Paid Book Reviewers Wanted for a Trusted Literary Magazine

I am asked often by library workers about how they can write reviews of books, for money. Well, at the request of a trusted literary magazine, The Common, I was asked to reach out to all of you an recruit you to help them ramp up their book review coverage for solid pay. 

Before I get to that, you need to know what The Common is. From their "About" page:

The Common is an award-winning print and digital literary journal published biannually, in the fall and spring. Issues of The Common include short stories, essays, poems, and images that embody a strong sense of place. The Common Online publishes original content four times per week, including book reviews, interviews, personal essays, short dispatches, poetry, contributor podcasts and recordings, and multimedia features.

Based in Amherst, Massachusetts, the magazine is supported in part by Amherst College and The Common Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Common also runs the Literary Publishing Internship Program at Amherst College, mentoring students in all aspects of literary publishing, and hosts public programming regularly.

See a list of Awards, or check up on News & Events.

Hear more about The Common‘s founding and background in these Interviews with the Editor in Chief.

Full disclosure, I went to Amherst College. I know Editor in Chief Jennifer Acker, also am Amherst graduate, and my kid was their 5th Literary Editorial Fellow and their first Applefield Fellow.

Iw as asked by Acker to help get the work out. From The Common:

In February, The Washington Post announced that they were ending Book World, their dedicated section for book reviews. Until that point, Book World was one of the final remaining bulwarks against a larger trend of dwindling criticism and the collapse of book reviews in major publications. Reviews have always been an essential part of the literary world, opening a window into thoughtful, nuanced discussions, encouraging readers to think deeply about the value of what they read, and building community around new releases. With an increase in book bans, the influx of generative AI, and a sharp decline in both literacy rates and reading as a pastime, the kind of conversations and community that form around book reviews are more important than ever before.

What can a literary magazine like The Common do to push back against these dispiriting trends? We're revamping—and greatly expanding—our book reviews section! With a focus on new releases from independent presses, and of course on titles with a strong sense of place, our hope is to bring attention to the best books you haven't yet heard about. We aim to serve readers, publishers, and authors. 

Beginning in September, we will be publishing four reviews a month. We will pay competitive rates. If you are interested in writing a review or proposing a book to be reviewed, please visit this page for more information about our submission guidelines. Additionally, we will be sending out a quarterly newsletter (starting next week) featuring forthcoming titles we hope to have reviewed and answering any questions you may have about our process. If interested, you can add your name to that mailing list here.

Thank you for supporting The Common and our mission of deepening our modern sense of place and building community around literature. 

Onward!

When you visit that page above, you will see in clear language what they will pay.

Reviews should either be around 800 words (for a $250 honorarium) or 1500 words (for a $450 honorarium). We will not review self-published books.

I clarified with Acker, they want newer books, but they do NOT need to be pre-pub (as we library workers are used to. Use the book reviews page for more information and how to pitch your book reviews.

The Common is specifically reaching out to librarians. You may have seen this cross posted on ALA Connect sights as well. If you have even been thinking about writing book reviews, you should take a look at their site.