May 27, 2009
Which Rights Did I Give Up?
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Good Afternoon, Angela,
I wrote an article for a small magazine that was accepted for their January 2005 issue. There were no rights discussed (I'm not so naive now!), just the acceptance, which read that they had accepted my article and to let them know if I had any questions. Now I would like to use the article in its entirety in my upcoming book. Do I need to secure permission?
Thanks so much and have a great day!
-P.
They can't claim all rights to your work if there is no contract. When there is no contract, first rights are assumed (unless it's a reprint, of course). You should, however, as a courtesy and to protect yourself, email them and tell them you are republishing the article. In that note, remind them that they only purchased first rights and that they do not have the right to republish/resell your article.
