Comments on: Is Authonomy authentic?

By: Sharon Johnston

Sharon Johnston — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:36:35 +0000

I understand people’s frustration with the site. I’ve been on it. I’d like to point out HC are doing much better with their YA version Inkpop, which is linked to HC US. I “top-fived” and the editor read my WHOLE MS and then gave me really great feedback that helped with revisions. Two of my friends on the site got publishing deals as a result. CARRIER OF THE MARK by Leigh Fallon is about to come out and they recently announced SWEET EVIL by Wendy Higgins.

Book Country, which is the Penguin take on writer’s community’s, is a great place to go and get feedback. With no “top five” involved it’s a different feel.

By: Fragile

Fragile — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 20:50:05 +0000

I joined, and looked, and took note of how authonomy was working. I agree that the premise of the site is higher expectation. It appears that grafting your way to the desk is the key to being published, maybe. Thats how the platform, when introduced to it, appears to work. It appears now that being supported by fellow authors, critiqued and having your writing skills, or lack of them, massaged via your ego is also part of the authonomy attraction, but this is not authonomies remit. Take it on the chin. Keep asking to be read and let authonomy work out what they are supposed to be doing with all our skills. So far, I havn’t uploaded any work. I am not sure I will.

By: Henry Nixon

Henry Nixon — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:41:11 +0000

I have a book. The Jew From Lodz I would like to upload part of this story to your website. Advice please.

By: Peter Turner

Peter Turner — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 22:34:01 +0000

Excellent article.

I think on the whole authonomy has many more plusses than drawbacks. Firstly, as anyone who’s made an effort to be published knows, getting any kind of feedback or praise from a publisher or agent that’s rejected you is hard to come by. I have sent and received generous praise with other authors on the site, and it’s a huge boost to any writer’s self esteem to be genuinely praised (as opposed to the obvious cases of people just wanting a return ‘backing’ for a few complimentary but nondescript words.

In my experience, about 80% of the books I’ve come across are from JK Rowling and Dan Brown wannabes, 10% who are plain crap, and the rest from writers who are very serious about the quality of their writing.

No one should expect to be published just because their book has made the editor’s desk. HC clearly say that the only firm offer they make is that it’ll be critiqued by an editorial team.

What really worries me is the talk about POD being made available on our books. It would be utter treachery if that happened, but if there’s such a high proportion of wannabees on the site, it’ll be hard for the serious writers to put up much of a fight.

By: R

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 23:09:27 +0000

I am on the site – never mind Harper Collins picking up your work or raising expectations (really – they make no promises), it’s a great place to have people see your work and make comment, good bad or ugly:) There is also some excellent writing there and it is a great place to see interesting ideas flourishing. It certainly is no more frustrating than the whole agented process.

By: Yaicha Maus

Yaicha Maus — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:41:00 +0000

If you write something good you write something good, if you don’t you don’t. I’d want to publish what I knew was a good book. It’s really (seems) simple.

By: BA Shields

BA Shields — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 10:15:20 +0000

I enjoyed the article, and agree that Authonomy may not be the ideal place for those who seek publishing. I have been a member there for nearly a year (I think…) and the feedback that I have received on the first novel in my latest series ‘Pandemic Dawn’ has been wonderful! I took each comment that was left, and seriously examined my writing to improve the story and make it a better read.

No, I may never be “discovered” on there, but looking at the site from a community aspect, I feel that the feedback was valuable to me, especially coming from those who are also writing.

My novel Pandemic Dawn is now available in Amazon.com, and at some bookstores, such as Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, etc. This isn’t because of Authonomy directly, but through Authonomy’s community, I honed my book and made it better than it was before publishing.

I plan on using Authonomy for my second novel in the series as well, and hope to get the same type of feedback as before.

By: Richard Whittle

Richard Whittle — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:13:46 +0000

I’ve only just realised how many times my blog link appears on this page and I apologise. Once or twice would have been enough – I must have been over-tired!

Authonomy helped me in that I got a lot of interesting feedback from other writers, and more than anything it showed that what I am doing isn’t at all bad, and we all need that kind of encouragement.

I understand that HarperCollins are aware of the ‘spamming’ problems and have said they will change things. It will be interesting to see how they do it.

By: richard croome

richard croome — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:00:52 +0000

I have been there for 5 months drifting around in the 200 hundreds. I think somehow the site does give would be writers a platform and that is the rub. It is not necessarily a platform for being published or becoming a commercial product. It is basically somewhere where as an author you can communicate with fellow writers and relate to them in whatever way you see fit. When you look at the publishing industry it seems to be chock a block with people feeding off a somewhat outdated business model.With e books on the horizon it could be just like 1977 when dinosaur rock bands were usurped by canny punks with attitude. Someone needs a kick up the arse. There are too many uncreative literary types holding the reigns. Whether like me you are a first time author or a seasoned campaigner Authonomy does have a value in framing the game.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 07:15:41 +0000

I have just read all the posts above about Authonomy with interest. It never ceases to amaze how very many differing approaches and viewpoints the human mind is capable of. The one comment that I found most telling was “what writers need are readers” i.e. not other writers reviewing their work. As an avid reader myself (as is my author wife), I believe that these “writers” probably buy and read more books than anyone. Indeed, I hope they do, in order to broaden their own range of writing. You really cannot categorise people in this way.