This Is For All You Writers...

So today's post is a bit narrowed down in terms of demographic, I guess.

It's really only for writers, and maybe some readers who want to go to one of these websites to read.

So I think every writer knows just how hard it is to write a novel, edit a story, or figure out just how to go about proofreading.

And then comes along the internet.

There are tons of writing websites, and I've experimented with a bunch of them.With some, I ended up leaving, with others, I am still a member.

But this is a list of websites that you should/shouldn't go to if you're a writer. So you don't have to the whole experimenting business like me!

www.wattpad.com {☆ ☆ ☆ .5 stars}

Okay, this website isn't the BEST out there, but it's decent. I started out on it, as my first writing website. It's definitely a good place to start. If you're just beginning to write, and maybe you're not the best (yet), I'd say to start here. It's rare to get a really harsh "review" or "critique," unless you specifically ask for it. One good thing, is that you have all copyrights--so no copy and pasting will happen. There are lots of features, too, including fans and reading lists.

Some cons include the "popularity" factor, and voting system. Sometimes the books that are at the top, with one million reads, aren't that good. So if you're an excellent writer, if you're storyline is not popular, or romantic, chances are this isn't the site for you. But, if you're just writing for fun, I'd say to give it a visit. Great starter website.

www.authonomy.com {★ 1 star}

This website is a big no-no. If you're familiar with the former website "Inkpop," then you might have heard of this one. While the website is owned by Harper Collins, the best way to describe it, would be a massive slush pile. See, they have a "bookshelf" system. If you can manage to get your book on many others' shelves, you'll go up the "charts." If you make it to the top five, you get your story reviewed by a Harper Collins editor. However, many of the books that make it to the top five...got there because they spammed other people, forums, etc. and made their way to the top. It doesn't have copy and paste, but the system in which you get stories up is a bit annoying.

There aren't many genuine people on that website. Most people might give a half-hearted review, just so that you'd return the favor and put their book on your shelf. Everyone there just wants to get to the top, and there are some serious spam issues. This is definitely not a website I would ever recommend.

www.figment.com {☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 4 stars}

Ever wondered what happened to inkpop? It merged with Figment. I think this website is actually one of the most helpful writing websites. It also doesn't have copy and paste. While it has flaws, it definitely tops most writing websites. The "Heart-ing" system isn't that great, but the reviews can be really awesome. If you're a serious writer, looking for feedback, chances are, you'll find it here. While you may have to "swap" your story, and review another person's story in return, a lot of times you'll get a really helpful review.

It's not perfect though. The contests (whose winners actually end up being evaluated by real authors) are flawed. You have to earn hearts to get a chance to win. And there is a lot of "heart-swapping" that goes on. A person may just heart a story to get their's hearted in return, which means that they didn't really read/review it. It still needs some work with bookshelves and such, but it's definitely getting there. The forums can be really helpful, whether you're looking for encouragement, critiques, or how to create queries.

www.fictionpress.com {☆ ☆ 2 stars}

Now, I won't deny that there are a lot of good stories on fictionpress. It's almost a little sad that all the good writer's flock to this website. There are serious problems with this website though. Plagiarism. Copy and paste happens a lot, and it is very easy to get your story stolen, if you put it up there. So, I wouldn't recommend joining the site. I also think that the reviews don't really help that much. More often than not, it is just people praising your story; not much feedback involved. It's a very simple website right now, as well. The one plus, is that there is no popularity system; at least not much (a reason why they got 2 stars). They do have a kind of reading list, however. Not bad, but not good at the same time.

Okay, so I don't have a lot of websites, but I do have the most helpful, and worst ones up here.
Hope it helped you hopeful writers!


~Banana Win