Hello dear
Am mostly impressed by your profile in this dating
My name is Miss Shusha. i will like to be your friend if you can write to my email address(shushasahimi@yahoo.com)) then i will give my pictures also my details. i shall hope to receive from you soon, thanks.
Miss Shusha

(shushasahimi@yahoo.com)

Hi Vernon,
I'm not usually one to pitch my books, but I am desperate for feedback that will help me better my writing. If you have a moment I would be greatful.

Thanks in advance,

Jennie Lyne Hiott

Hearts and Lies
Beautiful Disaster

Hi Vernon, thanks for your advice. It's all a bit intimidating but I will take most of it with a pinch of salt. Glenis

Thanks for your advice, all of which sounds very sensible.

Hi Vernon thank you for your message and for your thoughtful comment. All the best, Daniel Prokop

Het I really appreciate your message. I made up my mind that I can't do anything about the disingenuous but I know I can be honest.

Take care

Hello Vernon, Just a short message to say I think its fantastic that you are warning newbies of the pitfalls on this site. I wish to goodness you'd been around when I joined just a few months ago and the vultures swooped on unsuspecting me.
Keep it up.

Child

Hi again, Vernon,

An afterthought - what are your feelings about posting the whole of a novel on the site? A good idea, or an invitation for plagiarism, or whatever?

Affection, always,

Richard

Hello Vernon,

and thank you for your welcoming and considered message.

It's true that I barely know the ropes yet, but nothing you say surprises me much. Someone backing my story and telling me they've mult-starred it will not receive an automatic quid pro quo - it's only likely to encourage me to take a look at their work if and when I have the time, and then I will respond to it honestly.
I don't even know, really, how 'backing' works, whether it is more valid at particular times of the month or not - indeed, I don't really know very well how any of it works, I think. I'll get there eventually.
I am very grateful for your message, and look forward to being more in touch anon.
Affection, always,
Richard

Hi Vernon
Thanks very much for the welcome and useful advice - especially those top tips.

I'd wondered about backing your own book, since I've seen someone high up in the rankings doing it, but it certainly doesn't seem ethical.

Likewise someone has offered me reciprocal backing, but she is on over 100 bookshelves so I'm not sure how she could do it.

Staying away from the forums is not difficult - I don't have the time.

There are a couple of points of etiquette I'm unsure about. Is it expected that you should reciprocate when someone backs your book? And should you acknowledge the backing?

I much appreciate messages like yours, but I do find all the 'begging' messages slightly iritating, especially being new and not sure whether one should answer them (which I haven't, so far).
Regards
Graham

Thanks Vernon - that's very helpful. I'm not planning on becoming an Authonomy addict.

Andrew

Vernon,

Thank you for the advice! I appreciate it.

Paul Alfred

Vernon,
Thanks for yours. I realised very quickly that Authonomy is a market place in which people are trading approvals of each other's work, which may or may not be related to the merits. I don't have the time or energy for it and am content to let my book sink or swim according to how people genuinely feel about it. I've been in the game professionally for 30 years and learned to take my knocks. I have sympathy for wannabe authors, but don't solicit it for myself. If my stuff is crap, it's crap and let it die.

Jim

Thanks for the welcome and warning Vernon, but as you no doubt read from my profile, I've been here a long time.
Regards,
Paul

Hi Vernon - Thanks for your advice. I have found your comments to be true already. I suppose that's life. Hopefully someone out there will choose to read my book because the first chapter of it engages them and they want to read more. It's good to know that not everyone is challenging the system. Good luck yourself. Thanks again.

Thanks for telling that. I am afraid I fell into that trap with one of the writers minutes after I signed up, not sure what this thing even is. I'll be more cautious.

Hey I was wondering if you'd be interested in taking a look at my book, Pythagora? It's a fantasy/romance/action novel that I hope you'll enjoy =)

Hi Vernon,
Thanks for the heads up and the advice.. I really appreciate it, as I tend to get lost at new websites.. I'll certainly follow the rule "back only those books you really like" and I hope my book is appreciated enough to be sincerely backed by many others..
Thanks,
Poorwa

Thanks, Vernon. I do appreciate the advice.

It's pretty easy to spot the self-promoters, and I think your advice, "back books you like," makes perfect good sense. I hate to say it, but there's a lot of gack mixed in with the good on the site.

I'm weary about Authonomy. I came over from We Books to check it out, and I'll give it some time before deciding whether to stay. In the meantime, I'll keep my eyes open and try not to take it too seriously.

Best,
Jennifer

Thank you very much for the tips! My book is non-fiction Christian, and I only placed it here because Zondervan.com said this is a good place to get feedback.