WEbook is a community place for writers to get feedback and possibly a shot at publication. They have in beta their PagetoFame set-up, where readers vote submitted manuscripts through a series of ratings, from the first page, to the first chapter, to the first 50 pages, to the whole thing – submissions making it through each round get glanced at by an agent, and submissions that make the final round get the full attention of literary agents. It’s a “talent-discovery vehicle” kind of like an online Idle style thing. It’ll cost $9.95 to enter, which as they point out is about what it costs in photocopying and postage to submit to agents the old-fashioned way anyway.

Probably more importantly, it’s also a way to get in touch with other writers and get feedback (though there are plenty of established online critiquing sites for that already) and also they list lots of agents and provide an online submission form to get in contact with them (AgentInbox, currently free, may cost in future…this is a little iffy).

If you’re a reader, you might like to join it at WEbooks rating some of the first pages and following your favourites as they progress through the rounds. I often bemoan that I rarely find books that match my tastes as much I would like — allowing readers input into publishing selections may be one way to broaden the range of what is published.

ePub ebooks sold through Apple’s iBookstore will only be able to be read on the iPad, not even on other Mac devices. At least for about three seconds, before someone breaks the DRM and then they can be read on any device you like.

What should you read next?

Here’s one of those projects dedicated to increasing access to the beautiful rare books stored in museums and national archives around the world.