NaNo Update
For many of you this will have no bearing at all on your work or what you do with it. If you are writing fanfiction, or not in the least bit interested in a writing career, then you can post anywhere you like and not worry about it.
However, others who even remotely think they might later want sell their NaNo novel (or anything else they've written) to a publisher, need to know that posting the story on an open site on the Internet is the same as publishing it. You have thrown away your First Print Rights, which are the ones that the publishers want.
Many people put their stories up on sites in the mistaken belief that if they aren't paid for them, they aren't published. This isn't true. Anything that is in a position where it can be read by the public is considered published. This includes posting on your website, LiveJournal, Blog, or any site where just anyone passing through can read the work. It doesn't matter how many people actually read the story, either.
Sites that are safe, however, are ones in which the reader needs a password in order to get to the story. Most writers' sites with critique groups are set up in this way. 'Friends Only' LiveJournals are also safe because the owner has full control over who sees the posts.
One thing that you have to look out for, however, is a site where the Terms of Service (TOS) says that they have the right to use anything on their server or boards in anyway that they wish. They are basically assuming the copyright. For most people this won't matter, but it never hurts for writers to be aware of such statements.
Copyright, by the way, almost always stays with the writer. Even when you publish a story or novel, the copyright stays in the author's name. (Look on the other side of the title page and you'll usually see the copyright notice. Most often it will have the author's name unless they are writing in something like a Star Wars series or work based on a game, etc.)
If a site says not to worry because they don't take copyright and it stays with the author -- well, that's good, but it still doesn't change that the material is published. Some people don't realize the difference between copyright and first publication rights. Copyright is automatically given to the author from the moment the work is created. First publication rights are kind of like 'leasing' the story out to someone else to drive around and show for a while. Those people most often want to be the very first people to show the shinny new story. Sometimes you will sell secondary print rights, but those are usually in an anthology or something like that, and are often based on how well the First Print Rights run did. If you threw that one away on open posts, getting the second (which pays next to nothing anyway), is nearly impossible.
So, just know what you want and don't take any chances. Posting snippets for others is fine. Some people say not more than 10 percent of the entire novel should ever be posted, but I think that number is flexible.
So just be aware of what you're doing and make a knowledgeable decision based on it.
And have fun!
I guess that's another good reason to go the friends only route...
For anyone who would be interested...cynano05 is the journal where I'll be putting my progress.
Warning: I...don't really plan to use LJ cuts. I just want to copy and paste the stuff with little hassle. So if you friend it, you might get 1600+ word posts each day. Good for me...probably obnoxious for you. :P
If not, just leave a comment either here or in my nano LJ (preferably) and I'll just friend you so you don't have to worry.
I'm not being too selective with who I friend and who I don't. But I'm probably going to be a little more selective than usual...especially since my primary journal is not Friends Only.
However, others who even remotely think they might later want sell their NaNo novel (or anything else they've written) to a publisher, need to know that posting the story on an open site on the Internet is the same as publishing it. You have thrown away your First Print Rights, which are the ones that the publishers want.
Many people put their stories up on sites in the mistaken belief that if they aren't paid for them, they aren't published. This isn't true. Anything that is in a position where it can be read by the public is considered published. This includes posting on your website, LiveJournal, Blog, or any site where just anyone passing through can read the work. It doesn't matter how many people actually read the story, either.
Sites that are safe, however, are ones in which the reader needs a password in order to get to the story. Most writers' sites with critique groups are set up in this way. 'Friends Only' LiveJournals are also safe because the owner has full control over who sees the posts.
One thing that you have to look out for, however, is a site where the Terms of Service (TOS) says that they have the right to use anything on their server or boards in anyway that they wish. They are basically assuming the copyright. For most people this won't matter, but it never hurts for writers to be aware of such statements.
Copyright, by the way, almost always stays with the writer. Even when you publish a story or novel, the copyright stays in the author's name. (Look on the other side of the title page and you'll usually see the copyright notice. Most often it will have the author's name unless they are writing in something like a Star Wars series or work based on a game, etc.)
If a site says not to worry because they don't take copyright and it stays with the author -- well, that's good, but it still doesn't change that the material is published. Some people don't realize the difference between copyright and first publication rights. Copyright is automatically given to the author from the moment the work is created. First publication rights are kind of like 'leasing' the story out to someone else to drive around and show for a while. Those people most often want to be the very first people to show the shinny new story. Sometimes you will sell secondary print rights, but those are usually in an anthology or something like that, and are often based on how well the First Print Rights run did. If you threw that one away on open posts, getting the second (which pays next to nothing anyway), is nearly impossible.
So, just know what you want and don't take any chances. Posting snippets for others is fine. Some people say not more than 10 percent of the entire novel should ever be posted, but I think that number is flexible.
So just be aware of what you're doing and make a knowledgeable decision based on it.
And have fun!
I guess that's another good reason to go the friends only route...
For anyone who would be interested...cynano05 is the journal where I'll be putting my progress.
Warning: I...don't really plan to use LJ cuts. I just want to copy and paste the stuff with little hassle. So if you friend it, you might get 1600+ word posts each day. Good for me...probably obnoxious for you. :P
If not, just leave a comment either here or in my nano LJ (preferably) and I'll just friend you so you don't have to worry.
I'm not being too selective with who I friend and who I don't. But I'm probably going to be a little more selective than usual...especially since my primary journal is not Friends Only.