Publication Rights to Short Fiction

[chrinFinity]

Hello. Question for you author types out there.

Most sf magazines and anthologies I've submitted to require "first publication" rights, so they want stuff I haven't had printed before, and have not dumped on the internet.

What about a small circulation zine? I'm talking about something that is photocopied and mailed out, with a circulation of somewhere between 10 and 20 people on a private list who receive it in the mail monthly, from the one guy who singlehandedly runs the zine.

If I put a short story in that zine, does that count as "published" in the sense that it makes my story ineligible for those SF magazines who demand the right of first publication, such that they won't consider purchasing it?

Or is this perhaps a case of "don't ask, don't tell?"

 

[Therin of Andor]

If I put a short story in that zine, does that count as "published" in the sense that it makes my story ineligible for those SF magazines who demand the right of first publication, such that they won't consider purchasing it?

Or is this perhaps a case of "don't ask, don't tell?"

Usually, they mean "professionally published" and payment received. You could easily argue that the 20 fanzine recipients were your Beta Readers.

 

[chrinFinity]

Thanks, Therin.