You want to get your work out there. You want to gain an audience. You want to build a platform. And so you post. It’s so easy. There are countless platforms and opportunities from personal blogs and websites to sharing sites, like Wattpad, not to mention digital media outlets. The problem is reckless posting can undermine your ultimate goal.
Most publications, agents and sites will not accept work that has been previously published. But what does that mean? What is “previously published”?
The rules for digital publishing are changing, but currently literary journals and agents typically reject work that has appeared online or in print. This means any material exposed to the public in a meaningful way, read: where the public can read it, i.e. on the Internet. Here are some ways you may be hurting your chances at getting that acceptance letter from publishers and agents:
Posting work on your website.
Now we’re not talking about posting an excerpt of a longer work, like a novel. By all means, post a scene to drum up interest. It’s a great way to market your work. But if you post a short story or poem, then many will consider the work as already “published” and reject it. This means rejecting your chances of gaining wider exposure. Be careful how much you post. The best tactic is to wait until the piece is sold and ask what part you can post.
Posting your work serially, such as on Wattpad.
Any work put out there for the public to read is “published” and would not be accepted by most agents or publications. The problem with sites like Wattpad is that while the writer is making the work available for readers to enjoy, doing so makes it harder for a publisher to find new readers who would be willing to pay for the privilege of reading something that exists online for free. That is why it’s considered “previously published.” The beauty of sites like Wattpad is that writers can build an audience, learn what readers like and dislike, and share their work. It is best to use sites like those to learn and test the waters, but create a piece for that purpose. Consider writing a prequel for your novel or a short story in the same universe or with the same character. If you want to publish the novel traditionally, stick to beta readers and off-line situations.
Posting on social media.
This is the same situation as above. If you post your story in its entirety, or even substantially, you risk being rejected. Even if you choose to self publish your work, you will face the same issue as traditional publications: how to entice readers to pay for something already available for free.
Posting on critique sites for writers.
Like the previous two scenarios, sites that allow you to post your work for reaction is the same as publishing the work. You have put it into the public realm and thus rendered it published. This is especially true if you are posting a substantial portion of the work or the entire piece. While not all publications will oppose these types of sites, you need to do your research before you post. Check publication and agent guidelines before you act.
Publishing anywhere, even in a tiny, local publication.
Yes, those local papers count. So do school journals and tiny arthouse magazines. Some agents and publications will still accept work if the print publication was not available online and had a low distribution, but you have to be honest. Include the publication and details in your pitch and let the agent or publication make an informed decision.
What if you’ve already posted the work somewhere? Can you delete the work and then submit somewhere else?
No. No, you cannot. Nothing is ever removed from the Internet. Even if you delete it, you have left a digital footprint for that work and an editor could find it. This would be bad for you. In effect, you would be caught lying to an editor, which is unprofessional and unethical. If you’ve posted a piece, move on. Write something new for publication and learn from your mistake. Or seek out opportunities for that work in publications that accept previously published pieces.
What if I sell the work? Can I post it then?
Still no. At that point, you will have a contract that involves copyrights. These rights give the publication or digital outlet the right to distribute. The rights vary from contract to contract, so read it. Know how the copyright is being handled in your contract, and then honor the terms. Posting work that is under contract is a breach of contract and illegal.
So how do you gain exposure for your work if you can’t post it?
The best way is to seek traditional publishing or digital outlets and then add a link to your work instead of the piece itself. The effect will be the same as posting the article, essay or short story but without violating the copyright.
In the next blog, we’ll talk about the options you still have available if you have published a piece. All is not lost.