The NextBigWriter is designed to be flexible platform for writers of all levels and abilities. Below is some basic information that will help you get the most out of your experience.
Becoming a Member
There are two types of members on the site:
Premium Members. Premium members can do everything on the site. They can post content, receive feedback, join up to 10 groups, read in-line reviews, enter contests, and more.
Basic Members. Basic members can read content, post content to select groups, and create a site profile.
All new members are automatically signed up for a free 14 day trial of Premium Membership. After that, users can decide to extend their Premium Membership or become a Free Member.
For a side-by-side comparison of Basic versus Premium members, click here.
Joining Writing Groups
Premium groups are the basic building-blocks of TheNextBigWriter. They are designed to be independent communities where you can meet others, post content, find content to read, and take part in forum discussions. When you post content on the site, you generally post it to a group.
New members are assigned to TheNextBigWriter Premium. This is the oldest and largest writing group on the site and a good place for new members to start. From there, members can branch out and explore other groups. Premium Members can join up to 10 groups, free members can join one group.
To see the expanding list of Groups, click here.
Using the Point System
The Point System promotes reciprocal feedback on the site. Members earn points by providing feedback on content that pays Points (content that has a coin symbol
associated with it pays points). The coin symbol indicates that a writer accumulated points by reviewing other members
and is someone who actively participates in the community. It is both a reward for the reviewer and an indication that the writer does not just expect others to
provide feedback on their writing without providing feedback in return. Not all groups use the point system.
Accumulating Points: Both Basic and Premium Members can accumulate points. Members earn points by reviewing
the writing of content that pays points. The coin symbol indicates point paying content. The number of points is shown
on the content. If a Basic Member upgrades to Writer, any points they have in their account remain with them and can now be used to post
content that pays points.
Posting with Points: To post content with points, or add points to a piece of already posted content, post content to a group/community that requires points, like TheNextBigWriter Premium. You can do that by going to the Publish tab for that content and clicking on a group with the coin symbol. The site will tell you how many points are required to post. Once you do that, your content will appear in that group and will pay points to be reviewed.
For more detail on the Points System, click here.
Posting Content on The Site
There are several ways to choose who gets to see your content. By far, the most popular way to post content is to post it to groups. This keeps the content private within that group. Some groups are big (11,000 members +) while others are very small. New members are automatically assigned to TheNextBigWriter Premium, a group that uses points.
Once you are a member of a group, you can choose to post content to that group. After posting to a specific group, all of the members of the group (but only those members) will see the content you have posted on their homepages and also on their Read pages. If someone is not a member of the group you have published to, they will not see what you have posted. In this way, you can control who sees your content. You can post to multiple groups at one time.
Getting Help
While the site was built to be intuitive, it is a powerful platform with a lot of features and you may find yourself confused. Below are some resources to help you:
Help buttons: Across the site are icons which provide tips when you click on them.
Help Guide: The Help Guide has videos, tutorials and other information to help users get the most from the site. Visit the Help Guide.
Help Forum: If you are having trouble using the site, post a note in the forum. Someone will help you out. Visit the forum.
But the best way to get familiar with the site is to start using it. So, dive in and enjoy. We look forward to reading your writing!
