Issues with publication?

[Rivana]

Hey,
Been thinking about sending off some of my poetry to magazine and the like (paying kind). Trouble is, most of my stuff's been posted at either DeviantArt or here at some time. So I wanted to ask those old in the game -can I still get these published by paying markets somewhere? What do you think? Do I just send off the poetry even if the market wants unpublished stuff with a note saying it's been on the net before? How do you go about these things? I mean, how accepting are people? Should I just go for publishing my own book and get it out there or is there a chance that editors would consider these poems? Have you been in this situation? How did/do you handle it?
Grateful for help...
/Tessa

[veinglory]

Just IMHO but you could take it down now (I assume you probably have already). Wait at least 6 months, then submit. A certain amount of workshopping doesn't worry most places but having it easily and simultaneously available at an amateur site like devaintart is probably not a good look. Try and use membership-only workshops for future pre-pub work.

[Rivana]

Thanks. I've removed some stuff, but not all. *sigh* But I guess I'll have to. ^o^

[KTC]

Yes...usually I remove it before submitting. Occasionally I forget? Oops. I also write a lot of poetry that doesn't make it to forums before I submit. I occasionally get the two groups mixed up and find out only after acceptance that it's sitting on a forum somewhere...then I immediately get it removed and slap myself hard across the face as punishment.

[Rivana]

:D
I take it you don't tell people you might have put the stuff online before?

[KTC]

Ummm. **offers big phony smile as reply**

I have actually turned over a new leaf. I will not be posting anything that I wish to later publish. It was actually too complicated for me to keep things straight. I think it's the least I can do if I'm trying to get them to publish my stuff.

[Rivana]

Aww. That's so good of you.
*beams*
No, seriously...

;-)

Yeah actually, that initial thing sounds like something I might have considered doing otherwise, but my conscience probably couldn't take it, so I figure I should use a more honest path. Godliness and all that.

[kborsden]

i was published once...a long time ago...when i was still studying...since then no one wants to read my stuff. i was approached by a magazine whilst i lived in holland who wanted to print all my work in a continuing saga of poetry(i was into writing in themes then) i sent them a full anthology of poems entitled the appletree monologues. they were printed and i never, ever recieved any payment for what i had written. it seemed to be that there was a loophole in the dutch system that said that you gave up the rights as author upon handing over your work to a third party without representation. unhappy and begrudgingly i took things as they were. now, after living in wales for 2 years and persuing an ongoing lawsuit, i am finally recieving payment from the magazines...it's not much but i am glad to have it...i write poetry so that it can be read and enjoyed by whoever...but a little lucre would be enjoyable. i dont care if what i submit on tis forum is read or not, merely the fact that the option is there makes me happy. if i were to try and publish anything, i wouldnt give you guys a glimpse, no offence. my endeavours have made me distrustful of most...what you read here is my 'fun' poetry.

[poetinahat]

You can use the Poetry Critique forum to keep your work behind closed doors, but still workshop it here. (That's the reason it was created.)

Having said that, it's best to check with individual pubs to see what their restrictions are.

If you want any threads moved, please PM me; I'll be glad to help.

[scottVee]

Hi. Try not to give your work away as soon as it's done. I know, there's some excitement there. But publishers want to present new material to the world, things that have never been seen before, and once you've splatted it all over the web you can only sell reprint rights.

So it's good to hear that you're getting organized, that you got some confidence from the feedback you got on the web.

AFTER the work is published, and whatever contract terms have expired, the web is a great way to keep the work visible. And you have to decide for yourself what percentage you'd like to give away as promotional or traffic-building pieces. But going straight to the web before even trying for something better is just cutting off the best options.

I don't like the advice of removing it from the web and pretending it was never there -- it's not exactly honest.

At some point you get past the point of needing lots of comments, or workshopping everything, and you get to focus on getting your work "out there".

Best of luck with your submissions.

[Rivana]

Thanks poet.
kie<<< Damn that's rotten luck. Glad you finally got something out of it though. Once bitten and twice shy -I can understand that.

[Rivana]

Thanks Scott. ^o^ We'll see how it goes.

[kborsden]

need? it's not a need that drives us but the want to share...or atleast that's what goes through my mind anyway...i write in three languages and find that i can describe certain emotions better in one or other language. if writing about life in general i tend to write in dutch, any emotional stuff i prefer english...objectivity then it has to be german, i submit poems to large named magazines and agents across europe. my work is always ready to read and although most disagree with my stand point or preferred use of language, it remains so that it is ready to read, only trhe will is gone...the will of a buyer in econimic terms...

[veinglory]

I have discussed the previous workshopping of my poetry with the zine and book editors who bought them and not found it to be an issue yet (5/5 so far).

[Rivana]

vein<<<Did you only post in password protected places?

[veinglory]

For the last 3, yes--the first two were a small zines and they were happy with me having pulled the poems and waited some months. Googling no longer brought the work up. One of those two said I could have left them up--they did not think it likely that their readership overlapped much with the obscure poetry site I was posting on.

[veinglory]

By the way, I don't bring this up in the cover letter, but in the short bio I say something like "Emily develops her poetry through participation in the vibrant poetry workshops of XXXX and XXXX." So I am not hiding anything, I'm just not going LOOK THIS MIGHT BE A PROBLEM!!

[Rivana]

That's sounds like a good way to go about things. Thanks. :)