hi, I was wondering if anyone could point me to sources or other sites that gives advice about selling manuscripts online. I have thought about bloging about the story, that I have finsihed it, what it is about and where I got the idea from. It is based around a seaside resort which I visited once when I was little, about seven and as we went back in 2003 the site itself had changed and then I had an idea for the story and got writing in me little book, when I was on holiday. I have changed the place names, to somet else but I would like to use the resorts real name, but I don't want to get involved in asking to use the sites name, therfore the name is different but when you read the scene,description I think people will begin to understand where it is. Back to the original question Do you think that hyping a story on a blog and then selling it oneself online could work or is their too many red tape to go through, I have even thought of just selling it to the highest bidder, but I would have to finish my sdecond story, any pointers, tips or links to other sites will help. Wrenstales
The first question would be: How much traffic does your blog have? Generally, short stories (if that's what you mean by story) are not bid on (that I've heard of). Sometimes novel manuscripts are, but that is generally handled via a reputable agent, and the manuscript is usually from an established, best-selling author. If your blog doesn't have hundreds, if not thousands of unique visitors each month, I strongly suspect that 'hyping' won't have any effect at all. Just my two cents. Terry
I'm guessing you're speaking of a novel manuscript. If so, I'd look for an agent. Period. And then spend your writing time on the next one instead of wasting it on a blog about your hopefully, forthcoming story. I don't think blogging about it is a viable or realistic avenue to getting it sold, although if you enjoy blogging and already do that, by all means write some engaging stuff on your blog in order to create a following or to expand whatever following you already have. Your (successful) blog can also serve as an incidental place to point your prospective agent and readers to for examples of your writing (but they better be both exceptional and flawless). There're way too many folks, even way too many writers vying for notice through blogs about everything in the universe to expect blogging alone to result in the sale of a manuscript. Besides which, there's nothing about any "novel idea" that's going to be an effective promotional tool for prospective consumers till the story itself is published and available to read. On-line short stories require a different (and simpler) approach, usually involving (1) links to already-published examples that can be embedded into your blog and wherever else you travel and network on the internet, and (2) submitting your stories directly to zine or hardcopy editors. I don't know any writer who realistically expects to be discovered by blogging about his own writing without substantial evidence to link to.
Thanks, at the moment my latest blog basically covers information that my other blog doesn't have at the moment. I foolisly emptied the adventures in my other blog. But the blog that I set up earlier this year has a a few short story ideas and host information about my seaside story. I call it the seaside story because i haven't found a name for it yet. But when I do, I add it to the blog.
you keep calling it a 'story' and refer to other 'short story' iideas, so i'd have to assume the thing you want to sell is a short story and not a novel... and short stories are not bid on by magazines... they're submitted to them by you and either accepted, or rejected... plus, if you have them posted anywhere they can be read for free, nobody's going to buy them... even if you take them down from your blog, they can still be out there to be found/read, if google's acquired them in a crawl... if it is a novel, that's a whole different ballgame... and it would help us to help you, if you made it clear exactly what it is you want advice on...
I appologise for the confussion, I was trying to aim, my story as a novel but it is only 25,700 words, which is less than the minimum novel standard. I was wondering if putting the manuscript on Ebay would be legeal and if it would sell, what the barriers are. However I have thought about Lulu.com which is self publishing . or should I keep looking and submitting to Ezines and magazines. I don't know what to do?
Well, usually when you "sell a manuscript," what you're selling is particular rights to publish your story. You're not selling the manuscript document itself. Publishers already have their ways of selecting the manuscripts they want to publish, and it has to do with a hierarchy of readers who pass the manuscript up the food chain with their recommendations. This process begins with an agent (who reads your query to him). If he's interested after reading your letter seeking his interest, he requests some of your manuscript. If, after reading the portion he asked for, he thinks it has promise, he'll invite the whole thing. If it proves to be saleable (in his view) to a publisher, he'll agree to represent you in placing your manuscript, for which he typically earns a portion of the royalties (which are based upon book sales). Can you envision how E-bay would work better than that? I really can't (unless Michael Jackson wrote it or something), but feel free to enlighten me. Would you go looking on E-bay to buy a manuscript you hadn't yet read, which had not yet been published, and which was written by an unpublished author who wasn't a celebrity? Or are you thinking of self-publishing a book and then selling it yourself on E-bay? I imagine you just need to investigate how the whole system works and begin to understand the business logic that holds the publishing industry together (if barely). It's a little like writing. Once you learn the rules and what they're about, then maybe you'll find a good way to bend and break 'em. I learned a lot about publishing 30 or more years ago by picking up a WRITER'S MARKET which contains tons of insights into the publishing biz. Meantime, I'd recommend you start the old-fashioned, conventional way, by writing and submitting and trying to sell to paying publications (or even some nonpaying ones, to get started and build a little bit of confidence, while you learn and you write).
Thank you for the advice, I have taken in the comments and have decided to try and find agents, editors and publishers. I will look into the publishing industry. Thank you again
start here: http://www.invirtuo.cc/prededitors/pubagent.htm and here: http://www.invirtuo.cc/prededitors/pubdefs.htm and here: http://www.invirtuo.cc/prededitors/pubsubs.htm
