Posting Work Online

I'm not sure if this is the right spot for this, but I felt it needs to be said.

There are problems with posting work online and then attempting to publish it (self-publishing not included as far as I know.)

When posting work on a non-password requiring forum that allows search engines to detect it, a simple Google search allows anyone to pick up your work. Many agents/editors/publishers will perform this search. And anything that's posted via the internet unless posted in a password protected area that cannot be picked up by a google search is technically 'published.'

Therefore, many publishers will not accept work that has already been posted on the internet.

There is a limit to the amount of work that can be posted online and still be accepted for publishing. I'm sure this amount varies among publishers, but a number I've heard somewhere is 10k words. Don't hold me to that number though. I can't remember where I read that.

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthr ... ?p=3677843

http://yzabel.wordpress.com/2005/10/08/ ... nt-rights/

However, others who even remotely think they might later want sell their NaNo novel (or anything else they’ve written) to a publisher, need to know that posting the story on an open site on the Internet is the same as publishing it. You have thrown away your First Print Rights, which are the ones that the publishers want.

Many people put their stories up on sites in the mistaken belief that if they aren’t paid for them, they aren’t published. This isn’t true. Anything that is in a position where it can be read by the public is considered published. This includes posting on your website, LiveJournal, Blog, or any site where just anyone passing through can read the work. It doesn’t matter how many people actually read the story, either.

Sites that are safe, however, are ones in which the reader needs a password in order to get to the story. Most writers’ sites with critique groups are set up in this way. ‘Friends Only’ LiveJournals are also safe because the owner has full control over who sees the posts.

There is some debate on the subject ion whether its unpublished or not, but to me it's better to be safe than sorry. YWS qualifies as an non-password protected area. Search engines can pick up the stories with anything else when the right keywords are put in.

I'm sure the wonderful mods have considered this. But I wanted to say this anyway.

ETA: I'll continue to post links as I find them, but it's a little hard to find information on this.

http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... nline.html (Comments on this one are quite interesting as well)

Various opinions on subject: http://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics ... mment27122

I need to find a recent, actual publisher's opinion...

Very good point Horserider. I've even been nervous about posting my query online, but it always worries me when I see entire novels posted. I did hear a literary agent say it's okay to post a chapter or something, but I wouldn't do it myself without first consulting my publisher. Apparently even published or soon-to-be-published authors have to ask permission before posting bits of their work that someone has purchased.

Whoa, I never realized this. Thanks for posting.
I'm glad I've only posted the first two or so chapters of my 'novels'. This is okay, right?

Whoa, I never realized this. Thanks for posting.
I'm glad I've only posted the first two or so chapters of my 'novels'. This is okay, right?

As far as I know unless the chapters are really long and take up a good portion of the story. Another thing that a lot of people do even in password protected forums is to ask to have their work deleted once they're submitting, published, or feel they have gotten enough from the critiques. Keeps any fans/publishers/agents/editors from digging up the early drafts.

That is why I only post "Just For Fun" things in my portfolio. Better to be safe than sorry!

It's probably a good thing that the stuff I'm posting on here isn't my best stuff...up until this point everything I've posted is practice for when I'm finally ready to publish in a year or two.

I've only posted the first 4 chapters for mine. The whole thing is downloadable, but guests can't pick that up.

As the Joker said,

"If you're any good at anything, you don't do it for free."

I think that applies here. :3

Whew. And I was just worried about people stealing my ideas. 0.o I think I'm going to wait a little longer before publishing chapter 1 of my novel here.

I say that YWS should have a password-protected part of the site. That would be a lot better for those of us that are very worried about idea-stealing and not being able to book-publish it. *couchMEcough* Anyone with me?

Binkatong wrote:Whew. And I was just worried about people stealing my ideas. 0.o I think I'm going to wait a little longer before publishing chapter 1 of my novel here.

I say that YWS should have a password-protected part of the site. That would be a lot better for those of us that are very worried about idea-stealing and not being able to book-publish it. *couchMEcough* Anyone with me?

I'd be thrilled if the Literature forums were password-protected. The password wouldn't even need to be controlled - it could be posted in public. It'd still protect your work from google spiders and first publication rights issues and all sorts.

Or just have it so you need to be logged in.

Remember that publishers consider these sort of sites OK when in the process of writing; it's basically just peer review and feedback, and doesn't technically go down as publishing when posted on here.

I read that publishers consider it published when it's been published on a locked or fixed site; a site where you cannot remove it once it's been published. You can always hit the edit button at any time, and remove your work. It also varies by publisher.

And, one of the good things about google picking up your work is you'll be able to see if it's been plagiarized. If an author wrote a story, and someone plagiarized it on here, I think the author would like to throw their story into google and make sure that no one has stolen it.

You keep all the rights to your work on here; it's not published on here.

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