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)
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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