In general, when do you start looking to resubmit reprints? It never occured to me to start looking for new homes for published stories, but I came across an anthology geared towards one of my published stories. Is that generally the process or does anyone actually, actively seek out new markets for their old published stories? I hadn't thought of it until today when I came across the anthology on Duotrope.
I'm interested in an answer to this myself. I'm not sure how long is the norm to wait before you start submitting reprints again.
From what I understand, it's determined by the publication that originally published it, and the one you're submitting to. Check submission guidelines for each, and if in doubt, contact them both.
http://freelancewrite.about.com/od/legalissues/a/rights.htm
If you published it online and submitting to an anthology, usually you're okay.
The website that published mine didn't specify any rights so I shot the editor an email before I submitted it. I've definitely seen ones that specify a time frame for how long to wait, but I'm really curious as to how people treat their previously published work regardless of the different time frames.
funny you should ask. i've been looking into this myself lately. be sure to look at any contracts you have with any publications. most have rights revert back to you, but also ask for a time period, up to a year (or more) of exclusivity. if i have something in print that is hard to get, i like to try and get in online as well, eventually. there aren't THAT many places that are open to reprints, but i usually start considering sending stuff out again after about a year. so for me it's really about exposure. if i have it online, i'll try to get it in print. or if it was online and the site went down, or like i said, in print, but not online. i also have no problem giving anthologies reprints if they ask me for a story but aren't willing to pay anything. i offer up a reprint, and try to give them something that isn't readily available, where possible. but, saying that, i've published my vampire story "Transmogrify" in three anthologies, "Fireflies" in Polluto and online at Circa Review and had "Underground Wonderbound" in Vain and Noir at the Bar.
hope that helps, and answers your questions.
ps: i often push to get a story reprinted, republished if the first time out wasn't that successful. maybe it was only online for a short period of time, and then the site went down. maybe it was in print, but only a few dozen/hundred were sold and i want more exposure. stuff like that.
Ah, Richard, I knew/hoped you'd respond.
The idea of exposure is an interesting take on it. I published Answers through ThunderDome Magazine because I really, really enjoyed the mag and it's only been read about 300 times. That's not bad at all for my third publication, but I fucking love the story and do want it to be read more. I didn't even think of that as a reason.
Is the pay even worse on reprints?
usually pay IS less on reprints. i've seen .03/word reduced to .01/word. i've also seen anthollgies that didn't differentiate. most places want exclusive content, some even when reprinting. some are happy to reprint it if it isn't available anywhere else. some don't care at all, just want the story.
i just did a quick search of my Duotrope favorites list, some 300+ publications, and pulled up 31 places that accept reprints. 6 are professional pay, 10 are semi, the other 15 no pay at all. now, when i go to a place like Shock Totem, and look at the guidelines, they say .05/word for original, and .02/word for reprints. which seems pretty typical. Lightspeed only pays .01/word for reprints, and it can't be available online anywhere.
huh, i may have to send out some more reprints. lol.
I've just found a few new (to me) markets that PAY for reprints:
Pseudopod $100 short story / $20 flash
Podcastle $100 short story / $20 flash
Drabblecast .03/word
Not sure why these are all podcasts/audio formats, but they all pay. I think it's because most publishers don't ask for the AUDIO rights, like, EVER.
I often submit a reprint if an editor from a publication that doesn't pay solicits me.
If a place has exclusivity on a story, the time period hasn't passed yet, but you still want to submit it elsewhere, it probably wouldn't hurt to contact the place to ask for permission.
^definitely on that, bradley, offering reprints when they don't pay or are a small market. if you have any doubts about permissions, for sure, ask. most grant them back to you upon publication, but some will hold them for a few months, maybe a year. somebody (Esquire?) holds them FOREVER. but i think the reason that those three are AUDIO is that most contracts don't even mention audio rights, seems like a loophole.
I assume nobody actually holds rights forever. Perhaps the author loses the rights to sell their story to another publication, but I can't see a place telling an author that he/she can't reprint their work in their own collection. Although I figure places like that won't allow it to happen for a year or two.
