Update: The Machine Continues to Roll
My novel, The Machine of the World, is nearing completion! I have about fifty pages left to finish, then a little polishing up after that before it will be ready to send off to a publisher. I’m pondering the idea of putting a PDF of it up for people to download.
There’s some debate as to weather or not posting my unpublished novel will have positive or negative effects on getting it published. I’ve heard of cases where people were offered first time contracts to publish their serialized online novel and tales of woe from those who were told that gee, your novel is spiffy but too bad about putting it on your blog, ‘cus now it’s got Internet cooties.
Part of me wants to wait until it can be published and then offer a free download, like Corry Doctorow does with his books, but at the same time, I’m tempted to just post it online, maybe pay to have a few copies printed and bound and just move on to the next book. I would appreciate emails or comments for or against this. (This is me soliciting comments folks. This whole Blog thing is a two way street. Let me hear what you think! As long as you aren’t trying to sell me cheep Viagra or Thai Ladyboy Porn).
January 17th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
Personally, I would go for publication first and a possible download later. The only major reason for the reverse order would be to catch errors, but do you really want a dozen unpaid editors?
I have a prejudice against “electronic manuals” and always buy a real book if I need something to refer to, but some of that is the readability of the printed word on paper, rather than pixels.
Congratulations on the approaching completion.
January 18th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
That seems to be the prevailing opinion and I think that’s the way I’ll be going. I’m not Thomas Pynchon yet and can’t dictate the format of my novel.
Now, if I can only finish it on time (and by on time, I mean my self imposed deadline)