Reviewing as a career isn’t really worth it
By Jane • May 15th, 2008 • Category: Publishing News • •We review here for free, but it’s not much different if you review for a trade magazine like Publishers Weekly. With traditional media hurting financially, PW has responded one way by reducing the amount of money that reviewers will be paid for each review to $25.00. Obviously reviewing is done by those who love reading and not for any monetary reward. (at least that is what I infer from this).
Via MediaBistro.
Jane is a long time romance reader whose passion is, you guessed it, reading. Jane also does not like to talk about herself in the third person, but apparently this is the way that this biography thing works (although in a true biography, someone else would be writing this blurb). Anyway, currently Jane loves urban fantasy authors Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews. She's really excited about this year's crop of historicals including Joanna Bourne's The Spymaster's Lady and Sherry Thomas' Private Arrangements and the upcoming Loretta Chase Her Scandalous Ways.
She's looking for a good contemporary author. Email her with a recommendation!
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You know, reviews done for free are surely more trustworthy. If you’re being paid, you feel duty bound to make the review entertaining, not just informative. The temptation to wank and snark just to get reader attention would be great. The potential for bribery is there too.
But if you’re going to pay for reviews, then it should be a standard journalistic rate. A pittance is just an insult but I guess it is done to claim some copyright over the words.