Previously Published Story Question

I don't believe there are any strict rules regarding this, but you're free to do whatever the heck want provided you're not in breach of any contract (and you wouldn't be, assuming you only sold 1st publication rights)

Story

This is an mpossible question to answer, largely because the answer lies in the eyes of the editors involved. If you sold all rights to a story, the editor who owns those rights can be very picky in letting you claim a rewrite is a new stroy.

If you still own reprint rights, the new editor will have her own opinion on whether or not the story is new.

Many years ago, I sold a short story to Sports Afield. A few years later it occured to me Cricket might also like the story. I submitted it, and the editor liked it, but said it was too long for Cricket, so I cut abour 1,000 words, and eliminated one character.

When the editor read it, she said, "I think we can consider this a brand new story, rather than a reprint."

At other times, editors have reacted the opposite way.

The important thing is to be honest aboutteh story's history when submitting it to a new magazines. The editor has the right to know whether or not some version of the story has been previously published, and to make her own decision about whether what she's seeing can be considered a new story or a reprint.

With all of the weight my second post can deliver, which is miniscule at best, I'd advise against it. The way you describe it seems a little like copying yourself. The temptation may be strong, especially if new ideas for stories are hard to come by. But sometimes it's best to put finished pieces behind us for good, particularly if they've been published. There's no sense in stirring up old bones that are better left interred.

Of course, if you retain the rights, selling the same work to other pubs is very much in your favor, and should be pursued.

I have no way of knowing, but I'd bet you could write a much better piece than what you delivered several years ago. Then you could use the other story as inspiration for a new one that will take you in directions the older piece could never show. This may not be possible with a simple rewrite.

No matter what you decide, I wish you the best of luck.

I defer to Mr. Ritchie completely, and wished I had seen his post before my reply. He includes excellent points worth considering.

Try...

submitting your new version to a carefully chosen market, preferably one where you know the editor!

Include a polite letter explaining that x years ago this story was published by *** magazine but you were never satisfied with it and have rewritten it completely. You also mention that you are offering reprint rights.

My editor, like JR's, accepted it as a new story and paid me for 1st Rights.

Why sweat it?

Words are not a finite resource. Write something new.

story

Mike Coombes said:

Why sweat it?

Words are not a finite resource. Write something new.

Click to expand...

I genrally agree with this. I think the only time to tamper with a previously published story is when an editor with a checkbook pays you to do so. I submitted that old story of mine to Cricket as a reprint, and it was only after the editor said she wanted to buy it that I reworked it to fit what she wanted.

Don't worry.

The blokes are only nit picking.

Of course they'll have written a story somewhere back in the mists of time that was a great idea, but their writing skills weren't up to writing it the way the idea deserved.

Bet you they rewrote it a little for another market.

We're writers, yes? We like to write things perfectly and our writing skills improve with experience. I'm just sending out stories to their last markets which are on-line. I've altered all of them, the alterations ranging from a couple of words to several paragraphs.

MC and JR always glump. Take 'em with a pinch of salt when they get after you!

pdr said:

The blokes are only nit picking.

Of course they'll have written a story somewhere back in the mists of time that was a great idea, but their writing skills weren't up to writing it the way the idea deserved.

Bet you they rewrote it a little for another market.

We're writers, yes? We like to write things perfectly and our writing skills improve with experience. I'm just sending out stories to their last markets which are on-line. I've altered all of them, the alterations ranging from a couple of words to several paragraphs.

MC and JR always glump. Take 'em with a pinch of salt when they get after you!

Click to expand...

If that story written back in the mists of time was a story good enough to be published, you can bet we didn't rewrite it and look for another market. There's no need to do so, and the time spent is counterproductive.

Now, I, too, may rework a sentence here are there when an old story finds a new home, but this has nothing at all to do with what the poster originally asked. Madderblue wanted to know about rewroing a story so much it counts as a different story or article. I've nver done that unless I've been paid specifically to do it, and never will. It's immensely wasteful.

And we weren't glumping. We were simply telling the truth. Trying to turn previously published short stories into different stories altogether is just not very smart. It's the hard way of going about things.

Then again, even back in the mists of time, my writing skills were always up to writing a story good enough to make the idea proud. The very first short story I ever wrote sold for very good money, it's still selling, and will become a novel in the next couple of years.

'There there!

I didn't really mean it...'

Now, don't glump, JR, I'm sure you are a genius but you are also of the genus USWASP and I'm a Kiwi who does occasionally stir!