# Can webnovels get published?



## Miseo (May 27, 2016)

Hi, I was thinking, once I have more chapters of my series done, to release them to royal road as a webnovel, since one of my goals is simply to get it out there and be read.

But... If I release something as a webnovel, would that make it more difficult to actually get published?  

Any suggestions?


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## SomethingWitty (May 27, 2016)

First publication rights would be lost in most cases. It's not impossible to get a publisher, but from what I've read, it is more of a challenge than if it were not easily readable by the public.


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## Miseo (May 28, 2016)

That's what I'm concerned about. I mean, I honestly don't care about trying to make money off of it... I have a different occupation for that. So if the concern is that the reprint rights would bring in less money, then I wouldn't mind at all. I'm more interested in getting it out there... so if having it on the Web makes it harder to get it to a wider audience later, that's a problem...


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## KThoughts (May 29, 2016)

Yes they can but I suggest to publish your story in *Wattpad *because it's the most popular story publishing website, One of my upperclassman actually got her book published when she posted her story there, Give it a try!


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## Miseo (May 29, 2016)

Hm... I went and researched the site a bit. Seems like it could be a good idea.

There's another place I know of, which is kind of like Wattpad but only for fantasy stories, that seems promising too. One interesting feature is that, once your series gets 50k words you can add a Donate button. That could help, you know, get donations. Of course that would only work if you're popular...


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## KThoughts (May 29, 2016)

Oh I see... Can you tell me what site that is? I am interested at that website...


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## Miseo (May 29, 2016)

Royalroadl. I'm not too familiar with it yet. There's always a good chance that it will be a major letdown.


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## KThoughts (May 29, 2016)

Miseo said:


> Royalroadl. I'm not too familiar with it yet. There's always a good chance that it will be a major letdown.



Okay! I will check it out but let me tell you something about Wattpad as well. It's hard to gain popularity, you need to have a lot supporters before you can actually publish your work. Your title must be eye catching, your synopsis must be interesting, your book cover is eye catching as well and your first chapter is interesting but with your story you can actually make "World Eater" successful :wink:


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## Jay Greenstein (May 29, 2016)

If you submit a novel that's available online, and can be found with a Google search, they will is look at its popularity rating. If it's been out there for a few months and it isn't wildly popular...
And if you mention that it's online, you run the risk of the person you submit it to assuming you posted it online because you queried it and got only rejections.

But that being said, if the blurb makes them turn to page one, and that makes them keep on reading, and "knocks their socks off," you'll have a sale, be it online or not. And they'll probably read the first page before they take the time to look online.

Unfortunately, while that's the ideal situation, in the real world: For every call for a complete manuscript, they read, on average, 100 submissions. And many of the competition have been honing their skills for years. Some have degrees in writing fiction. Some have been published. So to even be in that race you need to be able to beat the ninety-nine.

And it gets worse. As someone who has sold nothing and doesn't have a following, to generate sales as a published writer you will need good reviews from the pros, not friends to go to your Amazon page and give you five stars. That means you can't be just as good as the people they're now publishing. They have plenty of "just as good," writers. So you can't depend on luck, or having a magical talent for writing. You need to know what publishers want today, and what turns them off. You have to train your talent till it's razor sharp. Though a little luck can't hurt.

And did I mention that out of those who are asked for a full submission less than one in ten are given a publishing slot?

My point is that you aren't going to win that race because you're pure of heart and deserving of success.

“Talent? Were talent enough, there would be no need of rehearsal... or editing... or Photoshop. And if desire were the key, we’d all be famous. 
Sweat, though. That’s the magic elixir.”
~ Anon.

So it's obviously impossible. But on the other hand, someone has to do it. Why not you?

I figure it this way. If, every single day you write just a little better, and know a little more about writing, the ratio of crap to gold in your writing will change for the better. And if you live long enough...
Lots of people claim that writing experience is the ladder to success. And maybe they're right. But I figure that knowledge is an escalator.


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## Miseo (May 29, 2016)

KThoughts said:


> Okay! I will check it out but let me tell you something about Wattpad as well. It's hard to gain popularity, you need to have a lot supporters before you can actually publish your work. Your title must be eye catching, your synopsis must be interesting, your book cover is eye catching as well and your first chapter is interesting but with your story you can actually make "World Eater" successful :wink:


Thanks. While I would like to get published one day, ultimately my only desire is that people read my stories and like them. As for book covers... I don't have one. Whether it's Wattpad or Royalroadl, book covers seem important. Gotta get to work on my photo editing skills.



Jay Greenstein said:


> If you submit a novel that's available online, and can be found with a Google search, they will is look at its popularity rating. If it's been out there for a few months and it isn't wildly popular...
> And if you mention that it's online, you run the risk of the person you submit it to assuming you posted it online because you queried it and got only rejections.
> 
> But that being said, if the blurb makes them turn to page one, and that makes them keep on reading, and "knocks their socks off," you'll have a sale, be it online or not. And they'll probably read the first page before they take the time to look online.
> ...


Wow. That was a very thorough answer. Thank you.


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## KThoughts (May 30, 2016)

> Thanks. While I would like to get published one day, ultimately my only desire is that people read my stories and like them. As for book covers... I don't have one. Whether it's Wattpad or Royalroadl, book covers seem important. Gotta get to work on my photo editing skills.



I actually make book covers for different authors out there especially in *Wattpad*, Many writers have requested it many times. I could actually make a cover for you because I will be honored to do it actually I came to like your story very well. Here's an example of my book covers I also placed two realistic covers for you to see since mostly the writers that request me to make covers of are anime sometimes.


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## Miseo (May 30, 2016)

KThoughts said:


> I actually make book covers for different authors out there especially in *Wattpad*, Many writers have requested it many times. I could actually make a cover for you because I will be honored to do it actually I came to like your story very well. Here's an example of my book covers I also placed two realistic covers for you to see since mostly the writers that request me to make covers of are anime sometimes.
> 
> View attachment 14217View attachment 14218View attachment 14219


Well. You sure are full of surprises. I won't start uploading World Eater as a webnovel series until more chapters are finished, since the chapters are short and people generally like having more content, but when I do I would be grateful for your help.

On a side note, chapter 2 is just about done. A friend is looking over it currently. I'm not sure if I'm going to upload it here or not. But it is a tad on the gruesome side. No one died or anything like that... But yeah.


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## KThoughts (May 30, 2016)

You will be more surprised on what I can do more. I see I guess I have to wait for it once you get some chapters done and I can't wait to read Chapter 2! Oh please post it on the forums if you can! This is the only place I can get to read your story!


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## Miseo (May 30, 2016)

As a side side note, that illustration in the middle is really beautiful. The other ones are also good, but the middle one really gets to me. Great job.


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## KThoughts (May 30, 2016)

Miseo said:


> As a side side note, that illustration in the middle is really beautiful. The other ones are also good, but the middle one really gets to me. Great job.



It's actually for a short story. I also fell in love with this cover I made months ago it was my favorite!


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## Miseo (May 30, 2016)

KThoughts said:


> You will be more surprised on what I can do more. I see I guess I have to wait for it once you get some chapters done and I can't wait to read Chapter 2! Oh please post it on the forums if you can! This is the only place I can get to read your story!


I'm glad you seem to really like the story so far. I just hope you'll still like the story after the downward spiral it does for the first 10 or so chapters... Things get really bad and dark before they start to get better. Still, thanks for enjoying the story


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## TWErvin2 (May 30, 2016)

Miseo said:


> Hi, I was thinking, once I have more chapters of my series done, to release them to royal road as a webnovel, since one of my goals is simply to get it out there and be read.
> 
> But... If I release something as a webnovel, would that make it more difficult to actually get published?
> 
> Any suggestions?



Yes, it is possible, but not very common. My publisher has published novels that were first on websites, but only a very few.

As far as putting it on a website to "get it out there to be read"...just because it's on a website doesn't mean anybody will actually read it. How will they know about it? How many people want to sit and read a novel on a computer screen? How polished will it be? How well formatted and edited? How much time do you want to spend 'marketing' and trying to get people to go to the website to find and read the story?

Maybe it's being impatient? If you want your novel/story 'out there' but also want a publisher, the chances of it being read are far greater with a publisher. Get it done, and go through the process (agent/publisher submissions) if that's your ultimate desire. It would be far more effective getting eyes on it if you simply self-published, and made it available where readers go (Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, etc.). That, of course, would require it to be invested in (editing, layout, cover art, etc.) to give it the best chance of finding readers.

Any way you go, there is a_ lot o_f competition. Wishing you the best in meeting your objective as you move forward.


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## Miseo (May 30, 2016)

TWErvin2 said:


> Yes, it is possible, but not very common. My publisher has published novels that were first on websites, but only a very few.
> 
> As far as putting it on a website to "get it out there to be read"...just because it's on a website doesn't mean anybody will actually read it. How will they know about it? How many people want to sit and read a novel on a computer screen? How polished will it be? How well formatted and edited? How much time do you want to spend 'marketing' and trying to get people to go to the website to find and read the story?
> 
> ...


That is an excellent response, sir. As for the platform, I would release it to a website that specializes on hosting webnovels... That would make some of the marketing easier. The rest would mostly ne a result of socializing with others on that platform.

While I would like to get published, the story I would release as a webnovel is more of an experimental story... I just want to get used to writing before I start my main book. After all, even if I have a good idea but don't know how to write it, it won't turn out too well right? So I may as well get used to the writing process first. If I can somehow get a webnovel published, then that would be super great. Although it does seem like a tough road...


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## KThoughts (May 30, 2016)

Just to update you I have checked Royal Roadl it seems legit when I first explore it but sometimes I wonder if you can actually get donations for the books you have published there on the website. There is a donation but sometimes I wonder if some people will actually donate some :-k  As for Wattpad many publishers have been relying on Wattpad to give them refreshing new stories. I don't know about you but I suggest you should publish it in Wattpad but it's up to you on where would you publish it


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## Miseo (May 30, 2016)

KThoughts said:


> Just to update you I have checked Royal Roadl it seems legit when I first explore it but sometimes I wonder if you can actually get donations for the books you have published there on the website. There is a donation but sometimes I wonder if some people will actually donate some :-k  As for Wattpad many publishers have been relying on Wattpad to give them refreshing new stories. I don't know about you but I suggest you should publish it in Wattpad but it's up to you on where would you publish it


Well, I doubt I'll be popular enough to profit from it either way. At any rate I went ahead and made accounts on both websites just in case.


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## Ultraroel (May 31, 2016)

I find RoyalRoadl kind of .. meh. 
It mostly exists of a cirlce jerk of people who all want to read the same adapted premade story.
I've seen people have donations buttons, but as with all bloglike sites, you'll have to have high output to stay popular


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## denmark423 (May 31, 2016)

As far as I know, a web novel is more attractable to high school students as it is animated. For me, it's not impossible not to be able to publish it. But, if you do, you should or your publisher plans the marketing very well as it is more challenging when it comes to marketing your book.


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