You read.
You have
opinions.
Good.

RNKD reviewers are ordinary readers who write down what they honestly thought of a book. That's the whole qualification. Here's what it is, what it isn't, and how to apply.

Apply to review →

Who we're looking for

People who actually read — three books a year or sixty — and can say something specific about why a book worked or didn't for them. We don't care about credentials. We do care that you'll write like yourself and not like a blurb.

We especially want tastes we don't have yet. If everyone here loves literary fiction, a reader who mainly wants a plot makes the site better. If you finish one book in five and will say so, that's useful too.

What it isn't

NOT A JOB There's no pay, no hours, no quota, and no assignment you can't turn down. You review what you want, when you want, and you can stop whenever you like. We'll never pay more for a kind review, and we'll never ask you to soften one.
NOT A PIPELINE Publishers and authors don't send us books, and they don't send you books through us. If someone connected to a book offers you a copy, that book can't be reviewed here.
NOT A PERSONA You can write under your real name or a pen name, but RNKD verifies that you're a real person. We don't invent bios and we don't add credentials you don't have.

Where the books come from

Mostly from you: books you own, bought, or borrowed. Sometimes RNKD buys a copy for a reviewer — for example, when a few people want to read the same book for a Roundtable. When that happens, the review says so, in plain words, right on the page. RNKD buys those copies at retail and never through its own affiliate links.

What we'll ask of you

01 Read the book, or stop and tell us where. Never review from a summary.
02 Write your own words. No pasted reviews, no AI-written opinions.
03 Tell us how you got the book, and if you know the author.
04 Mark spoilers. Rate if you want to; skip the stars if you don't.
05 Let an editor fix typos. We won't change your opinion without asking you.

What happens after you apply

A person reads your application and your writing sample. We check you're real. We say yes or no by email — usually within a few weeks, and we'll tell you either way. If it's yes, you'll sign a short contributor agreement and set up your profile. Nothing you submit in the application is ever published.

A negative sample review doesn't count against you. We'd rather read an honest two-star than a polite four.

Takes about fifteen minutes.