With respect, Old Hack, that's making the assumption that YWO is out to somehow scam new writers. Having been using the site for about a year now, I don't think this is in anyway the case, and if it were the case, there is no way so many industry professionals would be involved with it (unless you're assuming they've also been scammed).
As quoted in the post before yours:
So if the choice, and all the rights remain with the author at all times, what's the problem? It looks like a genuine attempt to get the winning authors noticed and published, which is what the site claimed to do. It's claim has always been to help writers develop (which it does through crits and professional crits for the best ones) and get those who are already writing at a publishable level noticed (which it does through BOTY, the short-lists, press coverage etc, and the option of self-publishing).
So far, it's lived up to those claims, and there has been no hint of scamage (is that a word?) going on. No one has asked for money - other writing sites which are considerably less useful do - no one has asked for anything to be signed, there has been no "forcing" anyone to do anything.
You say:
That's not true. There's a whole process, which includes being voted into "bestsellers", getting the professional critique etc. You can remove your book any time you want. To be considered for BOTY you also had to do a certain number of crits a month for the last couple of months prior to judging (I don't know how strictly they upheld that, but if you didn't want to be considered, the option was there).
I don't think it's helpful to other writers at all if people leap to negative conclusions based on no evidence and no real knowledge.
As quoted in the post before yours:
Our critique system, book awards, publisher and agent affiliations, and the excellent publicity obtained for new writers is intended to be a springboard for writers to use to their best advantage, such as with the new writers mentioned above. The choice always remains with the writer "
So if the choice, and all the rights remain with the author at all times, what's the problem? It looks like a genuine attempt to get the winning authors noticed and published, which is what the site claimed to do. It's claim has always been to help writers develop (which it does through crits and professional crits for the best ones) and get those who are already writing at a publishable level noticed (which it does through BOTY, the short-lists, press coverage etc, and the option of self-publishing).
So far, it's lived up to those claims, and there has been no hint of scamage (is that a word?) going on. No one has asked for money - other writing sites which are considerably less useful do - no one has asked for anything to be signed, there has been no "forcing" anyone to do anything.
You say:
It seems that one of the conditions of uploading your work onto YWO is that it is then automatically entered into a competition
That's not true. There's a whole process, which includes being voted into "bestsellers", getting the professional critique etc. You can remove your book any time you want. To be considered for BOTY you also had to do a certain number of crits a month for the last couple of months prior to judging (I don't know how strictly they upheld that, but if you didn't want to be considered, the option was there).
I don't think it's helpful to other writers at all if people leap to negative conclusions based on no evidence and no real knowledge.