Do you have a story written and you'd like to share it with the world? Don't worry! There are plenty of websites you can put yourself out on before trying to go through a real publishing firm and all that jazz. Here are a few websites to get started on:
Original content:
- Wattpad
- Wattpad is a self-publishing website that protects your writing through the common copyright laws. You can choose which one to label your story to make sure other authors don't steal your work! There are several contests held year-round in different categories (romance, sci-fi, etc.) that you can win prizes for! There is also the annual Watty Awards contest for the writers aspiring to bigger things. Many authors on Wattpad go on to self-publish their books for a profit later on after amassing a large enough fan base.
- FictionPress.com
- FictionPress is a lot simpler than Wattpad in that it's more of a simple sharing website than an official online-publishing website. Here, you can also garner a fanbase; however, your work isn't as well-protected as it is on Wattpad. If you're just looking for a place to put yourself out there, this is a good website to start on!
Fanfiction content:
As aforementioned in a previous article, "What is Fan-fiction?," these are two websites where you can share your written works online! These websites, however, are geared specifically towards fan-content. Both are still useful for garnering attention to your style, and might even help your original work get recognition faster!
Self-Publishing:
- Kindle Direct Publishing
- After you've collected an audience of readers and built up your confidence, you could go onto self-publishing for a profit. Through KDP, you won't have a physical copy of your story, but it will be available on Kindle Books for purchase, and you name the price! It might seem daunting, and perhaps even a little disappointing at first, if you don't make bank immediately, but it provides a great experience and shows you just how much you can really do on your own.
Good luck to all you aspiring authors out there. Go forth with your debut on the Internet!
