Acceptance! Now What?

[Brett Marie]

I've been off-line for weeks taking care of personal nightmares, but I return with good news! My short story 'Moving Day' has been accepted a magazine in New Jersey! This is my first published piece, so I'm very excited.

The magazine's fiction editor has treated me with courtesy, professionalism and respect, and I feel like I've been 'let into the club,' if you will, of 'real writers.' But although I've achieved a goal, I want this to be the beginning, not the end.

I need to know what the next step is for a published story. The mag doesn't list its rights to a story in its guidelines, but assuming the rights revert back to me after a certain period, what can I do with this piece? Are there markets out there that are better tailored to previously published stories? Can I push to get it into an anthology of some sort? I don't want this story to appear in this magazine and then fade away when their following issue comes out. Any suggestions?

And how do I turn this achievement to my advantage? Does this now go into my cover letter as a point on my resume? Does that help my chances of being taken seriously by bigger markets? Any thoughts on this are welcome.

[areteus]

You should have a contract which states the terms of rights reversion. Technically, if they don't state that the rights revert then they keep it forever so have a careful look at your contract, clause by clause, and look at what rights they ask for and if there is a reversion clause (often for magazines it is a period after the magazine prints but some hold onto the rights for longer because they sometimes produce an annual anthology of stories from the magazine).

In theory, if the rights do revert, you can publish it again. This can either be through another publisher than accepts reprints or doing it yourself as a self publisher. But be warned that you have now given over your 'first publication rights' to 322 so you can no longer offer those rights to another publisher - its already been published so some publishers will not touch it. You may also want to look at the rights clause and see which regions the rights have been sold in. Is it worldwide (in which case you have definitely lost the first rights everywhere) or is it 'North American' or 'European' or whatever, in which case you can sell first rights in another region and keep doing that until you run out of regions.

What I would do in your position (in fact, what i am doing because I am in your position ) is keep writing more short stories. Build on the success, get more pieces out there. Now you have a publication and a good relationship with one potential publisher you may find it easier to get publications 2 and 3 and up to infinity. Don't worry too much about the rights for the existing story until that issue comes up, just get more out there and get your name known.

[Deirdre]

Typical rights for a print periodical short are first NASR (North American Serial Rights), which, for a print periodical was fairly easy -- there's no reversion needed (except for failure to publish) as it's a one-shot.

Reversion's a necessary clause when you get into keeping something in print for an extended period.

It starts getting more complicated when issues are online, as in this case, since you're also using up the first batch of internet rights and you're unlikely to sell it as a 'net reprint except in another medium (e.g. podcast).

Personally, as an editor, I'd ask for a year of exclusivity then non-exclusivity after that for as long as the author's willing (so the elements of the issues can remain online as intact as possible), but that's just my take. It's also been the way a number of web 'zines have phrased their guidelines.

Most issues of 'zines like Strange Horizons, etc. are still online, though some authors have asked for (and gotten) their stories pulled from the archives.

[Lady MacBeth]

Congratulations on your story! It's a great feeling, isn't it?

As others have said, read your contract carefully. You're unlikely to sell the story again so concentrate on writing more.

[Polenth]

Originally Posted by Brett Marie

And how do I turn this achievement to my advantage? Does this now go into my cover letter as a point on my resume? Does that help my chances of being taken seriously by bigger markets? Any thoughts on this are welcome.

Generally speaking, markets are only impressed by credits that are equal to, or better than, being published by them. And by impressed, I mean you may skip a stage of slush readers or the editor might read a few extra paragraphs if it's a slow starter. It won't make them buy a story they don't like.

It takes more than a few credits to get to the point where you're amazingly awesome and get special treatment (if Stephen King sends a story to a magazine, he's not going to be judged on an equal standing to everyone else, because having his name on the cover will sell the magazine).

But it's nothing to panic about, because if you write a story the big markets want, they're going to buy it. They won't change their mind because you're a new writer.

[Mark W.]

Congratulations!

What's next? Do it again!

Cheers!

[Ari Meermans]

All of the above and definitely this:

Originally Posted by Mark W.

Congratulations!

What's next? Do it again!

Cheers!

Congratulations! Yeah, write and submit another.

[Kim Fierce]

Definitely write and submit more! I wouldn't worry about where ELSE to submit the story that's already getting published. (Although someday when I have become well-known for novels, I have considered making my own collection of short stories and articles, but that's not until later on . . . if ever!) So far I have gotten one non-fiction piece published with another forthcoming, and I'm still working on a short story acceptance while I polish my book. Congratulations to you! It does feel like suddenly you have been accepted into the rank of "real" writers, doesn't it? :-)

[Brett Marie]

Make sure the story is entered in any award anthologies where it qualifies, send it to regular reprint anthologies, look for reprint magazines, etc.

Jamesaritchie, any suggestions on where to search for these? Any database in particular? Does Duotrope or another like it have a subset for these?

By the way, thanks to all for the congrats! Boy, it does feel good!

[Polenth]

Originally Posted by Jamesaritchie

This may be one of the biggest myths out there. A Stephen King story is judged just like any other story, which is why he, and many other famous writers, still draw rejections on a routine basis.

I'm not saying they'd take his shopping list, but unless the editorial process is anonymous, it will colour how they view his story. I don't see this as a big issue, because the number of very big names submitting at any time is rather small. But to pretend they see a story by Stephen King and read it as though he was an unknown newbie isn't realistic. That's not how people work.

[blacbird]

Originally Posted by Jamesaritchie

A Stephen King story is judged just like any other story, which is why he, and many other famous writers, still draw rejections on a routine basis.

No, it's not, and you damn well know this. Any mag that can boast a STEPHEN KING story is dead certain to sell more copies, will boast it in big letters on the cover, and that colors judgment at every level. That doesn't mean they'll accept any damn thing, but King himself has said he could sell his grocery lists, and I don't think he's lying. He just has the integrity and ability to produce better things than his grocery list.

Not to mention that anything showing up from STEPHEN KING plops on top of the submission pile for instant attention.

If all stories were considered equally on the merit of the manuscript alone, magazines would adopt "blind" submission policies where the author's name is redacted, the way some high-level contests do. Can you name even one magazine that does this?

caw

[Lady MacBeth]

Originally Posted by blacbird

No, it's not, and you damn well know this. Any mag that can boast a STEPHEN KING story is dead certain to sell more copies, will boast it in big letters on the cover, and that colors judgment at every level.
caw

I once heard Doris Lessing speak. She submitted something to her own publisher or agent (can't remember which) under a different name to see where her writing stood. It was rejected.

[LStein]

Congratulations!

I know Duotrope has a reprint button so you can search for markets that definitely take reprints.

[Summonere]

Congratulations, Brett Marie.

On the matter of whether or not a writer's “name” makes any difference...

My meager experience tells me that editors look forward to my submissions because they know they'll not grind their teeth while reading, but my experience also tells me that I still get rejections in spite of this.

So, if two stories of equal merit show up on an editor's desk, one with Stephen King's name on it, and one with No-One's-Ever-Heard-Of-You's name on it, who gets published? I have a sneaking suspicion I know...

[Prisoner24601]

Thanks for the explanation, James. Before I read your post, I would have assumed that a big name author = bump in sales and a nearly automatic acceptance unless the author wrote something really bad. It's interesting to hear how it really works.

Also, congrats to the OP on your first sale.

[Rufus Leeking]

Originally Posted by Jamesaritchie

King still gets rejections,

James, when reading slush do you ever stop after 1 page because a story didn't grab you? Is it possible the next 18 pages may have been great?

Did you ever stop after 1 page in a King story, even if it hadn't yet grabbed you?

[J. Tanner]

James nailed it in regards to the pro magazines.

I could see a small press magazine taking almost anything from someone of King's stature if they were graced with a submission from him at all, but the competition there is also much weaker and even a subpar King story is probably fairly competitive. I think the story would have to be awfully bad for the editor to consider rejecting it even if it's just that they're also buying into the name author myth. But even in the small press I don't think it would be a certainty if it were truly awful.

But prozines--yeah they reject the biggest names all the time.

[Deirdre]

I'm reminded of a story from a person who was in a different Clarion (West, 1999) class.

As the tale goes, Gordon Van Gelder brought in his slush, and he said he could buy one story out of it. The mission was for the Clarion class to figure out what story it would be.

Out of the approximately 80 stories, they narrowed it down to five, but couldn't reach any consensus about which of the five it would be. When presented with the five choices, he said, "No, I'd buy this one so I can put their name on the cover." It was a famous author whose name I've since forgotten, but a big enough name you've probably all heard it, too.

[Brett Marie]

Interesting points, all. Sorry I haven't been participating; I've been taking all your advice, and am submitting more, even as we speak!

[areteus]

Reading the comments about how Stephen King may or may not be able to sell a shopping list... I am reminded about an exhibit in the Dahli museum in Barcelona. They have in there a napkin that Dahli once scribbled on (ok, its a sketch of something not really a scribble but still... fairly rough) and which is now considered to be a work of art. It seems as if the writing world and the art worlds differ in this respect as King might have to work hard to convince an editor that his shopping list is publishable but Dahli apparently could sell a napkin

[alexshvartsman]

Originally Posted by areteus

Reading the comments about how Stephen King may or may not be able to sell a shopping list... I am reminded about an exhibit in the Dahli museum in Barcelona. They have in there a napkin that Dahli once scribbled on (ok, its a sketch of something not really a scribble but still... fairly rough) and which is now considered to be a work of art. It seems as if the writing world and the art worlds differ in this respect as King might have to work hard to convince an editor that his shopping list is publishable but Dahli apparently could sell a napkin

I read somewhere that Picasso regularly drew sketches on the back of the checks he used to pay for dinner in restaurants. The sketch would typically be worth more than the value of the check, so those checks were almost never cashed, and he got to eat for free.

[Rufus Leeking]

Originally Posted by alexshvartsman

I read somewhere that Picasso regularly drew sketches on the back of the checks he used to pay for dinner in restaurants. The sketch would typically be worth more than the value of the check, so those checks were almost never cashed, and he got to eat for free.

It sort of works for writers, doesn't it, or novelists?

Walter Tevis wrote the novels that became The Hustler, The Man Who Fell to Earth and The Color of Money. I never read any of those but love the stories in the films, so I assume they were well written.

I did read something he wrote near the end of his life, The Queen's Gambit, about a woman chess champion. I loved the story, but it was really half baked, subplots that take pages and pages to set up, and then he seems to have forgotten them, etc.

No way that book gets published if it were his first.

[Brett Marie]

Hi again, all. To fill you all in, my story was published online here. I'm very happy with it. Now, I didn't sign any contract for this, and I'm wondering what my rights are in terms of what I can do with the story from now on.

Do the rights immediately revert back to me? Can I start submitting to other magazines from this point, or do I have to wait? Would it be proper etiquette to wait? I'm not too sad if I've lost the rights to it permanently (it wasn't my best story by a long shot), but I ought to know if that's the case, as well.

[Polenth]

Originally Posted by Brett Marie

Now, I didn't sign any contract for this, and I'm wondering what my rights are in terms of what I can do with the story from now on.

Do the rights immediately revert back to me? Can I start submitting to other magazines from this point, or do I have to wait? Would it be proper etiquette to wait? I'm not too sad if I've lost the rights to it permanently (it wasn't my best story by a long shot), but I ought to know if that's the case, as well.

If there's no rights agreement (it can be a formal contract, but it can also be a handshake agreement via email or something), you've sold the minimum required rights. That means they brought one time rights to publish the piece. They don't get fancy twizzles like exclusive periods, anthology rights, or anything else, unless it was agreed.

So yes, it sounds like you're now free to do what you like with the piece.

[areteus]

And if they argue (which they probably won't) you can at least make sure you have the e-mail trail to prove that they did not, in fact, buy those rights but let it be known that, should they wish them, they are up for sale...

Though I would also check the site's T&Cs as sometimes sites have clauses as to which rights they acquire in there rather than in any contract...