I look forward to being a member on this site, I"m fifty three, and have always loved to write, however, have never had any training in writing. I have a very simple style, and my poems are written to nature photos I take up here in the mountains where I live. I have horses, dogs, parrot, and love nature. I do like keeping my style simple, yet open to learn how to improve my writing. thanks Barbara
Hello Barbara, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Very few of us have had formal training in writing, other than what falls within ordinary high school and perhaps college coursework. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
HI, I have a question. How does posting a poem online, keep it from having a chance or not of being published? I have already published a book, and have also posted them on different sites at different times. My work is all copywrighted, so I don't understand that. This is the first time I"ve heard of it. I read quite a few poems before I posted mine, and also reviewed and replied to a couple. I thought I was doing things correctly here, since I just joined. My first post has been locked, even though I reviewd two poems way before I posted it. Please let me know, because this site looks like fun, thankyou Barbara
Publishers do not pay for previously published work. There's no profit in it. They purchase First Publication Rights, which you are selling in bad faith if the piece has been previously published. It's grounds to nullify the contract and demand repauyment of any monies paid out. Posting on the Internet is considered publication in that context. That's true whether it has been posted here, some other writing site, or your personal blog site. It's just a fact of life you should be aware of as a writer.
Thank you very much for your information, perhaps I should have been more detailed in my reference to being published. I used a print on demand self publisher, and I learned a lot from that experience. I didn't like the end product, and can use what I learned, to do better with my next book. So I don't think I did anything in bad form, or certainly did not intend to. I do appreciate your time to explain that, but I don't think my work will ever be good enough for a true publisher to buy, I have no training, don't put myself at the ability level as someone who could sell their writing to a traditional publisher (I am a very low key, and modest writer/person!) I noticed that you did not respond to my explanation that I have reviewed two poems, prior to posting mine, is that correct? I did read the rules for your site, and was pretty sure you clearly said that. I did see other poems, but I did not want to give a review "just because" to fill the requirement, as I would never do that. Also, my friends seem to give me the nudge to publish, because they like what i write, but I am my own worst enemy, and am very self critical, and so would like to learn, listen, and read here on your site. am I good to go now? thank you so much, Barbara
I guess I have another message for you. Since I am not in any way, a "professional writer" as you will see by my poems, they are actually, kind of popular at craft fairs, and believe it or not, yard sales. I made some pretty cute cheapo books from photo binders, and it was fun selling them, I see this as the "glass ceiling" for my work, so, that is the reason I chose this site, to improve my work, knowing that my limit is pretty much local and tourist shops since I use local photography. I am just trying to explain myself, so "published" to me, has an entirely different meaning. There actually can be quite a profit in hand made books, and selling at craft fairs. Just a thought, it's also fun to see someone pay ten bucks for a book that I wrote knowing very little about "real writing" hope I"m welcome here, to learn Barbara
Of course you are welcome! Many of us join with no intention of selling work to a publisher. When I started here a couple years ago, I had absolutely no interest in publishing my writing. My only interest was to improve my writing for my own pleasure, and sharing a few short pieces on my web sites. Since then, I have reconsidered. I still haven't reached the point where I am ready to submit to publishers, but I do have two novels in the works.
welcome to the forums, barbara! i don't know why your 2 reviews didn't allow you to post one of your own pieces, but i'm sure cog will get around to giving you an answer, eventually... it's probably just an oversight, since the mods can't be expected to notice everything right away... as for the posting and publishing issue, of course it doesn't matter, if you're only going to pay to have your books printed... it's only a problem for those who hope to get 'really' published, in/by paying venues... if you ever get to where you want to go from self-published, to being a 'published poet' i'm a full time poet and would be happy to add you to my raft of mentees, as i work privately with many aspiring poets, so their resulting work can be submitted for publication... and you may find that you're better at it than you think!... love and hugs, maia maia3maia@hotmail.com
