[stylist] publishing question

[loristay]

Lots of questions!
If your work appeared in a magazine and you were paid for it, it then belongs to the magazine.
If it appeared and you weren't paid for it then you can simply let them know you want to publish it elsewhere.  The magazine might ask you to put "Previously appeared in Slate & Style, March 1987" or whatever applied. 
Work that appears in a vanity publication ought still to belong to you.  Did they copyright?  That is what you'd have to check.  Or perhaps the copyright belongs to you.  (Are you asking whether it belongs to you if YOU didn't pay money?  Of course it does.)  It's kind of a gray area, though.  In your shoes I'd contact the publisher and talk to him/her.
If you previously published something in a small press, but don't recall, then you need to do a search!  I suggest keeping a notebook of where you sent what, and who published it.
High school writing collections, college dorm papers and church newsletters are not generally copyrighted.  That work still belongs to you.
Lori

On Mar 10, 2010, at 10:48:54 AM, "Barbara Hammel" <poetlori8 at msn.com> wrote:

From:   "Barbara Hammel" <poetlori8 at msn.com>
Subject:    [stylist] publishing question
Date:   March 10, 2010 10:48:54 AM EST
To: stylist at nfbnet.org
So, I just downloaded the poet's market for 2009 from bookshare. I was reading it and got the explanation for previously published work. What if I've not kept track of poems I've shared publicly because it has been a while or I didn't really care? I know we've talked here about things printed here being published and I remember the three that I've shared here, but what about submitting to one of those Vanity books online. If I didn't pay money for a book does that mean it's still mine because they didn't do anything with it?
What happens if I do submit something as not previously published but it may have been and I don't remember.
Mind you, I've only had some in a high school writing collection, a college dorm paper and our church newsletter.
Barbara

A Congress that will always do its work in the dark must have something to hide. The people have spoken, yet they do not listen.
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