Mikey -
As you say, it's all very well and good backing each other up to rise up the ranks but that defeats the point of the site. I feel a bit guilty about not backing a book by someone who has backed mine, but if I don't like it, I don't like. Fortunately for you, Mikey, I like your book (smarm smarm!), it has a real Blade Runner feel about it.
Create Space is Amazon's version of this - except you self publish through them first (at no cost except royalties) and you can start selling straight away. It then gets submitted to Amazon's reviewers and if they like your book it'll get picked up (or something like that, I seem to remember). Unfortunately it's only in America at the moment, but apparently there'll be UK distribution by the end of the year.
Quote: Mikey Jackson @ August 19 2009, 1:42 PM BSTLet's hope they don't launch a writing reality show!
10 dumb airheads, locked in a house for six months, all writing a novel.
One publishing contract up for grabs.
Simon Cowell will judge!God help us!
Sorry Mikey, but there's already been one! Channel 4 did something a while back called 'The Play's the Thing'.
http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/T/the_play/career8.html
No wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Bloody reality shows get everywhere!
it has a real Blade Runner feel about it
I never though about that. I guess my book has.
Some interesting reading here.
http://www.thebookseller.com/in-depth/feature/95682-finding-the-debutantes.html
it's all very well and good backing each other up to rise up the ranks but that defeats the point of the site
Yeah, I agree. I get loads of book-swap whores saying "care to swap reads" but I don't bother with all that. (unless the book is up my street, which Noah's Ark was)
I don't care what "rank" mine is. I've just got it there for promo.
And to Marc P. Yeah, I read about that MacMillan New Writing in The Writers' Handbook.
I think I'd rather take my chances via the conventional route.
PersonallyI'd avoid it like the plague.
I had a book up on there for a couple of months at the beginning of the year(got to No 98 - there are about 4000 books on there now).
After a couple of months I took it off because I didn't like the ethos of the place.
The ONLY way you get to be in the top 5 (and get your stuff reviwed by HC) is to be on the site 24/7 'pimping' your book and skim reading the first chapters of literally hundreds of books ( mostly shit, it has to be said)
People have had (genuine) nervous breakdowns trying to get to the top.
I initially went on to get feedback for a major re-write but, in the main all you get back is "OMG! Brilliant book! I've backed yours - will you back mine?".
Some people even cut and paste their reviews. It really is that transparent.
There are a couple of good readers on their who'll give a proper crit but they have a waiting list a mile long.
It is said that agents pop in now and then - but the evidence is thin on the ground.
And the 'Big Prize' of a HarperCollins editor reviewing you work is often no more than a "Well done for getting to the top, but it's not the kind of thing we're looking for".
Which is what you'd probably get if you posted your MSS direct to HC.
It's a pretty depressing place, to be honest.
There are a couple of good technique forums (the ones where they're not bitching about the site or each other or the latest way people are cheating!) and the intial flattery is quite beguiling - albeit it fake.
But if you're going there to either a)improve your work or b)the HC review, you're wasting your time.
The effort you'd need to expend to get to the top would be better spent honing your novel (there are plenty of genuine peer-review sites for this)or sending out queries to agents who could get you a crit from HC by return of post.
Just my opinion of course but I was glad to be out of the place.
Yeah, you're right, it is full of read-me-back me pimps and mostly shite novels.
It seemed a good idea at the time.
Quote: Mikey Jackson @ September 5 2009, 6:42 PM BSTYeah, you're right, it is full of read-me-back me pimps and mostly shite novels.
It seemed a good idea at the time.
10.45 PM is not a good time to be making these decisions Mikey.
And this will cheer us all up.
Quote: Marc P @ September 5 2009, 8:57 PM BSTAnd this will cheer us all up.
Oh joy! 
The only problem with the concept would be with the fonts that they choose and the actual fact that its online. A lot of people still don't like to read anything over a few hundred words on the computer screen. BUt saying that it can only help I suppose.