If you’re an avid reader with opinions to share, getting paid to review books might sound too good to be true. The reality is more accessible than you'd think. Every pro book reviewer started out as an amateur, and with a bit of persistence, you can become a respected critic as well.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the process — from writing your first piece for fun to landing paid reviews on platforms like Reedsy Discovery.

1. Start reviewing on retail and community sites

Every book reviewer has to start somewhere, and the easiest places to sharpen your skills are online book communities like Goodreads and retail sites like Amazon.

Goodreads is the most natural place to begin. There’s no application process or minimum standard required, so use it to exercise your reviewing muscles and have your write-ups seen by users browsing for their next read. Amazon doesn't have quite the same discoverability as Goodreads, but it reaches readers at the point of purchase and lets you contribute to the success of a book you like.

Wondering how to write a good book review? Check out our tips here or download our review template.

If you're comfortable on camera, video reviews are an excellent starting point as well. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and BlueSky are full of readers looking for recommendations — posting your reviews there will allow you to build a social media following alongside your reviewing skills.

After you’ve got the hang of the review-writing process, the next step is to find your niche and pull your best work together in one place.

2. Pick your genres and build a portfolio

Instead of aiming to be a jack of all genres, narrow your scope to a handful that you know inside and out. Publishers and indie authors alike want a go-to person for cozy crime or literary sci-fi, because a seasoned genre-reviewer will be well-acquainted with the audience they're trying to reach.

If you’ve been reviewing for a while, you probably already have an idea of which genres you’d like to specialize in. For most reviewers (including myself), these will likely be your favorite genres to read. But don’t stop there: you can take your specialization one step further by selecting stories with themes or topics that you have unique insight into.

This might be your academic background, your professional career, or your personal identity. For example, as a mixed Puerto Rican woman, I feel very equipped to comment on the authenticity of a Puerto Rican character or even a more broad Latine-influence universe.

Doing so will give you an extra niche within your favorite genres, and allow you to speak with reputable authority when critically evaluating a book's story theory or characters. Once you’ve decided on your specialty, make sure you’re familiar with trends in that category, and review a lot of titles in those genres.

From there, consolidate your best work in one place. A simple blog or website will work fine — anywhere that a publisher, author, or editor can see what you do at a glance. You don't need a huge back catalog: a dozen or so of your strongest reviews is plenty to show what you do. The aim is to have one URL you can drop into an email or a pitch, rather than a trail of reviews scattered across half a dozen sites.

With a fresh portfolio in hand, you can start your search for free review copies.

3. Start requesting ARCs

For most aspiring reviewers, receiving your first advance reader copy (ARC) is the most exciting part of the process. These are pre-release editions distributed ahead of a book’s official release to drum up reviews in the lead up to launch day.

An ARC won't just fall in your lap if you review enough books, though. You'll need to go and get them yourself. There are three main ways to source an ARC — I’ll go through each of them here.

Dedicated ARC platforms

Online platforms like NetGalley and Edelweiss+ are websites built specifically to connect publishers with reviewers. Rather than chasing individual publishers one by one, you get a single catalog of upcoming titles from dozens of publishers in one place, and a standard way to request any of them.

The process is simple. You create a free profile, browse the submissions pool, and request the titles you'd like to review. Each request goes to that book's publisher, who looks over your profile and either approves or declines it.

If you want to stay in the good graces of the publishers on these platforms, you’ll need to maintain a good ratio of books requested to books read. NetGalley suggests reviewing at least 80% of the titles you're approved for, so resist the urge to request everything in sight and only ask for books that you’re confident you have time to review.

Publishers

Most large publishing houses have reviewer request forms on their websites. Some will also let you browse upcoming releases online, while others release seasonal catalogs where you can request forthcoming titles ahead of their launch.

Going direct takes a little more legwork than browsing an ARC platform, since you need to approach each publisher separately instead of browsing one shared catalog. The bigger the publisher, the more requests they receive, so don't be discouraged if you don't hear back. As with ARC platforms, publishers will consider your track record when deciding whether or not to approve your request, so this works best once you've got a strong portfolio to point to.

Indie authors

For indie titles, the hunt usually begins on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Spend enough time engaging with authors in your niche, and you’ll come across plenty looking for reviewers. It's also worth subscribing to your favorite indie authors’ email newsletters, where they often put out calls for reviewers before going public.

While you're by no means guaranteed to receive an ARC from an indie author, they are often less concerned with how many reviews you've written than whether you read in their genre and will give their book a fair shake. A newer reviewer with a modest but established presence is often exactly who they're hoping to hear from, so don't hold back on the assumption you're not yet “big enough.”

Even if an account may not be openly advertising ARCs, that doesn't mean they wouldn't welcome the offer. If you come across an indie author with an upcoming release that you’re interested in, try reaching out directly. A polite message offering to review their latest work is rarely an unwelcome surprise.

Approaching an author this way is good practice for what comes next, because the final step is all about pitching — this time to outlets who can pay for the privilege.

4. Write for outlets and review sites

Now that you have a solid run of reviews under your belt, you can start writing not just on your own platforms, but on someone else's. This might be a literary magazine, a newspaper, or a dedicated review site like Reedsy Discovery.

One thing to keep in mind: if you're reviewing an ARC, you usually can't publish that review outside approved platforms until the book is released. If in doubt, double check the platform guidelines before posting your work anywhere else.

Pitch to outlets

For those first two, you’ll need to submit a pitch. This is a short proposal suggesting a book worth reviewing, and putting yourself forward to write it. Start small by contacting local papers and literary blogs, where editors will be more open to new names. Draw up a hit list of outlets, work out which upcoming releases might suit each one, and start pitching.

Here's a quick checklist to run through before you pitch:

1. Verify that the outlet accepts book reviews. If they do, then make sure you’re pitching to the right person, too — an email to the general enquiries address likely won’t make it to the editor’s inbox.
2. Contact outlets ahead of release. This is the most important part! Most outlets won't run a review of a book that's already been out for months.
3. Pitch the story your review might tell. Give the editor a sense of the angle your review might take, and why it would make for a compelling read. Include a line or two on why your review will be relevant (and interesting!) to their readers.
4. Explain why you’re the right person to write this review. A note detailing your relevant experience and a link to your work is usually enough, especially if you can show that you know the genre.
5. Keep it concise. A pitch that gets to the point is far more likely to land, so keep it to a few tight sentences.

If you don’t receive a reply after two weeks, feel free to drop them a polite reminder. Don’t be discouraged if the answer is “no thank you”. Just because they’re not interested in this review, that doesn’t mean they won’t be interested in something down the line. So make a good impression and leave things on a positive note.

Apply to review sites

Not every outlet works on pitches, though. Some sites bring reviewers onto their roster through an application instead, more like applying for a job than proposing a single review. Reedsy Discovery, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly all work this way: rather than pitching book by book, you apply once with details of your experience, the genres you specialize in, and a few sample reviews. Once you're approved, you'll start receiving books to review, either chosen from a shared pool or assigned to you, depending on the platform.

These application-based routes only accept reviewers who already have some experience behind them, so you’ll need to build up a track record before submitting an application.

Read widely, review honestly, and strengthen your portfolio one step at a time. Keep seeking out new titles and pitching your work, and eventually your review-writing endeavors will blossom into a dependable side income. Good luck!