Hi! Book reviews: does anyone know paying markets?

espresso · Apr 7, 2009

Hi! Well, I read a lot of nonfiction books -- I buzz through them quickly, and I'd love to get paid for reviewing them! I know the pay tends to be low, but right now anything is great (even $10) (as long as I don't have to give up all rights). Does anyone know of book review markets -- or magazines (online or other) which pay for them?

My local papers are not only disappearing, but they use regular reviewers who have had the job forever.

My tastes run the gamut from health to history to environmental to . . . well, just about anything; I'm really fascinated by an array of topics! Ideas?

Thanks so much! If I find a few markets that work for me, I'll let you know!

Proach · Apr 7, 2009

Espresso, I know the online Pedestal Magazine accepts book reviews. They only pay 2 cents a word though and have a word limit, but it might be worth looking into. You will find it at http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com. They also accept short and long fiction and poetry, for I believe, 5 cents per word, if you are interested in that.

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zenwriter · Apr 7, 2009

I found a few markets, though I'm not sure if they apply to your reading interests:

http://www.antigonishreview.com/submissions.html
http://www.goodoldboat.com/writers_guidelines/payments_for_submissions.php
http://www.writermag.com/wrt/default.aspx?c=ss&id=84
http://www.wcwonline.org/content/view/539/83/

plaidearthworm · Apr 9, 2009

I don't know how hard it is to get on with BookPage, but it's worth a try. I have a NaNo acquaintance who does reviews for them.

Robin29 · Apr 9, 2009

Ha1 I knew I had cut and pasted this for a good reason!

Write Book Reviews on Amazon (NY Metro)
Reply to: [email protected] [Errors when replying to ads?]
Date: 2009-04-04, 3:48PM EDT
I'm looking for people to post reviews for some very interesting books on Amazon.com. $5 per review. PDFs of books available or books can be shipped and are yours to keep.
Requires an existing Amazon account with at least one previous review. Thanks!
* Location: NY Metro
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
* Compensation: $5 Per Review + free books

JenNipps · Apr 9, 2009

Just a general caveat to be careful when replying to Craigslist ads Some are not always what they seem.

sunday morning · Apr 9, 2009

I've done book reviews for paying markets before, but the main one folded up. I've queried many other places who supposedly do -- newspapers, mainly -- and they mostly don't respond. This was before the major newspaper closings of late, too.

Anyway, one that is still up and running is The Georgia Review. It's a literary magazine & they take book reviews, among other types of writing. I queried them about one in the fall and I still haven't heard anything back yet! Has anyone else sent anything to them? Do they respond at all? I've heard their response times are 2 - 4 months, maybe longer. It's going on six for me.

Here's the site if you want to check it out:

http://www.uga.edu/~garev/

Skyraven · Apr 9, 2009

Zenwriter thanks for sharing the links. I'll be looking into those.

LLauren · Apr 11, 2009

I haven't posted this on the Paying Markets board yet because, truth be told, I am embarrassed at how little we can pay. BiblioBuffet.com is interested in writers who want to write about books, reading and related subjects. More information can be found on our "Write for Us" page.

Mods, I hope this small piece of information is okay here.

*edit* Thank you, Jen. Will do.

JenNipps · Apr 11, 2009

It can stand, Lauren, but please do post in the Paying Markets board as well since you've mentioned it here.

And welcome to AW.

Orientalist · Apr 16, 2009

Christian Science Monitor is another, but I haven't gotten a reply to any of my queries. I've done a lot of reviewing, tho not in recent years. At least it's easy to query: they just want a query of one or two paragraphs, submitted from the CSM site.

Espresso, if you've never been paid for a review before, decide on a specialty right now. Environment is good. Or you could even broaden it to science books. If it's history, decide on a particular period or region. US pubs seem to stick to US history or WW2 in Europe.

Then get some samples up somewhere--a blog or Librarything, say--so you can link to something in your query letter. Of course, don't say "I liked it/I didn't like it/I enjoyed it/I yadda yadda"; write a proper review.

sunday morning · Apr 18, 2009

CSM has always replied to me & said that they aren't taking freelance at this time, even though it's still on their guidelines. I tried them quite a few times over the span of a few years & it was always the same.

zoomusic · Apr 19, 2009

Here's a good resource for this...I plan to purchase the market list for paying essays: http://www.lulu.com/content/112298

ETA: link to the site I got this from: http://www.practicing-writer.com/

Hi! Book reviews: does anyone know paying markets?

espresso

figuring it all out

Proach

zenwriter

plaidearthworm

Rock and Squiggle

Robin29

JenNipps

Have you JHS today?

sunday morning

Voguing

Skyraven

What happened to my LIFE?!

LLauren

A proud member of the Cat Staff

JenNipps

Have you JHS today?

Orientalist

sunday morning

Voguing

zoomusic

doing it word by word