How do agents feel about novels that have been released online?

efreysson

Closer than ever
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
1,618
Reaction score
101
Location
Iceland
I've been self-pubbing for a while, but for a year now I've been trying to get an agent for my new trilogy (finished earlier this year).

But since I can't stop writing I've also been experimenting with releasing my new sci-fi novel on Wattpad, with about half of it now being up. I want to start preparing my next novel, but I am quite conflicted between ideas. I am absolutely going to do more with that sci-fi setting, but I also want to do some standalone fantasy novels, each in their own settings.

I definitely want to keep releasing something on Wattpad and build a bit of a reader base there. But if I do make my next release one of those standalones, will that sink any possibility of an agent giving it a chance later on? Would I be better off continuing with the sci-fi stories on Wattpad, while pitching the standalones to agents?
 

Elle.

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 10, 2018
Messages
1,272
Reaction score
734
Location
United Kingdom
The way I understand it once you publish it first rights are gone which would make it very difficult to find an agent if you query that particular novel. If you want to self-publish that one but query a completely different novel then that wouldn't hurt your chances.

Hope this helps.
 

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Messages
14,532
Reaction score
24,099
Location
Massachusetts
Website
elizabethbonesteel.com
I definitely want to keep releasing something on Wattpad and build a bit of a reader base there. But if I do make my next release one of those standalones, will that sink any possibility of an agent giving it a chance later on? Would I be better off continuing with the sci-fi stories on Wattpad, while pitching the standalones to agents?

Publishing on Wattpad is publishing. Most agents won't look at a pre-published work. I wouldn't publish anything I was hoping to use to find an agent.
 

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
Publishing on Wattpad is publishing. Most agents won't look at a pre-published work. I wouldn't publish anything I was hoping to use to find an agent.

This.

There have been some sales as a result of books going up on Wattpad but from what I remember--and I've not checked this--that was before it was understood how Wattpad "reads" work. It appeared as if several hundred thousand people had read works there when the true numbers were a tiny fraction of that amount.

If you want to find a trade deal your best route is the tried and tested one of getting an agent through careful querying and persistence.
 

cool pop

It's Cool, Miss Pop if You're Nasty
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
660
Reaction score
131
Location
Texas
You burned your first rights. There's nothing left for an agent to sell. As Liz says, DON'T post anything online or anywhere if you are trying to get an agent or publisher for it.
 

cmhbob

Did...did I do that?
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
5,742
Reaction score
4,834
Location
Green Country
Website
www.bobmuellerwriter.com
Just to throw an exception to the rule into the mix, Andy Weir's The Martian was first a web serial on his website, then self-pubbed on Kindle before Crown bought the print rights and Podium bought the audio rights.
 

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Messages
14,532
Reaction score
24,099
Location
Massachusetts
Website
elizabethbonesteel.com
Just to throw an exception to the rule into the mix, Andy Weir's The Martian was first a web serial on his website, then self-pubbed on Kindle before Crown bought the print rights and Podium bought the audio rights.

Yes. He apparently put it up on Amazon because people wanted an ebook. He charged 99 cents because Amazon wouldn't let him list it for free. He didn't go looking for success at all.

That said, Andy Weir's such an extreme outlier I'd say it'd be detrimental for anyone to follow his path and assume they'd find the same success.
 

Earthling

I come in peace
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Messages
1,210
Reaction score
192
Yes, please don't be swayed by the success of Andy Weir and a few others. They definitely exist, but in an industry as competitive as this, do you really want to count on being an extreme outlier of the extreme outliers (i.e. get a publishing deal in a very rare way)?

I have a friend with several full manuscripts up on Wattpad. Each of them has reads in the six or seven digits. Her self-pub sales are in the low hundreds and she can't get any interest from agents or publishers.
 

efreysson

Closer than ever
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
1,618
Reaction score
101
Location
Iceland
Right.

I guess I'll continue with the sci-fi series on Wattpad, while pitching the standalones to agents.
 

Thomas Vail

What?
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 21, 2014
Messages
506
Reaction score
57
Location
Chicago 'round
Just to throw an exception to the rule into the mix, Andy Weir's The Martian was first a web serial on his website, then self-pubbed on Kindle before Crown bought the print rights and Podium bought the audio rights.
He's the exception that proves the rule of if you put your novel up online you're not going to get it traditionally published later.
This.

There have been some sales as a result of books going up on Wattpad but from what I remember--and I've not checked this--that was before it was understood how Wattpad "reads" work. It appeared as if several hundred thousand people had read works there when the true numbers were a tiny fraction of that amount.
How does Wattpad count, because as Earthling seems to illustrate with her friend's anecdote, the numbers it lists seem to be vastly inflated?
 

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman
Super Moderator
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
22,454
Reaction score
4,956
Location
In chaos
How does Wattpad count, because as Earthling seems to illustrate with her friend's anecdote, the numbers it lists seem to be vastly inflated?

That was kind of my point.
 

LJD

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 12, 2010
Messages
4,226
Reaction score
525
How does Wattpad count, because as Earthling seems to illustrate with her friend's anecdote, the numbers it lists seem to be vastly inflated?

IIRC (I've put stuff up on Wattpad, but it's been a while...), one read = one chapter read. So if your book has 20 chapters on Wattpad, it would take 20 reads for someone to finish the whole thing.
 

1sa1ahsMum

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 10, 2019
Messages
81
Reaction score
5
Location
East Coast, USA
In my experience, some agents won't consider it but a few don't mind and use your sales number from that to determine your "worth" and audience reach.