First deals for Authonomy writers

Authonomy, the online service set up by Haper Collins where writers can upload novels and comment on those submitted by others, has announced its first success stories. As the Authonomy blog reports:

We’re fit to bursting with pride: not one but three different authonomy authors have been signed up to HarperCollins. Each one has a very different story to tell of the journey to acquisition, which we hope is an encouraging sign. World rights have been acquired in all three cases...

The three successful writers are Steven Dunne, Miranda Dickinson and Melanie Davies. From Alison Flood in The Guardian:

Kate Hyde at HarperCollins says that Authonomy provides a more effective way of addressing the towering piles of unsolicited manuscripts - more than 1,000 a month - that HarperCollins currently receives: "It gives oxygen and visibility to the slush pile by making it sortable."