So, you’re wondering how to get your fiction novel self-published online? Well, you’ve come to the right corner of the internet.
How you get your novel published is largely dependent on where you get it published. Here are our top ten recommendations for online fiction publishing platforms and how to get published on them:
Wattpad is commonly ranked as a top online self-publishing platform. Maybe it’s because they have a readership of 90 million or an epic suite of writer resources (including an entire YouTube course for authors on how to promote their work).
If you want to join the millions of authors who forgo traditional publishing and choose to self-publish on Wattpad, start by reading their FAQs to make sure this platform is right for you.
Pro: 90 million readers
Con: 70 million other authors
Radish Fiction has an impressive selection of high caliber fiction novels and short stories. Their platform’s mobile-first model makes them unique and particularly popular with younger audiences.
To get your novel self-published on their platform you must go through an application process and then be selected. But don’t worry first-timers, they’re looking for both established writers and emerging writers!
Pro: Very high quality fiction
Con: High standards, application process
Fictionate.Me (the platform you’re currently on) features everything from paranormal romances and horror novels to techy sci-fi and contemporary fiction novels. They’ve made it remarkably simple and free for writers to publish on their platform.
Oh, and the best part is, the authors choose whether or not to set their novels behind paywalls and receive full royalties for their work. Here’s a step-by-step guide to becoming a published author in the next half hour!
Pro: Free, simple platform, authors get full royalties
Com: Smaller readership than the other mega-online publishers
Join the world of fictional works by submitting your manuscript to Moonquill’s Publishing Program. The benefits of this online publishing platform is that authors are able to keep 50% or more of their royalties and are never asked to hand over their copyrights.
Moonquill’s team of experienced editors and graphic designers can also help with your manuscript and book cover.
Pro: There’s a team to help you improve your novel
Con: This lengthens the publishing process
Movellas takes the best of online publishing and combines it with the fun networking and communication opportunities of social media. Authors and readers can connect with one another to share ideas, like and comment on stories, and ask questions.
Once you join, you can begin releasing your novel chapter by chapter! Movellas also highlights new authors and awards stand-out writing through a series of creative writing competitions.
Pro: Young, hungry crowd
Con: Almost exclusively YA fiction
Publish your science fiction, fantasy, horror, romance, poems or short stories to Booksie and gain access to their millions of readers. Booksie is constantly looking for up-and-coming talent, so it’s a great place for first-time authors.
To join Booksie’s creative army of tens of thousands of authors, click the ‘+ Post Your Writing’ button on the homepage, create an account, and get started on their platform.
Pro: Great for first-time authors
Con: Rather basic user interface
This ‘home of web fiction’ is an online community of fiction authors, avid fiction readers, and cover art artists, all collaborating to create and enjoy literary adventures together. You can join their community by becoming a member.
Once you’re a member, you can begin posting your web novels and fan fiction to your heart’s content.
Pro: Their ‘customizable ad creator’ helps you market your fiction
Con: But it ain’t free!
Smashwords is an ultra-famous online ebook publisher and distributor that’s been around since 2008. Over 135,000 authors have been published on their platform and each receives somewhere between 60-80% of the net proceeds (if they choose to place their book behind a paywall).
Smashwords helps authors by providing free marketing tools and also hosts a Smart Author Podcast to help writers like you find success! Note, your novel must be fully complete to get published on Smashwords.
Pro: You can post anything on here
Con: You can post anything on here
Scribble Hub aims to set readers up for success. Once you register on the platform, you can click ‘create’ to begin your publishing process. Authors like this platform because of its social component, donations feature, ready-made statistics, and option to post stories chapter by chapter.
Scribble Hub doesn’t exactly offer a suite of marketing tools, but they do have methods for highlighting updated and trending novels. They also regularly post intriguing writing prompts to help authors break up writers’ block.
Pro: Easy to use
Con: No pay-wall option
Penpee is an online self-publishing site with its own token currency that incentivizes reading. On this website, authors can create a free account (which requires readers tokens to post and limits the size of your short stories) or a premium account (which gives you free credits, raises your commission, and allows for longer short stories). Either way, you can get paid for the fiction you write!
With regular short story contests, a global network of authors, an active leaderboard, and opportunities for bonuses, Penpee has an interesting model that works for many fiction authors looking to self-publish.
Pro: Everyone reads, even authors!
Con: Confusing publishing process and it’s really just for short stories
In Summation
This article was written for new and veteran authors wondering how to get their fiction novel self-published online. Our top ten recommendations were: Wattpad, Radish Fiction, Fictionate.Me, Moonquill, Movellas, Booksie, Royal Road, Smashwords, Scribble Hub, and Penpee.
We hope that, among those options, you’ll find one that perfectly fits your fiction manuscript and unique needs as an author. Best of luck, amazing author!