Query Question: serialization on the web

 A few weeks ago, I began posting a novel-in-progress entitled X on Wattpad, and to my surprise, it has found a sizable and eager audience—not the million reads some get, but respectable for a new project.

In fact, I’ve been offered a chance to be “featured” as soon as I’m really finished. Last week, to my astonishment, YBooks let me know that they were interested in publishing it chapter by chapter, finished or not.

The first chapter went up as a freebie quickly, and I’m delighted to join Sir Paul McCartney and some rather famous writers as well. But now I’m worried. I really want to sell this novel eventually. And though I’ve read that having a “platform” is the “in” thing now, I’m afraid that if I give too many chapters away to YBooks--and they seem eager to sell whatever I offer--will that kill my chances of making a traditional sale? Ether assures me their “contract” is non-exclusive, but that doesn’t mean agents or publishers will be pleased to know that even a portion of the book has been read before, for free. How do you feel about this kind of “PR?” Should I stop at one chapter or give them a few more and then stop…? Or is it best not to post anymore at all? Should I even stop posting the rough draft on Wattpad before I get to the very end?

First of all, never put the word contract in quotes as if to indicate it's not really a contract. If you made an agreement with these guys, it's a contract. Read it and understand it before you sign it.  Bad contracts hinder more careers than bad agents. If YBooks assures you the contract is non-exclusive, you better be able to point to those exact words in the contract.

Second, publishers republish things all the time. They buy books they think will make them money.  If your book gets a lot of attention there is nothing that precludes a publisher from scooping it up, publishing it in book form and making wads of cash.

The reason most self-published books don't get scooped up by publishers is that they don't do well: They don't sell enough copies to show a publisher there's interest above and beyond the author's spam list.


And publishing a book in serial form on the web is NOT PR.  It's publishing a book in serial form on the web. PR is what you do to draw attention to the book: blog tours, reviews etc. 

At this point, I'm wondering if you are even ready to query given some of your misapprehensions. (Start here to find out)

But don't worry that in publishing a book to the web you've closed any doors. It's the amount of attention the book receives that will determine that.