Writer A.C. Crispin tells you if it's worth giving your work away for free online:

There are tons of "post your work here" sites on the internet. Some are incredibly sleazy, others are a little nicer looking. The main things they have in common are these:

1. They will post anything, no matter how poorly written. There is no editorial gatekeeping involved.

2. They tell you that the feedback you'll get from posting on their site will help you become a better writer.

3. They all ask for money from you, the writer (or reader). Either in the form of donations, or as a subscription.

4. Some actually go so far as to imply that posting your work for free on their site, or even paying to have it placed there, will increase your chances of finding an agent or a publisher.

5. They all post your work in such a fashion that it's easily accessible to the public. Anyone can read and comment on it. When you post on such a site, most commercial publishers would regard your work as "published" even though you weren't paid for it.

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