Luke Keioskie writes:
Gang, you’ve got to check out www.authonomy.com. It’s this fantastic site set up by Harper Collins where you create your own profile (ala Facebook) and can upload part or all of an unpublished novel. Other members of the site can read your work, leave comments and back your novel. At the end of each month, the five most popular pieces end up on the ‘Editor’s Desk’ where it’s read by Harper Collins staff regarding possible publication.
Check out my profile if you’re unsure, but it’s really cool and you get to read a lot of other emerging writer’s work – I’ve already commented on two books from England and one from Spain. It’s a great resource and you can go at your own pace. But, if you don’t read other people’s work, yours doesn’t get read – it’s the equivalent of a literary ’share and save’.
Hi Luke. I’ve known about this site for a while and I’ve been to look and I’ve been very tempted (I even set up a profile) but I’ve been avoiding using it. (I deleted my profile.)
I’m not sure why that is, but it’s something to do with wanting to find an agent. I have a feeling that putting work up on a site like this will piss some agents off since it would probably make an approach to HarperCollins (at least) more difficult – especially if the book wasn’t high in the rankings.
The other thing is that I’m put off by the ‘beauty contest’ aspect of the whole thing. What if a book does well? What does that mean? What if it bombs? Surely a site full of aspiring writers can’t have the same characteristics as the real ‘market’? Can it?
I’d love to get some agents and publishers’ views on this before I put my toe in the water.
Graham.
Hah Graham,
you have a suspicious mind. But you do have a point. If you are dead set on getting an agent then they can get a bit disheartened if they like your work but then find out that it has been to every publisher within cooee. It’s a balancing act of putting the manuscript out there *judiciously*. I don’t imagine the Harper thing could be disadvantageous though.
p.s. Didn’t you know that life’s a beauty contest? Look at the US elections.
I can see your point, Graham, but I don’t think Authonomy would make it more difficult to approach publishers or agents, espeically Harper Collins. I think it would be harder to get someone at Harper Colllins to even look at you if you haven’t used their resource. I frequently jump on publisher’s sites and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen ‘not accepting unsolicited manuscripts’. If you’re on their site, surely it would put you in better stead of being read then not. As for an agent, I’ve submitted to more than 30 agents, all of them straight out of the Australian Writer’s Marketplace, and none of them had anything to offer me other than reiterating that they don’t deal with unpublished writers – and this was after I was published! By all means, let me know if you do manage to secure an agent and tell me how you did it, because getting an agent feels like a waste of time for me, given my past experiences.
OK. I’m giving it a try.
I write to the guys at Angry Robot and asked them why I should use Authonomy rather than an agent. They’re biased, of course, but they gave essentially the same response as Luke above – don’t hold your breath waiting for an agent and don’t expect an agent to have any more success than the site.
I’ve just reviewed your book, Luke. Nice job, mate! I suggest everyone goes along and has a peak inside Luke’s head. It’s a disturbing place.
I’ve put the first three chapters of Time and Tyde up if anyone’s burning to have a look.
Graham.
I’m glad you are posting this discussion, I’ve had a look at the sight\ and been both tempted and put off. I think I’ll be putting a book in there soon, just have to wait for my panic button to reach critical mass, explode and leave me in peace.
Going over to read your work this week, guys, looking forward to it.
terry
Hatchette just passed on my MS, so I think I might give this one a go. Thanks for the link, Luke! I tried to find your profile and couldn’t, probably because I am technologically disabled. Will try again.
I don’t suppose this will prejudice digital copyright in a work? I assume not with Harper Collins, as it’s their site, but with others? I’m reassured by Marianne’s support of it though.
sorry to hear you missed out with your m/s, jo, but hang in there. maybe you could submit the one you’re writing now for the next ms development course?
Hey Jo, sorry to hear the news. Pretty sure the authonomy site doesn’t impact on your continuing ownership of all rights, though that’s not the same as putting off a publisher, of course.
I reckon on balance the pros outweigh the cons!
You don’t need to put your whole MS up on Authonomy. There’s a minimum word count of 10K words but after that it’s up to you. Many people on the site are worried about losing rights by ‘publishing’ on Authonomy so will only put up a ‘partial’ of 1 to 3 chapters. Luke and I only have three chapters up.
Thanks guys! I realise, on reflection, that the chances of putting off a sci-fi publisher in Australia – other than Hachette – are nil, aren’t they, because there are only the two? So nothing to lose except pride.
Well, that was an interesting little experiment!
I’m no longer on the Authonomy site. Short story was it wasn’t getting me anywhere. The long story is on my blog.
How you doin’ Luke?