I hear some employers and now checking prospective candidates' Facebook pages, before hiring.

How? You can only see a person's profile details if they accept you as a friend. The being sacked thing, I can understand, because any friend of that person could print out the page, or copy it, and use it as a case for libel.

and the first chapter of the novel

That sounds a good plan, Carol. One thing that some of the less internet savvy agents prefer not to see, though, is extracts of the actual novel you are submitting, posted online - some of them have very peculiar ideas about what constitutes self-publishing.
However, showcasing short fiction and non-fiction - especially pieces you've published and won prizes for - is definitaly worth posting, along with a bio.


- NaomiM

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And, on a general note, while it's worth mentioning a website in a covering letter, don't leave anything out of your submission expecting the agent to trot off and get it from the website, because those who are not interested, or don't have the time, simply won't bother and that will be detrimental to your submission.

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But if mentioning the website maybe just keep it to the website address. Don't make a whole song and dance about it, because it's still the opening chapters that count.

No, I wouldn't use it in lieu of any material. More as something I'd mention at the end of the cover letter. A kind of "If you're interested in seeing more of my work ..." sort of thing.

I didn't think putting the first chapter on my website would be a problem. Something to think about though. Any other opinions on this? I know putting an unpublished short story up would render it pretty unpublishable elsewhere, but I didn't think the same would apply to the first chapter of an unpublished novel. Maybe a bit less than the chapter? Just a taster maybe? I feel certain I've seen other writers post the starts of their novels in progress on their sites.

I put the pre-release first chapter of Unrequited on my website but I took it down after a while. My publisher are only a small US concern so they encourage you to do your own promotion. Worth checking though and if in doubt, I wouldn't risk it.

Emma, you're right. Wikipedia entries and X amount of fan sites probably preclude the need for a website of one's own?

I want a new super duper website with interactive areas and everything, but they cost.

JB

So JB, you're saying the book already had a publisher when you posted the chapter, right. I guess that would be the difference.

I did also think that having a website would give agents/publishers the sense that I'm someone who is happy to do publicity stuff though I can see how that might be jumping the gun a bit at this point!

I must admit, I wouldn't put anything that I was hoping to sell up on a website, whether it was a story or part of a novel, if I intended agents to see the site. And even if I didn't intend it, they might well find it anyway with a quick google. It could be useful for collecting anything else about you that an agent might be interested in, or which, as you say, Caroline, would suggest that you're at ease promoting yourself - other publications, competitions, journalism, or the bits of your CV which feed into the novel, for example...

Emma

Yes Carol, I wouldn't put up work that hadn't secured a publishing deal yet. For one thing, when you do find an agent, you don't know what changes you might need to make, maybe even including the title. For another, I think most agents prefer the work to remain as private as possible for a number of reasons. I know my agent was quite keen to know who had read my full MS and seemed relieved when it was only one other agent. Exclusivity and all that?

But I still think having some sort of web presence is a very good idea. Don't worry about it seeming too forward. Who dares wins?

JB

I was thinking about this some more and wondered why there should be a difference between putting the first chapter of my unpublished novel on my website and putting it up somewhere like Authonomy or YouWriteOn? My website is sure to have a lot less traffic. So why would it be a riskier thing to do? My sense is that agents/publishers have no problem with novel sections appearing on the sites I mentioned, so...?

I'm glad this has come up because I would have just put my first chapter on my site. Nice to hear the arguments for and against before I make a decision.

There is no good reason why you shouldn't put an opening chapter or two on your website, but Agents can be strange and funny creatures and some even baulk at sites like Authonomy and YouWriteOn, so go figure.



- NaomiM

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I suppose one way to look at it is, if JKR had put up a different opening chapter to Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone on a website, which betrayed some secret which was better kept for bk 7, it might have screwed up the series, and websites being open to everyone, copies would still be floating round the internet.

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I think it's more common in the US to put up a chapter or two because US agents deal in Queries, where you don't send the opening chapters. In the UK, however, you do, so there's no point in having them on a website.

The other thing I was thinking is that quite a few writers publish parts of their novels as short stories before they're accepted for publication as full novels. The first chapter of Richard Russo's Straight Man was a short story in the New Yorker and the first chapter of Aryn Kyle's The God of Animals was published as a short story in the Atlantic, for instance. Now, granted, those are impressive places to publish short stories, so maybe rules cease to apply if the publication venue is prestigious enough. Also, those are both literary novels where the possibility of the kind of accidental plot giveaway you described, Naomi, wouldn't apply.

And those are both American examples. Perhaps the attitude is different over there?

And those are both American examples. Perhaps the attitude is different over there?

Funnily enough I anticipated the question and posted an answer above.

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Also, as oyu say, they were short stories publishe in prestigous papers and so are all grist to the writers CV and so worth posting on a website.

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Another thing is, if at some point in the future you become a famous author, would you really want an early chapter to still be floating around for some reviewer to pick holes in?

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If, however, you are putting an opening chapter(s) on your website in the hope of attracting an agent who happens to be browsing the internet, then you would be better off uploading it on a site like Authonomy where such agents tend to congregate.

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There is also a temptation to put up an exciting extract from further on in the mss, if the writer is concerned that the opening chapters they have submitted to agents are a bit weak. Unfortunatley, taken out of context, without the buildup from the preceeding pages or chapters, those sorts of extracts tend to fall flat. Short stories are better formats in which to showcase such writing.

I had a publisher go and look at my website - which they must have got from my email address very small in the corner of the copyright page! Needless to say, it's now getting redesigned as it's not the best one for the book topic!

Colin - Your web-site was stunning, truly wonderful.

Inspiring.

All the best
caroline.