I may have a problem.

[hadou]

I have the first chapter and and excerpt from the second chapter of my book on my blog. Some have said this will be a roadblock towards having my work published. Is this true? If so, should I just take my blog down?

[writerjohnb]

No, publishing excerpts will not make your work published. You'd have to post nearly all of it. Once you've put all of it together and display it in any manner, it is copyrighted and you can no longer offer North American First Publishing Rights to publishers.

JohnB

[hadou]

So should I bring my blog down?

[J.W. Alden]

No. A chapter or two is fine.

[Susan Littlefield]

No. A chapter or two is fine.

I don't think this is accurate. If you put up whole chapters at your blog it can be considered published.

So should I bring my blog down?

Of course not, but if I'd take down that full chapter one you've put up. Teasers (excerpts) are good, though.

[Stacia Kane]

Originally Posted by Susan Littlefield

I don't think this is accurate. If you put up whole chapters at your blog it can be considered published.

No. It is accurate. A chapter or two from a full-length novel isn't a problem on your blog.

[J.W. Alden]

Originally Posted by Susan Littlefield

I don't think this is accurate. If you put up whole chapters at your blog it can be considered published.

I seriously doubt that a publisher would consider the first rights of a novel-length work burned up because one chapter was posted online. It's not the same as, say, posting an entire short story.

That being said, it honestly doesn't matter either way, because deleting a blog post doesn't "unpublish" it. If it's been published, it's been published. What's done is done. I'm trying to sell a story right now that's been published on my site, and I'm selling it as a reprint despite the fact that it's no longer up.

ETA: Yeah, what Stacia said. :P

[dangerousbill]

Originally Posted by hadou

I have the first chapter and and excerpt from the second chapter of my book on my blog. Some have said this will be a roadblock towards having my work published. Is this true? If so, should I just take my blog down?

If anything, it will help demonstrate that you'll be active in promoting sales of your book, when published. But don't post any more.

But it's really up to the policy (or arbitrary judgment) of every publisher. There's no universal rule about this.

[hadou]

I am having a heart attack with each post; some say is good, others say is okay (with a hint of uncertainty), while others say I'm screwed.

[Bufty]

You're not screwed for publication simply because you put a Chapter or two up on your blog. No hesitancy- no ifs or buts.

Just make sure you don't screw yourself by rushing to post an opening Chapter that is not as polished or edited as it should be.

Originally Posted by hadou

I am having a heart attack with each post; some say is good, others say is okay (with a hint of uncertainty), while others say I'm screwed.

[magicmint]

Originally Posted by J.W. Alden

No. A chapter or two is fine.

I think this is accurate because I've heard people who published Novel Exceprts in literary mags and still had their entire novel published.

[Bufty]

Not sure exactly what you mean, but that may well have been advance publicity for a novel in course of being published.

Originally Posted by magicmint

I think this is accurate because I've heard people who published Novel Exceprts in literary mags and still had their entire novel published.

[Buffysquirrel]

What's most important is that you tell your agent and/or publisher that the chapters are/were posted online. The consequences of lying and being caught out (and omissions can count as lying) are far worse than those for posting a few chapters.

[J.W. Alden]

Originally Posted by Buffysquirrel

What's most important is that you tell your agent and/or publisher that the chapters are/were posted online. The consequences of lying and being caught out (and omissions can count as lying) are far worse than those for posting a few chapters.

Agreed, and I'll go the extra step of saying that you should do this whether you delete the posts or not. Nothing is ever really "gone" from the internet.

But again, you should be fine. It's nothing to have a heart attack over. Really.

[Susan Littlefield]

Originally Posted by Stacia Kane

No. It is accurate. A chapter or two from a full-length novel isn't a problem on your blog.

I've heard only excerpts are supposed to go on a blog or website. I learned something new.

[Susan Littlefield]

Originally Posted by J.W. Alden

That being said, it honestly doesn't matter either way, because deleting a blog post doesn't "unpublish" it. If it's been published, it's been published. What's done is done. I'm trying to sell a story right now that's been published on my site, and I'm selling it as a reprint despite the fact that it's no longer up.

ETA: Yeah, what Stacia said. :P

You are right, you can't un-publish something once it's been published.

[Kevin Nelson]

Hi, hadou...I was under the apparently incorrect impression that you had been posting entire short stories on your blog. If that's not the case, then you don't have as much of an issue.

[Amanda R.]

Actually, I have been wondering something similar. If I publish poems or a short children's story in the SYW thread on this site for feedback, wouldn't that mean it's published and I wouldn't be able to sell it?

[J.W. Alden]

Originally Posted by Amanda R.

Actually, I have been wondering something similar. If I publish poems or a short children's story in the SYW thread on this site for feedback, wouldn't that mean it's published and I wouldn't be able to sell it?

No, because the SYW forums are behind a password. They aren't searchable or viewable by non-members.

[Amanda R.]

Originally Posted by J.W. Alden

No, because the SYW forums are behind a password. They aren't searchable or viewable by non-members.

Ahhhhhhh! (I need a *lightbulb* smiley) That is why they are password protected. I was wondering the purpose of that. Excellent! Thank you so much!

[Roxxsmom]

If you publish an excerpt, or even an entire novel, in a password protected forum, it's not considered previously published, because it was not made available to the general public.

This is why the share your work forums are password protected.

I believe you can publish short segments of your novel in a public blog, but there's a limit there. Not sure what is.

[Stacia Kane]

Originally Posted by Susan Littlefield

I've heard only excerpts are supposed to go on a blog or website. I learned something new.

A chapter or two of a full-length novel *is* only an excerpt.

[Susan Littlefield]

Originally Posted by Stacia Kane

A chapter or two of a full-length novel *is* only an excerpt.

Duh, didn't even think of that. Thanks.

[Wardeth]

Amazing thread, I think a mod should summarize what this forum means as far as publishing / not publishing. I had never even considered what SYW could mean if i wrote something i later wanted to sell. Thank you everyone!

[writerjohnb]

Originally Posted by hadou

I am having a heart attack with each post; some say is good, others say is okay (with a hint of uncertainty), while others say I'm screwed.

The reason you're unsure (which is true of any sort of seeking advice on a forum) is the people who only THINK they know the answer but can't stop from giving their invaluable opinion anyway. Notice how many forum posts begin with "I don't know anything about that, but. . ."

If you start a thread answer with "I think," you are probably wrong. If you begin a with "I don't think," you are correct. If you know the answer, give it, but don't screw up the original question if you're not sure; research it first. Sorry, that's just the way it is.

The politically incorrect JohnB who answered the question in the first place.