What Does “Previously Published” Really Mean?

When you’re ready to submit short stories, poetry, or personal essays to literary journals, it’s important to check the guidelines for phrases such as we do not accept work that is previously published, or submit previously unpublished work only. Why? Because most literary editors are not interested in publishing something that’s already appeared elsewhere. But what does previously published really mean? The answer to this question has become increasingly hard to pin down as the Internet takes on a huge role in the writing world. Fortunately, the submissions experts can help you determine what’s considered previously published.

What Does — And Doesn’t — Count As “Previously Published”

Physically printed and distributed: This is the most basic definition of “previously published.” If your poems, stories, or essays appeared in a book, journal, anthology, textbook, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, or any other print publication, it is considered published. Does this include your high school or college literary journal? Yes, it does.

Available to the public digitally: One of the main reasons so many literary journal editors don’t like previously published work is that they want their offerings to be fresh and new to their audience. Editors want to be the first to discover your…