Why was thread deleted?

[LadylikeCough]

Anyone know why the 'What am I doing wrong?' thread got zapped?

OP gave a link to her new business of £200 writing courses, wondering why no one had signed up. Feedback was almost universally negative (and deservedly so -- although I would say that, having given one of the harshest reviews).

I'm just wondering if it got deleted by OP request, as it was such bad publicity, or if it was more that the thread itself was disingenuously started; less a genuine request for feedback, more to advertise her course to MNers who were interested in creative writing. Or any other reason?

From the wording I'm guessing it was reported for advertising. In a way it's a shame it's gone because it had good advice in for both the OP and for writers - don't throw your money away!

I'm sure there are some courses that are worth spending on (to an extent), but the expertise and experience of the course tutor is SO important. I would expect most creative writing tutors to have some success with fiction writing (or maybe agenting/book publishing) - seems pretty basic. Otherwise why would they expect people to choose them over someone else?

I mentioned Holly Lisle in the other thread. Aeons ago, she was a bestselling fantasy author who ran, for free, a decent forum for would-be writers. She now runs another site for her own writing courses that go from free to $$$$. She seems moderately successful to me, and why? Because she built up good will with a big audience, had proven success, offered an easy way in with free courses (her 'How to write Flash Fiction that doesn't suck' course is pretty good).

If she was a journo with no fiction writing credentials, charging £200 for a four-week course, would I have gone for it? No way in hell.

(not advertising for her, don't like all her methods, advice can be pretty prescriptive sometimes, but she seemed a good example)