by Paul Rance

Created on: May 19, 2010

It is easier to get published online, though the definition of what an online publisher is can be a little blurred. If a blogging site is classed as a publisher, then anyone can be published online, of course.

Getting your writing into print brings more kudos - even if you are publishing a book or booklet yourself, because that shows that you are serious about your writing. Putting up work in a blog, or even being published by an online company will not seem so impressive, because ask someone to name a book publisher, and then ask them to name an online publisher.

There are reputable publishers who specialize in just publishing online, though their reputations are nowhere near as big as print publishers, who may also publish online as well. If you are published online by the latter type of publisher, then that would be the exception to the general rule that being published online is not so impressive as being published in print.

The internet is still very young, and the online publishers will probably catch up the print publishers regarding prestige, but that will take time. Print has been the most popular way of publishing for several hundred years now. That is not going to change overnight. Amazon's Kindle is making great strides, and it'll be interesting to see how that changes over time. Will people prefer to look at a computer screen than feel a book in their hand?

Another problem with online publishing is promotion. Even if you find a good company who are willing to promote you to the hilt, you are still facing a lot of competition from an enormous amount of writers on the net. A lot more competition than in the world of print. By all means use the net to promote yourself. That is very important today, and it is probably a better idea to publish and promote your work yourself on the net - unless you are lucky enough to find an online publisher with an exceptional reputation. But, far better to explore all the avenues available to you - including print.

There are many ways to attract the attention of online and print publishers. If you were a hit on YouTube reading your work, then that would do the trick. But if you were offered the chance to be published online, or in a beautifully printed book, which would you choose?

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