Selling a Story to Multiple Magazines/Websites

MissLorie

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I'm a blogger and Internet marketer and I recently "fell" into the more professional writing world. I have no idea what I'm doing.

I wrote an article on Hubpages about my dog, who almost died, and I also made a health PSA on youtube to help spread the word about her particular illness. I started out by messaging about 20 dog groups on Facebook in the hopes that they would put a link to the video or article on their page - some put the video up, most didn't respond. I then emailed a few dog related websites in the hopes they would do the same on their blogs. I ended up getting a quick response from two websites - one major site is having one of their staff writers do a column or blog post about my dog, another (a magazine) put my article up on their blog and has requested I write a feature for the actual magazine that will be printed for their summer issue. I will get paid for the latter.

This is all very exciting for me as I went into this simply hoping to get some folks to watch the youtube video. I was planning on emailing some other magazines and dog related websites to see if they were interested in the story as well... but I realize, heck, is it even kosher for me to do this?

The initial article and the video were created as a way to educate other pet owners about a very specific topic. It is still my goal to get the story in front of many people as I can. I had not expected to make any money off of this other than MAYBE adsense revenue at some point.

Am I allowed to push this story with other publishers/websites if I'm already writing for one (that won't even be printed for months)? Lets say it's not a good idea to use the same article, verbatim, on other sites or in other magazines - Am I allowed to write about the same subject and tell the same story on other platforms if it's written differently?

Also, to clarify, the writer's handbook/guide I got from the magazine publisher does not include any legal information on the rights to the story. I was planning on asking the publisher about it, but wanted to get some feedback from you all so I can go into it with more information than I would have otherwise.
 
Siri Kirpal

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Ask the publisher directly if you retain the copyright to your article. Whether you do or don't, if you ever use it again, you'll need to credit the magazine that published it first. And you'll need to get permission to reprint. If they are paying you for the copyright, then you will probably have to pay them to reprint.

You retain the right to the story itself and can write a different version and sell or publish it.

I know next to nothing about blogs and so forth, so others can help you there.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

JournoWriter

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Writing a different version of the story for another publication (yes, this includes blogs and websites) can be tricky. Think of it from the first magazine's perspective. It has paid you to write an article. Then a few months later the editor sees an article on the same topic by you in a competitor's publication. "Angry" is not going to describe the reaction.

It is perfectly acceptable for freelance writers to repurpose their reporting into articles for multiple publications. It's a way to increase your income. But you generally don't write for similar publications. If your article is about how to get into beach combing/treasure hunting, you don't sell versions to local beach magazines. You sell one version to a beach magazine, then you write a completely different story with a new angle to a magazine for summer camp directors on how they can incorporate metal detectors and treasure hunts into their program. You use the core information you've gathered, but the stories are different and for different audiences. (Do a web search for repurposing freelance content for more examples.)

In your case, it sounds like your goal is not to make money from your writing but to have the information reach as wide an audience as possible. You really won't be able to sell this article again (even a slightly altered version) to similar publications. The competing magazines won't want it either, once it's already appeared in Magazine One. You might, however, be able to interest them in writing an article themselves about your situation, though even that may be iffy depending on the timing and the relationship you want to have with Magazine One. If Popular Animal Website A comes out with a blog post interviewing you a week before Magazine One hits the stands, there will be fireworks.
 
cornflake

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Am I allowed to push this story with other publishers/websites if I'm already writing for one (that won't even be printed for months)? Lets say it's not a good idea to use the same article, verbatim, on other sites or in other magazines - Am I allowed to write about the same subject and tell the same story on other platforms if it's written differently?
Click to expand...

Yes and no. You're 'allowed' to try to sell a similar story to different outlets, but what you're talking about will, as JW says, mostly make people come after you with sticks and pitchforks. Using it verbatim is likely prohibited contractually, though depends on the pub.

You want to spread the word about this problem, but look at it this way - if you wrote a story for, say, Cosmopolitan, about how your bf fell into a lake, became a mermaid and then you two moved to Aruba, Cosmo would not be pleased, to put it mildly, if you also pitched a story to Elle about how your bf's change to mermaid caused you to rethink your life and move to Aruba to be happy.

If, however, you pitched a travel mag a piece about the process of moving from the U.S. to Aruba in a general travel-related sense, that's not likely to get peoples' ire up at all. See the difference?
 
veinglory

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In this situation I would suggest re-writing with a different angle for each publication. And if you have the story out in respectable channels you might want to skip using it as content (e.g. hubpages) for a while. This is you chance to channel people to you own site if they Google you after reading the story.

In this case we are only talking about one magazine. You should try to give them a magazine exclusive and have the full story not available elsewhere. But brief blog posts pointing to a video do not strike me as being too much of an issue.

In terms of a verbatim reprint, that is only okay of they specific accept the reprint. Most good markets are more interested in fresh material.
 

6gear

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Magazine Article

I share in Miss Lorie's experience and desire, and trust my post will share a common benefit.

I have a non-fiction story to self-publish, and retain all rights.

With regards to presenting a short story to a magazine for promotion and marketing, how does one determine a payment for it?

As I understand a stated Reply to this thread: it's fair game to publish in a multiple of magazines, as long as the content is fresh, or heavily revised.

I do not want sticks and pitchforks involved!

What about an exclusive article to one magazine, with a series, or progression of articles - teasers.

Is this a potential, or practical method?

Thank you.
 

JournoWriter

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What about an exclusive article to one magazine, with a series, or progression of articles - teasers.
Click to expand...

Very few general-interest magazines will publish a series of articles, especially by a freelancer. You would have to have an exclusive interview with Queen Elizabeth for something of that magnitude - and these days, the article would run in print with any extended coverage going online.

With regards to presenting a short story to a magazine for promotion and marketing, how does one determine a payment for it?
Click to expand...

The magazine will make you an offer.
 

MissLorie

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JournoWriter said:
If Popular Animal Website A comes out with a blog post interviewing you a week before Magazine One hits the stands, there will be fireworks.
Click to expand...

Does it make any difference that I wasn't paid for Popular Animal Website A? I wasn't interviewed either. I submitted it as an adoption story to a pet rescue site. The person that will be writing the article is likely going to be spun toward her being a rescue dog with information from my initial blog post/video.

Magazine One is not angled toward rescue dogs, so the story there is more about the illness. Also, the story has already been posted on Magazine One's blog, so they really were the first to "scoop" it.
 
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