Reading is such a relaxing pastime for some…and for others it’s simply a hassle. If you love to read, these businesses may be for you. You’ll notice that they usually combine one other skill in order to make your reading a marketable business. If you have that skill and a passion for print, you could be ready to go!
1. Book Summaries. Businesses create online and offline versions of book summaries (think: Cole’s Notes or Cliff’s Notes). They require someone to read the book and summarize it so you would need some writing and critical thinking skills as well. Many of the larger companies do general work from fiction through non-fiction typically to help students, but there is a real need for this same service for a variety of professional people who need to stay up-to-date with business writing but don’t have the time to read the whole book. Consider specializing in a particular field.
2. Research. Companies need to do research before opening for business, or when preparing to bring products to market, or to back up their claims during sales. A reader with a nose for detail can uncover the important facts and pull them together for the company. Analysis may or may not be a part of the service you provide.
3. Editing. Editing is not just done by the big publishing houses or by magazine editors. There has been a major increase in print-on- demand publishing and many aspiring authors recognize their need for another pair of eyes to look at their work. If you are a grammatical guru, you’ll do well at this. However, be aware that you are often working with someone’s “pride and joy” so any changes you make need to be gently sold back to the original writer! Also, MANY websites are in dire need of a clean-up from an editor with an eye for spelling and grammar. Sites wishing to sell lose credibility if they cannot spell, so your service adds value by helping them increase credibility and sales.
4. Narrating. E-learning and computer-based training (CBT) are multimedia efforts. They combine pictures, text, and voice to create a multi-sensory experience designed to help the student learn more effectively. These multimedia products need good readers with a clear and pleasant-sounding voice to read the script out loud so it can be heard by the student. Record yourself reading several different types of text (fiction, non-fiction, formal, informal, etc.) and burn them onto a CD on your computer. Then, find CBT and e-learning companies online and send them your disk of clips.
5. Amazon reseller. This won’t make you a millionaire, but if you target it appropriately, you could enjoy some extra income just for the reading you do in your spare time. Create a site and market it as a review site. Read books that interest your target audience and review them, linking to Amazon with an affiliate code. People looking for information about the book will see your review, and if they are motivated to buy they will click the link, buy from Amazon, and you get a percentage of the income.
In each case, you’ll need some other skill to combine with your love of reading but when you put them together, you’ll have a marketable business.
