Hi there. I'm new, and have joined the Fiction 3 writers group. I've posted a short story there, but haven't made it available to everyone because some mags and comps view posting on sites like this one as 'previously published'. My question is, do the Site Experts have access to work that's only been made available to group members? TIA... :-)

Hi Tabitha

Welcome on board.

Don't know the answer to your question. Also didn't know this was sen as "publishing" by some mags. I can see why they might but it doesn't seem in their best interest to take that approach. Have you had any direct feedback on this from them?


regards

John

Tabitha - yes all experts can access all group work, with the exception of Anna's recent beginners group which was totally private.

Hi there. If mags regard postings on this site as 'published' they are quite wrong, the reason we post up work here is so we can have it looked at and crited by other writers, so that means effectively that the piece could be 'unfinished.' I for one frequently change sentences or sometimes whole sections on the basis of what people tell me.
If you have a piece of work published you've entered into a 'contract' with the publisher even if no money is involved, that's not what happens here, this is a community of writers supporting each other and sharing their knowledge and experience.
I think this question came up once before a long time ago on a forum, not sure how I could direct you to it though. Maybe try looking in Writing Techniques?

Tabitha, the other thing is that with publishing the writer submits a piece of work and hopes it will be chosen sometimes out of hundreds of other pieces, here we post up anything we like, so it's nothing like publishing is it? Don't worry about it, whoever said that is just being silly. If you get asked if a piece that you've put on the site has been published before, you can clearly tell them no.

Thanks for that Becca. I wholly concur with your view of both the purpose and impact of this community. It has operated for me over the last 3 months as a very high quality and convenient workshop environment and I can't think of a single piece I have posted which HASN'T been modified in some way in the light of comments. If anything I need to get braver about the more "experimental"/ "unfinished " pieces I don't post for comment. Hence my comment about the mags best interest. Sites like this can only improve the quality, quantity and vibrancy of the submissions which should be (in a health market..if only!) their life blood (don't get me started on supply chains ;-)

regards

John

PS If you get this before 23rd, hope everyone has a great time in Brighton. Really diappointed I couldn't come.

Matheson, absolutely.