Hey, all.
I've been freelancing for a year or so now, and I'm still trying to get established. I'm in uni, so my income does leave something to be desired currently.
I've found a magazine which is looking for book review contributors. It looks legit so far, and I've got enough experience with writing articles and things that I think I'm in with a shot.
But I've read in a few places that it's considered quite bad form for writers to write reviews, and quite frowned upon. I can understand where they're coming from; a writer reviewing in their own genre has a bias against their competition - conflict of interest. However, I also think a writer will be widely-enough read in their own genre, and know it well enough, to be able to make informed reviews.
So what do people think? Should I go for the job, or is that a major faux pas? If it helps, I'm not published yet, and probably won't be for at least a year.
I've been freelancing for a year or so now, and I'm still trying to get established. I'm in uni, so my income does leave something to be desired currently.
I've found a magazine which is looking for book review contributors. It looks legit so far, and I've got enough experience with writing articles and things that I think I'm in with a shot.
But I've read in a few places that it's considered quite bad form for writers to write reviews, and quite frowned upon. I can understand where they're coming from; a writer reviewing in their own genre has a bias against their competition - conflict of interest. However, I also think a writer will be widely-enough read in their own genre, and know it well enough, to be able to make informed reviews.
So what do people think? Should I go for the job, or is that a major faux pas? If it helps, I'm not published yet, and probably won't be for at least a year.
