Hello, this is Peter Cox welcoming you to Litopia Writers’ Colony, one of the web’s oldest and most significant independent writing communities.

Litopia is unusual.  Many websites for writers are, in fact, little more than vanity-publishing operations dressed up as the next big thing in publishing (believe me, vanity publishing is very old).   Other sites are commercially-run operations, backed either by venture capital eager to make a fast buck or sometimes by publishing companies.  In both cases, their blatant or not-so-blatant aim is to “monetize the slush pile” – in other words, they see writers as their target market and an income source.  They are more interested in turning a quick profit for their shareholders than in nurturing writers.

Litopia is none of those things.  So – what is it?

Trying to describe the Colony to you is considerably more difficult than simply letting you poke around a bit and discover the joys of Litopia (and there are many) for yourself. But let me try.

First – we’re free to join.  We don’t charge a subscription or offer to publish your manuscript for an exorbitant fee.  We are run by writers for writers – which means that writers’ interests come first (as far as money is concerned, if you like Litopia, then we’d encourage you to donate something to us – but there’s no pressure).

Not The Biggest, But The Best (We Think)

We’re by no means the biggest “writing site” on the net, but we’re almost certainly the oldest – and we have one of the most distinctive ambiences of any community you’ll come across.  Part of this harks back to the days when the internet really was a meeting place for unusual, talented and above all very friendly people. Litopia is still very much like that.

Who belongs to Litopia? Mainly, published authors and those who are seriously committed to becoming published. There is an intensity of purpose here that marks us out. Not to say that we don’t also have time for fun and frivolity – we emphatically do – but at its heart, Litopia is a place where writing – your writing – is taken very seriously.

This raises the suggestion that we might be somewhat elitist, exclusionary, even snobbish. Let me put your mind at rest straight away on that. There is not a trace of literary snobbery here. As you will immediately find when you join the warmth and friendliness of the place is breathtaking. We have members from all over the globe, from all walks of life, and from all backgrounds. None of that matters a jot: we accept you for who you are – and for the writer you aspire to be.

Part Word Palace, Part Sweat Shop

What can you do here? First is the social aspect. Writing, by its nature, tends to be an isolating occupation. Litopia amply redresses the balance.  At the social heart of the Colony is an area we call Café Grande: a vibrant literary salon in the grand European manner.  Here you'll find high-minded banter rubbing shoulders with low-down wit: just what a literary salon ought to be.  Express an opinion, share a yarn, catch up with industry gossip or just spend time recharging your gray matter.  Stimulating company is guaranteed – and many firm friendships have been forged here.

Beyond the literary salon, Litopia is a sweat shop, too. If your work has promise, it can be developed here.  Using our unique system of houses and tiered forums, your work can progress all the way from initial draft through to the proposal and beyond. You can even pitch directly to an agent (ahem, that's me) and get valuable feedback.  All without leaving the Colony.

Run By Writers, For Writers

Who is behind Litopia?  In the age of the mega-corporation, you’ll be pleased to learn that Litopia is about as independent as it is possible to be. We are not some front organization for a multi-national conglomerate, nor are we a cunningly-disguised vanity press. I got things moving initially, and the Colony still runs on my servers.  But that’s just the infrastructure. The Colony is actually run by writers for writers.  Our strong collegiate atmosphere is utterly unique on the net.  If you join, we’ll expect you to willingly play your part in this, too. It’s about giving as much as receiving. You’ll quickly see what I mean.

The Future of Writing Begins Here

The publishing business is undergoing utterly seismic changes and the truth is, no-one really knows what it will look like in five years time. But I can tell you this: Litopia’s members will be the first to grasp what new opportunities lie ahead for writers.  Litopia leads – not follows – the conversation in this area.

Litopia is nothing if not on the leading edge. We already produce the world’s most popular podcasts for writers (a weekly show plus a daily) and that’s just the start.  Litopia’s Tweets (that’s the collective noun for a post on the Twitter social network site) are followed by thousands of writers worldwide, and so highly regarded in the industry that they have been awarded the first Golden Twit Prize for social networking.

So that’s a smidgen of information about Litopia... and I haven’t really begun to scratch the surface. Litopia is a place where talent can be incubated, friendships forged, careers ignited and the future grasped.

I think I’ve told you enough for you to decide if it’s your kind of Colony.  If it is, then please click here to join us now!

Peter Cox