I have trouble with "deserve," too, because it applies to so many books, it doesn't help you distinguish among them. A case in point: I have a strong interest in Ukraine and believe it deserves all the help it can get, so I've reviewed a number of books on the war that I did instead of, say, excellent novels that others might have seen as equally worthy of attention.

I've seldom been compensated well for book reviews even for relatively flush media like the Washington Post. I believe the WaPo paid $300 or $350 for a review, which might be a good rate for a short, lightweight novel you could read in a day.

But it was low if you were reviewing, say, a 500-page history for which you also needed to read an earlier book by the author. In general, I've been paid reasonably well only for corporate writing for companies on the Fortune 500 level.