Escape Artists

The Lounge at the End of the Universe => The Writing Forum => Topic started by: DKT on September 03, 2008, 08:13:09 PM

Title: Harper Collins' Authonomy?
Post by: DKT on September 03, 2008, 08:13:09 PM

I saw this on BoingBoing (http://www.boingboing.net/2008/09/02/harpercollins-authon.html) and a few of my friends' blogs.

Here's what the BoingBoing copy says:

Want to get published?

Or want to make a name for yourself as THE expert and better-than-New-York-Times-critic of Sci Fi books? of Chic Lit? of Memoir? Here's your chance.

After 3 months of private testing, HarperCollins is opening authonomy (the global community site to find/promote new writing) up to a public audience tomorrow and I thought you might like a sneak preview ahead of the others.

With this site, we’re aiming to help unpublished authors promote or publish their work, and encourage curious/independent-minded readers to back new writers and become involved in the decision of what finally makes its way to publication, all in ways that haven’t been available before now. The hope for us is that authonomy will uncover some writing talent for publishing and also some critical/editorial talents.

I'd be curious as to what everyone thought of it.  I'm...skeptical but curious.  I guess, essentially, a lot of it depends on the participants.  It sounds a little bit like a mix of Critters (which I've heard mixed things about but have never participated), Baen's Slush Bar (which I have done and found the experience...frustrating), and Project Greenlight (a total waste of time).

Or maybe a better, more hopeful analogy is the EP Flash Fiction Contest.  (If it Authonomy is at all like that, it'd be a good thing.)

I have one friend who wrote a great novel, tried soliciting it to agents, and is now going to give this a shot.  Would you?

Title: Re: Harper Collins' Authonomy?
Post by: Heradel on September 03, 2008, 08:24:20 PM

Has anyone seen the privacy/licensing/copyright policies for this yet? It sounds good, but if those policies could sink the site if they're bad.

Title: Re: Harper Collins' Authonomy?
Post by: Rachel Swirsky on September 04, 2008, 06:55:15 PM

Quote

I have one friend who wrote a great novel, tried soliciting it to agents, and is now going to give this a shot.  Would you?

Frankly, no. There are plenty of avenues through traditional publication, and I've yet to see an experimental mode of this nature that really works.