Online amateur fiction changing publishing format?

(J.K. Rowling's series Harry Potter has spawned over an estimated 1 million fan fiction series')

With the arrival of the internet and it becoming cheaper and more available to everyone in recent years, many previously unreachable mediums have become a reality, including that of the world of written fiction.

The nature of writing fiction online is very simple, meaning that literally anyone with a computer, phone or tablet and an internet connection and most importantly an imagination can write and post online with no added cost.

Another advantage of writing and posting online is the feedback that comes naturally, not just from friends but from the mostly positive wider audience. Granted there are and will be incidences of harsh criticism that comes naturally with the anonymous nature of the internet.

The most significant advantage of writing stories online is that it bridges the gap between trying to write and trying to be professional.  By offer a free alternative where people can publish their work, whether they are just doing it for a hobby, a simple fan fiction or just another way to sharpen their writing skills in their spare time. If their work gains traction it could give them enough experience and courage to consider it a career, which is most beneficial to the industry.

With the development of amateur fictions published online means that it is set rather differently to how a traditional book or eBook may be published. Generally chapters will be published in long scrolls of text, broken up into pages, but generally the chapters themselves will be quite short compared to traditional books and as such, the format overall is rather different. The pages are much longer, as a person will have no need to turn a page as often when they can just scroll down, similar to a news article. It will often have wider text as well, generally around A4 size, however this obviously does depend on the size of the screen it is being viewed on. Therefore, things like ‘mood’, or any surprises that the author is trying to kept hidden on the next page are not as much of an option for online books but this is hardly a major downfall, just difference in technology.

Sites like Fiction Press, Wattpad and FanFiction have become increasingly popular over the years as they gain both greater community interaction, as well as amateur authors looking for a place to share their work.

In an age where spelling and basic grammar skills seem to be considered an option when communicating it is good to see a free, easy creative outlet for people of all ages to express themselves.