What counts as 'previously published'?

[Jazz Club]

Forgive me if this is a dopey question! I've seen on some agents' websites that they don't want anything that's been previously published anywhere, including online. By that I assume they mean they don't want a whole novel that's been up on Wattpad or Royal Road for months. It wouldn't matter if I put a chapter up for critique on a forum like this, would it? Or do you have to keep your whole novel off public forums and just hire beta readers if you want to try to get it traditionally published?

 

[veinglory]

Generally, they mean a part of the internet that does not require a password to access. So critique forums requiring membership to access are okay. But that is a general rule of thumb rather than completely universal.

 

[Jazz Club]

Generally, they mean a part of the internet that does not require a password to access. So critique forums requiring membership to access are okay. But that is a general rule of thumb rather than completely universal.

Thank you so much. I thought that might be the point of the passwords but wanted to check.

 

[AW Admin]

See

FAQ: Am I Using Up My First Publication Rights If I Post In SYW?​

 

[Jazz Club]

Thank you, appreciate it.

 

[Janine R]

See

FAQ: Am I Using Up My First Publication Rights If I Post In SYW?​

What about poetry? The entire piece appears in the forum. I’ve never submitted a poem for publication and when I look at the various submission guidelines some of them say must not have appeared online or on any website ?

 

[lorna_w]

What about poetry? The entire piece appears in the forum. I’ve never submitted a poem for publication and when I look at the various submission guidelines some of them say must not have appeared online or on any website ?

I've submitted poems I had up here (in prompt threads) and never had a problem.

 

[Janine R]

I've submitted poems I had up here (in prompt threads) and never had a problem.

Thanks lorna_w

 

[AW Admin]

What about poetry? The entire piece appears in the forum. I’ve never submitted a poem for publication and when I look at the various submission guidelines some of them say must not have appeared online or on any website ?

You can always edit your SYW post, or ask the subforum mod for that forum, or a Super or and Admin to remove a post when you've decided to submit or have otherwise gleaned all you can from a SYW thread.

 

[Janine R]

You can always edit your SYW post, or ask the subforum mod for that forum, or a Super or and Admin to remove a post when you've decided to submit or have otherwise gleaned all you can from a SYW thread.

Thank you

 

[Steve1965]

Do articles on professional websites/magazines count?

 

[lizmonster]

Do articles on professional websites/magazines count?

"Count" in what context?

 

[Jazz Club]

As previously published, I guess. I would assume websites and professional magazines would count as previously published, but I'm no expert. They're a little different from a critique group behind a password, like AW.

 

[Unimportant]

Do articles on professional websites/magazines count?

Yes. If the article is available to be read by the public or by subscribers/magazine purchasers, then it is published. Your contract will state what rights the website/magazine purchased and when/if those rights revert to you.

 

[phantom000]

I have a similar question about the setting for a story. I have several WIPs that have nothing to do with each other but they all take place in the same setting (some of them even reference locations and events in the other stories).

So if I published one of these stories, would the publisher retain writes to all the stories in that setting or would they only hold the writes to that particular story?

 

[Unimportant]

I have a similar question about the setting for a story. I have several WIPs that have nothing to do with each other but they all take place in the same setting (some of them even reference locations and events in the other stories).

So if I published one of these stories, would the publisher retain writes to all the stories in that setting or would they only hold the writes to that particular story?

That depends entirely on the wording of the contract you have with the publisher and how it specifies derivative or series rights; and I'm afraid that falls into the category of "We cannot give legal advice".

 

[FlightlessBird]

Forgive me if this is a dopey question! I've seen on some agents' websites that they don't want anything that's been previously published anywhere, including online. By that I assume they mean they don't want a whole novel that's been up on Wattpad or Royal Road for months. It wouldn't matter if I put a chapter up for critique on a forum like this, would it? Or do you have to keep your whole novel off public forums and just hire beta readers if you want to try to get it traditionally published?

My understanding is that a small portion of a larger work being exposed doesn't make the whole work published.

However, I am ultra-paranoid and get twitchy every time I offer so much as a couple of lines from a work that I hope to get traditionally published.