Movie Critic, Food Critic – Get Paid to Criticize

Want a simple way to make money in your area of expertise?   Become a critic and write a review. Movies, food, books, CDs – you name it, people want to know if they should spend their hard earned money on it. Love small theater? Write reviews for your local paper or regional magazine. Mad about Monster Trucks? Give fans of the sport an honest review. Crazy about Bed and Breakfasts?  Travel magazines are hungry for this kind of data. Have a passion for peppers? Rank local restaurants on your “hot and spicy” scale for the Food Section of your local paper.  Your options are only limited by your imagination.

To get started, request a tip sheet from the paper, regional magazine, or trade magazine you intend to target. This tells you what the publication is looking for, rates they pay for different assignments, and whom to contact for additional information. You can usually find the address on the mast head of the publication, or by picking up a current Writer’s Market. If reviews aren’t specified in the tip sheet, call or write the editor to pitch your idea.

Not only is this a great way to earn some extra money, it’s an excellent way to establish your expertise in an area…which can ultimately lead to additional business.

A ballet master I knew would go to the opening night of any dance troupe that performed in town, and write an unbiased review for the next day’s paper. She would tell the good, the bad, and the ugly, and no unpointed toe, sloppy arm, or thunderous landing escaped her notice. It was clear to anyone reading the review that she knew what she was talking about. The newspaper bought her ticket and paid her for writing the article, and she got a byline and usually several students as a result of sharing her expertise.

So what do you know well enough to render an educated opinion? Beer? Gardening? The hottest nightclubs in town? Whatever you do, don’t underestimate the amount of interest people have in reviews.

I’ve seen critiques on everything from the kid-friendliness of restaurants to which hair sprays work best in which climates. One of the most popular local celebrities in Houston for decades was a flamboyant television reporter named Marvin Zindler. Marvin would get copies of the health department restaurant inspection reports and spend a few minutes every week telling Houstonians just how their favorite restaurants violated local health code ordinances. “Mouse dropping in the storage room!  Slime in the ice machine!”  Was it popular? You bet!  It also cause some restaurants to go under, so powerful was Marvin’s influence.

Just find a topic that interests you and think about ways to critique it-again, and again, and again. Restaurants, books, movies, bands, candy makers, customer service centers-whatever it is, you can write a review and make money.

Good luck!