Blogging

Well, it looks like Huffington Post has new rules.  I have written over 50 blogs for them.  I just learned that.labor and progressive are calling for writers to boycott after Arianna Huffington sold to AOL and pocketed a lot of money.  And the writers work for free. Here's the story of the boycott:  http://readersupportednews.org/off-site-opinion-section/71-71/6265-crossing-the-huffington-post-picket-line

I have to admit, I liked getting my stuff out there. But perhaps their new, slicker, shallower format will decide things anyway.  The last post I tried to submit was an appreciation of Malcolm X and a comment on Manning Marable's new biography.

But on June 21 I got back the following email from an editor:

Hello Rick,

Thanks for your recent blog submission. Unfortunately, this post is far too long for us. We advise bloggers to limit posts to 600-800 words. If you'd like to revise the post, please go back in from the back stage. I've moved it back to draft so you can resubmit and let me know when you're done.

Thanks,

Emily

When I inquired if this was a new policy, Emily wrote to me:

"We've always tried to enforce this policy."

Hmmm, the piece is slightly over 2,000 words.  Can I cut it that much?  600 words is like a gossip item, not an essay.  Anyway, there's a picket line up.  So for now I'm out.

So . . ..  hello blogspot.  Not sure how the reach of this deal will go.  I hate to give up the tens of readers I had back at Huffington (or at least ten readers).  But here we go.  Enjoy.