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Side Hustles, Making Money Online, & Finance

Is Online Book Club Legit Or A Scam? (My Complete Review!)

Posted on March 27, 2023 - Tom Blake - This post may contain affiliate links that compensate us if you click or sign up. Please read our affiliate disclaimer for more information.

Do you love reading and wish you could get paid to read books? If so, you’re not alone!

There are actually a surprising number of ways to get paid to read books . So, if you're a self-proclaimed bookworm and want a new side hustle , this is excellent news.

One of the most popular companies in this space, OnlineBookClub.org , says you can earn $60 or more for reading and writing book reviews.

But is Online Book Club legit? And does this site actually pay?

My Online Book Club review is sharing how this website works and what you need to know about writing book reviews with this company so you can decide if it's worth using.

Let's get to it!

Looking for more ways to make money? Checkout :

  • Branded Surveys : Share your opinion to get PayPal cash and free gift cards!
  • Swagbucks : Another fun way to earn gift cards and cash in your spare time.

Table of Contents

What Is Online Book Club?

Online Book Club is a free book review website and forum that has been in business for over 10 years. It's also one of the most popular companies that advertises paid book reviewing jobs to avid readers .

OnlineBookClub

The entire idea behind Online Book Club is pretty simple. You can sign up, get books for free, read them, and then write reviews for money .

If you're looking for a fun way to make money online , this could be the perfect side hustle. And the fact that Online Book Club says it gives you books for free is another awesome perk.

But as I'm going to explain, getting paid for book reviews with Online Book Club might be a bit more difficult than you might think.

Is Online Book Club Legit?

Yes, Online Book Club is legit and pays you for writing book reviews and even gives you books for free. However, earning consistent money with this site is very difficult. And some book reviewers never get paid if Online Book Club doesn't like their reviews. Overall, the site makes it seem like making money is easy, but in reality, this isn't a very good side hustle .

If you love writing book reviews and have no problem following the guidelines, Online Book Club could be a fun side hustle you do in your spare time.

But if you’re looking to pay your rent, buy a car, or want to earn larger amounts of money, I don't think Online Book Club is worth using.

It simply takes too long to ever get paid with OnlineBookClub.org. And the amount of free work you do upfront is a downside for this online side hustle .

How Does Online Book Club Work?

Signing up for Online Book Club is free and simple. And the entire process of getting paid for your book reviews takes a few steps :

  • Write a free test book review
  • Write paid book reviews

Let's examine how each step works in a bit more detail.

1. Sign Up As A Book Reviewer

Signing up to review books at OnlineBookClub.org is quick and easy. You simply create an account with your email address and enter a password.

OnlineBookClub sign up

Once you create your account, you choose your preference on how to get free books to review.

All the books that Online Book Club sends you are sent in a digital format, rather than hard copy. So you're essentially getting emailed ebooks you can read for free .

If you prefer paper copies to ebooks like a lot of readers do, this is bad news. However, Online Book Club sends free books, so it has to rely on electronic formats to keep costs down.

2. Complete A Free Book Review

As a book reviewer on Online Book Club, you have to complete a free test review before you can unlock paid opportunities.

This step helps Online Book Club determine if your book reviews are high quality and belong on the site. Again, this test book review  isn't  paid, so keep this in mind.

You still get to pick the book you want to review, so you get a free book out of it and can read something you enjoy.

OnlineBookClub guidelines

Just note that it's important to follow the Online Book Club guidelines when writing your book review. These guidelines include :

  • Making note of any grammatical or spelling mistakes
  • Noting if the author is vulgar or swears
  • Noting if the book contains adult content

Generally, book reviews have to be around 500 words. And you have to follow a specific review format as well that Online Book Club outlines.

The reason book reviews aren't really opinion pieces is largely because Online Book Club helps new and aspiring authors get feedback on their work. So, you're often reviewing manuscripts and earlier drafts from new authors, not an upcoming New York Times Best Seller.

You still give your feedback and thoughts about books, but it's also important to mention grammatical and stylistic issues if you spot them.

Also note that if you don't follow the guidelines for your first review, you might not be eligible for paid reviews in the future.

3. Complete Paid Reviews

If OnlineBookClub.org accepts your test book review, you then qualify to write book reviews for money with the site.

According to Online Book Club, you earn $5 to $60 per review for most reviews. You also get books for free, and you can be completely honest as well, so you don't have to leave a positive review if you don't enjoy a book .

OnlineBookClub pay

However, how much you make with Online Book Club reviews also depends on your book reviewer score.

When you start out, you have a book reviewer score of 0. Writing quality reviews raises your score, with a maximum score of 100 being the cap. If you have a higher score, you earn more per book review.

Some people claim that unless your score is over 35, you don't get paid. This means you might not get paid for the next couple of book reviews if Online Book Club doesn't think your reviews are high quality.

As a freelance writer , the idea of doing so much free work definitely isn't appealing. Especially when you consider most legit online jobs pay you weekly and guarantee payment for your work.

4. Get Paid

Once you submit a paid book review, Online Book Club needs time to process and review your work before it pays you. Online Book Club states that it can typically take about three weeks to be paid after the review is published . 

If you need quick money , this isn't great news. And remember: you might not get paid at all if your overall book review score is too low.

Online Book Club only has one payment method available, which is PayPal. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can create one for free. From PayPal, you can then transfer the funds to your bank or use them to make purchases.

I like the fact that OnlineBookClub.org lets you get free PayPal money for writing. But it's not the best side hustle if you want to make money the same day.

Does Online Book Club Pay Real Money?

Yes, Online Book Club pays readers for reading select reviews and writing qualified reviews. Pay averages between $5 and $60 per review, and payment is made via PayPal.

Because this hustle is an independent contractor position, you're responsible for reporting any income you make and paying any appropriate taxes.

Also note that this  isn't  a full-time online job ; it's just a way to make a bit of extra cash in your spare time while enjoying some free books.

Is Online Book Club A Scam?

No, OnlineBookClub.org isn't a scam, and you can make money by writing reviews for the website. However, Online Book Club is somewhat misleading with its advertisements and makes it seem like you can make a lot of money by writing reviews. In reality, you have to follow strict guidelines and do a lot of free work before you ever get paid .

I’m usually a little bit leery of some of these offers to make money online that seem a little bit too good to be true. And I think Online Book Club falls under this category.

If you  love  reading and don't mind some free work, you can give it a try. But don't expect to make $500 a day or anything even close to that with this website.

Pros & Cons

  • Get access to free digital copies of books
  • Get paid to write reviews (if the reviews meet strict guidelines)
  • Get access to a fun forum where you can talk about new books with other bookworms
  • Reviewers don't get paid for their first review
  • Book review guidelines and requirements can be tricky to understand and meet
  • Books you review are generally from new and unknown authors
  • Errors in reviews or failure to follow guidelines can result in pay reduction or no pay
  • Hourly rate can be extremely low when you consider book reading time
  • Limited number of titles available which may not fit your interests and affect your earning potential
  • Long approval process for submitted reviews which can delay payment
  • Multiple reviewers report difficulty getting paid

Other OnlineBookClub.org Reviews

After signing up and reading about how to make money with Online Book Club, I don't think the site is worth using.

But one excellent way to tell if a money-making idea is worth it or not is to read reviews from other people. And thankfully, there are lots of Online Book Club reviews on forums like Reddit :

  • briannorelfhunter says : “First of all, yes they are legit, they 100% pay out. However – it’s not so easy to get good money. They have a ranking system of how good your reviews are based mostly on how well you stick to their review guidelines, and you only unlock higher paid reviews by getting a better reviewer score. Your first review will not be paid – it is voluntary, to get you on the scale. Then you’ll have access to more voluntary/unpaid books and some $5 ones. Personally, I didn’t do that many reviews, so never got a really high reviewer score to see the better paid ones.”
  • Necessary-Classic-79 says : “I reviewed a book for them in October and my review was approved and posted and they still haven’t paid me the $25 I was supposed to get. They keep changing the status update for no reason so their excuse is that I can only get paid three weeks from the last status update.”
  • Micro21 says : “It's legit. There's a very strict guideline you have to follow but it does pay. Although don't expect to make this to be anything but a side hustle. Each review requires you to finish a whole book after all.”

OnlineBookClub review reddit

When you consider how many ways you can make money online as a beginner these days, I'm pretty unimpressed with how hard it is to make money with OnlineBookClub.org.

Extra Reading – How To Write Product Reviews For Money .

The Best OnlineBookClub.org Alternatives

I don't think Online Book Club is a good way to make money online. But this doesn't mean you can't make money by writing book reviews in your spare time.

In fact, there are plenty of OnlineBookClub.com alternatives you can consider like :

  • Starting a blog about books you enjoy and reading
  • Making money on YouTube by talking about book reviews
  • Writing books and short stories yourself
  • Becoming a freelance writer in the book niche
  • Making money as a creative writer

This video from PaidFromSurveys also shares some sites and methods you can use to get paid to read books.

The bottom line is there's a lot of money in publishing and writing. So don't be afraid to sell your skills online in this space to get in on the action!

Extra Reading – The Best Jobs You Can Do With A Phone .

Frequently Asked Questions

Is online book club worth it.

OnlineBookClub.org is worth using if you want to get free books and don't mind writing reviews in your spare time. And if you stick with it, this website can turn into a small side hustle that pays up to $60 per review. But if you need fast cash or want to make a lot more money, Online Book Club isn't worth it .

Your pay depends on the quality of the review, and it’s necessary to take detailed notes and write a comprehensive review. There are extremely detailed guidelines that need to be followed for the review including formatting, punctuation and grammar.

Failure to follow these rules exactly can result in your pay getting reduced or not getting paid at all.

Should Authors Use Online Book Club?

Authors can use Online Book Club to get reviews by paying a fee for the service. While Online Book Club does have guidelines to help keep the reviews higher quality, there are a few challenges that authors can run into with these reviews.

One challenge is that they may not be able to use the reviews anywhere that can generate sales. Reviews from Online Book Club typically cannot be used on Goodreads or Amazon, and as a result may not offer return on your investment.

Other complaints by authors are that not all reviewers can provide quality reviews or that they may not speak English as a primary language. As a result, reviewers from Online Book Club might incorrectly label your book as having errors that the book does not contain.

Extra Reading – How To Make $5,000 A Month .

Final Thoughts

Overall, yes, you can get paid to write book reviews for Online Book Club. This is a legitimate side job that pays you to read books.

However, the strict guidelines and lack of starting pay are massive downsides. And you don't get to read very popular books either, so don't expect that each book is going to be an amazing read.

The fact you get free ebooks out of this gig is a selling point. But unless you love reading and want to write book reviews for fun, I'd stay away from OnlineBookClub.org.

Thanks for reading my OnlineBookClub.org review!

Looking for even more ways to make money? Checkout :

  • How To Make Money In One Hour .
  • How To Make Money Online Without Paying Anything .
  • How To Get Paid To Listen To Music .

Online Book Club Review

OnlineBookClub logo

Name: OnlineBookClub.org

Description: OnlineBookClub.org is a free website that pays you to read and write book reviews for upcoming authors. It pays $5 to $60 per review and also gives you ebooks for free.

Operating System: Desktop

Application Category: Online Jobs

Author: Tom Blake

  • Earning Potential
  • Ease-Of-Use
  • Getting Paid
  • Book Quality
  • Try Out OnlineBookClub.org

Tom Blake

Tom is a full-time blogger and freelance writer with a passion for side hustling, passive income, and the gig economy. His work has appeared on dozens of personal finance websites like Money Crashers, The College Investor, Investor Junkie, and more. This Online World is all about providing people with honest ways to make and save more money by using technology. To learn more about Tom, read his About Page !

If you're interested in freelance writing services or want to partner with This Online World, please use our contact page to get in touch!

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Last updated on Feb 07, 2023

How to Get Book Reviews in 5 Steps (2024 Update)

Imagine the day of your book launch. You’re sitting in front of your computer, blissfully imagining all the five-star book reviews that will soon be yours. Yet the days pass... and the reviews don't come.

Needless to say, you'll want people to buy and read your book ASAP so they can leave you some good reviews. But you may see the Catch-22 here: in order to make your first sales, you’ll need to display positive book reviews. So how do you get the chicken before you’ve got the egg (or vice versa)?

Enter book bloggers , who are your new best friends! For this post, we asked our top Reedsy publicists to share their best tips on how to get book reviews from book bloggers — and we've condensed their advice into these five essential steps, plus a few bonus tips at the end.

You can also check out this Reedsy Live on how to get your first book reviews, with advice from author and book marketer Debbie Drum.

0AMjNhpr_AU Video Thumb

Those who prefer their tips in written form, let's dive right in with the very first step of the review acquisition process!

1. Identify your audience

book reviews

A quick preliminary note: you want to start the review-gathering as early as possible. If you can, plan your book review campaign 4-6 months in advance of your publication date. Because if you want your reviews to be in place by then, you’ll need to give people time to actually write them!

Now, using the "5 W’s of Storytelling," let's talk about the first thing you should be asking yourself: who? Who will be reading your book, and who is best positioned to promote it to that audience? The following tips will help you answer these questions.

Build a questionnaire

Here are a few more specific queries to help you clarify your "who":

  • Who reads in my genre?
  • What magazines, websites, forums, or blogs do they frequent?
  • Where might they find reviews of my book that will entice them to buy it?

Indeed, publicist Jessica Glenn recommends building a full-length questionnaire to identify your audience and where you might find them on the Web (or in real life!).

“Most, if not all, publicists and publishers send authors a very long questionnaire to fill out when they start their marketing plan ,” she says. “That's so we can dig into any useful piece of bio, community, or regional info to figure out who and why people will be interested in your book.”

Your questionnaire will direct you to your target audience and help you create a  proto-persona.  This is the "ideal reader" of your book, so to speak — a perfect blend of the traits you'd expect them to have. (For example, if you've written a YA paranormal romance novel, your proto-persona might be a 14-year-old girl who's obsessed with Twilight .) And whoever they are, you'll keep them in mind every time you make a marketing decision.

Think about comp titles

Another great way to get a handle on your target audience is to figure out your comparative titles — books that are a) similar to yours and b) share the same general readership. When pitching to book reviewers, these are the titles you'll use to sell your own  book . For instance, "My book is  Normal People meets The Incendiaries ."

According to Jessica, you should have at least 15 potential comp titles for your book, ideally a mix of bestsellers and well-reviewed indie titles. “Many first-time authors balk at this," says Jessica, "as they believe there is no true comp for their book — but dig deep and you'll find them!”

Comp titles are critical because they act as a compass, pointing you towards a ready-made audience that enjoys works in the same mold as yours. This is a huge help in determining your target readers, as well as which reviewers will cater to them. Speaking of which...

2. Find relevant book blogs

book reviews

Now that you’ve got a strong sense of your audience, you're ready to find blogs that will provide the best exposure to that audience. We recommend starting with our directory of 200+ book review blogs , but feel free to do your own research as well!

As you dig into book review blogs, check on these two things first:

  • Is the site active? Has the blogger published a post within the last month or so?
  • Are they currently accepting queries? If they're closed at the moment, it could be months before your book gets a review — if at all.

And if you want to confirm your book marketing strategy when it comes to book review blogs, we recommend first taking this quick quiz below!

Which book review site is right for you?

Find out here! Takes one minute.

Once you've confirmed that a book review blog is both active and open to queries, think about whether it's right for your  book. Here are some important factors to consider:

  • Genre . Don't waste your time on blogs that don't review books in your genre. "Be very mindful of a publication’s particular audience and target market when pitching for review. If their readership is science-fiction, do not pitch a commercial crime novel!” says publicist Hannah Cooper .
  • Traffic . High-traffic book blogs might seem like your highest priorities, but this isn’t necessarily true. “Don't shy away from the smaller blogs,” says publicist Beverly Bambury . “They can sometimes foster a real sense of community and starting off small is just fine."
  • Posting frequency.  Another consideration is how often the blogger in question actually publishes reviews. Too often, and your book will get lost in the shuffle; too seldom, and they're likely to lose readers. Try to strike a balance with about 1-2 reviews per week — no decent reviewer can turn them out faster than that, anyway!

Track down your comp titles' reviewers

Remember those comp titles you came up with earlier? You can use them not only to pitch your book, but also to find potential reviewers , as they will correspond perfectly with your genre and target audience.

“Once you have your 15-or-so comps, you can research where each book has been reviewed,” says Jessica. “With luck, you will find at least a couple of book reviews per title, which will give you many more outlets to investigate further.”

Now, as an author, you might be wondering: “How can I begin to find all the places where a given book was reviewed?” Don’t forget the power of Google! Try searching the following terms to find reviews for a given title:

  • [Title] + book review
  • [Title] + review
  • [Title] + Q&A

And here's one last tip to give you a boost — sign up for a "Mention" account and/or set up Google alerts to get a notification every time these titles appear online.

Once you’re armed with a bundle of suitable book review blogs, you've arrived at the third (and perhaps most crucial) step in this process. This is, of course, creating the pitches you'll send to reviewers.

Free course: How to get book reviews

Learn how to get the book reviews you need to turn browsers into buyers. Get started now.

3. Write pitches for them

online book review sign in

Pitching a reviewer is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is a) keep it short, and and b) personalize it as much as possible. However, before we get to our publicists’ actionable tips on pitching, there’s one more thing that you absolutely HAVE to do. And that thing is...

Read the review policy!

Before you pitch any blog, make sure you read the blogger’s review policy. Some blogs will have a form to fill out; others might ask you to email them directly. Still others might not welcome any queries from self-published authors . Whatever they say, make sure that you follow it to a T.

“There are two main benefits to reading and following the review policies closely,” says Beverly. “First, you show the reviewer that you respect and appreciate them when you follow their instructions. This is important when asking someone to do you a favor.

"Second, you may find that even if the site is closed for review queries, it's open to publicity queries — where you might be able to place an excerpt or do a Q&A or occasional blog post. You'll never know if you don't take the time to read the review policy first.”

More tips for pitching reviewers

Now that you’re clear on what the blogger wants, you can start pitching them with confidence. Here are three more key tips for pitching book reviewers:

1. Never send out bulk pitches. "When you pitch each outlet individually, specifically write that you read their positive book review of your comp and what that comp title was,” says Jessica Glenn. Or if you didn't find them through a comp title, mention other  aspects of their blog and why you think they would be great to review your book!

2. Be concise and direct. “Include your title, publisher, date of release, and genre in the first paragraph,” notes Beverly Bambury. “Then you might want to include the cover copy or a brief description of the book. Finally, be direct and ask for what you want. If you want a review, ask for it! If you want an excerpt placed, ask for that.”

3. Appeal to their commercial side. “All reviewers want the opportunity to discover the next 'big thing’ — particularly with fiction — so make them feel as though they have the opportunity to get the word out first," says Hannah Cooper. Indeed, if you can convince a reviewer that you are doing them  a favor, you're practically guaranteed to get a review.

Basically, try to get reviewers to think, “Oh, if I enjoyed [comp title], I’ll enjoy this person's book too,” or “They've done the research to know that I’m a good fit for their book.” If you can do that, you’re already much closer than everyone else to obtaining high-quality book reviews !

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4. Send out your book

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This is the step before the moment of truth (the review itself), so it's extremely important to get everything right. To ensure you're complying with each reviewer's guidelines, review their policy again before you send them your book. Some bloggers might prefer digital copies of manuscripts, while others might want a physical ARC — be prepared to accommodate.

Also, as you begin sending your book to various outlets, you should track your progress in a spreadsheet. Record which blogs you’ve submitted to so far, which blogs have responded, and which blogs you plan to submit to, so you don't accidentally double-submit or skip over anyone.

Formatting your book

Other than double-checking the review policy, the most important thing to do here is to format your book in a professional manner . After all, you want the presentation of your content to match the quality! Even though it shouldn't technically matter, reviewers will definitely judge your book by how it looks, inside and out.

The good news for self-formatters that you probably won't need to send physical proofs, and ebooks are much easier to format than hard copies. Digital copies also cost next-to-nothing to produce, so you can easily send multiple copies of your book out to different reviewers. You may want to check out apps like Instafreebie and Bookfunnel , which make it easy to generate individual ARC download links that you can send to the reviewers.

Pro tip : If you’re searching for a good book production tool, the Reedsy Book Editor can format and convert your manuscript into professional EPUB and print-ready files in a matter of seconds!

5. Follow up after a week

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A week or more has passed since you queried a book blog, and so far… crickets. What do you do now? Why, follow up,  of course!

When it comes to this stage, keep calm and follow Hannah Hargrave’s advice: “Don't bother reviewers for an answer daily. I will usually chase again after a week has passed.

"If you receive a decline response, or no one responds to your third chase-up, assume this means they are not interested. Any further follow-ups, or aggressive requests as to why your work's not being reviewed, will not be viewed kindly. Above all, be polite and friendly at all times.”

That said, someone rejecting your book for review is a worst-case scenario. Best-case scenario, the blogger responds favorably and you’ve bagged yourself a review!

What comes next, you ask?

The reviewer will post their review of your book on their blog — and on Amazon, Goodreads, and any other platforms that they’ll name in their review policy. This is yet another reason why it's vital to read that policy carefully, so you know exactly where  the review will be seen.

If all goes well, the reviewer will publish a positive review that you can use to further promote your book. Maybe you'll even get a decent pull-quote for your book description ! Not to mention that if you ever write a sequel, you can almost certainly count on them for a follow-up review.

Pro-tip: Want to write a book description that sells? Download this free book description template to get a headstart. 

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But what if you don't get any bites from book bloggers, or — horror of horrors — one of them gives you a negative review? Fortunately, the next two sections should help you deal with each of these possible dilemmas.

Bonus ways to get book reviews

Though book bloggers are the most reliable and professional source of reviews for independent authors, you may want to try other avenues to maximize your chances! Here are three more ways to get book reviews  for your work, so you can bolster your Amazon profile and start making some serious sales.

1. Tell your followers about your book

Though Amazon prohibits reviews from close friends and family , you're free to tell your random social media followers about your book and hope they leave good reviews. It obviously helps if you have a large following on Twitter or Instagram, even more so if some of those followers are fellow authors who appreciate the significance of reviews.

That said, NEVER offer "review swaps" or any kind of promotional enticement for customers to leave reviews, as this would also be against Amazon's terms. Simply let your followers know you've got a book out and that you'd love for them to read it; the rest is in their hands. However, when it comes to reviews, any amount of awareness is better than none.

2. Submit to Reedsy Discovery

Finally, for a professional review option that's a bit less time-and-effort-consuming on your part, you can submit your book right here on Reedsy Discovery! The platform allows authors to share their books with readers who are right up their alley, plus get the chance to be reviewed by one of our Discovery writers. If they leave a good review, you'll be featured in our newsletter, which goes out to thousands of subscribers every week.

Sounds pretty sweet, right? And it only takes a few minutes to submit .

Is your book ready for Discovery?

Take our quiz to find out! Takes only 1 minute.

How to deal with negative reviews

Once your work is out there in the world, you can’t control other people’s reactions to it. “Remember, by submitting your book for review, you're accepting that some people might not enjoy it,” says Hannah Hargrave. “It can be very tough after you’ve spent months or years crafting your novel, only for some reviewer to tear it apart. But you need to be prepared."

In that vein, here are some final tips on how to deal with bad reviews:

1. Have someone else read them first . This might be your agent, your friend, or your mom — anyone you trust to pre-screen your reviews. They can inform you whether each negative review is a worthwhile (if humbling) read, or just too nasty to stomach.

2. Ignore unreasonably hateful reviews . Easier said than done, yes, but really try to tune out these people! For example, if they're clearly not your target audience, but insist on pretending like they are. Or people who pick apart your sentences word-by-word, just for the "fun" of it. There's no sense in agonizing over readers who are determined to hate you, so block them on every platform and refuse to read anything else they write.

3. Address valid criticisms . You're only human, and your book won't be perfect. If someone points this out in a constructive way , acknowledge it and do what you can to fix it. This may be as simple as editing a misleading blurb, or as complex as restructuring your entire series. But if you're the author we know you are, you'll be up to the task.

Every author's book is different, but the process for getting book reviews is reassuringly universal. To recap: identify your audience, find relevant blogs, pitch them, send out your book, and don't forget to follow up! On top of that, feel free to try alternative strategies, and remember not to take the bad reviews too personally.

Yes, marketing a book may be madness, but the process of getting reviews lends method to that madness. So go forth and get your reviews — you deserve them! 🙌

Special thanks to book publicists Jessica Glenn , Hannah Hargrave , Hannah Cooper , and Beverly Bambury for their input and suggestions throughout this article. If you have any more questions about how to get book reviews, let us know in the comments!

2 responses

Elena Smith says:

25/09/2018 – 22:33

Excellent Write up. I have thoroughly gone through the article and according to my personal observations you have done a great job writing this Article.Being associated with writing profession, I must mention that AcademicWritingPro are quite helpful nowadays.Furthermore, quality is also an important aspect.

Team Golfwell says:

11/12/2018 – 05:38

We do free book reviews if your book interests us. We are a group of retired people in New Zealand who play golf, read books, write books, and do free book reviews if we like your book. We write books too, so we like to see what other authors are currently doing and it is amazing to see what writers are creating. We try to post our reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble and our social media. See our book review page for more info > > https://www.teamgolfwell.com/free-book-reviews.html #bookreviews #kindlebookreviews #amazonbookreviews #indiebookreviews https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/4ad92dde2f70456000bf5c44af3489ee638dae511be91f7b8cb1545acb388cdb.jpg

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Have a Love for Books? Here are 10 Platforms That Pay Readers for Reviews and Narration

Posted: December 7, 2023 | Last updated: December 7, 2023

<p>Getting paid just for reading sounds more like fantasy fiction right out of a book lover's imagination. But it turns out that some platforms are willing to pay you to share your thoughts on the kind of literature that you love to explore across genres. Since thousands of new books are released daily, some websites pay people to read, review, and even record books, offering opportunities to earn up to $300 per hour. Keep reading to find out more!</p>

Have a love for books? What if you get paid for reading?

Getting paid just for reading sounds more like fantasy fiction right out of a book lover's imagination. But it turns out that some platforms are willing to pay you to share your thoughts on the kind of literature that you love to explore across genres. Since thousands of new books are released daily, some websites pay people to read, review, and even record books, offering opportunities to earn up to $300 per hour. Keep reading to find out more!

<p>Upwork is an online freelancer marketplace that offers book reviewing opportunities alongside other writing gigs. Getting started only requires people to create a freelancer account, showcase their skills and experience, and upload a portfolio. They then need to browse available jobs, submit proposals for the ones they fancy, and if a client likes the pitch, they send a contract. Upwork not only pays for book reviews but can also help people bag other freelancing jobs.</p>

Upwork is an online freelancer marketplace that offers book reviewing opportunities alongside other writing gigs. Getting started only requires people to create a freelancer account, showcase their skills and experience, and upload a portfolio. They then need to browse available jobs, submit proposals for the ones they fancy, and if a client likes the pitch, they send a contract. Upwork not only pays for book reviews but can also help people bag other freelancing jobs.

<p>Kirkus Review, a platform for book reviews, gives experienced reviewers the chance to assess English and Spanish titles through their Kirkus Indie program. If you wish to apply, be prepared to submit a resume and samples of your work. This platform isn't for beginners. Impressive writing samples and a remarkable publication history can improve your chances.</p>

2. Kirkus Review

Kirkus Review, a platform for book reviews, gives experienced reviewers the chance to assess English and Spanish titles through their Kirkus Indie program. If you wish to apply, be prepared to submit a resume and samples of your work. This platform isn't for beginners. Impressive writing samples and a remarkable publication history can improve your chances.

<p>Affiliated with the American Library Association, Booklist pays $15 for each review that enables schools and public libraries to select books. They prefer concise "haiku-style" reviews between 150 to 175 words. Each review should include a plot synopsis, suggest the book's target audience, and recommend similar titles. Currently, Booklist isn't accepting applications on their website. However, you can keep an eye out for future opportunities and contribute to this literary community.</p>

3. Booklist

Affiliated with the American Library Association, Booklist pays $15 for each review that enables schools and public libraries to select books. They prefer concise "haiku-style" reviews between 150 to 175 words. Each review should include a plot synopsis, suggest the book's target audience, and recommend similar titles. Currently, Booklist isn't accepting applications on their website. However, you can keep an eye out for future opportunities and contribute to this literary community.

<p>If you're passionate about reading and reviewing books, BookBrowse allows users to get started once they express literary preferences, share insights, and provide a brief bio. Reviewers typically handle one book per month, exploring adult fiction, non-fiction, and young adult titles. Moreover, writing and sharing book reviews can help you build an online presence, especially if you post your reviews on platforms like a blog, Goodreads, or social media.</p>

4. BookBrowse

If you're passionate about reading and reviewing books, BookBrowse allows users to get started once they express literary preferences, share insights, and provide a brief bio. Reviewers typically handle one book per month, exploring adult fiction, non-fiction, and young adult titles. Moreover, writing and sharing book reviews can help you build an online presence, especially if you post your reviews on platforms like a blog, Goodreads, or social media.

<p>If you love audiobooks and have a captivating voice, you can earn money on ACX, which connects professional narrators with authors in need of a voice for their books. You can earn through an hourly rate or a 50% share of book royalties, and once you've recorded 25 audiobooks, you can apply to become an Audible Approved Producer. Besides that, the Bounty Referral Program lets you earn by referring Audible users to your recordings. To start, visit the ACX website, create a profile, and upload voice samples by reading a snippet from an author's manuscript.</p>

If you love audiobooks and have a captivating voice, you can earn money on ACX, which connects professional narrators with authors in need of a voice for their books. You can earn through an hourly rate or a 50% share of book royalties, and once you've recorded 25 audiobooks, you can apply to become an Audible Approved Producer. Besides that, the Bounty Referral Program lets you earn by referring Audible users to your recordings. To start, visit the ACX website, create a profile, and upload voice samples by reading a snippet from an author's manuscript.

<p>Another platform that pays people for recording audiobooks is Findaway Voices, where you will receive a custom URL for easy discoverability after creating a narrator profile. Upload samples of your work, along with an audio intro, bio, cover image, and avatar. Similar to ACX, Findaway Voices provides a comprehensive guide and tools to support your success as a narrator.</p>

6. Findaway Voices

Another platform that pays people for recording audiobooks is Findaway Voices, where you will receive a custom URL for easy discoverability after creating a narrator profile. Upload samples of your work, along with an audio intro, bio, cover image, and avatar. Similar to ACX, Findaway Voices provides a comprehensive guide and tools to support your success as a narrator.

<p>For aspiring authors looking for ways to sharpen their writing skills, becoming a reviewer for The US Review of Books is a suitable path. They publish monthly book reviews in their newsletter, helping authors promote their latest works. The site accepts reviews between 250 and 300 words, including plot synopsis and audience insights. They encourage objective writing without first-person language, allowing reviewers to compare books, share opinions, or discuss the author's background. You can apply by sending your resume, samples, and references, and if accepted, you'll have two to three weeks to submit your reviews based on the titles assigned to you.</p>

7. The US Review of Books

For aspiring authors looking for ways to sharpen their writing skills, becoming a reviewer for The US Review of Books is a suitable path. They publish monthly book reviews in their newsletter, helping authors promote their latest works. The site accepts reviews between 250 and 300 words, including plot synopsis and audience insights. They encourage objective writing without first-person language, allowing reviewers to compare books, share opinions, or discuss the author's background. You can apply by sending your resume, samples, and references, and if accepted, you'll have two to three weeks to submit your reviews based on the titles assigned to you.

<p>At Reedsy Discovery, you won't find a fixed payment for your book reviews, but readers can show appreciation by tipping $1 to $5. While it might not make you rich, it's an excellent platform to refine your reviewing skills, especially if you aim for larger sites like Kirkus Reviews. Applying is simple, you just need to provide your email address and name, along with reading habits, preferred genres, and a brief bio. Including links to your best reviews, whether in written or video form, can increase your chances of making more money.</p>

8. Reedsy Discovery

At Reedsy Discovery, you won't find a fixed payment for your book reviews, but readers can show appreciation by tipping $1 to $5. While it might not make you rich, it's an excellent platform to refine your reviewing skills, especially if you aim for larger sites like Kirkus Reviews. Applying is simple, you just need to provide your email address and name, along with reading habits, preferred genres, and a brief bio. Including links to your best reviews, whether in written or video form, can increase your chances of making more money.

<p>Voices opens the door for voiceover enthusiasts to turn their passion into a rewarding experience With over 5,000 monthly job postings, this marketplace connects artists with projects. Once the project is completed, the payment is deposited into PayPal accounts. Specifically for audiobook projects, one can earn between $250 and $375 per task. Opting for a Premium membership can increase the chances of landing high-paying jobs, making Voices an ideal platform for aspiring voiceover artists to monetize their skills.</p>

Voices opens the door for voiceover enthusiasts to turn their passion into a rewarding experience With over 5,000 monthly job postings, this marketplace connects artists with projects. Once the project is completed, the payment is deposited into PayPal accounts. Specifically for audiobook projects, one can earn between $250 and $375 per task. Opting for a Premium membership can increase the chances of landing high-paying jobs, making Voices an ideal platform for aspiring voiceover artists to monetize their skills.

<p>Online Book Club offers a unique opportunity for book enthusiasts to earn between $5 and $60 per review. You get to choose titles from a provided list, receive the books for free, and pen down your thoughts. While the first review may not be paid in cash, subsequent reviews can fetch you a decent income. What's great is that you don't need to submit an application or have prior review samples, making it an ideal platform for beginners.</p>

10. Online Book Club

Online Book Club offers a unique opportunity for book enthusiasts to earn between $5 and $60 per review. You get to choose titles from a provided list, receive the books for free, and pen down your thoughts. While the first review may not be paid in cash, subsequent reviews can fetch you a decent income. What's great is that you don't need to submit an application or have prior review samples, making it an ideal platform for beginners.

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Trump promotes Lee Greenwood's 'God Bless The USA Bible': What to know about the book and its long journey

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  • Former president Donald Trump encourages supporters to buy Lee Greenwood's "God Bless The USA Bible," a project inspired by Nashville country musician's hit song.
  • Resurgent version of Greenwood's Bible project a modified version from original concept, a change that likely followed 2021 shake-up in publishers.

After years with few updates about Lee Greenwood’s controversial Bible, the project is again resurgent with a recent promotion by former President Donald Trump.

“All Americans need to have a Bible in their home and I have many. It’s my favorite book,” Trump said in a video posted to social media Tuesday, encouraging supporters to purchase the “God Bless The USA Bible.” “Religion is so important and so missing, but it’s going to come back.”

Greenwood — the Nashville area country musician whose hit song “God Bless the USA” inspired the Bible with a similar namesake — has long been allies with Trump and other prominent Republicans, many of whom are featured in promotional material for the “God Bless The USA Bible.” But that reputational clout in conservative circles hasn’t necessarily translated to business success in the past, largely due to a major change in the book’s publishing plan.

Here's what to know about the Bible project’s journey so far and why it’s significant it’s back in the conservative limelight.

An unordinary Bible, a fiery debate

The “God Bless The USA Bible” received heightened attention since the outset due to its overt political features.

The text includes the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, Pledge of Allegiance, and the lyrics to the chorus to Greenwood’s “God Bless The USA.” Critics saw it as a symbol of Christian nationalism, a right-wing movement that believes the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation.

A petition emerged in 2021 calling Greenwood’s Bible “a toxic mix that will exacerbate the challenges to American evangelicalism.” From there, a broader conversation ensued about the standards by which publishers print Bibles.

Gatekeeping in Bible publishing

Greenwood’s early business partner on the project, a Hermitage-based marketing firm called Elite Source Pro, initially reached a manufacturing agreement with the Nashville-based HarperCollins Christian Publishing to print the “God Bless The USA Bible.”  

As part of that agreement, HarperCollins would publish the book but not sell or endorse it. But then HarperCollins reversed course , a major setback for Greenwood’s Bible.

The reversal by HarperCollins followed a decision by Zondervan — a publishing group under HarperCollins Christian Publishing and an official North American licensor for Bibles printed in the New International Version translation — to pass on the project. HarperCollins said the decision was unrelated to the petition or other public denunciations against Greenwood’s Bible.

The full backstory: Lee Greenwood's 'God Bless the USA Bible' finds new printer after HarperCollins Christian passes

A new translation and mystery publisher

The resurgent “God Bless The USA Bible” featured in Trump’s recent ad is an altered version of the original concept, a modification that likely followed the publishing shake-up.

Greenwood’s Bible is now printed in the King James Version, a different translation from the original pitch to HarperCollins.

Perhaps the biggest mystery is the new publisher. That manufacturer is producing a limited quantity of copies, leading to a delayed four-to-six weeks for a copy to ship.  

It’s also unclear which business partners are still involved in the project. Hugh Kirkman, who led Elite Service Pro, the firm that originally partnered with Greenwood for the project, responded to a request for comment by referring media inquiries to Greenwood’s publicist.

The publicist said Elite Source Pro is not a partner on the project and the Bible has always been printed in the King James Version.

"Several years ago, the Bible was going to be printed with the NIV translation, but something happened with the then licensor and the then potential publisher. As a result, this God Bless The USA Bible has always been printed with the King James Version translation," publicist Jeremy Westby said in a statement.

Westby did not have the name of the new licensee who is manufacturing the Bible.

Trump’s plug for the “God Bless The USA Bible” recycled language the former president is using to appeal to a conservative Christian base.

“Our founding fathers did a tremendous thing when they built America on Judeo-Christian values,” Trump said in his video on social media. “Now that foundation is under attack perhaps as never before.”

'Bring back our religion’: Trump vows to support Christians during Nashville speech

Liam Adams covers religion for The Tennessean. Reach him at [email protected] or on social media @liamsadams.

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‘The Three-Body Problem’ Is Brilliant. ‘3 Body Problem’ Is Better.

Netflix’s new sci-fi series from the makers of ‘Game of Thrones’ doesn’t just honor Liu Cixin’s remarkable books—it improves on them

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My favorite quote about science fiction comes from longtime editor Frederik Pohl, who paraphrased Isaac Asimov when he wrote, “Somebody once said that a good science-fiction story should be able to predict not the automobile but the traffic jam.”

In other words, it’s not the piece of technology or scientific advance itself that matters in spinning a sci-fi yarn, but rather the advance’s ramifications for humanity. Anyone can predict that humanity might one day, say, make first contact with aliens. But under what circumstances? And what might that contact say about our place in the universe? And what would those events mean for successive generations?

In the Three-Body Problem trilogy, Chinese author Liu Cixin constructs the most magnificently intricate, wildly ambitious traffic jam ever imagined. After the series’ first book was translated into English in 2014, Liu became the first Asian winner of the annual Hugo Award for best science-fiction or fantasy novel. His work received praise from the likes of Barack Obama and George R.R. Martin. It was so influential that it even coined a name for an actual scientific theory. (Don’t Google “the dark forest,” the title of the series’ second book, or else you will encounter massive spoilers.)

And now former Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, along with True Blood ’s Alexander Woo, have brought that impeccable cosmic traffic jam to Netflix, in what The New York Times called the “apotheosis of the nerd-tech takeover of our storytelling culture.” All eight episodes of the adaptation’s first season will be released on Thursday, with the streamer hoping to rival the book series’ smash success.

3 Body Problem (as the show’s title is stylized) is a proper fit for Benioff and Weiss, even though one of their adaptive sagas takes place in a medieval fantasy world and the other is in modern and futuristic sci-fi settings. 3 Body Problem is sexless, but in tone, it’s sci-fi’s answer to Thrones ’ grimdark sensibilities: In his essay anthology A View From the Stars , which reaches shelves next month, Liu writes that this series was his attempt to “try and imagine the worst universe possible” and that the second book’s title is fitting because “my universe is unbelievably dark.”

His story exploring this “worst universe possible” is the hardest of hard science fiction, with long passages about orbital mechanics, quantum physics, solar radiation, and the speed of light. Both the books and show open with a dual-timeline story. In one timeline, set in China during the Cultural Revolution, a traumatized young woman finds a home at a mysterious military base; in the other, modern-day law enforcement officers investigate a string of scientist suicides while other characters are invited to play a state-of-the-art virtual reality game.

Such a hard sci-fi story would seem “unadaptable”—but Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series was viewed the same way, once upon a time, before evolving into a creative and cultural darling, a show that simultaneously set records for both Emmy Awards and HBO viewership. Crucially, while Thrones faltered at the finish line as it outran its still-incomplete source material, 3 Body Problem won’t face the same challenge, as the ending to Liu’s book series is already written. That difference gives Benioff and Weiss the opportunity to do what they do best: adapt an unadaptable genre story for the masses.

They have a “knack … for making what seems like completely inaccessible material totally accessible,” actor John Bradley, who played Samwell Tarly in Thrones and features as a snack-food tycoon in 3 Body , said in a press packet provided by Netflix. “I just couldn’t see how they were going to do it, but then as I started to read the scripts, I realized what a magic touch they’ve got in terms of taking this very dense source material and making it into an entertaining mainstream show.”

Bradley’s right. I’ve seen screeners for the entire season, and I was astonished by its quality; 3 Body Problem holds mostly true to the spirit of the source text, preserving its strengths while also shoring up its weaknesses. The book series is remarkable. The Netflix show might be an even better version of the story.

When I first discovered Liu’s trilogy and tore through all three books, their plots and themes dominated my waking thoughts and dreams for months afterward. I have since read everything Liu has ever written that’s been translated into English. When I joined an online baseball simulation league—my sci-fi fandom is not my only über-nerdy interest—I named my team the Trisolaris Droplets. (If you know, you know.) My wife’s gift to me for our first wedding anniversary (traditionally associated with a “paper” theme) was a gorgeous art book inspired by the series.

I offer all these anecdotes to establish my bona fides as a massive fan of the trilogy, so you’ll know I’m speaking in good faith when I admit that it’s also weighed down by several major flaws. The books’ timelines can grow confusing, especially when Liu doubles back to previous events and shares confusing flashbacks. His treatment of romantic subplots—and of some gender dynamics more broadly—is uncomfortable. His characters, most of all, tend to exist as two-dimensional vehicles for ideas rather than as 3D flesh-and-blood creations.

Fictional stories can draw readers in because of beautiful prose or compelling characters or a riveting plot; rare success stories, like Martin’s ASoIaF, combine all three. But Liu thrives through plot alone. He devotes far more attention to building his ideas and worlds than to building his characters. (This is especially true of a main character in the first book, whom a coworker—who didn’t enjoy her reading experience—called “the most boring man in the world.”)

This imbalance is partly a matter of cultural exchange. In a New Yorker profile of Liu, Chinese American writer Jiayang Fan wrote of China’s development over the course of Liu’s life, “The scale and the speed of China’s economic transformation were conducive to a fictive mode that concerns itself with the fate of whole societies, planets, and galaxies, and in which individuals are presented as cogs in larger systems.”

Yet the lack of individually compelling characters is also a choice (or a limitation) of Liu’s. He’s a power plant engineer by trade, not a trained writer. As he told Fan for that profile, “I did not begin writing for love of literature. I did so for love of science.”

That inversion wouldn’t work on television, which is, at its heart, a medium driven by character and dialogue. “I started as a playwright, so that’s the only way I know how to write: character first,” Woo said via Netflix. “For a television series, that’s the thing that gives you an emotional attachment to the story and makes you think about it after the credits roll.”

Part of the creators’ adaptive solution was structural. In Liu’s trilogy, the sequels’ protagonists don’t appear in the first book, and the various main characters don’t know each other before the events of the series.

So Benioff, Weiss, and Woo decided to pull those later protagonists (under different names) to the start of the first season of TV. They also connected those characters in a manner that might be less realistic—is it actually likely that the most important characters in a world-spanning story would have been friends before the crisis began?—but makes for a more cohesive viewing experience. Audiences love an ensemble.

“What you gain by making these changes is a greater level of emotional engagement, which is at the heart of any TV show,” Woo said.

In the case of 3 Body , that ensemble consists of five characters whose friendship dates back to their days as physics students at Oxford. The members of the quintet have since branched out into different scientific subfields: Jin (Jess Hong) is a theoretical physicist, Saul (Jovan Adepo) works in a lab, Auggie (Eiza GonzĂĄlez) applies her education to a job constructing nanomaterials, Jack (Bradley) owns a popular snack-food company, and Will (Alex Sharp) is a schoolteacher.

Those characters offer not only more emotional engagement than their book counterparts, but also a greater variety in tone. Jack, for instance, adds welcome humor and sarcasm to an otherwise overly serious show. (Benedict Wong’s Da Shi, an intelligence officer, supplies his fair share of levity, too.)

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Altering character presentation is a common tactic for hard sci-fi shows that move from the page to the screen. The Foundation adaptation on Apple TV+ took a similar approach to its ostensibly unfilmable source material, another dense sci-fi story that emphasizes world-building over character-building. As Asimov’s story skips across time, most characters appear for no more than a few chapters. (Incidentally, Liu directly references Foundation in the second book in his series.)

The Foundation adaptation introduces cloning and cryogenic procedures to extend its characters’ life spans—and keep its high-profile actors on-screen. “I think the secret sauce for adapting Foundation was really rooting it in emotion,” showrunner David S. Goyer said in 2021. “Really rooting it in character.”

Elsewhere in the realm of hard sci-fi adaptations, Dune: Part Two condensed its time frame and cut out the book’s precocious toddler , which would have been trickier to depict on-screen. The Expanse TV show also fiddled with character timelines, including introducing a fan favorite who doesn’t appear until the second book in the pilot episode. His Dark Materials is more fantasy than sci-fi, but HBO’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s trilogy employed the same solution in transporting a character who debuts in the second book to the show’s second episode.

The Expanse adaptation also added more dialogue and banter in place of a detective character’s mostly internal narration. Daniel Abraham, one of the coauthors and executive producers of the series, told me this change was necessary because “watching the guy sit at home and drink whiskey and think—not great television.”

The same rationale shapes the 3 Body adaptation. Where in the book one character plays the virtual reality game alone and must think through its problems by himself, the show engages multiple characters in the VR world so that they can collaborate and share their thoughts with both one another and the audience.

One other major change in the 3 Body cast, versus its book equivalent, stems from the globalization of a story that originally transpired almost entirely in China. (The sequels spend more time globe-trotting and even traveling beyond our pale blue dot .) While the first season’s two largest roles went to actors of Chinese descent, other Chinese characters from the book are, in the show, played by white, Black, Pakistani, and Mexican actors. And while flashbacks are still centered in China, much of the present-day action shifts to London instead.

According to the creators, Liu gave them his blessing to swap characters’ races and genders, and the cast and creators have stressed repeatedly that these changes were intended to tell a better global story, not to whitewash an inherently Chinese tale.

“We wanted to represent, as much as possible, all of humanity,” Benioff said, per Netflix. “We wanted people from all over the world. We tried to make this a very diverse, international cast to represent the idea that this isn’t just one country’s struggle against the threat of aliens; it’s a global struggle to survive.”

Some viewers may rebel against these changes, but cast members quoted in Netflix’s press materials applauded the resulting opportunities for greater representation. Switching a scientist character from a Chinese man to a Latina woman, said González, “allowed me to be a bit more subversive in this take on a scientist. I feel like we have a very specific idea when it comes to doctors or scientists that’s very sterile and clean-cut. Being a woman from Latin America, I really wanted to create a role that reflected a Latin American woman in a different, more beautiful light.”

Not all of 3 Body ’s adaptive changes can compensate for the source material’s relative weaknesses. To return to the Thrones comparison, none of 3 Body ’s characters are as rich or complex as Tyrion Lannister, Arya Stark, or many of Martin’s other creations. Nor does 3 Body ’s dialogue crackle like Thrones ’ at its best.

But elements of production design—such as props, costumes, effects, and score—unique to the screen elevate other aspects beyond the capabilities of plain words on a page.

“The thing that’s amazing about filmed entertainment,” The Expanse ’s Abraham said, “is it has a musical score, and there’s this whole layer of emotional evocation that you just get for free. It’s amazing. It’s a powerful tool. If you could do that in a book, it would be astounding.”

In addition to reconvening Thrones actors like Bradley, Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), and Jonathan Pryce (the High Sparrow), 3 Body calls on many of the below-the-line standouts who shaped Thrones ’ look, sound, and feel, including composer Ramin Djawadi, who’s back with a delightful soundtrack for the new show. Thrones and 3 Body visual effects producer Steve Kullback said via Netflix that “the level of complexity of the visual effects is similar, in many ways, to some of the things we did on Game of Thrones .”

This series looks expensive, and it feels all the more immersive for its attention to portraying an entire world. 3 Body expands even beyond Thrones ’ great sprawl, leaping, in the VR world, from ancient China to Tudor England to 13th-century Mongolia to 16th-century Italy and, in the real world, from England to Panama to Switzerland to Florida.

The effects work carries over to the show’s infrequent action scenes. A midseason sequence on an oil tanker, which transforms a one-page event into a jaw-dropping visual spectacle, is one of the best set pieces Benioff and Weiss have ever produced. It’s not quite Hardhome or the Red Wedding , but it’s not far behind. ( 3 Body ’s actual version of the Red Wedding would come in Season 2, if the show is renewed.)

This action is played up in part because, as my colleague Justin Charity wrote , both the books and show are “sci-fi thrillers, but the books put the emphasis on sci-fi where the show puts the emphasis on thriller .” This streamlining mostly works. The most confusing part of the first book—and, in my opinion, the entire series—unfolds over 25 dense pages, as Liu details the construction of a new piece of advanced technology that makes use of extra dimensions. On the screen, however, 3 Body condenses this sequence via a quick summary before moving on—again, focusing more on the traffic jam than the automobile itself.

Still, cutting down on the science nerdery in the interest of broader viewer comprehension means that, for some fans, the books’ appeal will be lost in translation. I couldn’t help but wish that other missing parts had been included in the adaptation: a scene that uses a billiard table as a metaphor for a particle accelerator; Liu’s deeper exploration of the VR game, which allows the reader to try to untangle its collection of mysteries along with the characters instead of just watching them solve it; more details about the ingenious “human computer” in VR, which looks cool but isn’t really explained on-screen.

For viewers who want more sci-fi in their sci-fi thriller, or frankly more sci in their sci-fi, a competing Chinese-language adaptation aired in 2023 and is now streaming on Peacock. This version of the story, produced by the Chinese conglomerate Tencent, is almost unflinchingly faithful to the book, as it stretches over 30 episodes and thus has much more room to delve into all of the novel’s scientific minutiae. Tencent’s series is not entirely faithful, however: It elides the integral aspects of Chinese history that influence characters and catalyze the plot.

When drafting his book, Liu front-loaded scenes showing the brutality of the Cultural Revolution, but as a New York Times piece explained , his “Chinese publisher worried that the opening scenes were too politically charged and would never make it past government censors, so they were placed later in the narrative, he says, to make them less conspicuous. Liu reluctantly agreed to the change, but felt the novel was diminished.” Now, Liu recommends that bilingual readers choose the English translation of his book—which returned those chapters to the front of the novel—instead of the Chinese version.

The same dynamic apparently played out in the dueling adaptations. The Tencent adaptation downplays these scenes, while the Netflix show—just like the English translation of the book—opens with them, as a physics professor faces opprobrium from a mob because of his beliefs about science and religion.

Liu himself is an atheist, but he still believes it’s his role to inspire a spiritual response in his readers. In one of his essays in A View From the Stars , he writes, “The religious feeling of science fiction is a deep sense of awe at the great mysteries of the universe.”

The show captures that same sense of wonder and reflects it back to the audience from the start. At the end of the first episode, when the stars in the night sky behave in an unusual way, the hair on my arms stood up, just as it had when I discovered the great mysteries in the book.

“We want to do justice to the books and create a show that makes people feel the way the books made us feel,” Benioff said. “And the best way to do that is not to just schematically take things from the book and put them on-screen in the order and manner in which they appear in the books.”

Those more holistic changes alter character and story structure but not Liu’s propulsive plot or, most of all, the way his books made so many readers feel. With the aid of TV-friendly tweaks and Netflix’s massive reach, the 3 Body adaptation has the opportunity to fill even more audience members with that deep sense of awe.

“A lot of people who said, ‘I don’t like fantasy’ became big fans of Game of Thrones ,” Benioff added. “And our hope is that we’ll get a lot of people who normally are not into science fiction to love 3 Body Problem .”

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Sam and Twitch: Case Files #1

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‘sam and twitch: case files’ #1 puts the spotlight on spawn’s dysfunctional detectives.

A somewhat slow start to the latest entry in the Spawn universe.

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Though the Spawn Universe – or the “New U”, as creator Todd McFarlane is now referring to it – has only started to expand in recent years, there are characters who’ve been a part of the hellish antihero’s world since day one: detectives Sam Burke and Maximilian “Twitch” Williams. Per the laws of comic publishing, whenever a character in a major comic book series gains a fair amount of popularity, it’s only a matter of time until they get their own series. Sam and Twitch: Case Files #1 from McFarlane, Jon Goff, Szymon Kudranski, FCO Plascencia, Sheila Saldana and Tom Orzechowski isn’t the first Sam and Twitch book to be released, but it does offer something different from the previous Spawn books.

That something is a more grounded crime thriller. In fact, when he first announced the book, McFarlane said that he wanted to do a crime comic in the vein of True Detective , with as little supernatural elements as possible. Spawn himself doesn’t show up, and isn’t even mentioned; likewise, you won’t find anything about angels, demons or the other supernatural threats the hell-powered antihero faces off against. This is a bit of a double edged sword; while it allows McFarlane and Goff to jump right into the story, it also feels somewhat out of place in the fantastic world that McFarlane’s helped build over 30 years. It also takes a while to set up the case that’s driving the story – again, previous Spawn titles were able to hit the ground running in a single issue.

Despite the pacing problems, the book is a visual spectacle thanks to Kurdanski. His artwork features hauntingly compelling imagery; a series of panels features a bullet falling and spinning on the ground, while another page breaks into multiple puzzle pieces to be reassembled into a grisly crime scene. The level of detail also applies to the protagonists, to the point where you can see the bags under Sam’s eyes and the shine on Twitch’s glasses.

The rest of the art team dives into Sam and Twitch by adding visual flourishes that give the book a more realistic flourish. Plascencia and Saldana’s color work reflects the shifting of light, and therefore tone, as the first half of the book takes place in the daylight before shifting into a nighttime sequence spattered with gore. Longtime Spawn letterer Orzechowski even shakes up his own style; instead of traditional word balloons, most characters have their words suspended over their heads, which makes it look like they’re actually speaking.

Sam and Twitch: Case Files #1 is a somewhat slow start to the latest entry in the Spawn universe. While longtime Spawn fans will probably pick it up, others may want to check out the duo’s previous appearances or wait for other Spawn titles that are more their speed.

Sam and Twitch: Case Files #1

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  17. Goodreads

    Quotes. "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.". "I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.". "So many books, so little time.". "Two things are infinite: the ...

  18. Google Books

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  24. Top of the World Restaurant

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  25. Sam and Twitch: Case Files #1 review

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