My ultimate goal is to publish a high fantasy (think Lord of the Rings) and have it appear on a shelf at your local Barnes and Noble. So I don't want the life of an e-book author that absolutely no one knows about (though I, of course, do not mind also publishing my book electronically). Even if the community of people who like my work consists of exactly 3 individuals, that's still more than what someone published through Amazon.com seems to have.
I was thinking that in order to guarantee myself a little bit of an audience (and see if I even stand a remote chance), is it a good idea to start out putting work on Wattpad (or similar sites)? Not the one I plan to publish but just another story I come up with that I don't care so much about. That way when I do get published I can already advertise to a group of people that have been showing consistent interest for however long.
I know publishers don't really like to publish work that is already available for free but since what I am trying to publish is something completely different from what I gave away I shouldn't encounter those types of problems, no? (And yes I know it's hard to get published regardless but I assure you that I am determined and not easily discouraged)
Added (1). I suppose another answer I am trying to ask is if this existing reader base will aid me in my path to publication?
Read more: I want to get published. Is this a good way to start?