Just posted the first chapter of my book. Any advive?

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  1. Chris Thrall profile image61
    Chris Thrallposted 14 years ago

    Hi. I've just posted the first chapter of my upcoming book. Has anyone done similar? Do you have any advice? Thank you

    1. tmbridgeland profile image82
      tmbridgelandposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I just started yesterday.  Best advice i have had so far is to make sure to link every chapter together, and to give a link back to the first chapter, so that people who find the middle somewhere can get to the beginning easily. Made sense to me. I'll be putting the second chapter up tonight.

      1. Chris Thrall profile image61
        Chris Thrallposted 14 years agoin reply to this

        Thanks tmb. Just read your chapter. Well done.

  2. Marisa Wright profile image85
    Marisa Wrightposted 14 years ago

    Personally, I don't think HubPages is the place to publish a whole book or even substantial chunks of it.

    If you've self-published the book elsewhere (such as on Smashwords.com), then publishing the first chapter here could be an excellent way to attract readers to buy it - provided it's a killer first chapter of course.

    However, if you want to publish the whole book on a website, you'd be much better to use a blog or your own site so that readers can subscribe to it.

    1. couturepopcafe profile image62
      couturepopcafeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Good advice Marisa.  Do you know anything about Scribd?

      1. Marisa Wright profile image85
        Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

        No, sorry!  I understand it's a mix of social networking and publishing - unlike Smashwords which is purely a place to sell your book.

    2. Chris Thrall profile image61
      Chris Thrallposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hey Marisa, thanks for your advice. Book is published december/new year by a Hong Kong publisher. Chapter 1 is a 'killer' if feedback is to go by. I'm trying to attract a pre-launch following to generate support. If you have time to go to my page and have a look I'd appreciate it. Thanks

  3. KristenGrace profile image60
    KristenGraceposted 14 years ago

    Well, I can't speak for everyone, but I've published my first ever novel on HP, and I've been getting a nice amount of reads/feedback over the past few days.
    Perhaps if someone was looking to make sales, it would be a different story - for me, I want feedback on my writing style, because when I do look to publish hard copies of future books, I want to know what people are looking for...
    Either way, best of luck, and like tmbridgeland said, just be sure to link chapters smile

    1. tmbridgeland profile image82
      tmbridgelandposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I have gotten the best response of any of my hubs for my first chapter. Kinda amazed, really. Put #2 up tonight. Who knows, maybe someone will click a random ad.  :--)

    2. Chris Thrall profile image61
      Chris Thrallposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Kristen. Please feel free to comment on my chapter if you have time

  4. sharanya dinesh profile image60
    sharanya dineshposted 14 years ago

    ALL THE BEST. no harm in trying. Give it you best shot.

    1. Chris Thrall profile image61
      Chris Thrallposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you

  5. psycheskinner profile image77
    psycheskinnerposted 14 years ago

    Did you make your publisher aware of this?  If you have a good publisher with marketing staff they will want to know what you are doing and will have the best advice.  Do they hold electronic rights, first publishing rights?

    1. Chris Thrall profile image61
      Chris Thrallposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Not this page exactly, but publisher is happy I'm doing all I can to promote the book. It's in my contract to have a blog or website - publisher likes both of these and my Facebook page (which he will link his followers to) as well. It's an independent publisher specialising in Asian non-fiction, so there's no 'massive' marketing team at my disposal. Pub has worldwide rights but nothing in the contract refers to electronic rights. Please feel free to read my chapter (there's more on my website) and join my FB support page. I'd appreciate it. Many thanks for your kind reply.

  6. psycheskinner profile image77
    psycheskinnerposted 14 years ago

    It's always a good idea to keep the publisher clued in.  I know my publishers need to approve excerpts in advance and they must be edited and from the book.  They want excerpts to look good, but not give too much away for free.

    1. Marisa Wright profile image85
      Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I think this is the fundamental point.  If people can see you're steadily giving away more and more of the book for nothing, they'll think the whole thing is going to be published online eventually, and just sit back and wait for it instead of buying.

      A good strategy would be to write articles on places like Infobarrel, YouSayToo, Snipsly, Xomba, etc - not excerpts from the book but a "blurb" about it, with a link back to the first chapter here on HubPages.

      1. Chris Thrall profile image61
        Chris Thrallposted 14 years agoin reply to this

        Thank you. I only plan to put a chapter up here. I'll have a look at those sites. Thanks

  7. psycheskinner profile image77
    psycheskinnerposted 14 years ago

    My advice would be: don't beg people to support your book.  They don't care if your book is successful or not, that is seeing things from your point of view, not theirs.  Give them some background, engage them in the subject, and leave them wanting to know more.  Have links to the publisher and facebook page just be there for them if they want it.

    1. Chris Thrall profile image61
      Chris Thrallposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, psycheskinner. That's good advice. I'm planning to call the publisher tomorrow, so I'll bring these points up. Appreciated.

 
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