If you had...

[NicoleZ]

...written a story with over a million views and several tens of thousands votes, would you:

* Immediately get an agent and try and go one better?

* Kick yourself because you've potentially cost yourself millions of $$$ by publishing on an internet site?

* Dine out on the fact for the rest of your life and remind everyone of your accomplishment on a daily basis?

 

[sr71plt]

If your story had already gotten a million views, an agent wouldn't be interested in it--it's readership had already been exhausted.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

None of the above.

Success at LIT points to a rut. I aim to improve. I cant name one LIT story that's a monument to quality. Plenty here are commercial grade but none write masterpieces. I aim for a masterpiece.

 

[sr71plt]

What an arrogant ass you are, JBJ--with a writing ability that doesn't back you up no matter how many "how tos" you read.

 

[TamLin01]

None of the above? I don't think we can assume that success attracting readers for free on the Internet necessarily translates into similar interest on another platform. And really, who cares? If I wanted to write for a living (fiction, that is) I'd be putting all of my energy into that. Instead I'm writing here, and so is everyone else. Nothing's stopping us from going out and trying to market ourselves professionally.

 

[Handley_Page]

You forgot one:

# sit back and relax in the knowledge that your are truly appreciated for your work.

 

[Kantarii]

You forgot another one - become an self - centered egomaniac like some people on this site doKant

 

[oggbashan]

You wouldn't have potentially lost millions of $$$.

Those who publish for money rarely make enough money to exist on. Only a small percentage of published aothors become wealthy. Most would be better paid for their time slinging burgers.

 

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

You forgot one:

# sit back and relax in the knowledge that your are truly appreciated for your work.

I guess this would be me. Like others mentioned already, success on a site where people can read your story for free isn't really a reflection of how well you would do if you tried to sell your story. It does mean that you are at least a decent writer and that people like reading your stories, which you could see as a reason to try and publish one of you stories, but generally the audience changes once they have to pay to read a story and you would have fierce competition from other writers.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

If our stories were worth much publishers would be looking for us.

 

[Desiremakesmeweak]

Publishers? What 'publishers?!'

You mean like Rupert Murdoch?

I'm not that good at writing 'The Hitler Diaries JBJ Re-Mix...'

 

[Hypoxia]

If I had a zillion views and votes, I'd be quite happy. But try to monetize that? Naw, it's too much like work.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

Publishers? What 'publishers?!'

You mean like Rupert Murdoch?

I'm not that good at writing 'The Hitler Diaries JBJ Re-Mix...'

Fuck yourself, dear. Did 'Illary' peg you, and make you fall in love?

The world needs 50 shades of PILOT.

 

[TxRad]

If our stories were worth much publishers would be looking for us.

Who says they aren't? Or at least looking at us.

 

[Areala-chan]

How about 'beam to myself for a little while then get depressed because it would be unlikely I'd replicate that level of success'. Yeah, I'm going with that one.

 

[Ezrollin]

How long was your story? A typical fiction novel is about 80,000 words. Writing a popular short story that's free is one thing. Writing a full-length novel that will sell is quite another. If you wrote one you should be able to write another. This isn't a criticism, use it as a motivation.

 

[sr71plt]

Who says they aren't? Or at least looking at us.

Yep, so far I've had three paying publishers and two other story sites (including one that paid me for my first 100 stories posted there) pitch me based on my stories posted here.

 

[TxRad]

Yep, so far I've had three paying publishers and two other story sites (including one that paid me for my first 100 stories posted there) pitch me based on my stories posted here.

Only one publisher for me but it has branched off into two very different divisions of the same company. It's not a living but it sure has increases the longevity and level of my retirement.