Hi All, I'm writing a novel in which the main character comes from a somewhat obscure part of the world, and I recently stumbled upon a website hosted in that part of the world that is looking for submissions -- including fiction -- that share stories from that part of the world. I think my novel could gain some decent exposure on this website, especially since I personally know one of its employees. However, I am wary of the dangers of sharing my story for free before I have explored the possibility of getting published -- and I would like to publish this novel someday. My biggest concern is that my novel will lose its value if people can read it -- even part of it -- online for free. Also note that, while the readers of this site make up a decent percentage of my target audience, the site is unlikely to generate traffic from the United States, which is where my novel takes place. I'm not quite sure how to weigh these two factors, however. What are my options here? Although I spend a lot of time writing, I'm new to the world of publishing, and would like some advice before I submit my work online. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
If you plan to publish it, don't post it. There's only one kind of 3exposure you need - for a publisher to see it and be sufficiently impressed to publish it. Anything else is mere vanity, a flavorless broth.
i don't see any problem with posting a single chapter, cog... after all, it's what members do here all the time...
give people a taste Posting a beginning chapter or two will not hurt your chances of getting your book published and in many ways could help. I wouldn't recommend posting the whole book or even large portions but having people hungry to read the rest of your story is never a bad thing.
Now to be "that guy" But do you know these people? Are they reputable? They may steal it, or trap you in some horrible scam of sorts. Maybe look for a publisher that ships to both parts of the world you are talking about, as this place can't be so weird if they have computers and internet.
Writing a novel is more work than most people are able or willing to do. Plus you have to take into acount authors' voice. Someone else wouldn't have the same voice and more than likely the story would end up going in a completely different direction. Maybe I'm naive but stealing an idea is more work than most people would put in or even be able to do. I still think posting an excerpt from a novel is not as big of a deal as many people make it out to be. If your idea's any good you'll probably have to shove it down peoples' throat anyway.
What about writing a short story about your novel as an addition from another characters perspective? That could get people interested without giving away the parts you want published.
You could post around...3-4 paragraphs of the first chapter. See if it's enough to actually draw a reader in.
If you learn anything about workshops, the few chapters you post here and what you send out should be drastically different anyway, perhaps even barely distinguishable.
Personally, I don't see a problem with posting one to three full chapters of your novel online. I've known a few people post up to five or six chapters online and be successful, so no, I don't think it hurts your chances.
I wouldn't do it until your published. Cause people can steal your idea if you don't have copyright backup.
ideas can be 'stolen' any time at all, as they can't be copyrighted... only completed works can be...
I would be of the opinion that you should look at the value of free publicity over the possible chance of being published. Many people write their books online in full public view and still get published. Check www.textnovel.com for some examples.
Why don't you simply write a short story based on your novel - use the same premise, the same setting, even the same characters - but write an entirely different story. A sort of prequel, if you will. That way, you can submit it and even if someone does steal the short story idea, it wouldn't really matter because it's not your novel (and someone being able to replicate your entire novel and exact plot and ideas based off of a short story of 1000-2000 words is highly unlikely). I don't know much about the publishing world myself, but this is what I'd probably do if I were you. If you're really worried, just use different characters - perhaps the friends of your novel's MC instead of your actual MC.
send out or spread a message that theyre writing about or something of value to them, a voice. not everyone thinks in that way but yes i agree a vast majority do. Purple Rain - i agree with 'mammamaia' a chapter or maybe just a short paragraph that sums up your story wouldnt hurt i dont think.
This is pretty much how I would like to have my work published. It's basically writing a book in blog format or podcast. I love the idea of having paying subscribers who get access to the story as it unfolds like a serial. Whether it would work is another thing entirely. I'm publishing my book in this way through my blog, one page at a time and have built up a small following. I doubt very much that anyone would pay for it though. I'd say a big name author might be able to pull it off because they'd be able to draw a large following for it. If they priced it reasonably enough, say a tenner a year, they could make a fair bit from it. I'm attracted to this idea because it gives the author a direct connection to their readers. They can comment on each section and the whole process becomes a lot more social. Something that is very alien to the world of novels.
