Hypothetical Scenario:

I win a short story competition, and the story is published in either an anthology or a magazine. So the publisher now owns publishing rights.

Later, I decide I want to expand the story into a novel, with the short story being the first chapter.

My question:

Can I do this? Could the person/company who published the story stop me from doing this, because they have publishing rights to the story?

I should just add that this is not likely to happen to me in the near future, it was just something I was wondering about in one of my daydreams about being a successful writer!

Thanks,

Sam

Worry not, Sam. The publisher of the magazine or anthology does not ‘own’ anything other than the right to publish it once. After that you are free to offer it out again or to change it in whatever way you wish. I would suggest that, if the competition rules imply anything more than this, you think long and hard before submitting to them.

Publishing restrictions of this nature only really come in to play with full-length novels. When you sign a contract with a publisher you give them exclusive rights to publish that novel – and a defined number of subsequent ones, depending on the contract – until the contract expires, at which point you, hopefully, agree a new deal with them.

Good luck and keep dreaming. That’s how every successful writer starts out.

ee.
x

Thanks Dee. When I have a short story worthy of a comp. I will enter it without fear!

Sam