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Fame and Fortune Within Reach

I never subscribed to Kansas City Star. I normally page through their pop-up and full-page banner infested website to read about the local goings-on and police blotter, but I hardly ever read their editorials and opinion pieces. The same applies to their blog Midwest Voices – I just don’t read it. The reason is simple – I already read a ton of other news sites and blogs that are more trustworthy and have a lot more personality. That said, I wouldn’t mind if some local blogs I read would get more of well-deserved attention and recognition, and even get paid for their material.

That’s why if you missed this article in the Star also mirrored here I thought I’d bring it up to your attention. The pros are obvious:

We will welcome our new panel in January with a lunch, a tour of the newspaper and a tips list on how to survive and thrive in the opinion world.

and:

We pay $75 per printed column and graciously accept unlimited gratis contributions to the blog, a site that attracted more than 1.5 million page views last month.

The cons depend on your opinion about the Star – you may or may not want to contribute, and you may have to clean up your language a little.

Just in case you want to apply:

Want to be a guest writer for The Star?

To apply, send a 400-word sample opinion column, a brief bio including your political persuasion and home address, and a short description of five possible column topics that interest you for ’09. Deadline: Dec. 1. Send e-mail applications to oped@kcstar.com with Midwest Voices Application in the subject line, or write to Midwest Voices, c/o Editorial Page, The Kansas City Star, 1729 Grand Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64108.

People who blog even for their own enjoyment already invest a lot of time and effort into their writing. If you decide to apply you will have all of my encouragement and support. I will even help you spend your first seventy five bucks.

Just looking at my blogroll I can point out people who are consistent and write solid pieces in the opinion category: Logtar, Gone Mild, Shane, May, Moxie, The Kansas Citian, Kansas City Post, Midtown Miscreant, Doc and Emaw; that’s only a small sampler of the local talent. If you know anyone who you think will be good at this, please pass the word along. The deadline is only a few weeks away.

Update: I don’t know how I missed RDM, he is solidly in the category and I also like Effbombs on the rare occasion when he posts.

Another important update: Cara’s site is fixed and is back in the opinion category with both feet, and she has real credentials.

If you are not present on this list it doesn’t mean that I don’t like your blog, I do or I wouldn’t waste my work time reading it. I just tried to look at it from the Star’s prospective. 75 percent of the blogs in my reader are personal and/or entertainment, food, travel etc. I don’t think this is what they are looking for.

Fame and Fortune Within Reach
November 16th, 2008 | Category: Random
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  • http://donna-justme.blogspot.com/ Donna W

    MM and Emaw are definite possibilities. I’m trying to imagine what Miscreant would write in answer to “political persuasion”.

    I used to love the Star, and never let my subscription drop. Then in 1998 I discovered the Internet. About the only things I read on their website are the obits (to make sure I’m not in them) and Charles Gusewelle’s column.

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  • http://chimpotle.com Chimpo

    No love for mustache pictures?

  • http://kcmeesha.com m.v.

    While I personally printed and framed every mustache picture from your site, and tracking your mustache growth is my favorite pastime way above baseball and watching SNL, I think that it doesn’t qualify as opinion. I think it belongs in the sports or arts section, with short status blurbs in FYI.

  • http://topfivedesign.com/shane Shane

    I’d add RDM to that list too.

    This is an interesting quandary. Part of the greatness of independent blogs is that they are not really tempered by editors or boards or whatever. They are personal opinion. I find it difficult to believe that this will be the same. Not only that, how does it not cannibalize our own readership?

  • http://kcmeesha.com m.v.

    RDM duly noted. There is no reason to believe they will make you stick to any guidelines since they emphasize that they want independent voices. They don’t even moderate comments. As far as readership, lets be honest, my 150 hits a day and 60 subscribers won’t suffer, not that I am applying :-) . I have trouble coming up with stuff on-demand.

  • http://www.kclunchspots.com DLC

    Do you think they are just looking for cheap replacements for all the journalists they fired?

  • http://moxiemamakc.blogspot.com MoxieMamaKC

    Thanks for the compliment, Meesha! I’m not sure I would want to throw my opinions into the vicious dogfight ring that is the Star’s commenters. I agree with Shane and DLC, but I’ll give it some thought. You should throw your hat in the ring. I always love reading your extremely unique perspective.

  • http://willnotbetelevised.com Doc

    If interested, I would check out the The Star’s BlogWatch area of Prime Buzz: they tend to cite the same blogs over and over, and those blogs all have some commonalities.

    Also, check out past columns of Midwest Voices – you will find some similarities there as well.

    Then, you know, sorta adjust your aim and fire for effect….

    I’m jes’ sayin’.

  • midtown miscreant

    Thanks for that. By the way , just got two issues of Dog World. Thanks!

  • http://thekansascitian.blogspot.com thekansascitian

    I would add Meesha! Thanks for the mention.

    To shane I would say that it could only help your own readership. You will reach a wider audience and earn some street cred, if you can still consider the star credible, that is.

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