I’m not sure what the problem was, but it worked clinking on the link in the post. Please try it again. Thanks Illya

Like the hardcopy novel, the site uses “found” objects (image, sound and text) and combines elements of sci-fi, poetry, historical fiction and the detective novel to tell the story of the Russian Futurist poet in a radically new way.
For this novel, I’ve been collaborating with a wonderful artist named Pelin Kirca, who, believe or not, I found through Craig’s list. Together, we created the animation, and a graphic version of my manifesto. We’re also collaborating on a modular multimedia space for book readings. And, I have a plan for curating a gallery exhibition around the text of my novel. If you enjoy it, I hope you will pass it along on your blog. Thanks.

@Eoghann: It may seem like a huge amount, but I’m trying to show here that as far as eyeballs are concerned blogs aren’t everything. There are a lot of things to read online – blogs being only a small portion of that.

@Chuck: Welcome to Novelr. I hope you enjoy what you find here. =)

@Max: No, I haven’t heard of Baen publications, but I’ll check it out. Sounds very similar to something we’ve been planning over at Novelr. *winks*

@Gavin: Spot on, as usual. I’d also like to point out that while quality is improving, we’re a long way to go with regards to being taken seriously as literature. I believe recognition will only come when that happens – film, for instance, was widely regarded as on the same plane as comics until some genius came along and made an artsy fartsy film. I think the same can be said for graphic novels – they really changed perception of the comic book medium as a whole.

PS: I LOVE THE LOLCAT! Great job, Sarah!

Actually, the thing that pushed me over the edge on that is that for a while now I’ve been performing editing and other document services, first for Scribendi and now on my own. You have no idea how much of an eye-opener that has been! There’s a lot of stuff that people have just not thought through to a reasonable conclusion. But there’s as much, or nearly as much, that just needs a little help to let the innate quality shine through, and that’s where my work comes in.

I’m working on a new website at http://www.cwgservices.com where I’ll actually have rates posted for different services. For now you get things like “I perform editing services and if you are interested contact me.” Check it in a month or so for something with a bit more definition.

Thanks, Novelr. I got here from Scott McKenzie’s response to my post on his “Rebirth” blog, where he’s just announced a new novel to commence next month. He pointed me to something he’d posted here a while back. This interaction is how it’s all supposed to work, I think. I’ll be back; I’m adding the RSS feed from this blog to my reader.

WE’RE IN UR PUTERZ

WRITIN UR NOVELZ!

Heh. Perfect. And, though having many other things to do, I’ve gone and made a lolocat for that. Ahem, yes…. but you’ll have to go to NovLounge to see it.

It is true that most people don’t want to spend all day at work in front of a computer and then go home and sit down at their computer to read a novel. But that’s missing an important point. My fans are doing their reading at work.

Think about it. Do you visit sites while you are at work to catch up on the latest news? It only takes a few minutes, right? You can do it on a coffee break. Well, that’s all it takes to read a chapter of one of my online novels. People drop in for a chapter or two each day. Once they have read my first four novels, they start on my current serial novel, reading three chapters per week.

And as far as editing…I edit and re-edit each chapter numerous times before posting it. Yes, I still have an occasional typo. But the readers are forgiving, as long as the errors are few and minor, and they don’t impact the story.

And quality is subjective. Visitors will decide whether they like your novel or not. If they do, they will come back. And if they love it, they will tell their friends about it.

For those who read a few chapters, like the book, but don’t want to read the rest of it online, I offer paperbacks versions.

So, maybe we’re missing the point. We know that people are reading less books these days. But they’re not READING less. They’re reading more—but they’re doing it online.

WE’RE IN UR PUTERZ

WRITIN UR NOVELZ!

hehehe

We’re a free alternative, where funding is something entirely voluntary, and decided by the audience. It goes directly to the artist, and isn’t soaked up by publishers and their houses.

What would you rather do? Spend $40 on a new hardcover by an established author, who’s probably recycling the same thing as last year in a different box? And then wait another year? Or read something new, creative and free, every day? Then, decided to pay what you thought it was worth directly to the creator?

We’re even more convenient than free libraries: we’re in your house, on your computer.

But then, there are hordes of bad writers out there in the old-model world. They just have a much more limited audience.

But the point is, people vote for quality with their feet (or their mouse in the case of online writing). Not everyone who has stopped by my world has stayed to read me. But several have.

I haven’t stayed with every piece of web-fiction or webcomic I’ve ever glanced at. Then again, the same can be said for the books I’ve read in the real world. There are plenty of authors I’ve read and said, not my cup of tea.

And I really think we overestimate the power of filters. There’s A LOT of crap that can be found on the shelves of Barnes and Noble. At least with my work, if you don’t like it, it hasn’t cost you anything but time.

Quality: Is NOT the problem people make it out to be. Literacy begets literacy. The more people write, the better they get at it. Daily posting causes writers to evolve. Audience interaction gives them feedback to aid this process. The more readers read, the higher their expectations become, and the more aware they become of what needs fixing in our writing.

Being an emergent art form, the vast majority of writers haven’t thought to come online. Most of them still want to publish traditionally. There will be a spectrum of quality, from good to bad, in online writing. There IS a spectrum of quality in the traditional model, from good to bad. But, because the vast majority of writers belong to the old model, they will have more good writers and more bad writers. They have more writers, period. But that will change with time, the more online writers seek to improve their craft and expand their audience.

Accessibility: again, solved by time. The Kindle, cell phones, and laptops are the first step. Give another generation the time to develop new technology, and you’ll probably have solar powered book panels that you can carry everywhere, look better than paper, and give you access to online libraries. Technology advances more rapidly than science fiction writers can imagine, and costs come down.

Time is all it takes. Our generation, and every one following us, is increasingly digital. The old model is slow, controlling, and benefits only the people who run it. A generation who uses Wikipedia and believes in the power of collaboration isn’t going to put up with the same model as previous generations.

In other words… Online fiction doesn’t even register in the public consciousness and that’s the point.

It’s not a knock on anyone who is writing this stuff but it’s not the same as being a successful published author.