A P Watt links with social networking site
Literary agency A P Watt has linked up with social networking site Circalit for a competition to find a new crime novelist.
Literary agency A P Watt has linked up with social networking site Circalit for a competition to find a new crime novelist.
Unpublished writers can upload the first 30 pages of their crime novel to Circalit’s website. Entry is free, although those wishing to enter must create an account on the Circalit site. The deadline for entries is in six weeks.
The site will rank the uploaded stories based on Circalit’s chart algorithm, which takes into account reviews and votes as well as the amount of time members of the public spend reading each story, and whether the reader is a veteran member or a newcomer to the site.
Agents from A P Watt will attempt to read as many of the stories as possible, taking the peer review process into account. At least one author will win a meeting with the agency, though, Circalit expects "the quality of entries to be high enough to justify more meetings".
Raoul Tawadey, founder of Circalit, said: "There is a wealth of literary talent across the globe, only a fraction of which gets the recognition it deserves. Crowd-sourcing is a great way for the publishing industry to find literature that already has a proven readership. We hope this competition will give talented new writers the opportunity to get their work noticed and demonstrate the power of the internet to create a global talent pool."
Circalit was launched in February 2010 as a social networking site where screenwriters could showcase their work to film studios. It now also hosts work by poets, novelists and playwrights, allowing them to discuss and critique each other's work as well as form contacts with publishers and agents.
The Bookseller
Contact Information
Organisation: A P Watt