Just clicked on the ad here for Nooza.com. anyone else looked at it? wondered what you thought. I have to say I am eternally cynical and suspicious. I always think these things are cons. this 'looks' as if it isn't...but...? anyone?

I visited there some time ago and got the impression that the site isn't visited much by return users of their forums.

Besides, it looks like it's just a site offering critique and probably charging you to introduce you to agents, when you could easily do it yourself and cut them out of the equation.

One for the insecure writer, I believe.

I've been following the forum on Nooza for a couple of months but I've just about abandoned it now. There's very little activity and most of that seems to be from a small handful of contributors.
As for their critique/medal service - at £65 for 25,000 words, I think it's expensive and there doesn't seem to be the option to critique the full novel. I also get the impression that some of the writers are unsatisfied by the standard of the critique. That may, of course, have more to do with the standard of their writing. Who am I to judge.
I've recently had a full manuscript of 105,000 words rejected by an agent who absolutely loved the first three chapters but thought the plot fell down towards the end. So I don't believe there is any value in laying out money on a partial critique - whether or not it results in a medal.
I've sent this novel to Jenny at jbwb.co.uk for a critique and full line edit, and I'm relieved to say that I am delighted with her service. It cost £245 which I wouldn't have been able to afford but she accepts payment in intalments. She works by email; I sent her the ms as an attachment and she is returning it a chapter at a time so, every few days, I get a chapter back to work on. It's great. I'm beginning to feel like a junkie waiting for my next fix! Check out her website.
Err... sorry if I drifted off the point there...
Cheers,
Dee.

Thanks dee.Useful info. Good luck with your novel. Have you posted any here?

Not yet. Still too aprehensive. I've only just started reading other people's postings - OK, I read one last night, Finger Buffet, which I found when I was looking for info on Simon Trewin. I'm embarrassed to say I can't remember the name of the author (was it Becca?) but I was so impressed by the story that I want to read a wider selection before I offer up my own.
Incidentally, that's another problem with Nooza; you can't read anything posted by anyone else.
OK, I'm off for a good read now.
Cheers
Dee.

Hi Dee. Are you the Dee that's posted on the Nooza forum by any chance?

Yes, that's me. Dare I ask why you're asking?
Dee.

I'm Lavelle. Need I say more? It's ok. I'm not going to stir things up on this forum mainly because it is quite interesting, moves along at a good pace, has lots of participants, is full of interesting information, and doesn't have Terence.

Hello Lavelle,

I thought it might be you but didn't like to say in case you wanted to remain anonymous.

Nooza, and Terence, are good for a laugh but this seems to be a much more active forum.

But beware... he has been here...

Oh dear. Not lately I hope because if he's still around I just might not be able to contain myself! I know I shouldn't but I can't just can't help it. Anyway, TB aside, I'm interested to know your views on Nooza. Did you actually get a review from them? If so, was it useful? Helpful? I contemplated it but then got my work accepted by an ePublisher - which isn't a real publisher according to... no I won't go there!

Hi Lavelle,
;-)
I keep checking out Nooza but I'm losing the plot with them.
If you scroll up a bit you'll see the posting I put on here on 20th about my views on Nooza and their review service. I much prefer this site. The only complaint I have is that there is so much on it I'm not getting enough time to write...
So I'm off now.
Dee.

Hi Dee

I've just read your post about Nooza and critique-services. I did actually upload work for them to review - under another name. I received a medal and a rave review. I have, to date, contacted -unsuccessfully -some 30 agents - including Nooza's literary agency (who also turned me down!!!) and several publishers. Having a medal and a Nooza review didn't seem to make any significant difference. I have finally found a publisher, an ePublisher who agreed that my book had potential but that it needed significant editing - I didn't get this information from Nooza. I have spent several months with this publisher and an editor, that they put me in touch with, have virtually rewritten my book - strange how now I can see how flawed it was but no one at Nooza did! - and am now nearly ready for publication. Actually when I look back, I see that I received 3 separate reviews from Nooza; one rave one with my medal, a negative one when I approached their agency and then - when I intimated that another publisher was interested in my work, Peter Giles emailed me and asked if I would submit my full manuscript for which I received another rave review but they still turned me down. I'm afraid at that point I became quite disillusioned with Nooza - they were happy to hand out a medal and take my money but they weren't prepared to stand by their decision.

I also can't stand smug know-all's who haven't even put their work up to be reviewed who seem to know everything about everything. Perhaps I'm being unfair but I think I'd have a bit more respect for his comments, if he'd at least taken the plunge - or if he actually knew what he was talking about.

Dee and LH, very interesting conversation you were having about 'Nooza' I don't know about them myself, but it's good to hear other people's experiences on things like this.

Hi

that's extremely interesting and yet sad. wish things were different. good luck with your project!

Jai

Hi guys. Im pretty new to all of this but have found your comments on Nooza very interesting if not entirely off putting. I did consider uploading some work, but I am also wary of these 'critiques' where the only winner seems to be the actual service itself.

I am a very strong believer in being published by merit, and the best books advise you that you should never ever pay a penny to this effect - including so called 'book doctors'

Does anyone know of a published author who became succesful after a professional critique? I'm sure there must be some, but I bet they are very very rare.

At the end of the day, who wants a bloody medal? What good is that compared to the dream of seeing your freshly published book on the stands at WHsmith or Waterstones? This site is great because we get to communicate with other writers and take on board whatever comments we want. Can someone really read 'professionally'? Isnt that what we all do as writers?

Caveat Emptor - let the buyer beware.