# About requesting criticism... **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 27, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436 "2001-11-27T03:16:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Koldanar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@Koldanar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koldanar)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/1 "2001-11-27T03:16:53Z")
I would like to post a link to a story I have written, and have some of the members of straight dope criticize the work. First, where would this go, IMHO? And second, would my work become property of Chicago Reader by some funky copyright laws? Thanks for the help ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/2 "2001-11-27T03:42:41Z")
If it’s fiction, I’d try Cafe Society. _Don’t_ post your work on the Boards, due to that funky copyright thing. Read the notice at the very bottom of each page for specifics and remember that some publishers are a bit hinky about publishing something that’s already been published in an open forum. There are a couple of good online critiquing groups (manuscripts are behind password protection, so there’s no question of them being considered “published”, as it’s not an open forum) I could point you to if you’re interested. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/3 "2001-11-27T18:24:23Z")
(puts on tinfoil hat and concentrates) Koldanar, your work is genius! Send it off straightaway to a publisher. Don’t ask for advice from some anonymous, bitter natterning nabobs of negativism on the web - off to New York with you. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/4 "2001-11-27T18:35:55Z")
**Arnold** , I’m offended by that. I am not bitter. ---
**Author:** ![Koldanar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@Koldanar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koldanar)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/5 "2001-11-27T19:19:12Z")
Erm, but Arnold, I too am a bitter natterning nabob of negativism, at least concerning my own work 🙂 I just appreciate any criticizm, since I am biased when reviewing my own work ( it never lives up to my expectations ) ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/6 "2001-11-27T19:53:40Z")
You never lose the rights to anything of your own that you put on this board, but by placing it on the Reader-owned page you give the Reader the right to have it on the site AND, if they so choose, to reproduce it without paying you anything. Some of our posts have ended up in Cecil’s books, that’s why we have the notice there. Now I would be willing to bet that the Reader is really not interested in your short story, so you could link away with no problem as far as they’re concerned. But as has been pointed out some publishers don’t want work that’s already been published in an open forum, so govern yourself accordingly. But from this end, no problems. your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/7 "2001-11-27T21:56:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > “natterning nabobs of negativism” Arnold: I know that came from a politician somewhere, sometime, but it’s origin eludes me right now. Said failure of memory is making me crazy and threatening to spoil the evening for me and a friend. Care to help? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/8 "2001-11-27T22:11:49Z")
John Carter of Mars, you might have been able to find it with Google if I hadn’t had a _lapsus calami_! :o Answer: Spiro Agnew, 1970 [Nattering nabobs of negativism](http://www.aainsa.org/ForTodAAy/Oct/05NatteringNabobs.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/9 "2001-11-27T22:13:57Z")
And here’s a short biography of the man, by [Time magazine](http://www.time.com/time/magazine/archive/1996/dom/960930/agnew.html). ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/10 "2001-11-27T23:21:33Z")
We’d also be happy to take a look at it for possible inclusion in an upcoming edition of [Teemings](http://www.teemings.com). ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/11 "2001-11-27T23:23:12Z")
You’re going to run a biography of Spiro Agnew in _Teemings_!?!? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/12 "2001-11-27T23:26:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > \*\*You’re going to run a biography of Spiro Agnew in _Teemings_!?!? \*\* If it’s well written, informative and entertaining … sure, why not! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/13 "2001-11-27T23:41:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > \*\*John Carter of Mars, you might have been able to find it with Google if I hadn’t had a _lapsus calami_! :o > > Answer: Spiro Agnew, 1970 > > [Nattering nabobs of negativism](http://www.aainsa.org/ForTodAAy/Oct/05NatteringNabobs.htm) \*\* Ah, Spiro Agnew!!! Many thanks, \*\*Arnold \*\*. Much like Mighty Mouse, you arrived in time to save the day. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/14 "2001-11-29T08:49:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TubaDiva \* > \*\*…But as has been pointed out some publishers don’t want work that’s already been published in an open forum, so govern yourself accordingly. \*\* and > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by tavalla_ > **and remember that some publishers are a bit hinky about publishing something that’s already been published in an open forum.** I don’t doubt that this is true; _but_ will a publisher really go through the trouble of searching every message board/web page on the internet before publishing a short piece? I have a hard time believing that the editors, of say _Harpers_ check out boards such as _The Straight Dope_ before printing every article. I dunno–sounds a bit far-fetched… ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2001, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/15 "2001-11-29T18:04:54Z")
Ah, but (1) you would presumably have to list any prior “publication” – and, legally, anything placed here or anywhere else on the open Internet (as opposed to pay-to-enter sites) is “published” in the sense of having been made available to the general public, susceptible of being cited as evidence in a libel suit, etc. You might also have to inform them of the Chicago Reader, Inc., holding non-exclusive copyright on the material. And (2) It would be fairly easy to tailor a Web search for an unusual word sequence found somewhere in the document: “After Moses ate the gerbil, the supernova…” is unlikely to occur in that order on any other Internet page but the item of fiction in which it occurs. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/16 "2001-11-30T10:50:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > \*\*Ah, but (1) you would presumably have to list any prior “publication” – and, legally, anything placed here or anywhere else on the open Internet (as opposed to pay-to-enter sites) is “published” in the sense of having been made available to the general public, susceptible of being cited as evidence in a libel suit, etc. You might also have to inform them of the Chicago Reader, Inc., holding non-exclusive copyright on the material. And (2) It would be fairly easy to tailor a Web search for an unusual word sequence found somewhere in the document: “After Moses ate the gerbil, the supernova…” is unlikely to occur in that order on any other Internet page but the item of fiction in which it occurs. \*\* **Polycarp** –Your first point is a good one that I hadn’t considered. If a publisher required you to disclose everywhere your piece had been “published”, I guess that you would have to point them to a message board such as the SDMB. But your second point is the one I’ve had a hard time swallowing. If anyone here is in the magazine/publishing field, I wonder if they could tell us if it is standard procedure to scour the Web prior to publishing every piece. I have a sneaking suspicion that if I post an article here, and then submit it to _Harpers_, there would be a very low chance that they would ever be aware of its appearance on this board. Unless one of the editors is a SDMB regular! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-requesting-criticism/95436/17 "2001-11-30T18:17:02Z")
While I dunno about _Harper’s_, let me note that a major New York editor is one of the Moderators, and at least two regular contributors to national magazines are habitués of SDMB. With regard to the second point, it was not my intent to suggest that such searches were done regularly, but rather that they would not be that difficult to do. If I were an editor or publisher or on their staffs, prior to writing a check for a significant sum, I would want to verify that the material I was purchasing to publish in a magazine for sale was not readily available for free elsewhere.