Best site for an online portfollio?

McChubbin

Seeing as how I can't currently log into my two FictionPress.com accounts for some bizarre reason, I'm currently looking around for a good site to host my upcoming works of fiction. I'd like to build up an online porfollio of work but I'm having trouble finding a good site to host original fiction.

I have several blogs but I'd prefer to work with a site layout similar to FictionPress. The easier to use, the better.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Also, please don't tell me to build my own site. I'm utterly rubbish when it comes to even the most basic web design. It's one of the reasons why I am considering a career change from multimedia student to full-time writer. I just need to find the right course but that's a different topic altogether...

EileenG

Why do you want an on-line portfolio? Surely that's the same as writing all those stories, and then just burning them. Once they are in the public domain, they are published, and no publisher is going to be interested in them. You've thrown away those stories.

McChubbin

Oh. Well then, what can I do to build up a portfollio to submit to prospective publishers? I'm completly new to the notion of getting my original work out there. I've published fanfiction before so I assumed the process was the same?

EileenG

As they say, "First catch your hare". Write something which has the possibility of selling, then go looking for a publisher who will publish it for you.

No agent or publisher is interested in someone with a portfolio. They want someone with a book that might be a bestseller.

If you think you have written a book which could be the next big thing, then go looking for an agent/publisher for that book. Only that book, not a portfolio. Make sure your book is edited and polished and ready to go. A first draft is not good enough.

There is a Write Club here on Boards which will give you feedback on something you are working on, without having to put it on a public website.

Does anyone actually manage to publish fanfic?

Danpad

McChubbin wrote: »

Oh. Well then, what can I do to build up a portfollio to submit to prospective publishers? I'm completly new to the notion of getting my original work out there. I've published fanfiction before so I assumed the process was the same?

I agree with approaching agents/publishers with one project rather than a whole portfolio. As for displaying your work on public sites, well there are good ones(affiliated to publishing houses) out there. If your writing shines and ranks high enough it may, at the very least, attract a solid review by reps from the publishers. Does this mean your writing is published? Well, I suppose technically perhaps but then again that would suggest every comment on this forum is published. Read the fine print on these sites. Make sure all copyright stays with you. Keep writing, keep polishing your writing and learn the art of query letters and synopsis writing until you're blue in the face.

Good luck