Are these considered self-publishing? If one were to post a story on Wattpad, FictionPress, or Swoon Reads, then is that person a self-published author? Do the websites have some kind of internal self-promotion area?
Some places would consider works posted in those places published, which means first rights are gone. You'll find arguments made on both sides. That probably proves you're not going to get a clean easy answer. Personally, I wouldn't post work online because I know it's a no-go for a lot of publishers. Not worth the risk in my opinion.
Okay, so it is a form of publishing. I think some people overthink it. There are a couple of ways to publish something: Traditional Publishing (the type where you send your manuscript to a publishing house for acceptance and publication) Self-Publishing (the type where you become your own publishing house) Online Publishing (the type where the "publishing house" is solely digital) Online Self-Publishing (the type where you post your stories on websites like Wattpad, FictionPress, and Swoon Reads)
What if the story you plan to post online isn't exactly one you want to get published? What if you just want to use it to further your fan base, maybe get your writing in front of more people and attract them to your published pieces?
I sense that every time someone says "publishing", people immediately think some kind of printing press must be involved. "Publishing" at the most basic level is really about sharing information, and in fiction, sharing stories. Some people just want to share the story with a limited number of people - family and friends - and they use an instant messaging app to publish the story to the group of family and friends. Some people may want to share the story on a website and let random strangers comment. The story may be sent out episodically, and the events are all interconnected.
I'm releasing my current work wattpad, mostly as a demo. It's convenient but I kind of regret it. I don't plan it being a serious monetary work, but it's very difficult to be sad to know your work is an obscurity among a massive pile of self flagellating sardonic romances cynically assembled in order to hook that quick niche. I'm going to finish it this way, but I probably will find different means to publish my work in the future. Is it publishing? I think any time you willfully release your work to the public it's publishing, right? Is it equal to getting published or self publishing to some success? I wouldn't say so.
