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General PageToFame FAQ

Shorts' PageToFame FAQ

Full-length PageToFame FAQ

What is PageToFame?

PageToFame empowers writers to test out the strength and appeal of their book idea and opening —whether their manuscript is completed or just one page in. Writers submit samples of their work, and readers rate it. The best work gets the attention of participating literary agents and a shot at getting published!

PageToFame empowers writers to test out the strength and appeal of their work. Find out what readers think of a short work, like a story, article, or poem; or, test out your book idea and opening —whether your manuscript is completed or just one page in.

For full-length works, just submit your book’s 1st page, and readers rate it. The best book openings will move through multiple rounds, with authors submitting longer samples each time, and earning the attention of literary agents and a shot at getting published! Writers of short works—like stories, poems, and articles—can also find out what raters think of their writing by submitting to ‘Shorts.’ The best short submissions will be reviewed by literary pros and get a chance to participate in an innovative online distribution model that taps into an ever-growing market for great writing beyond the printed page.

Who is PageToFame for?

PageToFame is an exciting new avenue to recognition, online distribution, and publication for aspiring and established authors. Whether you’re looking for exposure for your short story, essay, blog entry, or poem; or you want to test out the appeal of a book idea and get a real shot at a high-profile publishing deal—PageToFame is for you! It is also the ideal laboratory for “secret writers” hidden in cubicles, classrooms, and corner offices. If you’ve always known that you have a story inside you waiting to be written, PageToFame will put your ideas and skills to the test of public opinion.

Does it cost anything?

Reading and rating is free.

Full-length: During the beta phase, the author entry fee for book ideas and first pages is $4.95. Writers have until the end of March to take advantage of this low introductory fee; after this, the price will go up to $9.95. If your submission is a success, this fee will take you all the way to the final round—there is no additional cost. You will get access to the Web’s fastest-growing community of readers and fellow writers, and an impressive roster of ,a href="/landing/PageToFame-Literary-Agents">professional literary agents.

Shorts: PageToFame is pleased to welcome the submission of ‘Shorts’: pieces of writing under 1000 words, like stories, essays, and poems. We are launching ‘Shorts’ at an introductory fee of $4.95. There will be one round of reader ratings, after which the highest-rated ‘Shorts’ will be reviewed by publishing professionals. The ‘Shorts’ judging panel will be announced soon.

WEbook believes that the dream of being a published author and/or finding your perfect audience should be accessible to everyone, which is why we offer the most innovative talent-discovery vehicle in publishing—for the cost of photocopying a couple book chapters, stories, or poems at your local print shop.

Who is behind it?

PageToFame is powered by WEbook, home to AgentInbox , the cutting-edge tool that connects top-notch literary agents with the hottest new writing talent. AgentInbox is currently home to dozens of prominent literary agents who are eager to find new writers— see a list of participating literary agents. WEbook is the fastest-growing community of writers on the Web, and it’s recognized by The New York Times, BBC News, The Washington Post and more as an emerging force in the publishing industry. Read about WEbook in the press.

WEbook has a long-standing commitment to supporting authors at every step of their journey. WEbook helps aspiring authors make their dreams come true—just ask John Corey Whaley, the first author to find the perfect literary agent through AgentInbox. Find out more about AgentInbox.

Is my work safe from plagiarism?

When you submit your writing to PageToFame, it will be shown to readers who will evaluate its potential. Any time you share your writing, whether on the Web or in print, it is possible that someone might copy it without your permission. With PageToFame this risk is minimized because it will not appear in search engines or to the casual public. Readers select their genre interests, and they are randomly presented with matching submissions, rather than choosing the specific submissions they’d like to rate.

Authors of full-length books can rest assured that raters will evaluate a limited sample of your writing, and do not have access to a complete work until you’ve made it to the final round.

Writing that doesn’t make it may be exposed to as few as 30 readers. Authors can choose to remove their work at any time, and keep full ownership and rights to their work. In the unlikely event that your work is stolen, you have the same legal rights as any author, and having your work appear on WEbook may help you prove that it belongs to you.

How is PageToFame different from the original WEbook Vote?

Long-time users of WEbook may remember the WEbook Vote, in which WEbook readers voted on complete manuscripts and WEbook published selected titles from the top vote-getters. Like the WEbook Vote, PageToFame aims to give readers the power to influence what gets published and/or distributed, and it allows writers to get their work assessed by a wide audience—but the similarities stop there. Here are a few key differences between PageToFame and the WEbook Vote:

1) PageToFame is fair and anonymous.
When readers come to PageToFame, they tell us what genres they’re interested in reading. We show them matching submissions at random, one at a time. Readers cannot search for a particular submission by author or by title, and they cannot browse our database to choose which submissions they want to rate. Author details are hidden until rating ends. This approach delivers real market feedback and prevents bias and the possibility of submissions rising to the top through “lobbying.” WEbook carefully monitors voting patterns and discards votes that appear to be fraudulent or “gamed.” Users found to have violated PageToFame’s policies may be banned from the site. For more information about rating rules, check out section 9C in the WEbook Terms of Use .

2) PageToFame is friendly to writers and readers—it starts with just one page of a book, or with short works of up to 1000 words.
Rating full-length books can be daunting—not to mention writing them! PageToFame lets you start by submitting just your book idea and first page, or a self-contained short work of less than 1000 words, such as a story, article, or poem.

If your book idea and opening get high enough marks to predict that the public will be interested in seeing more, you’ll be invited to submit more writing. If you make it to the final round, your book will have a shot at winning the hearts and minds of PageToFame raters and literary agents, and getting a great commercial publishing deal. Authors of highly-rated short content will have the opportunity to see their work widely distributed online.

3) The pros are here.
PageToFame submissions get the attention of literary agents and other publishing professionals. Each time a full-length manuscript sample succeeds in passing a round of rating, it is reviewed by a top-notch literary agent, whose job is to assess the quality and marketability of manuscripts and to negotiate publishing contracts for writers they represent. Literary agents’ ratings do not decide which submissions get “elevated” at each round—only reader ratings do that. Writers get both the data from reader ratings and a professional rating of their work, and readers can compare their opinions to the pros’ as well as their fellow raters. Highly-rated short content will be reviewed by publishing professionals who work specifically with short writing—like magazine and literary journal editors, or creative writing faculty. This can help talented writers take the next step in their writing journey, whether that means finding a mentor, getting published, or seeing their work distributed to readers online

4) PageToFame is an ongoing process
Rather than having specific submission and voting deadlines, writers can submit to PageToFame at any time. Each submission is shown to readers until it is either removed from rating because it does not meet our minimum threshold of market appeal, or it is declared a top submission and is reviewed by a pro. Readers will likely find new submissions waiting to be read and rated each time they visit PageToFame.

5) It’s not relative
PageToFame gives honors to all writing that meet our threshold for high ratings and market appeal—whether that’s 1% or 100% of submissions. Your success depends only on what readers think of your work—not on whether others’ work is rated higher or lower than yours.

6) PageToFame leads to legitimate, commercial publishing of full-length books, and to innovative online distribution of short content. Winning submissions are not guaranteed publication through WEbook. Instead, full-length books that make it to the final round of rating are given a greatly improved shot at securing representation with a top-notch professional literary agent, who will work to get a strong commercial publishing contract. High PageToFame ratings prove to literary agents and publishers that your work has market appeal—and this gives you a huge advantage in your quest for publication.

Highly-rated short content will get a chance to participate in an innovative online distribution model that taps into an ever-growing market for great writing beyond the printed page.

How can I help my submission get higher ratings?

PageToFame is designed to discover great books and short works that will make a splash in the literary world. To make sure that PageToFame results are fair and accurate, we discourage authors from attempting to influence the ratings. Readers are shown submissions randomly. They can’t search for a specific submission, and we hope they’ll give each submission you read an honest evaluation. PageToFame uses multiple screening methods to discard biased or “gamed” ratings. Users found to have violated PageToFame’s policies may be banned from the site. For more information about rating rules, check out section 9C in the WEbook Terms of Use.

We encourage you to invite your friends to rate on PageToFame—the more people get involved, the more attention top-rated submissions will get—but you can’t invite people to rate your submission specifically. You can rest assured that if your submission makes it, readers and publishing professionals will know that the results are meaningful. Winning full-length books will have a real shot at a successful publishing deal, and top short submissions will find their perfect audience online.

I just submitted my page, and I don’t see any ratings yet. When will I find out what readers think of my work?

To prevent fraud and make sure ratings results are accurate and consistent, PageToFame verifies all ratings before they are posted. This process takes about 72 hours. If you recently submitted a page, and you don’t see any ratings, this does not mean that no one has rated your work! Reader ratings will appear within a few days.

How does PageToFame ‘Shorts’ work?

PageToFame ‘Shorts’ accepts stories, essays, articles, poems, blog posts, and other short works of up to 1000 words. Start by submitting some basic information about your short work—like a title and genre—plus a short, engaging summary or some background information. If you’re submitting a poem, you can include information about the poem’s form, content, and inspiration. For blog posts, explain the context and the premise of your blog. Readers rate submissions in genres that match their interests.

If enough readers give high ratings to your work, your submission will be reviewed by participating publishing professionals who deal specifically with short work—like editors of magazines and literary journals and creative writing faculty. You may have the chance to participate in an innovative online distribution of ‘Shorts’ , which will get your work in front of a wide audience and help you take the next step in your writing journey.

How can I benefit from PageToFame?

PageToFame can help assess your work’s promise and appeal to readers and professionals. If your work is a hit, you’ll get great exposure, feedback from pros, and an unparalleled opportunity to make a splash in the world of online and mobile publishing. You could see your writing promoted and distributed to a wide audience of readers on the Web. If your submission doesn’t make it, you’ll get insight into how your work is perceived by readers—and even if you don’t agree with your ratings, they may help you clarify your goals as a writer.

What happens if readers like my ‘Short’?

If readers like your submission, it will be declared a ‘Top Short.’ Top submissions are guaranteed a review by at least one participating publishing professional. The ‘Shorts’ judging panel will be announced soon, and it will be made up of professionals who deal with short writing every day—like magazine and literary journal editors, and creative writing faculty. Top Shorts will be featured on WEbook, and in the future top-rated authors will have the opportunity to participate in a cutting-edge online distribution program that takes advantage of the changing literary landscape to find a wide audience for short work beyond the printed page.

What if a participating publishing pro likes my work?

Participating publishing professionals are on the front lines of short work in the publishing world. Magazine and literary journal editors, creative writing faculty, and other pros know how to spot great short content. WEbook guarantees that at least one participating professional will read each top Shorts submission. If the pros like your writing, they may be interested in reading more of your stories, articles, poems, or other work, and possibly helping you take your writing to the next level.

A writer’s ultimate success depends on many factors. WEbook can’t guarantee that PageToFame will make you a bestselling author, but we believe that many of our Top Shorts writers will find writing success, whether that means finding the perfect online audience, or finding an editor who’s eager to see your work in the pages of their publication.

How will top-rated ‘Shorts’ be distributed online?

PageToFame has an exciting vision for tapping into a huge market of readers who are spending less time in bookstores and libraries, and more time online and using electronic readers (like the Kindle, the Sony Reader, and iPad, to name a few) and Web-enabled mobile technology. We think the publishing industry is on the verge of a revolution, which will allow writers to reach their perfect audience through changing technologies and consumer habits. The ‘byte-size’ length of ‘Shorts’ and the use of popular ratings makes PageToFame uniquely suited to helping achieve the commercial potential of short-form content in this changing landscape.

PageToFame intends to build the first large-scale online and mobile distribution network for short content. Top-rated Shorts will be available for electronic readers—and that’s just the beginning. Shorts will be distributed to sites across the Web, matching top-rated work with relevant sites—for example, if you write a hilarious confession about the worst blind date ever, your story could end up featured on large dating Web sites. Top Shorts will also be available on mobile phones, either as a one-time purchase or part of a subscription for enthusiastic readers of short content like yours. Participation in this program will be entirely up to each author, and participating authors of Top Shorts will share in the profits from sales of their work.

What determines whether my submission makes it?

PageToFame uses a proprietary algorithm to evaluate rating data. The algorithm is objective, and uses only reader ratings to score submissions. Submissions are not compared with one another, so scoring is non-competitive. Rating does not begin or end at a set time. Instead, high-quality submissions will be declared ‘Top Shorts’ once they meet PageToFame’s threshold for market appeal.*

Your ‘Short’ will be shown to a minimum of 30 readers. After your submission has received at least 30 ratings, data is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At any point after the first 30 ratings, if PageToFame’s algorithm predicts that your submission will not reach the necessary threshold, it will no longer be exposed to ratings.

A submission must receive at least 100 ratings before it can become a ‘Top Short’. However, depending on specific data, it may receive more than 100 ratings before being promoted. The more submissions and ratings we accumulate, the more accurate the algorithm will become.

If your submission makes it, it will be shown to at least one participating publishing professional, and it will get the chance to participate in PageToFame’s ground-breaking online distribution for ‘Shorts’.

*The Threshhold: At this time, the threshold for becoming a ‘Top Short’ can be reached any time after the first 100 ratings. In determining the threshold, the PageToFame algorithm considers the relative percentage of 4 and 5 ratings and the overall rating numbers. The exact percentages of 4 and 5 ratings required to meet the threshold may shift as overall rating numbers grow. By way of example, a submission may become a ‘Top Short’ if it has received 100 ratings, and 20% of readers give it a rating of 5, or 15% give it a rating of 5 and 15% give it a rating of 4. This calculation will be continually refined as we gain relevant experience evaluating rating data.

What if my ‘Short’ doesn’t make it?

If your story, article, blog post, or poem doesn’t receive high enough ratings to be reviewed by a publishing pro or to participate in online distribution of ‘Shorts,’ , don’t be discouraged. Some of the greatest writers in history—like Franz Kafka and J.R.R. Tolkien—were underappreciated during their time. Ultimately, you are the best judge of your writing’s success.

Want more detailed feedback to make your writing the best it can be? Start a WEbook project and connect with other writers who can help you improve your work. When you feel ready, you are welcome to submit your revised work to PageToFame.

When will rating begin?

In order to deliver fair and useful results, PageToFame requires a minimum number of ‘Shorts’ submissions before rating begins. During the early stages of this process, we’ll be accumulating submissions and perfecting the PageToFame reader interface for short content, so it may take a few weeks for rating of ‘Shorts’ to begin. PageToFame will notify authors via email when rating begins. You can also visit whenever you like to check the status of ratings.

How does PageToFame ‘Full-length’ work?

PageToFame ‘Full-length’ is for authors working on book-length works of fiction or non-fiction—whether you have a complete manuscript or you’re just one page in. Start by submitting some basic information about your book—like a title and genre—plus a short, engaging summary and your book’s 1st page. Readers rate submissions in genres that match their interests.

If enough readers give high ratings to your short summary and opening page, it passes to Round 2, for which you will be invited to submit the first chapter for further evaluation by readers. You have up to 6 months to submit your first chapter. 1st pages that make it to Round 2 will also be reviewed by a top-notch literary agent, so you’ll find out what a real pro thinks of your work.

Writers who make it to Round 3 submit their first 50 pages. In Round 4, the entire manuscript will be considered. Reader ratings alone decide who moves on to each round, and each successful submission proceeds through the rounds at its own pace, depending on how quickly it accumulates high ratings. At each round, a top notch literary agent reviews the top writing samples. Submissions that make it to the final round get the full attention of literary agents—especially those who have already reviewed and approved the work—and have a very good shot at being picked up by a literary agent who will help secure a publishing contract.

How can I benefit from PageToFame?

PageToFame can help assess your work’s promise and appeal to readers and professionals. If your work is a hit, you’ll get great exposure, and an unparalleled opportunity to make a splash in the publishing world. You could get the attention of a top-notch literary agent and prove your book’s appeal to interested publishers by showing them real data from real readers. If you don’t make it to the final round, you get insight into how your work is perceived by a broad audience—and even if you don’t agree with your raters, the numbers may help you clarify your goals as a writer.

What happens if readers like my work?

If readers like your short summary and 1st page, it passes to the next round. You will be invited to submit the first chapter for further rating, and your 1st page will be reviewed by a top-notch literary agent. You’ll have up to 6 months to submit a first chapter, and your writing will be shown to more readers. If you continue to get high marks, you will be asked to submit a longer sample—for example, the first 50 pages of a novel or nonfiction book—for further rating. At least one participating literary agent will review your work at the end of each successful round. Submissions that make it to the final round have the endorsement of real readers, which gives them a very good shot at signing with a participating WEbook literary-agent and getting a publishing deal.

What if a participating WEbook literary agent likes my work?

Literary agents assess the quality and marketability of unpublished writing, and work to find publishers for authors they represent. WEbook guarantees that at least one participating literary agent will read each sample that successfully passes a rating round. The literary agent’s rating does not determine whether your submission moves on—only reader ratings do that. However, if literary agents like your writing, they’re likely to look out for more writing as rating progresses, and they may show interest in representing you. Getting high ratings from readers helps prove your work’s marketability to literary agents and publishers alike. On top of that, WEbook will support and help promote high-rated submissions.

A writer’s ultimate success depends on many factors. WEbook can’t guarantee that PageToFame will produce bestsellers, but we believe that many of the authors who make it to the final round will find great literary agents and get picked up by top publishers.

Why do I submit only one page of writing at first?

While you can’t judge a book by its cover, readers are likely to have a good idea of whether they’re interested in reading more after reading a short summary and the 1st page. Submitting just one page of a book to PageToFame allows writers to determine whether their work has what it takes to get readers’ attention. If readers like your basic idea—expressed in a quick, snappy summary—and the 1st page of writing, you’ll get the opportunity to submit a longer sample for more rating. PageToFame is an ideal proving ground for aspiring and established writers—and if you’re just starting out, data from reader ratings provides motivation as you develop your talent and ideas.

When and how will submissions be promoted to the next round of rating?

PageToFame uses a proprietary algorithm to evaluate rating data. The algorithm is objective, and uses only reader ratings to score submissions. Submissions are not compared with one another, so scoring is non-competitive. Rounds do not begin or end at a set time, nor will all successful submissions move on to the next round at the same time. Instead, high-quality submissions will move on to the next round whenever they meet PageToFame’s threshold for market appeal.*

Your first page will be shown to a minimum of 30 readers. After your submission has received at least 30 ratings, data is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At any point after the first 30 ratings, if PageToFame’s algorithm predicts that your submission will not reach the necessary threshold, the page will no longer be exposed to ratings.

Your submission will move on to the next round once it passes the minimum threshold for market appeal. Submissions must receive at least 100 ratings before they are promoted. However, depending on specific data, they may receive more than 100 ratings before being promoted. The more submissions and ratings we accumulate, the more accurate the algorithm will become. We expect to begin promoting the strongest first pages in early March.

If your page is promoted to Round 2, you will be asked to submit your first chapter for further rating, and a participating literary agent will review your first page submission.

*The Threshhold: At this time, the threshold for promotion can be reached any time after the first 100 ratings. In determining the threshold, the PageToFame algorithm considers the relative percentage of 4 and 5 ratings and the overall rating numbers. The exact percentages of 4 and 5 ratings required to meet the threshoold may shift as overall rating numbers grow. By way of example, a page may be promoted to Round 2 if it has received 100 ratings, and 20% of readers give it a rating of 5, or 15% give it a rating of 5 and 15% give it a rating of 4. This calculation will be continually refined as we gain relevant experience evaluating rating data.

What if my first page doesn’t make it to the next round?

If your short summary and 1st page don't receive high enough ratings to advance to the next round, don't be discouraged. Some of the greatest books in the history of literature-like The Lord of The Rings and James Joyce's Ulysses-were underappreciated during their time. Ultimately, you are the best judge of your book's success.

Want more detailed feedback to make your book the best it can be? Start a WEbook project and connect with other writers who can help you improve your work. When you feel ready, you are welcome to submit your revised work to PageToFame. Also, if you're ready to take your quest for publication to the next level, you can connect directly with literary agents at AgentInbox. Search for agents who are looking for work like yours, and submit a query letter and manuscript sample online to as many agents as you wish!