Maybe they're trying to find new ways of streamlining the process. Though I doubt creativity will ever fall into such a convenient paradigm.
I was convinced by a US writer friend of mine to sign up to this, quite a few years ago. I never published anything on it, and the stuff I read on it was ...unimpressive. BUT I started getting lots of Authonomy spam—to the extent that I marked Authonomy as 'spam' in my email programme. I don't think they're bogus or anything, but they are obviously a front for businesses that want to get you to spend money on stuff like 'professonal editing,' and other writer-related services.
Apparently this has been going on for many years now, and by now the illusion that any of it would lead to any avenue of traditional publishing has faded, and it has become more of a platform for self-publishing. I had trouble finding a lot of blog entries and the like post-2009, and only found a bunch of blogs in 2013. People who still seem to go to this website, and others like Wattpad, Fictionpress, etc, find it to be a way to up the chances of making self-published works a success. This link right here talks about it. My knowledge of self-publishing is bare minimum because I never have considered it "honorable" (I tend to refer to it as vanity publishing, yeah) but I guess from the perspective of someone who wants to self-publish, it's not a bad idea. You get exposure right off-the-bat if you're any good, and people can start following your work when it's not even finished. True, they probably won't buy your novel once you self-publish, but if they like your work, you'd have a fanbase which you can count on. In line with the blog entry I just linked and the comments, lack of exposure is something self-publishing folks really struggle with, so this is a big plus. And, as far as self-publishing goes, Authonomy does provide a gateway into that through the POD. Also, @ChickenFreak apparently you do get a review from HarperCollins commissioning editors if you make it to the top five of the month, according to this guy. Having said that, I don't think it's smart, even if you're going to self-publish. Yes, there are quite a few Authonomy "success stories" (you just have to Google them), of self-publishing authors who made it to the market with their work, but that's maybe a hundred in millions of entrants over the years, and as I read on some blog, that's not really much of a difference than one's chances in traditional publishing. Because if you're really that good, why aren't you going for traditional publishing anyhow? Fact is, you're not that good (this should be obvious, but "you" is not the OP, just my imaginary friend). Which is why you're using self-publishing (though not exclusively so, but probably, I suppose). But again, putting up your entire MS or 3-5 chapters on the premise that you'll be one of the thousands to grab people's attention...wouldn't it work just fine with, say, a regular community which didn't ask you to put up your work as a sacrificial lamb (Well, Wattpad doesn't ask you to do that, so that's a good thing)? Plus, just because a bunch of forum members tell you your work is good, doesn't mean it will sell. I mean...there are so many ifs and buts in this premise, I personally feel all these writers would be better off actually working on improving their writing skills and using normal word-of-mouth and social networking, than using this initiative, at least not how it is right now. The only presumption that makes this sound practical is that you are already an ace writer, which frankly, I guess is hardly true.
Charisma, would like to point out that many trade published authors are now self-publishing. And that many very good writers start out self-publishing. Yes, the vast majority of self-published work is still stuff that the public should never have been subjected to, but dissing SP overall is really narrow-minded nowadays. There are a lot of reasons someone will be rejected by trade publishers and they have nothing to do with the quality of the writing. (And no, I am not self-published and never intend to be, but that's a business decision, nothing more.)
I didn't diss out SP, to be clear. I simply said that a hefty number go for self-publishing because of poor quality, it isn't and never will be exclusively why.
The publishing world is evolving. Calling self publishing the same as vanity press is like saying you can't create real art with photoshop tools. Self publishing is a different medium, but that doesn't mean talent can't be found on the platform. The other thought that came to mind reading your comment was that while I know the pitfalls of thinking one's work is good, when my book is ready to be published, I won't be needing a publisher to tell me that. Who knows what criteria they are using or what their personal tastes are that affect how they receive your work? This I agree with. But browse the bookshelves at a brick and mortar and see how much traditionally published crap makes it onto the shelves. But there is a drawback to self publishing, the field is crowded with junk and now one needs to be noticed, not just published.
True. Whether or not something is traditionally published isn't a touchstone for quality. True, but it's hard to be the judge alone; that's why we're here, for critique and possible avenues of beta reading. Otherwise, like you said, we could easily be deluded about our abilities.
Well, you know that n is often the unknown factor. Re: the original subject, the article linked by @aikoaiko above has some, um, bracing things to say. Participants beware.
