So Bookriot didn’t pick me to write for them

Back in March, my friend Sheri, who introduced me to Bookriot, sent me a link – the website was taking applications for writers and she thought I might be interested. They were, it said, searching for people to write about books and reading, writers who could be articulate, entertaining and humorous.  To apply, one had to indicate the genres one prefers, include a blog link (if applicable), and submit two writing samples.  The application referred you to the contributed posts on the site as models, stressing that you should not send book reviews as Bookriot is not in the business of reviews (a claim I have since decided is not entirely true).  You could not send any writing that had been previously published, so nothing from my blog, despite its minimal readership.  The deadline was only a few days away, so I had to think and write fast.  I ended up submitting a rather humorous piece about my previous book group and a shorter piece about why I still patronize brick and mortar book stores (actually posted here after it became clear that Bookriot would not be using it).

When the announcement date (April 19) came and went without word from the site, I logged on and perused.  No mention of decisions then or in subsequent days.  I was mildly disappointed but when I looked at the pieces that have been most recently posted, it was clear why I wasn’t selected and,actually, also a huge relief.  Some of the posts suggest to me way more research than I would like to do:  “100 Must-Read Latin American Books” (Now, has that writer actually read all of those books?), “Making the Most of Your Library of Congress Experience,” (again, a field trip plus conversations with librarians needed) and “The 35 Best Lines From Jane Eyre” (How many times would you have to read the novel to come up with that?)  Other posts demonstrate a creative stretch that, to be honest, I probably couldn’t make:  “When Books Inform Lipstick Choices,” (The writer briefly summarized novels and then shared the lipstick color she would select for the character.), “What Happens When You Name Your Cat Hemingway,” and “Anatomy of a Scene:  Before and After the Book-Burning in Little Women” (a comparison of film versions). 

Selected Bookriot contributors must post at least twice a month; while I try to update my blog every week to ten days, coming up with new ideas is tough.  One of the things that this experience has taught me is to look a little further outside of myself for subject matter such as, for example, the news.  As with books I wish I had written, here’s a very topical Bookriot post I wish I had submitted: “Fictional Women We’d Totally Put on the $20 Bill.”  Now that would be fun to write!