Dear MoneyMaking Friend,

The ultimate secret to success is to believe that you can do something because you want to do it and then get out there and make it happen. So, if you’ve been feeling like work is a struggle that drags you down every day and if your income makes you question why you’re still there, let me introduce you to extra cash with extra benefits!

Have you ever thought of making money from reading? Yes, that’s right, reading books, reading manuscripts, reading for children and reading to write reviews….

If you enjoy reading in your spare time, why not turn it into a money-making enterprise? Read on to find out how to read your way to part-time profits….

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Read your way to part-time profits!

In the publishing world, manuscripts are the future gold for book publishers. But publishers receive hundreds of manuscripts every day. In order to find the gold nuggets, they have to read each manuscript. Most of them will never be published - Publishers simply don’t have the time to read all day long and this is where you come in.

The best part is that there’s more than one option for you to consider, which means there’s also more than one avenue in this industry to bring in a handsome pay slip.

I have found three great ideas for you to try out - There’s no need to restrict yourself to just one – if you’re eager, why not take more?

1. Become a manuscript analyst
Whether it’s for publishers or film production companies, reading manuscripts saves them time. You’ll need to become familiar with the requirements of plot, character development and structure and a good eye for grammar goes a long way.

Get a copy of Reading for a Living by T. L. Katahn through www.kalahari.net for around R150 (excluding shipping). This book gives the best tips on how to become a professional story analyst. The main focus is film and television, but I reckon the principles apply to other manuscripts as well.

As a reader, your job is to provide the publisher with a breakdown of the book. Some of the publishers around are Pan Macmillan, Heinemann, Penguin, Troupant, Random House Struik and Jonathan Ball… Actually there’s hundreds to choose from. So if you need contact details, visit www.publishsa.co.za. This website lists the details of every publisher in South Africa.

2. Review published books
Head to your nearest CNA or Exclusive Books and spend some time paging through the selection of magazines. Have a look at the “Regulars” section of each and write down the details of those magazines that review books. Most women’s magazines contain review sections. For every book you read, write a review of about 100 to 200 words. Most magazines pay per word but some magazines don’t pay anything.

You could even extend your review skills to movies, DVDs or the latest release in the music industry? Visit: www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/ to get an idea of which hot, new books are selling overseas.

Then write a proposal for the editor of the magazine you’ve selected, introducing yourself and describing the book or DVD you’d like to review. You might also want to include a sample of your writing for the editor to review. Just remember to stay positive and remember…getting your first project is always hard. But once editors like your work, will use you again and again.

3. Become a proof reader
If you are one of those people who is driven crazy by spelling or grammatical errors in books, newspapers or magazines you probably also have an intrinsic love of reading, a sharp wit and an eye for detail. If so, you’re only a mere red pen’s length away from becoming a home-based, freelance copyeditor, proofreader or indexer!

As a proofreader, you will need to take final ‘page proofs’, which are set up exactly as the work will look when printed, and check them meticulously for any errors originating from the author, editor and designer of the copy, ensuring consistency throughout.

Visit these sites for possible opportunities;
www.freelancewritingresource.com
www.elance.com – A site for local and international work. You should post yourself on their freelancers sections.
www.publishsa.co.za - It may also be a good idea to join the Publishing Association of South Africa (PASA) as a freelancer (R240 admin fee p/a with a 10% increase in the second year).
 
Reading manuscripts for a living can be achieved in several different ways. So it’s a matter of finding what works for you?

And, the great thing is, anybody with a passion for reading can break into this business. Tertiary education is helpful but it’s not absolutely necessary. Your ability to read well is the most important skill for you to make extra profit while you enjoy what you’re doing! Just be confident and determined!

In the name of freelancing freedom,

Chris Densley
Managing Editor of MoneyMaking Insider

P.S: How would you like to make anything between R35,000-R70,000 per month... every month by just arranging to have a few thousand of your special product letters mailed (or emailed) to a specific group of people? Click here for more information!