An Online Group for Writers - Harper Collins

In January I joined Authonomy, an online group for writers run by the Publisher HarperCollins. I posted my novel Vissi d'arte on the site and have received over 200 comments on it from other members. I don't know any of them, which makes the feedback I've received even more exciting..

From now on I'm going to be posting some of these comments on here. When I joined, Vissi d'arte was ranked somewhere around 1500. A week ago it reached 21 but has fallen a bit.

I'd strongly advise any writer with a book or start of a book to join authonomy. The feedback is excellent, there's a real sense of community and it's free:

If you would like to see more click here.

Here are two examples of the feedback. I received these comments yesterday. There is also a link to all the comments at the bottom of the page.

Joanna,

Regardless that I'm probably going to be echoeing a far few people within your comments strand, but your book is near flawless. It is one of those rare treasures: a literary gem, polished and cut with precision and beauty.

I think that if a publisher were to take a chance on you, and with the right editor backing you, we could be seeing the next evolution of such writers as A.S. Byatt, Margaret Atwood and Margaret Drabble.

Simply superb, and I sincerely hope someone, somewhere sits up and takes notice that there are intelligent, literary and given the chance, commercial classics that will keep the industry in thougtful prose for many, many years.

It seems almost pat to say this in the presence of this book, but of course it is shelved... but with the respect it deserves.

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Hi Joanna-

This is wonderful!! Almost everyone in my family is a professional musician of one guise or another and I felt right at home in your story. Hmm...I am not sure if that sounds like as much of a compliment as I mean it to be! I feel like you've captured that whole world to a tee.

The mystery about Harriet is set up wonderfully; I am intrigued, but you haven't sacrificed characterization. I don't know this Sally character, but I am not a fan and I love how you use her to help us get to know Nicholas. Actually, there are a lot of things I like; too many to mention in a little comment.

This is one of those books that I really wish I had a hard copy of, so that I could curl up with it before bed. Curling up with a laptop just isn't the same! Oh well, at least I can put it on my shelf,

Maria

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To read all the comments use this link.