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There comes a time in many a fiction writer's life when they think they're ready to share their creation with the world. But how does one do independent publishing outside of The Mover?
While there are many guides on publishing and self-publishing on the internet today, this two-part guide on online publishing will focus on using social media platforms intended for reading and writing communities and publishing in literary magazines.
In this chapter, you'll find why you should consider publishing on community writing platforms, how to get feedback, examples of such platforms, and what to do if you believe your work has been plagiarized.
Why Community-Based Writing Websites?
Why Community-Based Writing Websites?
Self-publishing has never been easier with the help of the Internet. Anybody could make an account and post something for everyone to see. That's not to say you're required to post something in order to be a writer. However, for writers who are itching to have their works seen by the world, the web is the way to go.
For writers who want to get feedback and find a writing community as a support system in their writing journey, community-based websites are perfect for those reasons.
On these websites, writers can talk to and support other writers, no matter their writing journey, and even ask for honest feedback on their work and how they can better their skills. They can also find readers who are willing to read their work, like it, and comment on it
Though, we highly encourage everyone who uses the Internet to be careful. While community-based websites are great places to find a group of people who'd love to raise each other up, remember basic Internet safety: don't share personal information (e.g. name, age, address) on a public platform or with new people you just met; don't be afraid to use the block button when you feel uncomfortable with someone; and notify an adult when you feel unsafe.
Do note that many people use online writing websites as a way to make transformative fiction, otherwise known as fanfiction. If you're into writing fanfiction, good on you! They're perfect for studying characterization, great exercises for flash fiction, and an all-around way to express love for a fandom. If you do not write fanfiction, don't lose heart. There are a lot of venues where original fiction and original characters may prosper. Look for them and you'll find them!
Also, don't get all wrapped up with likes and comments. While they're nice ways to receive appreciation, don't feel pressured to rack up likes and follows. Don't fall victim to the pitfalls of social media!
Getting Feedback
Getting Feedback
Writers — and content creators of all kinds — must also learn where to draw a line when it comes to feedback. Not every negative, nitpicky comment is feedback.
Feedback is meant to help writers improve their writing, and should come in a space where the writer feels safe, where they consent to have their works critiqued.
Writers also have the privilege to choose where they hear their feedback. They get to choose which trusted friends they want to turn to for advice, whether they'll listen to feedback from the comment section or from their direct messages, and more. Do be strong, reader. The Internet may be a fun place, but it is still a wild place. Keep your guards up!
If you do not want to ask feedback in a public space, consider your own circle of friends. Find someone whose word you respect and trust, like someone you know who also reads and writes as voraciously as you do. Be specific when you ask for feedback: what are you looking for? Are you asking about your dialogue or characterization? What about advice on how to do better? Would you want advice?
Again, not everything negative counts as critique, but be open-minded to the critique you do get. Critique may feel like a stab to the heart, but remember it's how you can become the writer you want to be.
Sample Sites
Sample Sites
If you were a teenager living in the 2010s, you were very familiar with Wattpad. Wattpad is a platform where writers can create and publish novels and it's truly a social media site. Writers can follow other writers, comment on paragraphs, save their favorite works, and message each other directly. When publishing, you can also make a book cover and see the views and likes your work receives. There is also a lot of opportunities for writers to join webinars and workshops, get picked up by a traditional publisher, and more. It's very social and many people started off their writing journeys here. In fact, a lot of Wattpad books eventually get published in real life or turned into movies, like in the case of Philippines' Summit Media romcom pocketbooks or Anna Todd's After trilogy.
Here's one for the fanfiction writers! Archive of Our Own, lovingly known as AO3, is a non-profit website for fanfiction and other transformative works. However, original work is known to sneak in there every once in a while. Sites like Archive of Our Own is less for the social aspect and more for the writing: it's a place to publish one's work, and the only way to connect with one another is through commenting on each other's stories. Another feature AO3 is known for is its tagging system. Writers can type tags of themes or content the story is full of so that their works are more easily seen and searchable by a wide audience, helpful for readers itching to read more about their favorite fictional relationships.
Tumblr is largely a community-driven social media — you have to follow people and interact with them to see content that might interest you. While Tumblr is not necessarily a writing site, they have a flourishing writing community called Writeblr.
In Writeblr, writers for original fiction come together to support each other in their writing endeavors. They challenge each other to take part in community activities like "Manuscript Word Find," where writers have to look for certain words in their work and post the paragraph that contains that word; or "Worldbuilding Wednesday", where writers answer questions about the setting their work is set in; or "Flash Fiction Friday", where people in the community may write 1000-word stories following a prompt from the blog Flash Fiction Friday Official. Writeblr is also a place to find writing advice as well as resources on a number of topics, like writing about people of color, injuries, European-inspired nobility, and more.
NOTE: When trying to join the Writeblr community, you need a Writeblr introduction. This is how you signal to other Tumblr users that you want to join the community, who you are as a writer, and what you write. After writing your introduction, remember to put "#Writeblr" and "#Writeblr intro" in your tags, and post it! Eventually, people will follow you and you may follow them back to interact with them as you go along your writing journey. A more in-depth guide would be this crash course by @Veneritia.
More Resources
More Resources
The Internet is a wide and large place, so we can't fit all writing platforms in one article. You can find more examples of writing websites and community-based platforms on this Medium article, or this one.
Dealing With Plagiarism
Dealing With Plagiarism
While it's a no-brainer that the author owns the rights to their story, some people may decide to copy and paste already-published fiction online and pass it off as their own. In these cases, panic is natural. Who wouldn't be afraid when their work's been stolen?
If you're unsure if your work is being plagiarized, try using Copyscape to find the sites instantly. Just copy the URL of your work and paste it in the search bar on the website, and it tells you where similar text has been found online.
When you find something’s been plagiarized, you can either reach out to the creator to take it down or ask the host of the site to take it down for you.
If someone is monetizing off of it or getting substantial traction with it, you can try filing for a DMCA violation through Google. Best of luck to you, writer!
Summary
Summary
In the first part of this guide, you learned about looking toward community-based social media platforms in publishing your written works, receiving feedback, and dealing with plagiarism. You also discovered different platforms where you may publish or share your work
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