Announcing shared work

To add my 2 beans:

Although I can understand Lorraine's and Paul's POV, and although I'm against hard-and-fast rules, I agree with Adrian:

At times the Q&A section goes for some time (even days) without any new questions being posted. At others, several come in all at once. Not only are VERY recent questions pushed out of the top 3 visible when you click onto the "Community" page, I've found that sometimes they slip out of the top 10 visible on the 1st page of Q&As itself at an alarming rate. And - although I sometimes surf p2 and p3 - I get the impression that few other users do so. Certainly it's seldom that I find a comment that's been added once a Q&A drops below #10.

While I'm riding this hobby horse, could I make a plea that users surf earlier Q&As before they ask questions that others have already posed dozens of times? Questions such as "How do I find an agent?" or "Can I send my ms directly to publishers?" If you'd take the trouble to read the "advice" page, you might find such questions answered there.

Those of us with the time and inclination to read others' shared work drop into the "shared work" page to see just what's on offer. We don't need to be pointed there from Q&As.

p.s. Cheeky whatnot that I am, I HAVE been guilty of pointing people to my own shared work on this Q&A page. But it's (I believe) always been in comments to others' questions, and because my work might illustrate a point that I've been making re: the original question. Jump on me if I'm mistaken there. ;P

p.p.s. IMO, it's perfectly valid to ask certain questions that have been asked in the past, such as "Are there any more crime writers on here?" Since people are joining this site all the time, new connections need to be made.

There's nothing in the rules either way, Paul. It doesn't worry me if people ask here for someone to look at their shared work. I certainly wouldn't slap any wrists for posting in the wrong place. It's a way of doubling the possibility that someone will see it. Sometimes it can feel as though you're shouting into an empty room otherwise.

Shared Work is self-evident; Q&A is vague and could cover many things. Unless W&A are more specific, don't sweat it. It's all about asking for help wherever you post.

Lorraine

Hi Mark, I must be pretty thick as I have done that same thing, asking for a critique on my shared work here and found people VERY helpful. Up until now I thought it the proper way to go about it.

In which case may I ask what is the proper way or is it up to people to go through the list of people on the site and see who is sharing? I am surprised to hear that it could annoy people, I can't see why anyone should care, afterall we are all here to get some help.

regards Paul.