Romance, sci-fi or a good old-fashioned whodunit—no matter your favourite literary genre, making money reading books sounds like some sort of dream job.
But can you actually get paid to read books, or is it all just a big scam? Keep reading to find out.
Yes, you can actually get paid to read books in Canada.
There are a handful of legit jobs that involve reading as part of your regular duties. Audiobook narrators, book reviewers and proofreaders all make money reading books.
But these jobs are often very different from the image you might have in your head of lounging around with a coffee or glass of wine in one hand and a just-released page-turner in the other.
Narration is skilled work that requires excellent acting skills. Book reviewers spend plenty of time reading books they don’t enjoy, and the pay is usually quite low. And proofreading is very stop-start work with much more to it than just sitting down and reading.
But don’t let that discourage you. If reading is your passion and you want to turn it into a side hustle or even a profession, there are options available.
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There are several legit ways you can genuinely get paid to read books in Canada. Here are some of the options worth exploring.
While there are legit ways to make money reading books, there are also a few scams to be aware of.
Some scams take the form of an ad for a job reading books. It sounds perfect, but the only problem is that you need to make an upfront payment to undergo training, or you have to pay a fee to be able to access higher-paying book review jobs. Legit book review sites won’t ask you to hand over any money.
In other cases, you might come across videos on social media for book-reading jobs. They claim you can earn hundreds of dollars an hour, but such unrealistic claims are a big red flag. These scams are often just a way for scammers to get your sensitive personal information, so steer clear of any job offer or side hustle that just doesn’t seem quite right.
Looking for other legit ways to make money working from home? Check out these three options.
How it works: GPT sites and apps like Freecash and Testerup let you earn real money by performing simple tasks. You can get rewarded for playing games, answering surveys and signing up for special offers, then redeem your rewards for cash or gift cards.
How much it pays: You could potentially earn hundreds of dollars per offer, but this will usually require a lot of time and effort (and potentially in-app purchases too). Survey rewards range from around $0.50 to $5 per survey.
How it works: Cashback sites like Great Canadian Rebates and TopCashback pay cashback rewards when you make an online purchase at one of their retail partners. This allows you to make money simply by doing your normal shopping. You can also earn cash by signing up for financial products through Finder Rewards.
How much it pays: Cashback commonly ranges from 1% to 10%.
How it works: Platforms like UserTesting and Userlytics pay real money to ordinary people to test apps, websites and user experiences. For example, you might be asked to buy an item on a retailer’s app or website and provide detailed feedback on your shopping experience from browsing to checkout. In return, you’ll be paid a small reward.
How much it pays: $3 to $5 per 5-minute test or $30 to $100+ for more complicated tests
There are lots of other options worth exploring if you’re searching for simple ways to make extra cash. Perhaps the simplest of all is to switch bank accounts. Banks offer sizeable cash bonuses to entice new customers, and often all you need to do is open an account. Check out the latest bank account offers.
Another easy way to make money is to sell your unused possessions. Whether you head to a pawn shop or list items on a platform like Facebook Marketplace, you could potentially bring in hundreds of dollars while decluttering your home at the same time.
If you don’t mind doing a little bit of work, you could always sign up for a gig website like TaskRabbit. You can use platforms like this to get paid for odd jobs like assembling IKEA furniture or helping people move. There’s plenty of work around, so it’s worth checking out what tasks are available near you.
Related: Easy, beginner-friendly side hustles
There are legit ways you can get paid to read books, like writing book reviews and narrating audiobooks. Some people are lucky enough to turn their love of books into a career, but in many other cases, the pay rate for book-related jobs is fairly low. So if you see an ad promising that you can rake in the big bucks simply by reading books, be careful: there’s a good chance it could be a scam.
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