Announcing a new category: WRITE FOR FREE!

I'm going to start tracking the trend with (some) newspapers asking their readers to Write For Free!.

The Oregonian's done it on the op-ed page ("Sorry, there's no pay involved. However, we'll spring for coffee and muffins at a get-acquainted meeting if you're chosen"); Willamette Week tried it briefly with its WWire blog (but reversed itself pretty quickly).

And now the Bismarck Tribune is soliciting book reviewers who aren't afraid to put the free into freelance:

The Bismarck Tribune, as a 30,000-circulation newspaper, can't afford to employ a full-time book reviewer to help others determine if a specific book is a great way to spend a few hours, if the effort is a total waste of time - or if the story is worthy of something in between.

But the Tribune readership market has more than 100,000 people, many of whom have varied interests and expertise and share the love of reading. If you are one of those people, you could read a book and write a review for possible publication in the newspaper.

Oh -- and don't even think about keeping the book or the ARC:

The book or product, after reviewed, will be passed along for others to read or donated to charity or a library.

Comments

[Alan Bluehole]

You get what you pay for: desperation.