: How would my work being available online affect my chances of a book deal? Preferring to peddle my Science Fiction manuscript to a Literary agent, may well be an impossible dream. In which

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As with any self-publishing project, there are two answers.

If your self-published version becomes a big success - which will require relentless promotion on your part - it will be easier to get a traditional publishing contract.
In any other scenario, it will make it harder because you'll no longer be able to offer first publishing rights.

Either way you don't want to launch an ebook just because you think it will be a bridge to a contract - you should do it if (and only if) you legitimately think you can make it a success on its own terms.

If you have a pre-existing online fan base and/or access to an active social network, it's quite likely your book would do better as an ebook than if placed with a traditional publisher. But don't think simply placing something online means people will read it (even if its good).

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It would depend on the publisher. Some publishers like to publish work that already has an established fan base because it helps them in the long run and they already know how the work will be received. Fifty Shades of Grey is a good example (not of writing but of work being published online first) - it was initially published on a fan fiction website. This didn't deter the publisher. The backing of a major publisher inevitably helped the book to get out there, but with a built-in fan base that increased their likelihood of picking it up, too.

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