Yo,
Today I became a member of the Authonomy site, and will be a member until monday, 10th of May. I uploaded there two novellas, and will see what happens during these four days.
The site seems to be organized on a rat-race principle. People have to frantically gather points through 'backings' which their books are given by other members. Twenty minutes after my registration four people messaged me to propose schemes of 'you back book X by Y, or my book, and in return I'll back your book, and tell Z to back your book as well.' Complicated alliences are formed by members to push each other's books to the top. Those that receive the highest rating - the most 'backings' are to be reviewed by the editors of the site /a harper and collins program/. The editors promise to read 10 000 words and give feedback.
This is their bright idea of /I suppose/ finding the most popular manuscripts, and the best self-promoting, website point gathering conspirators.
Consiquently, the reviews are nothing like the reviewes here, but are all butt-licking things like 'wow, your books is so good, the characters so real, I couldn't stop reading it...' Which I suppose is a general rehearsal for when someone really does get published and has to make speaches everywhere how Authonomy and all its wonderful people...etc.
On the profile pages of the users, many write by way of introduction their exchange rates - if you back me, I back you, if you comment, I'll comment, if you comment but don't back, I'll go get a life... No I mean "I'll comment but won't back you,"...
Aparently, the site really is about manipulating popularity ratings. Here's what it says in the FAQ: "Attracting external readership can really boost your visibility on the site. So if you already have champions from outside the authonomy community – whether that’s family, friends, colleagues or visitors to your blog, facebook profile or other website, you might also encourage them to join the site and get involved. If they can prove their credentials to the community by building their talent spotter rank, then they'll be in a position to be noticed and in turn help you raise the profile of your book."
In the end, it looks like the purpose of this site is to have as many people as possible doing as much frantic clicking as possible. Making it no different from the million other inane sites whose sole function is to perpetuate themselves by trapping users into endless surfing, cliking, digging, twitting, tooting, meeping, gibbering, jabbering and generaly leading useless lives.
I have the gravest suspicions, that Authonomy is a sort of 'Writing Idol', where the purported purpose is to find talent among the lowly masses, but the real, and obvious purpose, is to make people follow contestants, vote and feel important by voting, then have a jury of celebrities /harper editors in this case/ say some meaningless stuff, and in the end really raise some poor wretch to the top, to show the masses that you really deliver what you promise, and to show the business environment that you are popular and able to construct money-making singers /writers, dancers, jugglers/ out of thin air.
As you can see, I'm totally unbiased
Anyway, I'll update on monday if anything even slightly smelling of 'positive' will come out of the experiment, but for now it honestly looks like a trap for mediocre writers whose plans for literary success hinge on bugging people on the internet to tell them how wonderful they are, in exchange on being told the same thing.
Gender:
Points: 1040
Reviews: 117