I've had several novels published on the Internet and would like to pitch them to agents. Would they be reluctant to take them on because they have been published on the Internet?
Your subject line in this email said "ebook rights". We need to be clear here: publishing on the internet is NOT publishing an e-book. Don't get all hot under the collar till I explain.
E-books are a specific subsidiary right of your "publishing rights bundle". E-books are downloaded to your ebook reader, or some other form of like your blackberry. Putting something up on the internet is NOT the same as having an ebook. You know this cause you know that Miss Snark's blog is not an ebook.
What you're asking is if you "publish" your novel to a website will agents still be interested and have you surrendered any of your rights. Answer: maybe and maybe.
Agents are interested in quality writing. If Stephen King sends 500 words to the Miss Snark Writing Contest, I can guarantee you people will be interested in publishing it despite that first appearance.
On the other hand Random House isn't knocking on Miss Snark's door begging her for world rights for her pearls of wisdom (fools! fools!).
Quality, quality, it's all about quality.
If an agent finds your work on the web and offers you representation, and sells the work, the fact that it's been published on the web does have an affect on which rights can be sold. I always forget which ones (it's in the audio bunch I think) but that's what contract review specialists are for.
Bottom line: when you query an agent, don't say the work has been published because it hasn't in the sense that agents use the word "publish". Do tell her/him it's been made available on the web.