Hatrack River Writers Workshop: "published" on the web

This is topic "published" on the web in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by SpaceACE (Member # 1187) on :

A while ago, I saw a message that said how much of a story I could post online without it being legally owned by the site, or something to that effect. Lately, though, I haven't been able to find it. So my question is this: either,

a) Where did that message go? (Yes, I am fully aware that the message itself is probably where it has always been, and I am the one who is lost)

and/or

b) How much of a story can I post on a sight before it is technically, or legally, published?

Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :

I think the thread is gone--several people could not accept that if you posted on the web that the piece was "published"--they got rather nasty.

Basically once you have posted a complete work it is considered published by most publishers. This includes things on your site, a web site, a crit group, or a BB. Your best bet is to post no more than 13 lines of any given work and never to post a finished piece of work.

If you sell to a web publisher --and this included works submitted and accepted by a non-paying on-line mag---the first rights are gone. (even if the mag says you keep all rights). You do---but sadly many magazines consider the work already published.

But---think of this--suppose you send your story to an on-line zine--a non-paying one. Your story gets 90,000 hits. Whoa. That's a lot--when you consider that Asimov's SciFi and Fantasy has a circulation of 50,000. (I am sure they sell many more on the newsstand as well)

So--you send the story out for second rights---what a boost to be able to say it is previously published, but received this many hits. It can be a boost in a query letter as well.

Shawn

Posted by Vilim Vilimovich (Member # 1196) on :

Shawn: I'm new to this - what are 'second rights'?

Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :

When you sell a piece you sell first publication rights. When you sell the same piece a second time they are re-print rights or second rights to the piece. Sorry, I should have called them re-print rights to be more clearly understood.

Shawn

Posted by SpaceACE (Member # 1187) on :

Thanks. I think that covers it pretty well.