Does posting work here harm our chances of being published?

Ok thanks for the clarification. I take it would be best to save a copy of the original story for the publishers to see? Also II think I'll submit the story to eastoftheweb.com as they don't mind if the works have been previously published, so I could keep it on my website lol the more exposure the better!

 

FoxZero,

How interested would the average publisher be in comparing one version of a story to another to determine if it is different enough, in their opinion, not to be considered previously published? With the continual slew of submissions markets receive (an most markets have to turn away top works they'd like to publish because there just aren't enough slots in their publication schedule and/or funds in their financial account), is it really worth their time and effort?

Another interesting turn would be the conversation: "Thank you for accepting my short story. I would like to let you know that I had published an earlier version of the story online but the one I sent to you is significantly different..." Or, in the cover letter, indicating the much same thing...

As far as exposure, many writers use their published work to garner attention, possibly driving it from the ezine or magazine's pages to the author's website, where the author would have links to other works they've had published in other markets. Simultaneously having a work readily available online at a quality ezine and on the author's website kind of defeats that purpose, and also lessens the incentive for the ezine, as less traffic/eyes are driven to their ezine's pages.

That is at least part of the reason for the non-competing clause in most contracts (at least all that I have ever read and signed). Eyes are important to the ezines as well; that's a good part of the reason they publish the best stories they can find/afford.

Just my two cents.

Terry

 

Lovely, I just shot myself in the foot with this. I submitted to one of the publishers my work but I also gave him the link of where I posted the chapters (the book is not finished, it's just at the beginning) so I guess I can forget it. Wooonderful.

 

Ouch. One more thing - don't even think of submitting before the story is finished and proofed.

 

I guess I saved myself right there with the not finished, and I'm sure there will be plenty of room for improvement.

 

Yep, unless you're an established author with a sound track record of sales, you won't be able to sell a novel on a proposed outline/idea or a few initial chapters.

And it generally isn't (actually virtually never or at least with very very few exceptions) a good idea send a letter, email or whatever to an editor or agent with a link pointing to your work/chapters online--unless that is something they clearly state as preferred in their posted guidelines.

Terry

 

For the moment I'm just looking for a very experienced literary critic to read my work, and if it's favourable for the first ones, then it will be much easier for me to continue on and complete my manuscript.

 

That's just not a wise approach. If you pass along the first few chapters, and the publisher says, "Ok, let me see the full manuscript," how do you think he will react when you have to tell him it isn't finished yet?

Also, after your first draft is finished, you WILL have to give it one or more editing passes. The initial chapters will probably change the most, having been written longer ago.

You'll need to get your motivation elsewhere. After you have done all you can think of to clean up your manuscript, it still stands a good chance of being rejected, probably more than once. It's a process that will require a great deal of perseverance, and resistance to discouragement.

 

Wise words. You would do well to remember them.


Also if you hand in something unfinished and they do ask you for more (Which would be low, be imagine if you presented something decent enough for them to go hmm well, i might ask him/her for more or ask a question or two)

Good luck ever getting through their door again. They'll remember your name, mark it of the list and immiediatly look for someone who has FINISHED.

They want to see movement and profit, they dont wanna be slowed down by anyone who wastes their time with unfinished material (Unlkess, as mentioned they are very well known and known to do what is asked).

 

Thanks for the information.

I have sent the publisher an e-mail with the first chapters and I have informed him about the fact that it's not finished, and we'll see if he's going to reply to me or not. The thing is that the rules that might apply in the US and UK might not be the same over here in Romania, but we shall see. (for example there are virtually no literary agents over here)

I'll just wait and see, and the only thing for me to do is continue writing. Perhaps change and edit even more so I won't have any problems later on.

@Speedy

Hats off, you're completely right.

 

Was it ever stated anywhere on here (in the rules or otherwise) that posting here makes your work published?

Because I honestly was NEVER aware of that until Cog told me in my story's topic. I suppose if I find a really loving and nice editor (fat chance) I can honestly tell them that the prolouge was posted in ignorance of the published status until I was informed after the fact. Maybe pity can work. If not all publishers are heartless...

 

It's not a rule, but it has been mentioned in many (many, many) threads, and is also now part of my welcome template post. It's a fact of life in writing.

 

New people here might not always gravitate towards those topics that mention it. I never even came to this section of the forum before because I was seeking crits and reviews, not publisher information (which is what is mainly in this section, right?).

And new people will certainly not know those facts of life in writing. I didn't, and obviously a few people in this topic didn't either. Maybe it should be in the forum rules, since people are more likely to read that (as well as your welcome messege) first.

 

It isn't a rule, though. It has nothing to do with this forum in particular, it is a reality of mixing writing with Internet.

Besides, I have plenty of reason to believe that more people see my welcome post than read the site rules.

There is just so much anyone here can do to acquaint members with the facts of writing life. And if you don't mind a bit of pride, I think we do a better job of it than most sites.

 

It doesn't have to be a rule, just a guideline. Guidelines are different from rules in the way that they are interpreted. Rules, like the ones we have now, are meant and expected to be followed whether the person wants to or not. A guideline, on the other hand, can be followed or ignored if the person so wishes. But it's there to inform them anyway.

I kinda agree with your last sentence. Then again, this is the only actual Forum I've found that revolves around writing. The only other places I had were FictionPress.com and Teenage Authors as a Yahoo Group.

 

at some point, new writers must take responsibility for their own education in the basic facts of writing life... you can't expect the admin of this site to be classroom teacher and personal tutor, offering complete classes in 'how to be a writer' and 'the business end of being a writer'... those are things you need to learn on your own...

what the admin does do better than any other on the web, is offer the chance to tap into the experience of fellow members... but it's not fair to expect the admin to do all your work for you, now is it?

that said, i suppose if some kind and truly knowledgable member wanted to take the time to write up a tutorial on the subject, it could be made into a sticky, as so many other aspects of writing have been... it may even exist already...

 

Which is why you do snippets....

...as I have posted before. Only rarely will I post an entire chapter to the novel I'm working on. I posted the first chapter in the review lounge b/c I saw some errors and needed to see if others felt the same way. Other then that, no complete chapters.

 

You've still posted the vast majority of your novel, which has to have harmed your publishing prospects.

 

Sorry for my late reply, been busy editing lol and chasing down friends for reviewing

Anyways I really appreciate the input as I have concluded I am very ignorant about this stuff. And I must say the first thing that came out of my mouth was a string of profanities, not directed at you of course.

I won't publish it on my site then, assuming they take the story. I just want to see if I meet there so called "high standards".

I just hope self publishing the first 15000 words of my novel online doesn't kill it. If so I'll just screw as I have way too many other ideas to work with, but man that would be a bummer.

EDIT:

And I agree with what mammamaia stated above. I get too distracted with the writing itself that I forget to learn about what I am getting into. I'll bite the bullet this time, but I learn from my mistakes and I won't be digging up this topic again. For the past few nights I've been doing a lot of research on publishing and I have changed my routine a bit. Thanks for the help all!

 

actually no...

no more then a third has been posted...and with the complete rewrite that's happening in the editing phase nothing is being posted further. Posts on that are being done on a membership only sci fi novelist group by invitation/password only...

 

A third is a lot, even taking into account that you are revising it. And every bit of it in your member blog is visible in google's search database.

It's your novel, but I certainly wouldn't expose anything I plan to publish in that way.

 

Ditto.

 

ditto the ditto!

 

Wait what?

I knew about this 'post and its published' thing but I didn't know it was that serious. Are you guys saying that if you post any part of your novel it would be significant to publishers.

Or is there like some sort of upper limit( as in word count) that shouldn't be breached?

I ask because somebody said that if you publish more than a chapter you can forget it, but chapters have such a variable length...

 

IF you speak to an agent or get to a publisher you have to tell them if you have posted stuff (As the question will come u).

Small sniplets shouldnt harm uo (And if its one site like this and not 100 sites). They why people always tell you not to post chapters just very small snipplets.