Friday, January 18, 2008

Are you interested in reading book manuscripts online?


I've been having a discussion with a writers group of which I'm a member.

I think it might be a very good way for a prospective author to get feedback and constructive criticism if he/she were to put either excerpts or the full text of a manuscript online for people to download, read and return comments. Sure, there's a risk that someone might copy it in an unauthorized fashion, particularly over the Internet, but then that's a risk one will run as soon as it's published anyway. I have a greater trust in readers than that.

I'd like to hear the opinions of readers of this blog. Would you be interested in reading a work-in-progress to have the chance to express your opinions and help the author? If so, would you please add a comment to this post? I'll pass your views on to the rest of the group.

If enough people are interested, I might just start something like that right here. I've already posted two extracts from one of my manuscripts, and I might throw a full copy up here for download. We'll see.

Peter

6 comments:

  1. Peter,

    I know that people who have put works online via some of the forums I used to read (ran out of time after I started working 60 hours / week) used to get very good feedback, including joking threats on their life if they didn't continue to post online.

    Larry, over at Monster Hunter Nation always got a lot of encouragement to publish one of his works.

    I'd definately be in favor of it!

    --Jim

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  2. I plan on doing it someday, when I have time to actually write.

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  3. Sounds interesting..I would be up for it.
    Jim n AZ

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  4. I would definetely be interested. I have a fair amount of down time at work and am always looking for interesting reads. Count me in.

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  5. Count me in. I'm an avid reader of almost anything,and I'm not afraid to tell someone if I think it's good or not.

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  6. I could definitely go for that as long as the time demands are not too constraining.

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