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Quoting from shortlisted poetry

edited October 2007 in - WM and WN

Comments

  • In their adjudications WN/WM have started quoting phrases from poems that have been shortlisted in their competition, but not placed. Although it is always nice to see one's work in print, are they entitled to do this? We are told that if we haven't heard anything two months after the closing date, then we can submit work elsewhere, and shortlisted entries are not advised at all - their names just appear in the magazine in a few months time. But most other competitions/magazines require previously unpublished poetry. Does this count as publication? And is it reasonable for WN/WM to do this without payment if by doing so other rights are taken away?
  • Hi Heather,
    I suppose the bottom line is that if you submit, you are saying it's okay for them to publish. Since they're only quoting phrases or a few lines, it shouldn't bar you from entering or submitting the poem elsewhere since it has not been previously published as a whole.
    Copyright states that for the purposes of critique or review you are allowed to quote up to 40 lines of a poem as long as that 40 lines does not exceed 25% of the whole poem. However, perhaps it wouldn't hurt, in the spirit of good will, to slip into the rules that they may quote from your poem if you are shortlisted but they are not breaking your copyright in any way unless they exceed the above rule.
  • Thanks for that. I didn't know about the copyright rules re 25%. I still think it's a bit off though, as at the time of entry there was never any indication that they would publish any part of any non placed entry.
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