balmakboor
03-17-2009, 05:53 PM
In case you get the crazy idea to write reviews for a newspaper...
I wrote a review of “Race to Witch Mountain” yesterday and submitted it to the Bismarck Tribune as usual.
I then submitted it to blogcritics.org. They asked me to make some changes, good changes.
The review in question: http://blogcritics.org/archives/2009/03/16/154246.php
I re-submitted the new version to the Tribune with the email message that starts things below. (Ooops!)
Keep in mind, I don’t work for the paper or have any sort of contract with them. Also, they pay me $8.00 per review which covers one matinee price ticket.
------
An Internet editor suggested some changes. Please use the attached review in place of the one I sent earlier.
Thanks,
Todd
---
What do you mean Internet editor?
SW
---
I post some of my reviews to blogcritics.org. They actually have two humans who read every one of them and will occasionally hold a piece up when something needs fixing. They even know their movies and catch factual errors like misquoted dialog in my "Cool Hand Luke" review.
Todd
---
Todd:
While we only pay for your ticket, we consider that you are writing for us. We don't know anything about blogcritics.org. We don't know if they have any ties to the industry, etc. We expect to get your reviews straight from you without a third party involved. If this is unacceptable to you, then we need to end our relationship. I plan to use the original review on Witch Mountain that you sent me. If there is an error of fact, let me know and we'll correct it.
Steve Wallick
---
Steve,
I can live with sending things directly to the Tribune without a third party involved, as has usually been the case. I would prefer that you use the second version of the review simply because it is better. I was told to re-write one sentence because it used the word "and" too many times and my comparison to "The Brady Bunch Movie" didn't make sense. But, it is entirely up to you.
I do plan to continue posting my reviews to two Internet sites: my Cinema 100 blog at www.cinema100.com and the already mentioned blogcritics.org since my long term plans require an Internet presence. If that isn't acceptable, then I agree that we need to end our relationship.
Todd
---
Todd:
Here's how we feel. If you want to send your reviews to other sources, that's fine. But we don't want to pay for your tickets if your are sharing with other sources. If you want to send us your reviews unedited by other sources and pay for your own tickets, we will be happy to continue our relationship.
Any thoughts?
Steve
---
Steve,
I’m teased constantly by people who can’t believe I write the reviews for free. I tell them I get money for my ticket and they say, “Todd. You are doing it for free.” Obviously, I’m not in it for the money. So, what am I in it for? Two things really: it is fun to have people come up to me and talk to me about my latest review – it happens a lot – and it forces me into a weekly regimen of writing reviews. I’ve also learned quite a bit from you.
So, I’ll keep writing the reviews under your terms, for now.
My one thought about all of this though is it is pretty darn cheap of the Tribune to even quibble over $8.00 a week. You’re getting decent quality, locally written reviews for next to nothing. I know times are tough for newspapers everywhere, but this is a bargain.
Todd
---
Oh well. Live and learn. I suppose newspapers have all kinds of rules and legal worries I don’t even know about.
To be continued...
I wrote a review of “Race to Witch Mountain” yesterday and submitted it to the Bismarck Tribune as usual.
I then submitted it to blogcritics.org. They asked me to make some changes, good changes.
The review in question: http://blogcritics.org/archives/2009/03/16/154246.php
I re-submitted the new version to the Tribune with the email message that starts things below. (Ooops!)
Keep in mind, I don’t work for the paper or have any sort of contract with them. Also, they pay me $8.00 per review which covers one matinee price ticket.
------
An Internet editor suggested some changes. Please use the attached review in place of the one I sent earlier.
Thanks,
Todd
---
What do you mean Internet editor?
SW
---
I post some of my reviews to blogcritics.org. They actually have two humans who read every one of them and will occasionally hold a piece up when something needs fixing. They even know their movies and catch factual errors like misquoted dialog in my "Cool Hand Luke" review.
Todd
---
Todd:
While we only pay for your ticket, we consider that you are writing for us. We don't know anything about blogcritics.org. We don't know if they have any ties to the industry, etc. We expect to get your reviews straight from you without a third party involved. If this is unacceptable to you, then we need to end our relationship. I plan to use the original review on Witch Mountain that you sent me. If there is an error of fact, let me know and we'll correct it.
Steve Wallick
---
Steve,
I can live with sending things directly to the Tribune without a third party involved, as has usually been the case. I would prefer that you use the second version of the review simply because it is better. I was told to re-write one sentence because it used the word "and" too many times and my comparison to "The Brady Bunch Movie" didn't make sense. But, it is entirely up to you.
I do plan to continue posting my reviews to two Internet sites: my Cinema 100 blog at www.cinema100.com and the already mentioned blogcritics.org since my long term plans require an Internet presence. If that isn't acceptable, then I agree that we need to end our relationship.
Todd
---
Todd:
Here's how we feel. If you want to send your reviews to other sources, that's fine. But we don't want to pay for your tickets if your are sharing with other sources. If you want to send us your reviews unedited by other sources and pay for your own tickets, we will be happy to continue our relationship.
Any thoughts?
Steve
---
Steve,
I’m teased constantly by people who can’t believe I write the reviews for free. I tell them I get money for my ticket and they say, “Todd. You are doing it for free.” Obviously, I’m not in it for the money. So, what am I in it for? Two things really: it is fun to have people come up to me and talk to me about my latest review – it happens a lot – and it forces me into a weekly regimen of writing reviews. I’ve also learned quite a bit from you.
So, I’ll keep writing the reviews under your terms, for now.
My one thought about all of this though is it is pretty darn cheap of the Tribune to even quibble over $8.00 a week. You’re getting decent quality, locally written reviews for next to nothing. I know times are tough for newspapers everywhere, but this is a bargain.
Todd
---
Oh well. Live and learn. I suppose newspapers have all kinds of rules and legal worries I don’t even know about.
To be continued...