I've read all about how putting your work on the internet is considered publishing it, which greatly reduces your chance of getting published. But then I also hear that if you only post a piece of your work, publishers will not be as harsh. So my question is, how much can you post of your work online before publishers refuse it?
If it's an early draft, I see no problem posting a specific fragment or chapter. You can use the feedback to assist you with the rest of your work. You should check if there are critique groups in your locality which you can apply to join.
There's no absolute answer. It will vary from one publisher to another. But consider this. How many professional writers do you think put up bits and pieces of a work in progress before submitting to a publisher? Keep in mind that a publisher doesn't have to give a reason for rejecting your work. Even so, posting a significant portion of a piece that you later manage to sell to a publisher can give them grounds to void the contract, should they decide for any reason that they want to do so. Why risk it? Decide early on whether a piece of writing you are working on is for publication, or for fun or practice. Keep the money work close to your chest, and use the throwaways to develop your writing skills. Seeking approval is fine and natural, but put aside the desire for instant gratification.
good advice from cog... to be on the safe side, it's best to post only a brief excerpt, if you need help or feedback, for some reason... btw, did you not notice an entire thread on the subject, that's stickied at the top of this section?... for more input, you may want to browse that...
If you're looking for feedback, I'd suggest keeping it off altogether. What is the point? Any help you will get by having a whole website looking at can be done privately. Unless sending via PM is as harmful, I'd suggest that, if you ask one and get a solid 'yes'. Even better would be someone you know to look at it and give you some insight. If you insist on having something read in the 'novel' threads, maybe you could post a short story to get some general feedback on your writing altogether. Those are all mere alternatives, but it's your choice, obviously.
It is an annoying dilemma - I've decided to take my one off entirely because you never know how tight a prospective publisher is. Certain charitable members here offer critiques via PM and feedback on a 1-1 basis is almost always more constructive.
Asking someone to critique an entire novel is asking a LOT. If someone explicitly offers that level of critique, that is their business. But asking someone to critique your entire novel is attempting to recruit a member for a professional service, and is forbidden. If they complain, you will be banned. So don't request it unless they explicitly offer their time to you. If this seems overly harsh, know that we have solid reasons in past incidents for strictly enforcing this.
I meant only an excerpt. Sorry, that was a crappy thing to write. Only a chapter to ask would be alright I guess, or a small amount, but a full novel? My mistake, should have been clearer, sorry
Hmm, see, I'd rather not place exercpts of a major work in progress, as it may deviate me too much from my overall picture, but I would be more than likely to ask for constructive critiques on character and a loose plot, since this would help me more
