Publishing, Short Stories, and Worldbuilding

Darkshore · Jun 29, 2011

R.I.P. Oxford Comma. Any way I was just wondering about short story "worlds". My current short story that is being mercilessly edited at the moment has an entire world and history behind it. Now if I sell this story will I still be able to use the world for other short stories? Should I try and publish them all at the same place? Do I retain the rights to my world? Just a few questions I figured some of you might have already experienced. Thanks for any info.

allz28 · Jun 29, 2011

You are still able to use the world in other short stories and you don't have to keep publishing all your related pieces at the same place. Whether you do so or not, doesn't really matter.

The benefit to writing multiple stories in the same world is it creates a common link if you ever want to later market the stories as a collection.

You will retain the rights to your world (at least to the same degree that C.S. Lewis owns Narnia).

Darkshore · Jun 29, 2011

Great

. That's good to know cause I've put a lot of work into making the world.

niknicnac · Jun 29, 2011

Glad you asked. I've been wondering the same thing. Only I was wondering if you could publish the short stories you use for character building in a novel. Would you run into issues with rights when you get ready to publish your novel?

allz28 · Jun 29, 2011

It really depends on what rights you sign away with the short story publication.

99.9% of the time you are giving "first rights" and sometimes the rights to maintain the story on their website indefinitely or to include the story in later anthologies.

Just be sure to read through the contract before signing it.

But I've never encountered one that would give an author any legal issues with later using their work in a novel.

Jamesaritchie · Jun 30, 2011

It's no problem.

jaksen · Jun 30, 2011

Jamesaritchie said:
It's no problem.

Amen.

And having sold nineteen stories in one 'world,' I hope to keep going on selling them. When a TV producer expressed interest in buying the stories, I checked with my publisher and they said go ahead, they're yours and the 'world' that goes with them.

Unfortunately, no TV series. :-(

But the world I created is still mine.

Publishing, Short Stories, and Worldbuilding

Darkshore

Stranger

allz28

No Stranger To Rejection

Darkshore

Stranger

niknicnac

allz28

No Stranger To Rejection

Jamesaritchie

jaksen

Caped Codder