 200-2500 word reviews relating to speculative poetry. Check the website for open submission periods.

- The Writer
The Writer wants book reviews "of interest to writers." Reviews must be between 450-700 words, and accompanied by published clips. Payment ranges from $40 to $80.

Reviewing for magazines can be well-paying if you can write consistently good book reviews. Be aware of what rights each magazine asks for - some require all rights to your review. If the terms they are offering aren't what you want, either try to negotiate with the editor or don't submit to that magazine. There are plenty more out there.

As well as writing for magazines, you can make money by writing book reviews for content-driven websites such as Helium or Epinions. Both sites pay writers a share of the revenue they receive from advertisers, based on how many people read each review. In addition, Helium pays qualified writers an upfront payment determined by their current ranking on the site.

Another way to get paid for writing book reviews is to start your own book review blog. By posting book reviews and generating ad revenue, you can get paid depending on how many people visit your site. For more information on setting up a book-reviewing blog, see the Helium article "How to start a book reviewing blog." Once you've got your blog up and running and have a regular readership, you can add advertising to your site by using ad services such as Google's AdSense or Project Wonderful.

Using some or all of these methods, you should be able to bring in some supplemental income writing book reviews. With a book-reviewing blog, you may even be able to solicit review copies of books from authors or publishers, once you start to build up a reputation.

Learn more about this author, Greg Schwartz.
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