Re-Publishing?

mrsvalkyrie said:

Out of curiosity... I had a novelette "published" by PA (haha) several years ago. Can I turn it into a novel and submit it to an agent? If so, do I have to mention it being previously "published" even though it will be drastically different? (Same storyline, same ending, just longer and with more editing this time around!)

Thanks in advance!

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there's bound to be others who are better judges of this, but it left me thinking "best case you convinced an agent you're not terribly honest, worst case you could get into legal issues with a publishing house...."

mrsvalkyrie said:

Out of curiosity... I had a novelette "published" by PA (haha) several years ago. Can I turn it into a novel and submit it to an agent? If so, do I have to mention it being previously "published" even though it will be drastically different? (Same storyline, same ending, just longer and with more editing this time around!)

Thanks in advance!

ETA: The contract I signed with PA said they owned the rights to the book for seven years. That was in December 2005. If I were going to re-write it, it wouldn't be for a few more years as I've got several other books I want to work on before then.

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Why you would want to republish it? Write some new stories and stay away from PA (haha) .

If all rights revert to you on conclusion of the seven-year contract--and do check all clauses regarding start and end date, along with any screwy wording about non-compete clauses or anything in perpetuity--I don't see any reason you couldn't self-pub and retain rights in the future if you wanted to issue a revised version. It might not be the most productive use of your time, but it would certainly be legal.

At the same time, I can't see a legitimate agent or house touching this with a ten-foot pole, so if you're looking to go that direction, best write a new book.

Best wishes--

Btw, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a lawyer go over that contract as part of your exit strategy, just to make sure you really are free and clear.

Never lie to your agent. Never conceal information from her.

The "someone" who told you not to mention it was wrong. If it's been published, even on PA or self-pubbed, you have to mention it. I suspect "someone" wasn't involved in the writing industry.

JohnB

mrsvalkyrie said:

You mean in the query, right? Just want to make sure I'm clear.

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No. This doesn't belong in the query.

If the agent offers to take you on, THEN you have to mention your prior publication of this work or that you're blind or in Witness Protection or take medication for depression or that you write erotica under a variety of pen names. Until you and the agent are ready to shake on an agent agreement, she's not your agent. She's just somebody you're querying.

The full-disclosure clause only applies to your agent.

mrsvalkyrie said:

But, um, you're joking about mentioning if I'm on medication, right?

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If a medical condition or an IRL situation will affect your ability to meet deadlines, you need to tell her. If not, you don't.

mrsvalkyrie said:

So what about a query I send for another WIP, where I'm supposed to mention previous writing credits? Should I leave it out of there as well?

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PA is not a writing credit, so you don't need to mention it when querying another ms.

writerjohnb said:

The "someone" who told you not to mention it was wrong. If it's been published, even on PA or self-pubbed, you have to mention it.

JohnB

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This would only be the case if you were querying the specific work in question to an agent--i.e., looking to republish it through an agent.

If not, and you're querying a different book as you've stated, a vanity press or self-pub reference doesn't go in the query. There is exactly one exception to this: your vanity or self-pubbed book sold well. And we're talking 10,000 to 20,000 copies worth of sold well. In that case, you have a previous publication credit.

mrsvalkyrie said:

The contract I signed with PA said they owned the rights to the book for seven years. That was in December 2005. If I were going to re-write it, it wouldn't be for a few more years as I've got several other books I want to work on before then.

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If I remember correctly, PA contracts don't lapse when those seven years have passed: they are automatically renewed for a further seven years unless the author--that's you!--jumps through a series of hoops to cancel it. Please check your contract carefully and make sure you do what you have to, and don't miss that deadline.

And if I were you I'd write a new and better book, rather than rewriting this one. Chances are you're a much better writer now and will be able to write a much better book.