Group settings

I didn't think so, but I've been away awhile!

I like the idea of no points. I'm already in a couple of groups who are reviewing current drafts (for points). I'd like to post a final draft to this group, if that's okay, of my first novel, and it would be great if I didn't need to use points. Many of the members in this group have already offered feedback when it was going through the intial phase, which was used, gratefully.

Linda, Jeanne is on now but not in the group. Can you put her in? Or does she need to do something?

What I see wrong with the no-points (required or given) system is that our posts would only go to this group's members and not a much wider community of potential reviewers - including those who have joined the site after "the good old days," and with whom relationships have been established. I would rather post to Premium than to such a limited group. But I like the idea of bringing together again the "old-timers."

Does that mean having to pay double points if we post here and in Premium?

You can post to as many groups as you want, Cathy, but it will cost you more points to do so. At least that was the original rule Sol established. I learned that the hard way! If he changed it, I'm not aware. So I post to Premium, figuring all the members in the other groups I belong to are also Premium members.

If the site suffers because of that, Sol will have to rethink (as he's done before). I want only a small group to read my work, people I'm familiar with and whose work I like. I just don't have time to read crappy first drafts or teach newbies how to review. I know that sounds elitist, but that's where I am with my personal time right now. I do feel a bit of guilt because if we hadn't all reached out to newbies we wouldn't have had such success reviewing each other!

Oh, I would still review the newbies like I do now.  I don't mind helping them and offering suggestions.  After all, we were all newbies once.

Hi, All!
I've been away for a number of years, so please bear with me - I don't remember all the details of how the old (!) TNBW site worked (though I do remember the points system!), nor do I have any feel for what the site is currently like.  In the interim, I've published several novellas, ghost-written TV pilots for Industry insiders who have the connections but can't write their ways out of the proverbial paper bag, run break out editorial sessions for the Dublin Writer's Conference, and won the 2016 Evvy award for 'Home World'. I'm now a card-carrying member of the Authors' Guild, and back to being a working editor.
Question I have for this group: are we posting just early drafts of WIPs?  I think that's the case. If so, are group members interested in buying each others' books and posting verified purchase reviews on Amazon?  We can run promos & notify each other when we've got a sale or promo going, to make it easier. Is that along the lines of what y'all have in mind?  Or am I off on another planet, as usual?

All good suggestions Bonnie, but like Norm said, there's likely to be all stages of works being posted. I don't expect recips on my wip unless someone wants to read my draft version before I start uploading the rewrite. But I'm happy to help with reviews off site for works that are more polished or ready for pub.

The primary reason I left the site several years ago was the assessment of points for posting to each group. I've belonged to two other sites since then but came back here because of issues I didn't care for on the other sites. On one site, your post disappeared from view after so many days (30, I think) and you had to pay your points again to make it publicly available thereafter. Also, it was more oriented to poetry than novels or short stories. The second other site just wasn't that intriguing for me. But, I did meet one very good friend over there who has been posting over here for a while. Anyway, it's good to be back with "old friends" who took me from simply writing words to something resembling a real author.

FYI, those of you who might not have read my profile, I have Focal Dystonia and it makes typing a nightmare. My reviews and review replies often have multiple typos but I do my best (spend a lot of time) to eliminate as many of them as I can from my chapter posts. I am considering using a program called Dragon Speak in the near future. If anyone has had any experience with that program, or know someone who has, I'd love to hear from you.

Wishing everyone success with their writing,

Alan