Publishing an excerpt isn't going to doom your chances and there are some agents and editors who will look at work that has appeared online. Usually, they will pass on publishing it due to the legal department's decisions and instead make you an offer for a new work.
For the OP, it all sounds weird anyway. Looks like you're going to write a series that has some short stories in it that you want to publish. You want this forum's participants to validate your choice, and it probably isn't going to work out that way. Your best option is to write a darned good book and submit it to an agent. If it works into a series, great. If not, move on. But, in the end, it's your choice, not mine. If you want to do this your way, give it a shot. I've been known to be wrong before, and I might be wrong now
Jeff
For the OP, it all sounds weird anyway. Looks like you're going to write a series that has some short stories in it that you want to publish. You want this forum's participants to validate your choice, and it probably isn't going to work out that way. Your best option is to write a darned good book and submit it to an agent. If it works into a series, great. If not, move on. But, in the end, it's your choice, not mine. If you want to do this your way, give it a shot. I've been known to be wrong before, and I might be wrong now
Jeff
