So I'll be ready to start serializing my novel on the Intertubes in the coming weeks, my plan being to upload two or three chapter sections a week -- sections to be punctuated by the occasional PayPal pledge bleg. My thinking is, my novel is shite, but it can still earn me money and recognition by not being at the bottom of a slush pile somewhere in Manhattan.
But I've got some kinks to iron out, namely:
*Distribution: is Blogspot such a hot idea? Better suggestions, like Moveable Type? Or build a site from scratch?
*Soliciting commentary: Haloscan: bright idea or dim?
*Creative Commons: good enough? Anything else in re copyrighting I should know about?
*PayPal itself: better options?
Questions, comments, suggestions welcome. Thanks.
Need A Little Help From My Friends...
9.11.2006
Ore : 9:06 PM
Ore : 9:06 PM
[ back home ]
Comments for Need A Little Help From My Friends...
You know Brando and TLB are the ones to ask-
I don't know anything really. I think you want it to be readable, so maybe a nice looking PDF of the chapters to download?
I don't know.
I don't know anything really. I think you want it to be readable, so maybe a nice looking PDF of the chapters to download?
I don't know.
- Posted at 12:32 AM | By
PDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDF
PDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDF
PDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDFPDF
PP: Yeah, I've got to ask Brando & TLB. Mebbe they'll respond to this...
CS: I've checked out Lulu, and was somewhat leery. But I just might go with them... We'll see.
PP & Chuckles: Yes, I was thinking one way I could do it would be to put up teasers in HTML, but put the entire chapters up in PDF. We'll see.
ALSO, I need to think about promotion. Should I buy Blogads?
CS: I've checked out Lulu, and was somewhat leery. But I just might go with them... We'll see.
PP & Chuckles: Yes, I was thinking one way I could do it would be to put up teasers in HTML, but put the entire chapters up in PDF. We'll see.
ALSO, I need to think about promotion. Should I buy Blogads?
Teh, I can't help you with your questions but I'll be looking for your announcement that your first installment is up.
- Posted at 7:52 AM | By
Smartypants
Serious pants on:
I don't know a lot about blogging one's novel, although I think there's a Blogger article on it in the Blogger Help area. However, I'm not sure Blogger is the best venue for it, namely because with the columns are so narrow.
Pinko's got the right idea with PDFs. Much more readable and, more importantly, printable. There's no way I could sit at a screen and read a book.
Commentary will probably do more good than harm. You may get some yahoos but you'll probably get some helpful comments. Just make sure your skin is thick.
Not familiar with Creative Commons, but just slap a copyright 2006 teh notice on each posting/PDF.
I really would look at this more as an opportunity for feedback, with some cash possibilities. For better or worse, fiction is still a print-dominated medium, and I think it will be for a long time.
Good luck, teh, and keep at it.
I don't know a lot about blogging one's novel, although I think there's a Blogger article on it in the Blogger Help area. However, I'm not sure Blogger is the best venue for it, namely because with the columns are so narrow.
Pinko's got the right idea with PDFs. Much more readable and, more importantly, printable. There's no way I could sit at a screen and read a book.
Commentary will probably do more good than harm. You may get some yahoos but you'll probably get some helpful comments. Just make sure your skin is thick.
Not familiar with Creative Commons, but just slap a copyright 2006 teh notice on each posting/PDF.
I really would look at this more as an opportunity for feedback, with some cash possibilities. For better or worse, fiction is still a print-dominated medium, and I think it will be for a long time.
Good luck, teh, and keep at it.
And I, in my professional wisdom, have a lovely typo in my comments.
"However, I'm not sure Blogger is the best venue for it, namely because the columns are so narrow."
This is why TLB is the published novelist.
"However, I'm not sure Blogger is the best venue for it, namely because the columns are so narrow."
This is why TLB is the published novelist.
brando: Tee hee. Yeah, I'm not expecting to make oodles of money, or even enough for a pack of cigarettes. But why not try?
And you're probably right about blogger. In addition, they have some problems sometimes with speed and frequent outages, so...
And you're probably right about blogger. In addition, they have some problems sometimes with speed and frequent outages, so...
You probably already know this, but it a good idea to periodically register your work. If you are putting it on the web for all to see, anyone can take it and claim it as their own. By default you always "own" your work as the writer, but better safe than sorry...
http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/
Now, on with impeaching Bush!!!111!!1!
http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/
Now, on with impeaching Bush!!!111!!1!
- Posted at 8:55 AM | By Jeremie Jordan
Sorry, about the comment post, I skipped the title. I know we aren't friends, but I was truly trying to give you good advice.
- Posted at 8:57 AM | By Jeremie Jordan
Jordan, in the spirit of bipartisan comity (call me Lieberman and don't look at today's post), I thank you for your input. ;-)
Actually, you only need to register the copyright if you're planning to sue someone for damages--you automatically have a copyright for your work as soon as you write it.
However, regarding posting your work on the internets, I'd check out Miss Snark's agent blog for some advice--there's a lot about this in the archives. It's only an issue if you're planning on trying to get it published at some point, but putting it up on the web can hinder that goal pretty substantially.
However, regarding posting your work on the internets, I'd check out Miss Snark's agent blog for some advice--there's a lot about this in the archives. It's only an issue if you're planning on trying to get it published at some point, but putting it up on the web can hinder that goal pretty substantially.
- Posted at 12:57 PM | By Michelle Falkoff
Thanks MSF. And this: "but putting it up on the web can hinder that goal pretty substantially" is in large part the source of most of my trepidation and hesitation.
I can vouch that MSF is indeed a voice worth listening to. I didn't think about the implications of putting work on the Web affecting print publication.
To MSF's comment, he/she is right, once you write it, it's considered yours. However, I asked a good friend of mine who is a lawyer and now a judge, and he recommended also registing the your work [as I had wondered this same question a few months ago].
I mean with the way this damn Bush administration keeps taking away civil liberties, you can never be too safe...
I mean with the way this damn Bush administration keeps taking away civil liberties, you can never be too safe...
- Posted at 2:44 PM | By Jeremie Jordan
teh, MSF used to be a lawyer specializing in intellectual property law, so you can trust her advice on the copyright question. When I worked at lit journals we always laughed when people put copyright marks on their stories. Usually they were on the crappiest stories in the pile too.
As to the question of which format: typepad, baby.
As to the question of whether you'll be able to sell to NYC after it appears on the blog: it depends. The only way publishing on the web seems to help is if the book becomes one of those water-cooler sensations (like that "numa numa" dance kid or William Hung). Unfortunately those are impossible to predict. Barring Hung-esque interest, your chances diminish by putting it up. Which I'm sorry to say, because I would dearly love to read it post-haste.
You can always send me a "taste," even if you don't put it up, right?
As to the question of which format: typepad, baby.
As to the question of whether you'll be able to sell to NYC after it appears on the blog: it depends. The only way publishing on the web seems to help is if the book becomes one of those water-cooler sensations (like that "numa numa" dance kid or William Hung). Unfortunately those are impossible to predict. Barring Hung-esque interest, your chances diminish by putting it up. Which I'm sorry to say, because I would dearly love to read it post-haste.
You can always send me a "taste," even if you don't put it up, right?
you could possibly spring for your own domain(maybe the title of the book, to make it easier) and have it redirect to a wordpress.com or typepad.com website. all the cool kids are doing it.
this makes serialization easy and there's plenty of options for advertising that way.
this makes serialization easy and there's plenty of options for advertising that way.
- Posted at 9:49 AM | By
as for CC licensing, there is their configurator
so you can figure out if that's what you need.
so you can figure out if that's what you need.
- Posted at 10:01 AM | By
tlb: 1)Thanks for the tip; msf is being v. v. helpful 2) That's it then! Everybody's raving about TypePad... 3) in re: taste: sure thing!
aif: good call. We'll see how it goes...
EVERYBODY: Thanks a bunch for all the input. I really appreciate it!
aif: good call. We'll see how it goes...
EVERYBODY: Thanks a bunch for all the input. I really appreciate it!
Freedom Camp | Blogger Templates by layoutstudios.com and Gecko & Fly.
No part of the content or the blog may be reproduced without prior written permission.
Learn how to Make Money Online at GeckoandFly
