Does posting work here harm our chances of being published?

But what exactly is a snippet? How many words?

 

Its not quantifiable, there's no word limit to what you can post, its about the content and value of what you post.

If for instance, you post an early chapter from an early draft of your novel, there probably won't be any significant harm to your chances of publication as what you post likely won't bear any resemblance to what you eventually submit. If you post a chapter from very late in the revision process, or maybe a chapter that reveals the end of your book, then its going to make you unpopular with publishers.

So don't get hung up on word count, rather think about what it is exactly that you are posting and why you are posting it. If you have a genuine concern about the passage, post it, but don't post it here for people to correct your spelling or for people to tell you how great a writer you are. Publishing the piece in any form online is a risky proposition, so post as little as you can.

 

Well by extrapolating what you've said, I suppose posting the first couple of pages of book won't make any difference to a publisher. I'm trying to think of one logical reason why it could but I can't.

On this thread, I read somebody worried about their novel because their prologue was posted here, but why would a publisher care that its made public. It's not even one percent of the total book.

And on the other point, I always thought that people who post stuff for reviews have already made the necessary revisions. Why would they expect others to correct something that they haven't exhausted all their efforts on already.

 

My experience on that point leads me to figure that many posters just want to have their work seen, and wrighted, by reviewers of experience. Anyway, it's all a learning curve so I wouldn't fret too much about it.

 

Posting a few pages to a couple chapters of a novel's early draft won't make any difference to a publisher and isn't worth mentioning.

Posting half the content of a novel, early draft or not, is another question.

Terry

 

How about this scenario? Posting one page of the finished product (More or less)

 

If it's a finished product, why put a piece of it up for critique?

I can see putting up a brief excerpt of what you THINK is a finished product. That way, you can get feedback as to whetger there is still some poor writing habit you aren't seeing. Then, of course, you'll want to proof your manuscript one more time, to correct that habit wherever it might appear.

Once you have the manuscript in submission, you may as well work on another project, and it would be truly pointless to post pieces of it during that stage.

 

Yip, that's what I meant. A more or less finished product that you need to confirm can't really be improved in anyway. Invariably there's always some aspect that can be improved but it may not be something huge that's going to render the piece unrecognizable from the original once the corrections are implemented. And your concerns may be specific to that passage only. So ironing out your writing flaws with another piece thats unrelated won't solve the issue.

 

If that's what you're after, it may be better to request a review take a look at it, outside of open forum.

 

joker...
posting even a few pages of that wouldn't harm its chances of being published... but to be on the safe side, you could stop at 3... that's not a rule, or even a standard, just a suggestion to be way on the safe side, 'just in case'...

love and hugs, maia

 

Sounds like you should join a writers club or something along those lines. A private group of people that review each others work. That's what I plan on doing since none of my friends or family ever get around to reading my work. Plus due due to the nature of my stories I can't post practice runs on here. Self censoring bothers me.

 

I posted 3(Maybe four. The type is larger than i normally use)pages of a short story that is still FAR from completion and is part of a planned collection of short stories that will number at least seven as my goal. Will this significantly effect publishing?

 

it's not the pages that count, but the number of words, compared to how long the story will be when finished... we can't tell how many words there are on each of your pages, so can't answer this knowledgeably... but it still seems a bit much to me... imo you should keep posting down to just a few paragraphs, not pages, to be on the safe side...

and as for that 'collection' unless you intend to self-publish, you'll have to get the stories accepted by respected paying venues and make a name for yourself first, if you hope to have them published as a book...

there's just no market for short story collections by new and unknown writers, so paying publishers won't bother with them... and thus neither will agents...

 

there 1,628 words on it. It's going to be MUCH longer though (hopefully up to 20,000 words)

 

I've been on many poetry sites over the years, and this is the first time I have seen this topic come up. I don't see yet, anyone discussing self publishing, which is what I just did. I was not asked anywhere at any time, if my work as been on the internet. I also published all my own photos, which I cannot upload on here, apparently. My poetry intertwines with my photography, so without the photo, the poems make little sense.
so, does anyone have any comments for self publishing? Also, I have also made my own little books at home, and sold quite a few at craftfairs, after of course, obtaining a copywright.
so, would that matter?
I look forward to comments on that,
Barbara

 

Self-publishing is (forgive my bluntness) the new vanity press. You incur the costs, and the only person who judges whether it is marketable is biased. The decision whether or not to go ahead with it is based on emotion, not an a knowledge of the market and a realistic projection of profits.

When we speak of publishers, we are talking about complnies that do you the huge service of evaluating your writing and assessing whether it's worth the risk to invest the publishing costs.

Publishers aren't likely to be able to sell something that is already available at no cost. Therefore, if you have posted the story, or even a major portion of it, it's a poor risk for them to pick up for a publishing project.

 

Poetry is one place where self-publishing is not at all unusual, because most poets don't expect to become professional poets (since there's not a lot of market for that). Most poets I know self-publish chapbooks (and, like you, sell them at craft fairs, poetry readings, and so forth). A few actually "sell" some of their poetry to paying print venues, radio shows, sometimes make CD versions (and self-distribute those, too), and maybe even to a small press who will publish a collection--once they've started a ripple. I've known one or two invited to present internationally (based on an exceptionally persistent track record that spans many years). But I don't know any who actually make a living at it. Most have a day job, and many also write fiction. Even Maya Angelou wears many hats, in addition to her former Poet Laureate one.

Best thing for a poet IMO is to connect with a group of other poets who present their own work in places and forums where doing so commands some attention (i.e., an audience). Good luck!

 

self-publishing has always been a version of vanity publishing and is not new to the scene... i can recall being approached by 'self-' and 'semi-self-' [= 'subsidy' presses] publishers a quarter century ago, before the internet made it so easy...

it's 'copyright' and you don't 'obtain' it... it exists automatically, as soon as you finish a piece of writing and it's in reproducible form... all that one does after that is to 'register' the already existing copyright with the LOC... and that is usually done by your publisher, if you have a paying one... since you're self-publishing, you've probably registered the entire book ms on your own...

does it matter in re what?...

 

I dont post any stories or work of mine on here because of the fear of someone stealing or copying it. I am so proud of my new book Sunflower seeds and a home but i am not putting one piece of it on here.

 

the only thing you should be concerned about in re posting work is to not post the entire thing, so you won't be limiting your publishing rights...

but even if you did post your whole book, since it's protected by copyright, if someone succeeded in passing it off as their own [which next to never happens in real life], they'd be sued, so no one with half a brain would even try such a stupid move...

posting brief excerpts is never a problem, since no one can sell just part of a piece of work...

 

Jed Hartman's blog, he is one of the three fiction editors for Strange Horizons, pro-level SF magazine, explains the question being raised here.


http://www.kith.org/journals/jed/2006/10/20/3708.html


Sandy

 

and that applies to all genres, not just sf...

good post!

 

Well, damn. I guess I will right-off chapter one as an online, public-viewable exercise that will in no way ever generate one lousy cent.
Thank you Internet, I now feel naked.

 

Great discussion and link by Sandy.

These are questions I have had as well and it gives me a heads up. On the other hand, there is still freedom to use the internet to my advantage.

 

Jayroebuck,

Posting the first chapter of a novel will not discount your ability to write the novel. It is generally best to only post sections of a piece. A section of your first chapter would have been better.

But really, if it is very rough first draft and you don't continue posting chapters, a potential publisher won't be disturbed by what has happened.

Terry