Good sites for posting fiction for people to read?

soho-syndrome

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I agree. FP isn't as big as it once was, but it still has its readers. I am a big Maas fan myself, and I think she is an inspiration and probably the best success story of that site. I still use FP, and up until today it's the only place that I considered the one consistent, reliable place. Wattpad and Authonomy, in my personal experience, has been full of nothing but tit-for-tat first chapter only reviewers who don't really care about work other than their own.

I used to read stuff on FictionPress all the time, and I posted a few short stories, which had a good response, though nothing dramatic. I was thinking of suggesting FictionPress as well--I don't know about nowadays, but at least formerly it was quite active. A 37,000 word first chapter is definitely on the long side, but if it can be broken up (and possibly posted) as four sub-chapters, that would probably have a better chance. I didn't read it while it was on there, or at least I didn't finish it, but Sarah J. Maas's Queen of Glass I remember having at least 50 chapters on FP, and that got a huge audience.

Otherwise, though, I've generally thought that FP has more mature work than Wattpad (although it also has a lot of teen romance stuff, which I happen to like as long as it's well-written).
 

LupineMoon

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I think An Archive Of Our Own just does fan fiction, but I could be wrong.
 

Moldy

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I think An Archive Of Our Own just does fan fiction, but I could be wrong.

You can post original fic there, it's just that it doesn't have its own section (I think). You tag it as original fiction though and people can find it through the tag. I've found some good original works on there and like reading them, though there isn't as many as on Fictionpress.

I've used Fictionpress off and on since 2004 and I recommend it. I don't know that it could contribute anything to one's professional development, but it can be a good way to get feedback and see what resonates with readers.
 

gingerwoman

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Also, somewhere that people will see a description, understand that there's violence in the story and not whine because they weren't Pre-warned about every little detail that makes them personally uncomfortable.

Any good suggestions?

If enough people read your story, someone will whine about something guaranteed.
 

atombaby

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Protagonize is another review site I've come across. They're not as big or active as wattpad, but with the smaller audience, I've had better success with getting thoughtful reviews.
 

Trip F.

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I can vouch for wattpad. I serialize there.
 

jasrow

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Booksie and Booksie Silk (for erotica) are where I hang . It's pretty good.
 

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Agree with you gingerwomen. Someone will surely respond to it.
 
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Winfred

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Hi Muharana!

It's a hot site right now, and I love the community there. It's not just for teens, and lots of other sites are starting to partner with it as well. Several of the writers have scored big movie, TV and publishing deals of late--one writer just posted about being featured on NBC and then pursued relentlessly by agents and publishers. His book is now published in many countries and doing extremely well. So I recommend it--just remember to be prudent about how much of your book you offer up. Some go for the whole thing, which can be great if they offer to "feature" it. But some agents and publishers are skittish about that. Might be worth the risk, though.

"I decided to give it a test run. I posted a rewrite of the first chapter of my novel-in-progress, Educational Experience. And then, I used social media to announce it, followed by messages in some of the Wattpad clubs."

I read your informative article too. I haven't registered with Wattpad yet. I just wonder if when you posted your first chapter how much money you spent doing it. I'm thinking posting it was free, right? I'm wondering if it's better one has a good cover at that point. Did you purchase a cover too at that point? What is "social media"? Did you incur a cost with advertising too? If so how much did you spend all together to post your first chapter. You also mention your story is literary which I imagine would not attract younger readers yet it seems your story, though literary, involves young people. Do you think having young characters helped in the case of Wattpad as others still express that it's more a teens site.

Thanks for sharing here as I appreciate your info and insight.
Kindest Regards,
Winfred
 

Earl Ananndale

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Booksie and Booksie Silk (for erotica) are where I hang . It's pretty good.

I use Booksie as well. I get a lot of invites from others to read their stuff. I used it to store my main ideas for my stories/book/novel but not sure if I trust them so I deleted the bulk of my work.
 

SallyB

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Figment is always good. A nice community with varying ages (It's kind of a teenage website though). They have contests with real prizes too. I've been on it for years and never had a problem.
 

Bartholomew

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I *think* Tapastic is trying to branch out into fiction. They're primarily a comics platform, but they're pretty powerful and might be worth investigating. https://tapastic.com/
 

Disa

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Actually, Wattpad is for everyone--I'll link you to my HuffPo piece about that and let everyone decide for themselves. It has led to my being asked to serialize elsewhere, and some very big book and movie deals have been made there as well--if you care about that sort of thing.

Link to HuffPo: http://huff.to/1ksWKYN

I read your article and I find this all very interesting.

Apparently I'm late to the game on these types of sites where you display your work so I have a few questions. I haven't been researching markets in a very long time, so obviously things have changed or are changing...I always thought if you posted chapters of your work or an entire short story online then they would be considered "already published" and it would be a problem getting paying markets to accept your work? What am I missing here? What is the main purpose of these sites or is it anything goes?

I do have some previously published stories I would like to put on Wattpad, if that's allowed. It doesn't seem like I can get much info unless I make an account.

Are the types of sites listed in this thread for just showing your work, getting comments, and gaining a following? Is the work posted on these sites supposed to just be a representation of your work(like a portfolio) that possibly some publisher or other paying market will see and either request that you do write something NEW for them or accept something you are pitching to them? OR are the things posted on these types of sites for the intention of a paying market picking it up? I haven't researched it enough, as I've just run across this whole idea for the first time. I'm obviously confused and I would really appreciate some clarification from anyone who has the time or inclination to respond. Thanks:)
 
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Old Hack

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I read your article and I find this all very interesting.

Apparently I'm late to the game on these types of sites where you display your work so I have a few questions. I haven't been researching markets in a very long time, so obviously things have changed or are changing...I always thought if you posted chapters of your work or an entire short story online then they would be considered "already published" and it would be a problem getting paying markets to accept your work? What am I missing here? What is the main purpose of these sites or is it anything goes?

There are plenty of publishers which consider stuff online to have already been published, and who therefore won't then consider it.

Note that for every person who finds a book deal from their Wattpad work, there are thousands who don't.

I do have some previously published stories I would like to put on Wattpad, if that's allowed. It doesn't seem like I can get much info unless I make an account.

Don't forget to check the publication contracts for those works too. Wattpad might allow you to put them up, but you could be in breach of contract if you do.

Are the types of sites listed in this thread for just showing your work, getting comments, and gaining a following? Is the work posted on these sites supposed to just be a representation of your work(like a portfolio) that possibly some publisher or other paying market will see and either request that you do write something NEW for them or accept something you are pitching to them? OR are the things posted on these types of sites for the intention of a paying market picking it up? I haven't researched it enough, as I've just run across this whole idea for the first time. I'm obviously confused and I would really appreciate some clarification from anyone who has the time or inclination to respond. Thanks:)

They are all those things.

They are not necessarily good ways to do any of those things.
 

Disa

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There are plenty of publishers which consider stuff online to have already been published, and who therefore won't then consider it.

Note that for every person who finds a book deal from their Wattpad work, there are thousands who don't.

That's what I thought.




Don't forget to check the publication contracts for those works too. Wattpad might allow you to put them up, but you could be in breach of contract if you do.
Yep, I checked. I'm good on this front.



They are all those things.

They are not necessarily good ways to do any of those things.

That's what I thought, too. The thread almost sounded like it was some "new" trend I had missed while I was doing other things over the years. Thanks so much for the clarification.
 

travelgal

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Following Disa's question; how is posting on Wattpad different from posting excerpts into Goodreads? Does not the same considerations apply, and if not, why not? I couldn't find anywhere on Goodreads that the material would be considered published.
 

Old Hack

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Following Disa's question; how is posting on Wattpad different from posting excerpts into Goodreads? Does not the same considerations apply, and if not, why not?

I'm not sure, but doesn't Wattpad put work behind a password? If so, and if it's done in the same way that we run SYW here on AW, that makes it unfindable through internet searches.

I couldn't find anywhere on Goodreads that the material would be considered published.

It's not whether Goodreads considers work "published" when it's put up on the Goodreads site, it's whether potential agents and publishers consider that publication. So you're not going to find guidance on Goodreads.
 

Filigree

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For anyone with a completed novel they've put on Wattpad recently: the Wattys* are opening on June 20. I'm getting details myself, but it is a good way to get more exposure.

*Major Wattpad multigenre award contest. Yes, heavily slanted toward YA.
 
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