First update: writing stuff
I mentioned the authonomy site in an earlier post, and have inserted my rambling thoughts about it below, in my first attempt at a real life LJ cut...
When I first found the authonomy site, I was quite excited - I thought it might be a way to be noticed on merit that was almost democratic, or something like that anyway. I find it hard to express - perhaps fairer? I suppose I liked the thought that people could champion something really good but not yet noticed, and that people power (for want of a better phrase) could lift something up to the attention of People Who Say Yes or No.
Reading the FAQs, I agreed with the sentiment that popularity from real-world networking efforts would only get someone so far, and to reach the top 5 they would have to convince the online community too.
However, I spent some time looking at a few books and then the comments and the doubts began. First of all, I didn't think any of the writing I read (the first page of about 6 submissions) was good. Some of it imho, was pretty poor. Now, I am more than willing to accept that enjoyment of a book is subjective, but I was a little surprised when I scrolled down to read comments ranting and raving about them. As I got further into the comments, I felt increasingly despondent. Few people actually know how to critique properly. And with no guidance on what to evaluate, the comments quickly become nitpicky.
Another thing soon became apparent: as secretrebel mentioned, the social networking effect. I saw a worrying amount of “Thanks for saying something great about me, I’ve just gone and said something great about you on your book page.” It smacked of e-bay ratings, and I wonder how many have been sucked into being more positive about someone’s book after they’ve helped them gain another rung towards the top?
However, my main concern about trying it for myself (because, let's face it, a part of me is desperate enough to try almost anything), was how it would affect me as a writer. After all, my first thought, as someone chasing that dream (or am I? Will post on that another time) was of submitting my book. But I know what would happen. I would obsess. I would be checking the damn thing every five minutes to see whether anyone had read it. Then there would be the fall-out of all the little comments and trying to figure out which ones to heed and which ones to ignore. Cue endless agonising and answering all comments to try and seem like someone worth backing and I think that is me on the fast train to online social hell.
I doubt I am robust enough as a fledgling author to submit myself to the comments of people who don’t know how to critique. I’ve seen this before. I took an online writing course a couple of years ago that involved regular critiquing from the class. Some people were fantastic: astute, critical, but also positive in all the right ways. However, a few were just idiots as far as I could tell, and destroyed confidence. I, luckily escaped their biting comments, but I saw at least two people demolished in a terribly brutal way that was just uncalled for.
Just as I was about to give up on this model, I took a look at Bateleur’s link and found the YouWriteOn site to be something I am going to look into further. Something that has leapt out straight away is that there are feedback guidelines, something that my brain likes, as feedback will be structured and easier to compare. But I have to look at it more closely.I have just been to YouWriteOn and am much more impressed. They seem to have thought through the reviewing process much more, with sensitive advice on how to give and receive criticism.
Oh dear, I am tempted....
One things this does seem to be is a good vehicle for self publishing. It's a pre-built marketing machine: people are actively sent your book to review whenever you have done a review yourself, so each time you review another book, you are effectively banking an opportunity to hook a reader and get a sale.
I am leaning back towards self-publishing again. Lots of reasons, but I must confess that an evening with Lathany and Bateleur telling me horror stories about the pressures of writing to satisfy a publishing house, rather than oneself have made me nervous. Saying that, here I am, trawling this new (to me) approach to getting spotted.
Anyhoo, I must to bed. Sleepy now.