A huge thank you to Martyn Bedford and Phil Whitaker, and fellow literary professionals Michael Legat, Melissa Marshall and Gillian Stern

From June 2009 YouWriteOn Top Ten Chart writers as listed on the first of each month will be read exclusively by editors from publishers who publish some of the world's bestselling authors, details to be announced during this month. The three highest rated novel extract writers in the Top Ten, who haven't previously received a critique, will receive a professional critique from an editor for the publishers. The other writers in the Top Ten will also be read and commented on by the editors from the publishers.

The Top Ten is rated in order by YouWriteOn members. Most YouWriteOn Top Ten entries chart in the Top Ten within 4 to 6 weeks of being uploaded.

The difference in how the system works now is that all Top Ten feedback is from editors for leading publishers, whereas previously feedback was from a variety of professionals, including authors, freelance editors not affiliated to publishers, and volunteers from publishers including non-editorial staff. This previously included excellent literary professional feedback from authors Martyn Bedford and Phil Whitaker, and literary professionals Michael Legat, Melissa Marshall and Gillian Stern, who did a brilliant job in setting an extremely high bar for professional feedback and to whom YouWriteOn owes a great deal. Many writers here will have received and benefitted from critiques from these literary professionals, either directly or through reading their critiques of other new writers.

Martyn Bedford and Phil Whitaker devised the marking criteria for the YouWriteOn ratings system. It's fair to say that their willingness to become involved with a then unknown site - managed by someone from a Citizens Advice Bureau background who had never been involved in a literary project before (myself!) - has had a real influence on literary development for new writers in the UK. This has been achieved through both YouWriteOn and through newer review feedback sites which have been influenced by YWO's community as the first peer review site of its kind in the UK.

Ted

I'll second that. YWO is a gem!

Athene

Scias te fortasse Romanum esse si animal convivialissimum arbitreris esse caprum (Henricus Barbatus)


my website

YWO certainly IS a gem - I am so glad that I found it. It has given me and my writing a MUCH needed boost!
Thank you Ted.

wonderful news, Ted. We'll miss Michael, Gillian and Melissa but the site is open to so many more possibilities. YWO is a wonderful venue. I'm glad I found it. Jen

"There are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts." Charles Dickens

Thank you, that's very kind of you all. There's some exciting new functions planned to be introduced in the next few months which we hope will assist further too.