Writer's Blogs

[sprorion]

Do you or someone you know write in blogs about writing short fiction? I'm just interested in reading what others go through in writing, short fiction specifically.

[JenNipps]

Kind of. I write about severeal different things in my blog. The main thing they have in common is creativity. I've mentioned working on my short-story (maybe novella) there in addition to beadwork and writing nonfiction. So it's a little bit of everything.

[Stratocaster]

I'm brand new to this - I thought I wanted to give writing a try, and thought blogging was an easy way to have a free audience. So I've been doing it for six months now. I need to step up somehow though. Do better, is what I mean. Send whatever I come up with to better destinations.

My blog includes short stories and just general blogging "observation" posts. I've steered clear though of writing about what is going on in my life, or daily documentation of the minutae of my life. Who cares, right?

Here it is, if you want to see:

www.fastanddumb.blogspot.com (http://www.fastanddumb.blogspot.com)

-A

[pixiejuice]

Do you or someone you know write in blogs about writing short fiction? I'm just interested in reading what others go through in writing, short fiction specifically.

Yes. I don't write about short fiction specifically, but writing in general - though I do write short fiction.

I also link to a few other writers' blogs as well, if you're interested.

[sprorion]

Thanks for the replies, I'll check the sites out!

[WriteRead]

Do you, guys, who have blogs, care about if people visit your site and how many? I mean, I guess the answer is obviously in the positive, but do you do something about it, do you check it to see the numbers, if any? How do you spread the word about the "castle in the mountain", beside hiring the services of co's which deal w this?

Dan

[Cathy C]

The only thing I feel I should ask is whether you ever intend to SELL the short fiction on your blog? You might well be giving away the rights to sell it by posting it... :eek:


Just something to consider.

[pixiejuice]

Do you, guys, who have blogs, care about if people visit your site and how many? I mean, I guess the answer is obviously in the positive, but do you do something about it, do you check it to see the numbers, if any? How do you spread the word about the "castle in the mountain", beside hiring the services of co's which deal w this?

Dan


There is tracking software you can install to see how many people come to your site. It's fun to see how people come to your site as well, like via search engine, or links from other blogs. The search engine referrals can be hilarious sometimes.

The best way to get people to come to your site is to comment on other sites.

The only thing I feel I should ask is whether you ever intend to SELL the short fiction on your blog? You might well be giving away the rights to sell it by posting it

Very true. But most people don't put the actual fiction in their blog. The ones I read are about the process of writing, the life, the pet peeves, and other things that have nothing to do with writing, day job, family, current events, or whatever.

[Stratocaster]

What? Why would posting something on the blog forfeit your right to sell it? I wrote it, didn't I?

Hmm. Maybe I should stop doing it.

-A

[pixiejuice]

What? Why would posting something on the blog forfeit your right to sell it? I wrote it, didn't I?

Hmm. Maybe I should stop doing it.

-A

A lot of editors would consider it previously published and wont accept it.

It's best to sell it first. If you published online, you can then post a link to it in your blog. If you published in print, then you can still publish it online, or I think (and don't take my word for this) it's okay to put it in your blog as long as you cite first publication.

[Stratocaster]

Wow, that's scary. Maybe I should take down the site. Or at least remove anything I might have ideas about publishing. Would that be enough? It's not like my little blog is well known.

-A

[Stratocaster]

Actually - another thought: I thought it would be fun to have cafepress make up a little book of short stories I have...none of them published before, of course. If I ever wanted to use them, would that be considered, "published" by a real publisher?

[WriteRead]

Thank you, Pixie!

I know about track services. I wondered about real tips of how to increase awareness about my blog, you see, and there is where your remark about commenting on other's blogs was helpful.

Dan

[Cathy C]

Actually - another thought: I thought it would be fun to have cafepress make up a little book of short stories I have...none of them published before, of course. If I ever wanted to use them, would that be considered, "published" by a real publisher?

It would be considered "self-published," Stratocaster. Up until recently, I would have said it would have no impact, but on another thread (I'll try to find the link for you) one of the publishers here said that they would "never again" purchase a self-published fiction book because often the whole market for the book was already sold from the sales of the self-pubbed version. Just something to consider.

As for the rights, on a short piece of fiction, what's normally purchased is "First North American Rights" or "First World Rights" (technically, the term is "First Serial Rights"). This gives the publisher the promise that THEY are the first one to publish it. Think about it this way: If you offer the same story for free that a publisher is trying to get the public to pay for, which one will the public choose? Why would the publisher pay YOU for something that nobody will buy from THEM? See the problem?

So, yeah, if I were in your place, I'd put up "samples" of your stories, (and probably an earlier version than the final one) and not the whole thing. If you want to sell it later, that is. If you don't care if you sell your writing, don't worry about it, but make sure that you place your NAME on the original fiction and probably register it for copyright. Otherwise, in a few years, that story might become public domain and anybody can use it for their own purpose. You might check out the government's copyright FAQ for more info: http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq

Good luck!

[JenNipps]

Do you, guys, who have blogs, care about if people visit your site and how many? I mean, I guess the answer is obviously in the positive, but do you do something about it, do you check it to see the numbers, if any? How do you spread the word about the "castle in the mountain", beside hiring the services of co's which deal w this?

When I started my blog on blogspot, I started it for me as a way to "talk" about writing-related things. I didin't care if anyone read it or not, though I thought it would be nice. I have a few readers, not a lot, but that's OK. And honestly, if I still had none, that would still be OK because it's something I've done for me first and any readers second.

That sounds bad when I put it that way, though.

[MacAllister]

I'm completely addicted to blogging. I love when people read it, and leave me comments--but honestly, I'd probably blog anyway.

The thing is, I always hated journaling--because that's supposed to be private. Blogging is just enough public that it keeps me from getting lazy about it. :)

[Stratocaster]

Well, this is a rude surprise. I did some online searches for anything I wrote, and nothing came up except my blog, so I guess I can just take down any stories I have on the blog. I'm probably okay...besides, it's not like I'm on the verge of becoming famous.

-A

[Stratocaster]

Okay then - another dumb question: is "self-published" considered "published" then? (And therefore, ineligible to be published someplace else?)

I apologize for hijacking this thread a bit.

-A

[Jamesaritchie]

What? Why would posting something on the blog forfeit your right to sell it? I wrote it, didn't I?

Hmm. Maybe I should stop doing it.

-A

Yes, you wrote it. But why would an editor want to buy it if it's already been read by who knows how many people? It can be extremely frustrating to buy a story, and then have people write in and say "I read that online six months ago."

[JANE007]

Here's an excerpt from a website about the blog / copyright issue:

Another gray area when it comes to writers’ blogs is the question of copyright. Is material on a blog site considered published, thereby only marketable as a reprint?

“Blogs are a gray area for publishing,” Schwalbe says. “Some people consider a blog to be published, therefore in some instances you may not be able to sell first rights on something you’ve blogged.”

“This is a tough issue,” admits Sherwood. “By publishing something in your blog, you may be compromising your ability to sell something as original—especially if you have a popular blog.”

Sherwood has sold essays from her blog. “Some have come from several blogs over a period of time on the same subject. Others are just a single blog with some editing. If I think it’s something that I don’t want to risk, I don’t post it. Still, I say that blogging is more of a rough draft with an audience.”

Schwalbe adds, “The law of intellectual property is very much in favor of the writer. What you blog is yours and yours alone, and I don’t think anyone could argue successfully that it’s in the public domain. However, like everything on the Internet, it’s very easy to steal, so you have to be vigilant if you want to protect your copyright.”

[Mike Coombes]

Okay then - another dumb question: is "self-published" considered "published" then? (And therefore, ineligible to be published someplace else?)

I apologize for hijacking this thread a bit.

-A

Yes. The word 'published' is a giveaway.

To clarify - if your work is put into the public domain, either in print, online, daubed on walls, whatever... it is published.

Why on earth would a publisher pay money for something you've already distributed for free?

On the sublect of blogs, Bruce Holland Rogers is tracking the progress of his latest novel here http://www.livejournal.com/users/bruce_h_r/

[Stratocaster]

Thanks for the clarification. I'll be erasing any decent blog content I have, then, and won't bother fluffing my ego a bit with any cafepress.com efforts.

-A

[Jamesaritchie]

"Pubic domain" is really the wrong phrase. In publishing, "public domain" means the public now owns the rights to the material.

You don't lose any right by placing your writing in front of the public, even the right to sell first rights. Technicall, publishing is not having you worked become public domain, but simply giving the public access to your work. It doesn't matter whether it's printed in a magazine, copied and passed out door to door, left in stacks as a free giveaway to anyone who happens along, or posted on your website. You have made it accessible to the public, so it can technically be considered published by any editor who wishes to make this claim.

But it is NOT in public domain just because it has been published. And any editor who wants to can still buy first rights, or any other rights.

It's solely a matter of whether or not an editor will buy first rights after you've posted work online. You haven't lost first rights, or any other rights, by posting your work. It's simply a matter of editors. Editors are buyers, and you can only sell an editor whatever it is that editor is willing to buy. If he refuses to buy first rights because you've posted your work online, this is neither a legal nor a copyright issue. It's simply the editor's choice, based on whether or not he thinks too many people may have read it. . .and whether or not he thinks he can get the material cheaper by refusing to buy first rights.

Yu can't make editor's buy first right, or any other rights. You can only sell an editor whatever it is he's willing to pay for. By posting your work online, you're simply giving an editors an excuse to pay you less, or to not buy your work at all, because of fears his readers will have already read your work online, and no editor wants material that has already been seen by his own readers.

[sthrnwriter]

Someone suggested this site to me. Its http://authorsblogs.com It has a listing of different writers blogs. You might find one there on short fiction.

[WriteRead]

I know why the name of such a site is BLOG. I blah, blah, blah, blog there. Nonetheless, I hope that when you visit mine blog, you'll find the blah interesting:) .

Dan