I've been wanting to post chapters of a novel I've been working on online to get some feedback and critique. Of course I also have plans to publish it once it's finally finished and fixed up, (thus not any time in the near future). Now it's a rather silly question but I just want to make sure: if I post chapters the novel, or the entire thing online, will that hurt my chances of ever getting it published?
Posting my novel online
- Thread starter Minty
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From what I've read here it WILL hurt your chances, and that's one of the big reasons the "Share Your Work" forums are password-protected. Since the passwords are in the links to the forums, they don't stop people from entering and reading, but this does stop Google and other search engines from entering and indexing work posted there, and without search engines knowing about the subforums they are a lot more "hidden" from view from the rest of the Internet.
There are several ways of doing it where it won't be effectively "published" online. You could set up a website where someone has to enter a password to get to the text of your novel (I don't know enough web programming to say how to do that), or you could set up a private (not readable except for those subscribed) group at yahoogroups.com (or some other similar site) and upload your novel into the files section (this is pretty easy to do, but knowing all the ins and outs of running a yahoogroup can get a little complicated).
There are several ways of doing it where it won't be effectively "published" online. You could set up a website where someone has to enter a password to get to the text of your novel (I don't know enough web programming to say how to do that), or you could set up a private (not readable except for those subscribed) group at yahoogroups.com (or some other similar site) and upload your novel into the files section (this is pretty easy to do, but knowing all the ins and outs of running a yahoogroup can get a little complicated).
If you post it online, it *is* published
Posting a snippet of text to a website is publishing that text online. So that's the date of publication, but you're generally trying to sell the right to first publish your book to... publishers.
You can post the relevant text on a password-protected site somewhere, if you want to share it with a group online--or perhaps using a friends-locked entry on one of the social networking sites with that capability, such as livejournal. (You can also email or snail-mail the relevant text to someone who agrees to read it. Some people edit better with the text in their hands. Additionally, if you write in Word, the comment feature may be nice for people who test-read.)
Posting a snippet of text to a website is publishing that text online. So that's the date of publication, but you're generally trying to sell the right to first publish your book to... publishers.
You can post the relevant text on a password-protected site somewhere, if you want to share it with a group online--or perhaps using a friends-locked entry on one of the social networking sites with that capability, such as livejournal. (You can also email or snail-mail the relevant text to someone who agrees to read it. Some people edit better with the text in their hands. Additionally, if you write in Word, the comment feature may be nice for people who test-read.)
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As has been suggested, take a peek at our Share Your Work critique forum (password = vista) which is split into genre sub-forums.
If you're looking for feedback on an entire novel then consider posting a request in our Beta Readers, Writing Partners, and Advisors forum.
Right at the top of the forums list on our main page you'll see Newbie Forum, should you feel included to introduce yourself and say hi to everyone.
And you may find The Newbie Guide to Absolute Write helpful.
-Derek
If you're looking for feedback on an entire novel then consider posting a request in our Beta Readers, Writing Partners, and Advisors forum.
Right at the top of the forums list on our main page you'll see Newbie Forum, should you feel included to introduce yourself and say hi to everyone.
And you may find The Newbie Guide to Absolute Write helpful.
-Derek
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One good rule of thumb you can do is always think of copyscape. Copyscape is what many publishers will use to make sure that the work they are going to buy is original and not published anywhere. If your work shows up as a hit, then they will pass on it.
I think small excerpts are ok. I see published authors with teasers on their websites, but of course that's after the fact. An excerpt would probably fall under the umbrella of "fair use".
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Posting 10 pages in SYW won't hurt your chance of getting published. It is recognized as a place to get feedback, not necessarily an ego-feeding.
Posting large excerpts on one's website or blog: you can get away with more pages, but you're in a gray area there. If access to the book is limited to specific friends with a password to get in, you're okay. It is better to not make it available to just anyone who surfs by. That can include trolls and scam artists looking for a victim with a wallet they can empty.
Quoting a few hundred words on a blog won't hurt, but I'm not sure why one would bother unless it's the opening page of the book and you're asking "Is this a good hook?"
In writing terms that can be the dangerously loaded "Do these pants make me look fat?" question. It takes a brave person to provide a truthful reply!
Once a book is published, you can advertise with lengthy excerpts on a website. I've got three of my novels up, with about one-half of each posted. The idea is if the reader wants to finish 'em he can click on the link to an online book store or the publisher and buy!
Most writers usually post only a couple chapters of their published works. I'm into overkill!
One of my friends has a successful series and wrote some short stories for it specifically to post on her website. They not only give a complete sample to new readers, but tickle the heck out of long-time fans. She never intended to sell them anywhere, but they've earned out in getting more people to buy her stuff.
But do that kind of thing AFTER you're established!
Posting large excerpts on one's website or blog: you can get away with more pages, but you're in a gray area there. If access to the book is limited to specific friends with a password to get in, you're okay. It is better to not make it available to just anyone who surfs by. That can include trolls and scam artists looking for a victim with a wallet they can empty.
Quoting a few hundred words on a blog won't hurt, but I'm not sure why one would bother unless it's the opening page of the book and you're asking "Is this a good hook?"
In writing terms that can be the dangerously loaded "Do these pants make me look fat?" question. It takes a brave person to provide a truthful reply!
Once a book is published, you can advertise with lengthy excerpts on a website. I've got three of my novels up, with about one-half of each posted. The idea is if the reader wants to finish 'em he can click on the link to an online book store or the publisher and buy!
Most writers usually post only a couple chapters of their published works. I'm into overkill!
One of my friends has a successful series and wrote some short stories for it specifically to post on her website. They not only give a complete sample to new readers, but tickle the heck out of long-time fans. She never intended to sell them anywhere, but they've earned out in getting more people to buy her stuff.
But do that kind of thing AFTER you're established!
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