WeBook Review

WeBook

Once upon a time, this was the best writing site.  It is probably nostalgia that has kept it on my list.

I love this site because it was the first site where I posted my writing online and met some lovely readers.  It feels like an old friend and I loyally can't abandon it completely. 

RIP:  Sadly, the website traffic has waned over the years and it seems to be dead accept for the monthly competitions.  I think the issue is that they have not bothered to update the site in over 5 years. 

App:  No, this is the major let down.  Mainly, the promised app has never come into fruition and the website is not mobile friendly. 

PageToFame:  I haven't used this feature in a long while.  Writers could submit pages from their novel.  Readers would rate them (1 to 5) if they felt it ought to be published.  Readers got awarded badges if they had a good eye for a good story.  You had to pass rounds and each round you were able to submit slightly more text.  Winners would be considered by a publisher.

AgentInTheBox:  This was a fantastic feature.  At one point you had to pay to use it but it has been free for a long time now.  You searched their directory for agents currently seeking manuscripts that match yours.  Then you could send them a query. The facility kept track of what you had sent and their response.  This feature also helped you manage your files so you could send to meet their requirements very easily. It made the process so easy!  I actually did get a request for my full manuscript from one agent, thanks to this service.   

Badges:  I can't lie, the geek girl in me loved getting rewarded with badges for writing reviews and posting stories.  You got badges for your participation but writers could reward their readers with badges depending on the sort of comment left i.e. Motivating, Constructive, etc.

Pros:

• Connect with agents
• Enter competitions
• Badges

Cons:

• Low activity
• No apps (the website is awful on a mobile

I think I will add a book to let my friends know where I have gone should they return to find me.

Link:  http://www.webook.com/

Figment Review

Figment

I gave this site second place. 

This site deserves more of my attention but for some reason I have never really gotten into it, although that could change for 2017!  It is aimed at teens and young adults  so you can't really post your stories here if it contains adult content.

Writing:  I think this is where Figment loses me.  The site is very user friendly but when you want to post a story the first section "Content" always throws me - is it the blurb, the first chapter... to me, it's not clear. 

Covers:  The choice of available covers are very dull and uninspiring.  However, you can upload your own cover.  As their selection was so boring, I found myself going off to work on a cover before I could even get started.

Badges:  OMG!  If I knew about badges I would have been on here ages ago.  I'm so excited!  This is why I want to give Figment another chances.  When I played City of Heroes, collecting the badges became one of the most rewarding elements of the game (almost as exciting as being a superhero  with super powers).  You get badges for writing, reading, socialising - you know once you start, you have to collect them all!

App:  No, there isn't an app for this site but they claim they are working on one.  However, the website has been adapted for mobile use, just visit m.figment.com

Pros:

• Badges
• Easy to update stories
• Social media
• Easy to read stories and add to your library
• Very active
• Reach YA target audience

Cons

• No app
• Limited cover choices
• Not suitable if your target audience is adults.

Link:  http://figment.com/