By: Joe Strupp In what may become a more common occurrence as newspapers slash budgets, the Bismarck (N.D.) Tribune is seeking readers to review books for the daily.
In a column posted on the paper's Web site on Sunday, editor John Irby admitted the paper's coffers did not include funding for a book reviewer and put out the offer to readers who might be interested in writing such articles.
"? as a 30,000-circulation newspaper, [the Tribune] can't afford to employ a full-time book reviewer to help others determine if a specific book is a great way to spend a few hours, if the effort is a total waste of time - or if the story is worthy of something in between," Irby wrote, in part. "But the Tribune readership market has more than 100,000 people, many of whom have varied interests and expertise and share the love of reading. If you are one of those people, you could read a book and write a review for possible publication in the newspaper."
Irby could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.
The column makes no mention of a fee to be paid for such reviews, but offers a list of books in need of a critical eye, including: "Then Are the Children Free," Sylvia Klope Eller, Vantage Press; "Zan-Gah, A Prehistoric Adventure," Allan Richard Shickman, Earthshaker Books; "When Technology Fails, A Manual for Self-Reliance & Planetary Survival," Matthew Stein, Chelsea Green Publishing; "Fiona Finds the Son," Andrea Byers, Linda Roesch (illustrations), Flower Kingdom Fables and CMC Publishing; and "Punishment and Sacrifice," John Reid, Lulu.
"The book or product, after reviewed, will be passed along for others to read or donated to charity or a library," Irby adds. "Interested reviewers can be young, old or middle-aged, women, men, boys or girls. The only requirement is interest and some topic/subject expertise."
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