—Becky, Pikesville, Maryland
The B!tch Replies: Publicly, entertainment news magazines and tabloids rarely admit to offering money for tips or interviews. Privately, it's another matter altogether.
"The weeklies pay for gossip," one contact at a top celebrity weekly tells this B!tch. "Some are just more up front about it. Some call it a 'reporting fee.' But it's all the same. The nightly TV shows pay for stories, too--I know, because I've had to bid against some of them for stories."
That said, the best advice I can give you is this, Becky: Since you're an East Coast resident, call the New York office of your favorite magazine and tell them what you know. Then tell them to give you either (a) tickets to the Vanity Fair Oscar party, (b) a tour of their offices or (c) hundreds of dollars. I am betting they will be only too happy to give you the dollars. West Coast people should try the same method with a magazine's Los Angeles office.
If you're having trouble finding a number for a magazine, remember: Most of them are owned by ever hungry media conglomo-viruses with different names, so you may need to try listings for those, too. You might have to dig a bit—it's called reporting, folks. You may as well do a little before you try to get paid for it.
Now, before you dial, straighten out exactly what you have—and do not have—in the gossip department. You say Beyoncé has been looking a little twitchy eyed and thrashy while wearing camouflage and threatening her boyfriend? Or has she been looking a little twitchy eyed and thrashy while wearing camouflage and threatening her boyfriend in her upcoming video?
Other things you should note: Tabloids only care about certain celebrities. Movie stars usually merit greater interest than prime-time TV stars, who typically generate more interest than soap stars, who often spur more interest than sports stars. Older stars attract less interest than younger stars. Stars with current movies or recent Oscars—you get the idea.
Still, just because you have info on a celebrity doesn't necessarily mean anyone is about to toss you a flying stack of cash.
"Most scoops will only warrant about $200, unless it's really, really juicy and about a very big celeb," my source at the celebrity weekly tells this B!tch. "If the editor wants to know the story before negotiating the price, go ahead and reveal it. That's typical. No editor will negotiate payment without knowing the story. You'll just have to trust the editor won't screw you over and run the item without paying."
If your story is about drug use or closeted homosexuality, forget it. Chances are, the tabloid already knows about it and doesn't want some high-powered celebrity lawyer chewing on their necks.
Tackling tricky subjects and hard-to-prove allegations is rarely worth all the fuss—especially if the story involves a lawsuit-happy actor with a name like George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones or Tom Cruise.