Reprint Etiquette

Reprint

As soon as it's published. It will usually take from four month to six months minimum before the reprint market actually publishes it, anyway, so time isn't a factor.

I've even sold reprint rights well before the original market published something, but with the understanding that the reprint market would wait its turn.

Niggle said:

I'm back again with another idiot newbie writer question.

If you are submitting a story as a reprint, how much licence do you have to change the story from the version that was originally published? For example, if there is some part that you think could be improved, or you have to cut some words to make the story fit the reprint market's guidelines?

Thanks for any advice.

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Generally, you're perfectly free to change anything you like, but the final decision is always up to the editor.

If you really cut seriously for length, it's good to tell the editor you've done so. But market matters. Some reprint magazines ask for a manuscript version of the story, some want tear sheets, and some want both.

I sold a reprint to Cricket, and by the time I shortened it to fit Cricket's guidelines, the editor there considered it a new story and paid me a much better rate than I would have received for a reprint.

Tear sheets

Niggle said:

Thanks for the quick reply. I guess tear sheets are the physical pages on which the story actually appeared, are they?

That manouevre you pulled with Cricket sounds a good one, if you can pull it off.

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Yes, tear sheets are the physical pages from a magazine.

The funny thing about the Cricket deal is that it was teh editor's idea. I shorted the story, but she was the one who suggested it could be considered a new story because of the changes.

Niggle said:

I'm hoping that someone here can give some advice on selling reprint rights. In particular, I'm wondering how long after a piece first appears do you need to wait before beginning to shop it around as a reprint. Is there some "polite" interval, or can you start sending it out as soon as you have the initial acceptance letter in your sweaty mitts?

(Obviously, I know to stick to markets where the guidelines specifically give some glimmer of hope that reprint rights might be bought.)

Thanks for any help!

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The time interval you need to let pass before you can sell reprint rights is usually mentioned in the publication's contract. If you want to know before you get offered a contract, ask the editor.