Forum / Submitting work posted online?

• Frankie Saxx

  Nov 07, 10:20pm

  First, apologies if this has been discussed to death. I couldn't find a search box for the forum so...

  I've started considering submitting some of my stuff and a lot of the guidelines say they don't want previously published stuff. Does that extend to work I post here or at my blog, work that would only be seen by maybe a hundred people on the planet (and only then if all the stars are in alignment and I've sacrificed the requisite LOLcats to the internet gods) or would it be okay to post those things and submit them too?

  Thanks in advance.

  your pal,
  Frankie

• 
  James Claffey

  Nov 07, 10:38pm

  it's a gray area. some places don't consider it published to be on FN, but some do. look over here for a list of places that are FN friendly:
  http://fictionaut.com/forums/general/threads/976

• Frankie Saxx

  Nov 07, 10:46pm

  Thanks, James.

• Frankie Saxx

  Nov 07, 11:19pm

  One more newb question. Should I specifically say if something's been on my blog or here? Or is that TMI?

• 
  Joani Reese

  Nov 08, 01:22am

  Before you send a piece out for submission consideration, take it down, both from here and your blog. There really is no need to mention anything posted here or on your blog that no longer exists in either place. However, if a venue is VERY CLEAR about not accepting pieces that have ever appeared anywhere online, be professional, and don't send your previously shared work to them. There are few places that are that picky these days, but there are some. No sense damaging your reputation through irrational exuberance.

• 
  James Claffey

  Nov 08, 01:45pm

  yes, i agree with joani. no need to say anything. good luck!

• 
  Nicolette Wong

  Nov 08, 04:30pm

  For some editors - myself included - anything that's "searchable" online is considered published. But if it's out of sight...I think most journals wouldn't mind it.

• 
  Tina Barry

  Nov 08, 05:35pm

  I save myself the hassle and only post something on the main page after it's been published, and if I want feedback on a work in progress, I'll post it in a private group.

• Frankie Saxx

  Nov 09, 11:21am

  You guys are awesome. I sent a couple I posted here to Bad Robot Poetry & they took them. Thanks.

• 
  writer

  Nov 10, 01:14pm

  Keep in mind that if you delete something from your blog, it may still be searchable online, as some websites just vacuum stuff off the web to reassemble in one place. (I forget what those are called just now. Aggregators or some such.)

  Had this problem with one of my pieces. I had to change the title and do a lot of revision but finally, was able to send it out and get it published. You can search random paragraphs or verses of your work to make sure it isn't out there some where.

• 
  RW Spryszak

  Nov 10, 04:44pm

  We don't care at Thrice. If it fits the scheme we'll take it. Our magazine is free as a download anyway, and what we do for the order-for-pay copies is give it a new take with our artwork.

  That said, you should be sensitive to how particular editor(s) feel about it. People are different. Most editors won't take online or pre-published stuff. For us, though, it's like playing a song again on the radio.

  To each his own.

• Frankie Saxx

  Nov 10, 07:05pm

  @Chris: The search engines purge after a while. Google, at least, has a place (hard to find) where you can ask them to do it faster. There's also <META NAME=”ROBOTS” CONTENT=”NOARCHIVE” /> that you can add to the header of your blog theme which should stop them archiving your pages.

  I did google before I sent stuff. Just in case it had been reposted somewhere I didn't know about. (Which wouldn't upset me, I put them on Fictionaut with a CC license. I just wanted to know. :)

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