Will submitting your story on a writing website decrease your chances of getting published? I want to submit mine on wattpad, but I also want to maybe get it published some day. Some one told me that if I want to get it published, I shouldn’t put it on a website because for some reason editors don’t like it when writers do that. Is this true? Anyone know?
Thanks.
Publishers are a lot more relaxed about the Internet than they used to be. They see it more as a useful marketing tool now than a barbarian horde at the gates. If you haven’t posted the whole book, it can act as a free sample. If you have posted the whole thing, the most that will happen is they’ll tell you to take it down when they offer to publish it. Yes, someone could have taken a copy while it was online, and could post it on another website, but if they do that, they’re infringing your copyright, and you or the publisher can sue them.
Publishers used to think "why would anybody buy a book if they can read it online for free?" But many people don’t like reading off screens, and even if the author hasn’t put the book online somewhere, that’s not going to stop people who are determined to pirate it.
Authonomy and Inkpop are run by a publisher (HarperCollins), with the aim of finding new authors and new books to publish. They allow you to upload the entire book if you want to. They’ve published books that have been posted there (on Authonomy, anyway – I don’t know about Inkpop). Do you really think they’d say to the author of a brilliant new book "We’d love to publish this and make stacks of money out of it… but we can’t, because you’ve already published it – on a site that we own."?
tl;dr – post it on Wattpad and stop worrying. Showing your work to others is the only way you’re going to improve as a writer.
Surely putting your entire story online is a no-no. But if you do intend to get published, take it off the site. That’ll help your chances, although I’ve heard that most publishers don’t like anything that’s been on the web. It’s not a death sentence by any means–some websites are watched by the publishing companies (Inkpop, Authonomy in particular).
References :
Technically, if you’ve posted it on a website, it’s been "published" already… :\
I wouldn’t unless you’ve got it set "private" or something, and only select few of the website could view it…
Not entirely sure anymore, but I can only warn and give my own opinion.
Most people give mixed ideas.
Damn, I’m not much help sometimes. xD
References :
Publishers are a lot more relaxed about the Internet than they used to be. They see it more as a useful marketing tool now than a barbarian horde at the gates. If you haven’t posted the whole book, it can act as a free sample. If you have posted the whole thing, the most that will happen is they’ll tell you to take it down when they offer to publish it. Yes, someone could have taken a copy while it was online, and could post it on another website, but if they do that, they’re infringing your copyright, and you or the publisher can sue them.
Publishers used to think "why would anybody buy a book if they can read it online for free?" But many people don’t like reading off screens, and even if the author hasn’t put the book online somewhere, that’s not going to stop people who are determined to pirate it.
Authonomy and Inkpop are run by a publisher (HarperCollins), with the aim of finding new authors and new books to publish. They allow you to upload the entire book if you want to. They’ve published books that have been posted there (on Authonomy, anyway – I don’t know about Inkpop). Do you really think they’d say to the author of a brilliant new book "We’d love to publish this and make stacks of money out of it… but we can’t, because you’ve already published it – on a site that we own."?
tl;dr – post it on Wattpad and stop worrying. Showing your work to others is the only way you’re going to improve as a writer.
References :