HOSTING F.A.Q
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[What pieces of writing are allowed?] faq01
[Who owns the piece?] faq02
[What content is acceptable?] faq03
[I also self-published a piece. Can you advertise it?] faq04
[Can you provide space for my own website?] faq05
[I have my own art, can I use it?] faq06
I know from experience that trying to find some place to show case pieces of original fiction is annoyingly tough. I posted chapters on forums, let my friends read things I wrote, and that was about it. Eventually, a friend built me a website and I used that as well. Now I've got my own website and I'd like to give other authors a chance to show off a bit of their own stuff. Here are the guidelines for submitting something to me;
[What pieces of writing are allowed?] faq01
Fiction is the short answer. Biographical pieces or factual pieces would not get the attention they deserve and I would recommend going straight onto lulu.com to consider self publishing. Fan fiction based on TV, games, movies and so on are also better placed elsewhere too. I have used FanFiction.net for my own fics in the past and feel they handle things very well.
The quality should be as high as you can manage. That's not to say that it has to be perfect. Part of the fun of a progressive story is learning as you go along. It helps to read through a submission more than once and change the size and font type used each time.
Progressive pieces are very encouraged, that is a steady release of chapters while still giving yourself time to check and prepare. Finished pieces of a very large length would not fit in so well (although you could split a finished piece into bi-weekly releases etc.). Short stories are also acceptable and would be considered.
[Who owns the piece?] faq02
You do, so provide whatever name you want to go by with anything you send me and it will be displayed in all the relevant places (including a general copyright notice similar to the one I use). If you want me to remove your pieces from the website I will oblige.
The only stipulation I would make is this; if you have decided to self-publish a book and as such no longer want content available to read for free from my website, at least consider leaving up a chapter or two as a teaser. This would also make me far more willing to support your publishing attempt and help out with advertising discussed further below.
[What content is acceptable?] faq03
This one I am still thinking about. I'm not sure how well a fictional sci-fi epic would fit in with my stories, but that's not to say I wouldn't consider giving the chance for that kind of thing to be shown off. For now I'll say all fiction will be considered but, for reasons similar to the one I just gave, it may not be accepted.
Bad language is fine, as long as it is justified within the story. This also applies to any sexual references and violence. Depending on how many people apply to me I may not have time to read through the whole of a piece so please try to include how you would rate the content of your submission and what age group it fits into.
[I also self-published a piece. Can you advertise it?] faq04
Again, that depends. If it started life appearing on my website progressively released then almost certainly yes. If you haven't showcased anything through my site but still want an advertisement I'm not sure about that and I would have to evaluate each request on a case by case basis.
[Can you provide space for my own website?] faq05
No, sorry. All I can offer is a tiny section of mine. If you want information on the host I use and what packages they offer; e-mail me.
[I have my own art, can I use it?] faq06
If you're far more talented than I and have created cover art or art of any kind to go along with your story then yes I can try to use it. Keep in mind; this is my first website and I'm still learning as I go, so accommodating to the sizes I'm using will probably be required.
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Questions & Comments: iandawson@destinedbooks.com