Dear Editors

Hi Jennifer, We've touched on this subject before, I seem to remember... I my experience, most mag editors consider stuff pubished on the net as already 'published' and thus ineligible for submission. Certainly, if I was considering a piece for a competition, I wouldn't put it on the net without making an enquiry first. Best way is to contact the ed's in question and ask, but I think you'll find that this is a general 'rule'. It doesn't seem to work the other way round, however, and most e-publishers don't seem to mind if the stuff you submit to them has previously been published elsewhere. Hope this helps.

Cheers hon.

What about, then, if I send a new story into a competition. While they are judging it, I post it on the internet?

No, think you should wait for the results first, then you're free to do what you like with it. As far as I know, if you submit a story to a comp and it's published elsewhere before the judging is completed, you have to (ethically) withdraw it from the comp. What they want is 'first rights' which, I suppose, is fair enough.

3 out of 5 of my stuff posted on here are competition rejects. I'm waiting for the judging of the Midland Exposure May comp at the moment - if mine doesn't win - its going on here!

In many ways this is not for us to answer but for the rules of any competition that you enter. ABCtales is designed to include everyone but that is not always the way that others look at it! Being 'published' is a grey area in law but I reckon that whilst I cannot go out and about claiming to be a 'published author' because I have stuff on ABCtales, I am nevertheless 'published' in some vague way. I'm sure that doesn't help much but I do advise you to read our Terms and Conditons that make things a tad clearer. In the meantime, our enduring thanks to one and all for placing their material here - you are giving over 4,000 unique users a great deal of pleasure each week. Please help us to spread the word - tell your friends, family and relations all about us - even if they don't write but just want a good read. pip pip, Tony, the Chief Exec.

Er hmm Mr. Cooks up a storm. I have gotten Jake Kane, Polish Mark, Johnny Lucas and Mark Jansen onto this great site. Now let me hear you say it ...... Yes I know I am the best.