Absolute Write

I'm not a huge fan of the forums--though the "ask an agent" site is pretty handy!--but I love that they have a forum you can use to find beta reading partners. I met some really wonderful beta readers there who I trade critique with. They are some of the sweetest people I've met in the writing industry. Honest, informative, helpful--but STILL nice... that's a hard combo to pull off. I recommended the site to a friend of mine, and he met a great critique partner there also, who I then met through him.

Site, however, is overrun with ugly behaviors from those in charge.

Otherwise stay clear of the forums. The moderators are on a power trip and to be honest I see nothing that would warrant any right to be. They delete threads and people every other second that don't agree with them while they bash writers and publishers and pretty much anyone they damn well please. The site is a great idea with some good people, but it's run by a bunch of jackasses.

This website reminds me of the old days when phone systems were on party lines and there would be 5 houses on the same line. If you picked up the phone while someone else was using it they would ask you to get off the phone until they were done. Most people would apologize and try later, but there were those who would dileberately hang on the phone and listen to a private conversation and make noises with the phone just to piss them off. Basically, if it's none of your business, stay out of it and shut up.
I see no real problem with the site. I don't especially like it but it gives people with nothing else to do with their lives, something to do.

It would be good except for the weird aggressiveness of the moderators. They are quick to get nasty, issuing high-handed, arrogant orders. Insulting, virtual screaming at, and cussing out (yes!) posters. This is often for very little reason, just because they disagree with one of the owner or moderator's opinions on the forum!

Private messages sent to the owner and other disagreements with the owner may be publicly posted and everyone invited to trash them. They play favorites ridiculously, and also get way too overinvolved, shutting down threads etc. for nothing. All this mess, while constantly telling everyone else that the number one rule is "Respect Your Fellow Writer!"

If not for the ickiness of an abusive environment, it would be an excellent site for writers.

The site, as someone said, can help you find great people and I'm pretty sure it has over the years. But a site that's run like Absolutewrite cannot continue to get great people if they have terrible people who own the site as well as mod it.

For a site that's for writers, one would think they'd go out of their way to understand what people are saying before they say they are stupid on the forum. Mods should never attack people on the forums... NEVER. Any forum that allows that is a bully place. A place where mods can push around people and expect them to fear them. It is not ok to run a website like that. That breeds cliques and makes other posters feel like there's special treatment. Absolute Write is just like that. They allow bullies to mod. They also allow cliques to control who gets into trouble.

The site, as many have said around the internet, use to be really, really good. Now it's just $#@! Because of the controlling attitude of those in charge. The idea (if I could rate them differently) would get a 3 because it is a great thing to do with start up writers, but it's not a great place for your attitude if you do more than look for critique partners. They won't let you think for yourself.

If you go to this website just look for a critique partner or help with your writing. Avoid giving your opinion. If you give it and the majority don't agree... not only will they get to insult you, you will be attacked by a mod and made out to be the bad guy.

For a site that's for writers, one would think they'd go out of their way to understand what people are saying before they say they are stupid on the forum. Mods should never attack people on the forums... NEVER. Any forum that allows that is a bully place. A place where mods can push around people and expect them to fear them. It is not ok to run a website like that. That breeds cliques and makes other posters feel like there's special treatment. Absolute Write is just like that. They allow bullies to mod. They also allow cliques to control who gets into trouble.

The site, as many have said around the internet, use to be really, really good. Now it's just $#@! Because of the controlling attitude of those in charge. The idea (if I could rate them differently) would get a <3 because it is a great thing to do with start up writers, but it's not a great place for your attitude if you do more than look for critique partners. They won't let you think for yourself.

If you go to this website just look for a critique partner or help with your writing. Avoid giving your opinion. If you give it and the majority don't agree... not only will they get to insult you, you will be attacked by a mod and made out to be the bad guy.