Want To Write For Book Riot?
We here at the good ship Book Riot are looking for a few new contributors. Sound cool? Here’s how to know if this might be a good fit:
If you like to write about books almost as much as you love books, then we’re looking for you.
If you can be funny, smart, passionate, and informative about books, reading, and the reading life, then we are looking for you.
If you can be both serious and goofy, sometimes in the span of a sentence, then we are looking for you.
If you can come up with ideas, participate in collaborative projects, and give feedback to others on their ideas, then we are looking for you.
If you can commit to writing at least two posts a month, then we are looking for you.
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There are a few areas we are especially interested in right now: African American fiction, Latin American fiction, romance & erotica, sci-fi/fantasy, Christian, romance, and mysteries/thrillers/suspense. If these aren’t your passions, don’t worry. But if one or more of these rings your bell, then we are going to be bummed if we don’t hear from you. Diverse applicants from traditionally marginalized backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply.
Also, if you have a blog or BookTube channel already, that’s awesome, please let us know. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t the kind of stuff you would write for Book Riot, but it does show that you are excited about creating bookish content and can keep up a content creation habit.
Complete the form below to submit your samples and application by 11:59pm Eastern, Sunday, April 19th.
Samples must be submitted via links in this form. The samples can be links to things you’ve already written and published online, things you’ve written and haven’t yet published, or you can write new stuff just for this. If you are submitting pieces that have not been previously published, please use Google Docs or Dropbox. Emailed applications and attachments will not be read.
What to Send Us: Your samples should be things you think could go up on Book Riot just as they are. If you are writing new pieces for this application, we recommend that one be an entry for the Our Reading Lives series, and the other on any topic of your choosing.
What Not to Send: Please don’t submit book reviews you’ve written for your blog or other publications (you’ll notice we don’t do too many straight book reviews around here), or links to your reviews at Goodreads, LibraryThing, Amazon, etc. Also, please do not submit image-heavy pieces (like our Book Fetish or Literary Tourism series, or a collection of 10 awesome bookish t-shirts); we want to get a feel for your voice and writing style. (Also, please don’t submit non-book related content as your writing samples! They will not be read.)
Your samples should show us that you understand how we do things here at the Riot and that you can do it too. Our last open call resulted in more than 700 applications, and we took less than 20 new contributors, so take this opportunity to knock our socks off- another post about how great books smell (or how ereaders are inferior to physical books) isn’t going to do that.
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Soon-to-Be Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is this a paid thing or what?
Yes. Book Riot contributors receive a revenue share. You’ll get more details if your application is accepted.
2. What happens to my posts after I write them?
You keep the rights to your posts and can do what you like with them after they appear on Book Riot. We do require a 48 hour window before they appear elsewhere, and we keep a license to use them in future projects.
3. Do I pitch ideas or get assigned stuff?
You’ll be responsible for generating your own post ideas, and you’ll be free to write about whatever you are interested in and passionate about. Our goal is to edit/assist you just as much as you want and not a comma more. If you have a jillion ideas, then we’ll stay out of your way…That said, if you are stuck or want a second opinion, the Book Riot contributor community is really great at helping out.
4. I’m an author/editor/publisher/agent/whatever. Is that OK?
Sure. But this isn’t a gig to write about your project until we start bleeding out of our eyes. In fact, you should avoid writing about your project as much as possible. ( People will like you more, I promise.) In your bio that appears with your posts, you can link to your self-pubbed 99 cent, Kindle exclusive Agatha Christie zombie fan fiction, though.
5. When will I hear from you?
If we are interested in talking with you more about becoming a contributor, you’ll hear from us by May 8th.
Ready? Here we go!
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