Book Reviewing Business

4 Book Reviewing Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

•

Updated: October 8th, 2024

Love diving into a good book? Turn that passion into income by starting a book reviewing business. In simple terms, this involves reading new books and providing comprehensive reviews for authors, publishers, and book marketing platforms.

This business model requires a keen eye for detail and an ability to write captivating summaries and critical analyses. You'll need to maintain a blog or platform where these reviews can be accessed by a wide audience, making social media and SEO crucial components of your strategy.

The demand for insightful book reviews is ever-growing, especially with the surge in independent publishing. If you appreciate literature and have a knack for critical thinking, starting a book reviewing business could be your gateway to a fulfilling and lucrative venture.

In this list, you'll find real-world book reviewing business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a book reviewing business that makes money.

1. Foreword Reviews ($1.08M/year)

Victoria Sutherland, founder of Foreword Reviews, came up with the idea for her business while working for a small press magazine. She noticed that independent publishers were not getting much coverage and saw an opportunity to provide long-form reviews for these smaller presses. With her background in advertising and a passion for books, she started Foreword Reviews to fill the gap in the market and support indie presses.

How much money it makes: $1.08M/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
How many people on the team: 7

The Story Behind A $90K/Month Independent Publishers And Books Reviews Publication

Foreword Reviews is a media company that started out as a magazine with a print run of 7,500 copies, serving as a brochure for publishing services including foreign rights exchange and digital content, and twenty years and some intense pivots later, it has become one of the most profitable in the book business.

Read this case study

Read by 8,171 founders

2. OrderOfBooks.com ($600K/year)

Graeme McGaw came up with the idea for OrderOfBooks.com after realizing the need for a resource that provided book readers with the order of books in a series. With his passion for books and his expertise from the gambling industry, he launched the website, which now makes six figures per year and serves as a valuable resource for readers worldwide.

How much money it makes: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200K
How many people on the team: 8

How I Started A Six-Figure Niche Book Blog

OrderOfBooks.com is a website that lists books in both publication and chronological order and generates six-figure revenue after starting off as a resource for the founder and his friends, serving as a valuable resource for book readers.

Read this case study

Read by 18,705 founders

3. Book Club Chat ($48K/year)

Heather Caliendo, a journalist with a passion for reading, turned her love for books into a profitable business with Book Club Chat. Despite the saturation of the book blogging market, Heather stood out by creating a beautifully designed website and focusing on providing book club questions tailored to novels. With over 5,000 visitors a day and earning $4,000/month in ad revenue, Book Club Chat has become a go-to resource for book clubs around the world.

How much money it makes: $48K/year
How much did it cost to start: $50
How many people on the team: 0

How I Started A $4K/Month Website Dedicated To Book Club Questions, Reviews And Book Lists

Book Club Chat founder Heather Caliendo started a website dedicated to book club questions, reviews, and book lists with no upfront costs by dedicating a lot of time to reading and writing high-quality content that attracts over 5,000 daily visitors and has made $4,000 per month in ad revenue alone by focusing on organic search, SEO, and Mediavine.

Read this case study

Read by 6,834 founders

4. Most Recommended Books ($12K/year)

Richard Reis, founder of Most Recommended Books (MRB), was inspired to start the business after writing a popular blog post in 2018. With the realization that he had a talent for creating content that resonated with people, Richard teamed up with his best friend, Anurag, to create MRB. The idea came to Richard after reading about how Mark Zuckerberg built various projects before Facebook, leading him to believe in the power of trying different ideas until one gains traction.

How much money it makes: $12K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 0

How Two Best Friends Started A Side Hustle Recommending Books

Most Recommended Books helps you discover books recommended by the world's most influential people, with 500+ experts and 6,000+ books, and garnered 70,000 monthly visitors with the goal of reaching 100,000 to start looking at other ways of making money.

Read this case study

Read by 3,718 founders