Websites and Excerpts: what to post when

If you're subbing to agents and following their guidelines, then you're doing pretty much everything you can do. If they are interested, they'll ask for partials. I wouldn't post anything more than what you'd get if you go on Amazon.com and try the "search inside this book" feature, which is usually the first three or four pages. That's enough of a tease to get someone interested. If you have to show them more than that, then you need to work on your openning.

Yeah, I wouldn't post complete chapters. I'd post 1000 - 2500 word excerpts at the most.

Having sample chapters available for public consumption prior to signing a deal will only benefit you if you can prove that you are driving traffic. You're going to need to show them that you're getting hundreds of hits, maybe thousands, on this story, and that lots of readers are asking for more. Anyone can put a chapter or three on a website, but it's hits that matter.

If you've written a terrific, can't-put-down novel, you'll very likely get an agent and a deal. It won't matter, in the end, if you had chapters up or not. And it's also likely any editor who buys your material will ask you to take them down anyway. Those chapters may change drastically before the book is released.

Most published authors will post the first chapter or two prior to release in order to garner interest in a new work. It's very much the norm now.

If you don't have a contract or are looking for agents at this point, less is more. Don't give away too much for free. Also, make sure what ever you're posting is polished, edited, in the best shape it can be and REALLY showcase either your talent or the strength of the story -- makes people want to read more.

The worst thing you can do is post an excerpt that is nukewarm, mundane, or full of errors or stylistically uninteresting.

Wait until you've snatched an agent and an editor. By then they'll probably advise you on how much to put online.

You could generate buzz for yourself by writing short stories. I know someone who actually got an agent cos of that.