100 sites for fiction writers: #39 - Scribd

This is an ongoing series looking at websites that can be of help to fiction writers with their craft and career.

Scribd

Those familiar with e-books and similar digital technology will have a pretty good idea of what kind of siteScribd is and how it works. But not exactly.

Scribd is a site somewhat like e-book sites in that readers can go to it and read lots of different documents, but the difference is that Scribd doesn't provide e-books one can download to an e-reading device. Instead Scribd utilizes its own iPaper technology, sort of like PDFs, that allows readers to look over documents on a Web browser.

The site has grown quite popular over the last several years, especially with writers.

How can fiction writers use this site? Well, you can upload your own documents, which means your novels and short stories. You have the option of allowing those documents to be read for free, or you can sell your documents to readers. Again, this is quite similar to the e-book market.

If it helps, think of Scribd as an e-book site but the e-books can only be read online.

Though it's a little more tricky than even just that. See, Scribd also has plans in the works to allow smart phone users to use the site, which means the users could read documents on their smart phones. Yet again, kind of like e-books. In fact, Scribd just announced its new app for the iPhone.

Scribd also allows sharing of documents through Facebook and Twitter, which is a nice touch.

As writers are always concerned about finances, one has to ask: Can you get rich selling your products at Scribd? Probably not. But you can use the site for promotions and you probably will make at least a little money. At least your name and your titles will be out there in one more place.

Basically, Scribd is one more tool in the marketing and money-making tool boxes for writers. Look at it as a self-publisher's friend, though plenty of major companies and publishers are also using the site. Maybe you should consider checking it out.