Should you post your own creative works online if you are planning to publish it
By ehlana88
@ehlana88 (330)
United States
February 11, 2009 4:53pm CST
This was brought up in another discussion regarding writer's forums. Many agents, editors, and publishers will not touch something that has been posted online, even in private support forums, for many reasons. Some concerns are copyright issues and others are just simply exclusivity.
If you do post it should you delete the posts when you submit them to publication?
What are your thoughts?
3 people like this
7 responses
@snowy22315 (182365)
• United States
11 Feb 09
Some places let you put in non exclusive posts. You dont have to have all rights to the posts. it is very important to be able to do that. I guess there are all sorts of things that you can do if you are going to be able to put your posts online.
2 people like this
@Daniel2009 (103)
• China
11 Feb 09
Maybe it depend on the special situation,I think.Some posts online have indicated that we can't copy them,and some people post their posts in order to share with us.
@Daniel2009 (103)
• China
12 Feb 09
yes,It's sure a problem,difficult to distinguish.
1 person likes this
@DoriLentrich (1016)
• United States
12 Feb 09
If you post it, you've posted it. It's been published. You can delete it, but if it comes to the attention of the market you're going to publish in, they won't be too happy about it.
The general rule is to not put anything on the internet that you want to see later. That's the safest route.
1 person likes this
@DoriLentrich (1016)
• United States
13 Feb 09
You're welcome. Good luck. Writing is a hard business and there are so many pitfalls. But there's nothing like getting it right.
1 person likes this
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
11 Feb 09
It is far too easy for your work to get stolen if it is published anywhere on the web. Even if the place you post it in is non-exclusive. The real problem comes in when those publishers run it through copyspace. Regardless of where you post it, agents, editors, and publishers won't touch something that pops up in copyspace.
1 person likes this
@ehlana88 (330)
• United States
12 Feb 09
That is actually pretty awesome that they have something like that. I wonder how long it takes to search? What its parameters are? I am a bit of an internet junkie when it comes to stuff like that. I love researching and just think that's an awesome tool for them to have.
Thanks for the information!
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
11 Feb 09
Copy space is a program that basically searches the web for the same words. A publisher or editor would put the document in question on copy space. Copy space would look for the exact wording to see if the document is original or has been copied from some place. If it is original, you might get some of the words but they wouldn't be in the exact order or they would be random. If it is a duplicate, copy space would tell you exactly where it else it could be found.
1 person likes this
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
12 Feb 09
I know nothing of publishing and I doubt if any publisher will even take a glance at anything I wrote. I do have blogs and this satisfies my urge to write. Talent? I have none. Cheers!!
1 person likes this
@Margajoe (4747)
• Germany
12 Feb 09
Yes, you can do that too.
But, if I seriously don't want something on-line, I don't put it there.
I can understand however, if you put something on-line and regret it later, you delete it. Good thing we can delete, lol!
Take care, happy mylotting.
1 person likes this
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
11 Feb 09
That's a good question. I've published things in ezines but then instead of having the work up on a website, I simply link them. I'm not sure what the legal issues are concerning journals, etc. I would assume too that they would want the rights and you'd be able to send people to their website to purchase, but that you wouldn't be allowed to keep a copy up for free.
1 person likes this
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
11 Feb 09
Sorry for missing that part of the original question. Yes, I delete them off my we site and/or forum and simply provide the publishers link.
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
11 Feb 09
I think most agents,editors,and publishers would want exclusise rights to the work, so its not a very wise move in my opinion. For example look at how some artists work has been leaked onto the net through no fault of their own and the trouble it has caused.
1 person likes this
