Synopsis of your WIP on blog: Yes or No?

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Regan Leigh

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I'm setting up my website to include a section for my current writing projects. Right now, I have no description for my MS. I'm not to query level quite yet, but I would like to have something up for beta readers and any other writers that are interested in my writing.

(I'm also considering password protecting the first chapter, but having the password in my AW sig line.)

Opinions? Any concerns I should have?

Should this go in the blog forum? Mod, feel free to move if this is the wrong place.

Thanks!
 

Terie

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I never post synopses of WIPs on my site. Excerpts, yes; synopses, no. You can't copyright ideas, and revealing your entire plot leaves it exposed to getting nicked. If your idea is really good, you don't want someone stealing it and getting their own book out there first.
 

Parametric

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I feel quite comfortable putting all sorts of stuff up on my blog. I wouldn't hesitate to put up my first chapter and synopsis. In fact, since a couple of agents have been trawling the site looking at people's blogs recently, I'd probably recommend it.

My work is not high concept and my plotting skills are nothing special, so there's really nothing to steal. :tongue
 
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thePenDragon

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I put up short book-jacket synopses of my WIPs on my blog. I wanted to make sure any agent who was interested could look at them. I hadn't thought about someone stealing the idea itself, though. It deserves some thought. Thanks for posting!
 

Terie

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I put up short book-jacket synopses of my WIPs on my blog. I wanted to make sure any agent who was interested could look at them. I hadn't thought about someone stealing the idea itself, though. It deserves some thought. Thanks for posting!

I don't think a book-jacket-style synopsis would be a problem. Even if someone used that as the basis of their own work, the result would be very different from your book. When the OP said 'synopsis', I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that she meant the same sort you'd submit with a query, and I still would say not to do that. It's more information than I'd want to share with the whole wide world. That, of course, is just me. :)
 

bclement412

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I have a somewhat vague synopsis on my blog. Not a detailed one, just a little blurb.
 

AuburnAssassin

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I don't think I'd go as far as a synopsis. I've always had queries and draft excerpts on mine. As Parametric said, there are agents who do click around. (That sounded a tad rude. I'm sure they are discrete and discriminate in their clicking.)
 

Maxinquaye

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Tbh I wouldn't worry about it. That synopsis has to be made into a novel. That's where most will give up. And those (if any) that do nick it will write an entirely different book anyway because they're not you.
 

Danthia

I'd suggest something more marketing oriented. A catchy tagline and a short blurb about it. I did that on mine if you want to take a peek. (link in the sig). Your website is a marketing tool, so make sure the very first thing visitors see is something that will catch their interest and make them want to know more. Even if you don't have a book out there yet, agents checking you out will be pleased to see you're already positioning yourself as a professional.
 

fadeaccompli

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A synopsis is an odd sort of thing to put online; most readers don't want to read a summary of a good novel, they want to read the novel itself. And publishers will ask for a synopsis if/when they want it. I'm having a hard time picturing who would actually want to read a novel synopsis on an author's website.

If you're going to put up something more than a short descriptive blurb, a first chapter is probably a better thing to showcase; it gives people a good feel for your writing style, the story's premise, and all that, without giving away the ending.
 

LOG

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I feel quite comfortable putting all sorts of stuff up on my blog. I wouldn't hesitate to put up my first chapter and synopsis. In fact, since a couple of agents have been trawling the site looking at people's blogs recently, I'd probably recommend it.

My work is not high concept and my plotting skills are nothing special, so there's really nothing to steal. :tongue
Watch, she'll have the highest income of us all :p
 

Regan Leigh

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Thanks for all the feedback so far.

To clear things up, I was asking about putting up a synopsis because I'm interested in others reasoning for doing or not doing so. I'm trying to find a balance of information to post on my own site.

For now, I think I've decided to stick with a teaser. I'll put up something this week that is more like a mini-description of the story line, without giving away the ending. It actually won't give away the middle, either. :) I'm still conflicted on posting my first chapter, even password protected. That one is still undecided.
 

bettielee

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I put up my little blurbs on my stories, asking my "fearless readers" to help me choose which to write first! I got a lot of response, too.

I doubt she means she would put the entire synopsis - I went with "book jacket" type blurb - and you know that never encompasses the whole story.
 

Regan Leigh

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Yeah, no... I personally would never want the entire synopsis out there, but I know ppl that have done that. :) That's why I was curious. I want enough for people to get the idea and such, but not give away my entire story. I have too many twists. ;)
 

Regan Leigh

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Btw, I did a teaser video for my blog instead. I'm still working on the site and all the info that will go in there, but I felt the video would get my point across in a fun interactive way.
 

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I've never done it, but I'm a secretive bastard. You can't go by me.

Same here. I think if I hit the query stage, I might be able to post something. However, I not sure about that either.

Though Regan I watched, your video and it did intrigue me so there you go-
 

Regan Leigh

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Same here. I think if I hit the query stage, I might be able to post something. However, I not sure about that either.

Though Regan I watched, your video and it did intrigue me so there you go-

Yay! I'm glad ppl are liking it. I really was worried it would come off cheesy or just lame, but I've gotten great feedback.
 
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