Writing Reviews for Fun, Profit, and Freebies
Get Paid to Read Books, View TV/Films, & Listen to Songs as a Critic
Sep 6, 2009
Imagine if the process of researching and writing could actually be enjoyable. This scenario isn't fantasy. It is completely possible for those who focus on writing reviews. For these individuals, the research process will consist of watching a movie, reading a book, or playing some MP3s. For most that is considered recreation. It is the lucky few who opt to become critics, however, who get to spend their days being paid to do what others would do for free.
As if earning a paycheck while engaging in enjoyable activities wasn't enough, writing reviews is also a great, simple way to go from an unknown to a household name.
Becoming a critic isn't as difficult as it may seem. There are only two things that are required to begin. They are a love of either television, movies, books, or music and the ability to write well. With those two things absolutely any one can begin writing reviews.
A Critic Should Set Their Sights on a Site
The first job for an aspiring critic won't involve reviewing anything. It will, instead, be to set-up a web presence. From there they can post reviews on a regular basis. This will give them a chance to hone their review skills and gather a following.
To be Well-known, a Critic's Gotta Have a Gimmick
Gimmicks can be good in that they make a critic memorable. For example, when one hears the phrase "Two thumbs up." they immediately think of Siskel and Ebert. In order to become memorable a gimmick is a must. An aspiring critic should brainstorm ideas and try to come up with something that will make their reviews unique.
Write Reviews That Get Exposure
After writing reviews and building a loyal following on their website, it would be a good time a critic to branch out and syndicate their reviews on other sites. The best way to do this is by contacting various review and entertainment sites. In the initial message, the critic should inquire if the site's administrators would be interested in posted syndicated reviews.
Care should be taken not to allow any of this sites to post every review that the critic has written. Doing this would only serve to siphon away visitors that had previously been loyal to the critic's site. They can, however, offer to let the site post a certain number of reviews each month. This will benefit them as they will be receiving free content for their site and it will benefit the critic because readers who find their work via other sites will most likely visit their site in order to read more of their work.
Everyone Loves Freebies
As if the enjoyment involved with writing reviews wasn't enough, a critic can also look forward to receiving freebies. In order to take full advantage of the possibility to receive free merchandise, the critic should prominently display their email address or include a contact form so that people can get in touch with them. Those writing movie reviews can expect to receive offers of free DVDs. Those who opt to focus on book reviews are likely to receive offers of free review copies. Those are just two examples of the many possible freebies that critics can look forward to receiving.
Cashing in on Critiquing
Okay, so all of this sounds great, right? Yes, name recognition and freebies are nice, but they don't pay the bills. One might wonder how writing reviews can generate some money. The first way is by monetizing the web site. The critic should make sure to place an affiliate link to anything and everything that they review. That way, when someone buys an item based upon their recommendation, then a nice commission will be generated. Ad placements also offer another possibility to cash in. Adsense and BlogAds are both good options for making a profit while writing reviews.
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