Literature Expert

What you'll do

You write literary scenarios that test real reading, from passage analysis to questions of form, voice and tradition, and you write the reference reading for each, with the textual evidence behind every claim: what the language does and how.

The grading side is where the trained eye matters. You score model output for textual fidelity, interpretive depth and awareness of craft, and flag the readings that sound sophisticated but ignore what the text actually says. The ad frames these as the misses only a trained reader would catch.

Who fits

• An advanced degree in literature, English, comparative literature or a closely related field
• At least two years of teaching, research, editorial or published literary work; the ad names teachers, researchers, editors and published critics
• Close reading depth across periods, genres or traditions
• Clear written English, since your own prose should demonstrate the craft you evaluate
• Able to commit at least 10 hours a week

Preferred: a PhD and peer reviewed publications, editorial or creative writing craft experience, and reading knowledge of literatures beyond English.

What it pays

The ad states $50 to $100 an hour, set from your experience and not negotiated down after you start; the board headlines $75. Payment is weekly via Stripe, the minimum is 10 hours a week with no maximum, and the ad says there is no screen recording, keystroke monitoring or idle timer. It is independent contractor work on ongoing projects rather than single task batches.

How hiring works

The ad lists: apply in about five minutes (resume plus structured questions), resume review against a published rubric, a possible written assessment for further placement, onboarding (sign the contractor agreement, connect Stripe, get platform access), and a project match in your specialty, usually within a week of onboarding.

Worth knowing

Good:

• The qualifying experience can be editorial or critical work as well as teaching and research
• Remote, async and adjustable week to week
• Weekly pay and no monitoring
• Work is judged on rigor of reading rather than volume

Less good:

• An advanced degree is required
• A minimum of 10 hours a week
• The ad does not say where within $50 to $100 a given applicant will land
• The ad does not say whether the written assessment is paid; the company page describes AfterQuery's wider assessment rules

About this listing

Read from the AfterQuery Experts board on 18 October 2026, listed in its Humanities department and posted 27 August 2026. Pay, hours, payment method and hiring steps are the ad's own text. See AfterQuery.