In terms of legalities and copywright, etc, if you've had a short story published what would be the issues if you wanted to write a radio play version of it and sell the script? Would you need permission from the publishers? Would radio production companies want to go near something that's already been published albeit in a different format?

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Sorry, I wrote that really quickly, excuse my spelling of copyright.

I suppose it would depend on the publisher and how much they'd invested by way of editing. You could argue, a radio play is an entirely different format and would grow as a new entity in its own right. You could always change the names and credit it as based on ..etc. I don't think online publishing would make a difference, again unless it's been edited by someone else. Try the BBC writersroom for a more succinct answer.

Best of luck

Julie

It must primarily depend on whether you own the copyright of the short story. If you do, and the publisher was only publishing your story under licence, no problem. If you don't, then it depends on the contract, I guess (and a contract exists, even if there's nothing on paper): does the arrangement with them include their exploiting subsidiary rights, or not? My guess is not, unless they've had some Hollywood lawyer draft the contract for them.

Either way, the Society of Authors will know the answer.

Emma

Short stories are usually sold on a first rights basis, so you're free to sell the second, third, etc. rights once they've been published. The rights will only apply to one country too (e.g. First British Rights) so you can sell first rights in other countries. You don't need the permission of whoever bought the first rights to sell the story elsewhere.

However, publishers (and possibly broadcasters, but that would depend) are normally not very interested in buying material that's already appeared elsewhere. However, if your story appeared in something with an extremely small circulation and Radio 4 were interested in the play version, I don't think it would matter. You do need to let the second lot know about the story's first appearance though.