Should you release your novel on your blog?
Lots of people do it. Check out Na-No-Blog-Mo if you don't believe me, it has a sprawling list of bloggers who have published their novels for free. Blogs make publishing so easy--if you know how to find your readers, you can quickly, painlessly get your novel out there.
On the other hand, we just don't have a good system for helping writers earn money by publishing their novels online. That system will exist someday, especially as audiobook podcasts and print-on-demand services become more profitable.
Until then, don't squander your work-- just give your readers a taste. Comic book writer and novelist Warren Ellis is the perfect example. He built a dedicated fan base on his blog, and then he unleashed the first chapter of his private detective novel Crooked Little Vein for free--just in time to take a hardboiled swipe at Harry Potter.
Check out the free PDF of the chapter, and learn from the master. (Thanks to BoingBoing for the link)
Actually, I've just uploaded the first two chapters of a True Crime thriller I've been working on for the past nine months. About a convicted triple murderer. A really bad dude.
And I'm using my blog as a scratch pad now (just a taste) and as a launch pad later (the whole enchilada) once it's complete and published.
Seems like a good idea to me.
-Barry
www.beastie.wordpress.com
Posted by: TheScrivener | July 18, 2007 1:51 AM | Permalink to Comment