# Scribed Essay Retrieval

> Scribed Essay Retrieval is a paid API for AI agents from pennypress.org, paid per call via x402, $0.01/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-12).

Fetches a full essay by slug from the Scribed publication, returning the content in Markdown format after a $0.01 USDC micropayment.

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://pennypress.org/essays/%7Bslug%7D?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.01/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-12
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/scribed-essay-retrieval-8d556bdc
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_WE_W86P9CqLQNpbkruATV

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability scribed-essay-retrieval-8d556bdc
```

Example prompt: Can you grab me the full text of the Scribed essay at slug 'the-invisible-hand' from pennypress — it's a penny to unlock it.

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when you need the full text of a specific Scribed essay identified by its slug, and are willing to pay a $0.01 USDC micropayment per read. It is well-suited for AI agents that need programmatic, machine-readable Markdown access to long-form essays on topics like freedom, truth, and societal structures. Prefer this over general web scraping when the essay is behind the x402 payment wall on pennypress.org.

## Known failure modes

- Invalid or non-existent slug returns an error or empty response
- Payment failure or insufficient funds blocks content delivery
- Malformed slug in URL path parameter causes a 404 or routing error
- Network timeout if pennypress.org is temporarily unavailable

## How this service works

A repository of essays on freedom, truth, and the structures around us, in machine-readable form. Free for humans. Pennies for machines.

## Output

Returns a JSON fragment containing the full essay text in Markdown, along with metadata fields: type ('fragment'), price ('$0.01'), format ('markdown'), content (full essay body), and publication ('Scribed'). Access is granted after a $0.01 USDC x402 micropayment.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "properties": {
   "type": "string"
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "type": "fragment",
  "price": "$0.01",
  "format": "markdown",
  "content": "Full essay text in Markdown, delivered after payment.",
  "publication": "Scribed"
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/scribed-essay-retrieval-8d556bdc/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from pennypress.org](https://www.zero.xyz/host/pennypress.org/llms.txt)