Review of YouWriteOn.com - Fantastic Website for Writers

Every writer knows how important it is to get feedback on their work – especially longer pieces like lengthy short stories or novels. All the feedback in the world from mom doesn’t really cut it in the long run … she’s biased to a fault. Friends can be helpful, but aren’t usually great at giving the kind of constructive criticism you need to improve your craft. Writing groups are great at constructive criticism, but aren’t available for all of us.

Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a place to go to get that constructive criticism on your writing without having to travel, and the people reading your work potentially included established authors and agents?

www.YouWriteOn.com, is all that … and more. Interested? Read on – I’ve crawled all over and played at this site because I couldn’t help myself, and am now giving you the scoop.

A Simple Premise: Read and Be Read




First of all, since I forgot to mention it … everything that YouWriteOn offers is (insert dramatic gasp) free!

So, what do they offer?

The basic, core idea behind the website is to allow authors to read other authors’ work and have their own read and reviewed. Let’s say you’ve slogged through the first draft of your novel. You’re ready to get some no-holds-barred reviews so you can make the second draft fantastic. As a member of YouWriteOn.com, you would upload the opening chapters (up to 10,000 words to be eligible for the goodies coming up). Your opening chapters are then sent randomly to another member to rate and review.

Basically, it’s a give-and-take. For every writer’s work you rate and review, you receive reading credits. These reading credits translate into your book being read by another author, who will read and review it to earn their own reading credits, and so on.

So what’s the deal on the goodies I mentioned?

Every month, the highest rated authors have their work critiqued by YouWriteOn.com’s literary professionals - who include established authors and a leading