“Where Should I Be Writing Online?”

One of the most common questions writers ask is, “Where should I be writing and publishing online?”

The answer is: anywhere.

Most people don’t know that 50 Shades of Grey, one of the best-selling novels of all time (it pains me to write that sentence) started on a little-known internet forum called http://www.fanfiction.net. Or that The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, the orange book that dominated every bookstore from 2016 to 2020, started as a viral blog post. Or that The Martian, the sci-fi novel by Andy Weir that went on to sell 3 million copies, get adapted into a film, and gross $630 million in sales, started as a $0.99 cent eBook on Amazon.

The platform is not what dictates success.

One of the things I preach adamantly on the subject of online writing is that publishing on your blog is like showing up to a street race in a horse and buggy. Social platforms today provide faster feedback loops, wider and more targeted distribution, and the ability to practice your skills in public.

HOWEVER, the platform is a reflection of the writer — not the other way around.

Does writing on a fast-moving platform help? Sure. Would it behoove you to write in a social environment that’s growing like…