החוויה המו"לית: בחינת תהליכי ההוצאה לאור של כתבי יד ספרותיים בספרים ובאתרי אינטרנט מנקודת מבטם של היוצרים

This article develops and probes the concept of "the publishing experience", which composes the interactions, occurrences, decisions and reactions that creative writers encounter during the process of communicating literary works to a wider public. This subject is especially interesting in an era when the cultural practice of writing literature without publishing it ("writing for the drawer") is disappearing and is replaced by publishing on various internet arenas. Applying "uses and gratification" theory alongside critical perspective on the publishing industry, this analysis follows three types of writers: those who published a (traditional) book, those who publish on the internet (literary forums), and those who made use of both platforms; All writers were examined during the three phases of publication: prior to the publication (writing and choosing the platform), during this process (posting or working with editors and publishing houses) and after the publication (reactions and reception). The findings, which were based on interviews with the different types of writers, show resemblance between the uses and the gratification of writers who used both platforms: the main objectives of such writers are to gain public recognition, to receive feedback and to experience internal change and personal development while acquiring new friends and colleagues. Nevertheless, although the gratification of those who publish on the internet is more immediate (due to the characteristics of the medium), it is clear that there is a significant difference in prestige between the platforms (writers on the internet wish to publish on print but not the other way around), that may reflect distinct experiences.