Getting a story published in a children’s magazine is a big accomplishment, but the rewards don’t have to end after the payment arrives and the story appears in print. Why not submit the piece again, as a reprint? Reselling to other magazines is a great way to earn more money from stories and articles that have already proven their selling potential – and many kids’ magazines welcome reprints. Here are some important steps to follow to help make reselling stories and articles for children a success:
Check Publishing Rights of the Original Contract
The number one thing to do before resubmitting a published children’s story is to make sure the story is eligible for reselling, and the way to do that is to check the publishing rights you agreed to in the first contract. If you granted the original publisher all rights, you won’t be able to resell the article or story, period. If you sold the original publisher first rights, you can resell the piece as a reprint, but not until the first publisher has printed the story. One-time rights and non-exclusive rights also make stories eligible for resale. If you’re unsure about publishing rights and what they mean, contact a copyright specialist or a writer’s organization, such as the SCBWI or the Author’s Guild, for clarification.
Research Children’s Magazines for a Good Fit
Next, take the time to find a good fit for the story or article you're reselling. In other words, treat the reprint with the same care as your did the first submission. Look through Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market for potential markets for your story, research and browse through children’s magazines online and at the library, and consider all your options. If your first sell was to a print publication, see if an e-zine might make a good second home. Also, check theme lists of children’s magazines to see if there’s an appropriate issue for your story. And read back issues to make sure the style of your piece is suitable.
Consult Writer's Guidelines for Reprint Policy
While researching children’s magazines for a good fit, you should confirm whether a potential market accepts reprints. Some of the most well-known children’s magazines, like Highlights and Boys’ Life, consider unpublished work only. Spider Magazine occasionally accepts previously published material, but it’s a highly selective magazine to begin with and only considers top-quality reprints. Consult writer’s guidelines of any potential reprint market for information on previously published material. If there’s no mention of reprints or the language is confusing, send the editor a quick note and inquire about the reprint policy.
Update and Edit Before Reselling a Story
Just because a story or article sold once doesn’t mean it will sell again. Editors have different opinions and interests, and many reprints get rejected. That said, writers can increase their chances of reselling a piece by going through it with a fine-toothed comb before resubmitting. Look for typos or grammatical errors not caught the first time. Remove a sentence or dialogue that doesn’t move the story forward. If character names and slang are outdated, make them current. Don’t rewrite the piece, though, or it will no longer be considered a reprint.
Provide Previous Publication Details
Once you’ve completed the above steps, it’s time to format and package the reprint and send it off. In the cover letter, be sure to make it clear that the story was previously published and is being submitted as a reprint. Failure to give this notification can harm your chances of a sale. You’ll want to provide information on where the piece was published as well as the magazine issue date(s) and rights granted. Then follow the magazine’s submission guidelines for preferred formatting and submission methods.
Whether you have a large stock of published pieces or just a few, reselling children’s stories and articles is a great way to earn extra cash and exposure for your hard work – and it’s a lot less time-consuming than starting from scratch.
Susie Yakowicz - Susie Yakowicz is a Minnesota freelance writer whose work has appeared in dozens of publications for children and adults.
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