Authonomy - HarperCollins scout for writing talent online

cobsie

Authonomy is the HarperCollins writing community site, which is designed to 'flush out the brightest, freshest new literature around'...

For anyone with at least 10,000 words of a novel under their belt and an eye on getting it published, this might be a really useful place to start.

The site is run by HarperCollins and their editors really do review the submissions - after the submissions have been peer reviewed by the writing community and rated. The most popular in various genres are brought to the editors desks once a month.

You must have at least 10,000 words to upload. You have to write a short (25 word) description and a longer back-of-cover style blurb (250 words). You design a cover (can use their templates) and then upload.

I suggest a careful reading of the FAQs, but it's all very upfront and the site is extremely easy to use and well-regulated.

Invite people to read your work and give feedback, and read what other serious (unpublished) writers are working on...eventually you might get enough positive reviews that your work gets on the short list!

Memnoch

I went through the Authonomy mill, do not waste your time.

Getting on the editor's desk (top 5 of the month) to be looked at by HC requires hundreds (thousands ) of votes. These votes are not garnered by the quality of your work, but by endlessly (were talking 6-8 hours a day non-stop for a month) - or over several months if you have the patience - reviewing other peoples work and giving them false praise and getting the same in return. And begging for votes in the forums and getting involved in the various cliques that dominate there. Basically, sell your soul(and your integrity) for the duration.

It's not worth it.

There are a million better places to get genuine feedback. And honestly, if your work is good enough, you are more likely to find success through traditional channels.

Spend that time writing instead and working on your craft will be far more rewarding.

cobsie

That's interesting! They pitch it in such a positive way, everything is very upbeat and phrased so as to encourage you to put up your work...I confess, I poked around pretty thoroughly and decided I personally didn't have the time to invest in moving my work up the rankings, but I thought that maybe others would like to take a shot.

Did you get any useful criticism/encouragement? Or was it all just a rat-race? Very interested in your experience on the site.

pickarooney

I've just watched an interesting video on YouTube by a certain author urging readers to vote for his book on authonomy

Memnoch

cobsie wrote: »

That's interesting! They pitch it in such a positive way, everything is very upbeat and phrased so as to encourage you to put up your work...I confess, I poked around pretty thoroughly and decided I personally didn't have the time to invest in moving my work up the rankings, but I thought that maybe others would like to take a shot.

Did you get any useful criticism/encouragement? Or was it all just a rat-race? Very interested in your experience on the site.

The critique from HC was useful. But the rest was a rat race. I did met some interesting people there and there are definitely some very, very talented authors.

I don't know what HC are trying to achieve with the site tbh, as a means of effective talent scouting, it's a fail imo, simply because the rankings are not meritocratic in any way. It's tied into some self-publishing thingy that they push, so maybe it's that, or maybe it's just a good idea that they haven't been able to execute properly.

I think if they really wanted to, they could tinker with the system to make it better but they seem to satisfied with the status quo.

Memnoch

pickarooney wrote: »

I've just watched an interesting video on YouTube by a certain author urging readers to vote for his book on authonomy

Indeed.

EileenG

Not to mention the possible implications of having 10,000 words of your novel already published online.....

ahayzer42

Hey, coming to this thread a little late judging by the date stamps above but was wanting to ask about this site a few years on and didn't want to open a new thread if there already was one.

Just wondering, am getting back into writing again after a bit of a hiatus period (various things going on, still working on short stories and also some longer works) and came across this site through someone else.

Now I can see from above that people weren't overly enamored with it but wondering now, a few years later, if anyone has used it and if so whether they found it helpful or useful?

Thanks.

pickarooney

ahayzer42 wrote: »

Hey, coming to this thread a little late judging by the date stamps above but was wanting to ask about this site a few years on and didn't want to open a new thread if there already was one.

Just wondering, am getting back into writing again after a bit of a hiatus period (various things going on, still working on short stories and also some longer works) and came across this site through someone else.

Now I can see from above that people weren't overly enamored with it but wondering now, a few years later, if anyone has used it and if so whether they found it helpful or useful?

Thanks.

You get out of it what you put in, really. If you join the right groups on there you will get useful feedback. Otherwise it's full of bull**** merchants.

ahayzer42

pickarooney wrote: »

You get out of it what you put in, really. If you join the right groups on there you will get useful feedback. Otherwise it's full of bull**** merchants.

Ah, fair enough. I'll stick to using a few people I know that regularly critique my stuff and might try posting something up here instead.

Cheers