Too Good to be True?

[Addison]

While browsing the web for contests and grants I came across an incredible-sounding site:

www. publisherfree .com

A few things that make me nervous is, first, I don't know if it's legit. I don't know how to tell if it's legit.

I read the FAQ's and stuff, it looks like even after, or as, you post on the site you can still submit to agents and other publishers. It sounds like this site is a way to get noticed and paid at the same time.

Third is it just sounds too good to be true. In my experience it usually is. The basic set-up for this writing site is that you can add chapters or pages as you write. According to the site the work doesn't have to be completely edited and corrected, that's what the reader feed back is for. Along with great feed back you get paid. After the first installment if the readers want to reader the next part, or "bite" as the site calls it, then they pay a certain amount of money. Apparently you set the price yourself, if I understood it right.

So if the site is legit, then I'm all for it. I'm just nervous because last time I did a writing thing like this it didn't go so well.

 

[Reaver]

Trust your instincts. The old adage is never wrong: "IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS."

I followed your link and something doesn't seem right about it. I'll bet that they want authors to pay them some amount of money. My advice is to steer clear. I'm also removing the link but I'll leave the URL if someone wants to copy and paste it into their navigation bar.

 

[Steerpike]

I notice that the top ranked work on the site only has 34 of 1000 credits for its first installment. Unless it gets fully funded (i.e. reaches 1000 credits) the author doesn't get paid. Could just be a huge waste of time.

 

[Caged Maiden]

i'd be wary of any system meant to circumvent the editing/ submitting/ publishing process. My reasoning? It might count as "previously published content" and therefore be unsubmittable later to certain agents or publishers. If you want feedback... I'd stay here and if you don't want to post material to get feedback, find other writers who want to trade. MS is a safe place. i've showed my work to loads of people here and seen theirs and we've never screwed each other over. And honestly... who would pay to read unedited work anyways? It doesn't make sense. If I were looking for feedback, I wouldn't want to show it to everyone. It would be like going to a party in my underwear and expecting peopel to compliment me on my dress sense. But then again... I've been to a couple parties where electrical tape passes for a top... so... take my opinion with a grain of salt.

 

[Devor]

It looks more like a startup than a scam to me. I've got big doubts about the model they're following, but my "scam" radar isn't going off, and a quick google search for "publisherfree scam" didn't turn up anything. My thought would be to just forget it and to reconsider if it somehow comes on the radar again a year from now.

Is it me or does it sound a lot like a project someone used to talk about starting up in the chat?