Just curious... I write for a web mag (my third article is going to be published in March). Does that count?
And would this affect anything later if I ever tried to get a book published? I didn't think it would, but I wondered.

I'm not sure what you mean by "self-published", exactly. The editor set the website up herself about a year ago (well, she bought a domain name and did the graphics and stuff, I'm pretty sure), and the writers submit articles every so often (we don't have to write every month), which she posts on the website once a month for each issue.

Okay, thanks.

Does winning a story contest and having your story posted online for awhile count?

This is kind of off-topic, but what magazine do you write for, Sapphira?

Most publishing companies (from what I hear) will not accept your novel if it has been published elsewhere for free (blogs, forums, etc.).

So, if I post the book I'm writing on my blog, publishers won't accept it, even if it's been edited? Oh dear.

Okay, so I post my poetry and such on a website, where many people have read and commented on my work. Would you consider me a published author then, or no?

Is that your site? Or is it someone else's?

I looked at it, and couldn't tell if the precheck everything posted on there. Do they choose what gets posted?

Well, yes and no. You can decided what to put on there and who sees it.

What do you say to the following:

Poems in anthologies
Short story in ezine, not my own [I think you already answered that one]
Short story in magazine, unpaid.
Poem in magazine, unpaid
Collection of short stories by a publisher house that used POD

If an unbiased third party selected your written material out of many submissions (some of which were rejected), and then published it in some sort of media, I count that as published, at least for the little question in the profile. I published an article in a magazine, although it was unpaid. You should count.

I'm curious why it matters if we are published or not. Is it just to show credibility or for bragging rights or what? (Not that I would assume anyone on here is trying to brag, though I've been known to do so from time to time )

My two cents would be that being published means you have been paid for your art to be sold by a distributor. Until you get to that point, aren't you just advertising? (i.e. your work was selected to go in a free anthology or on a website to promote your work)

Maybe this is off topic (I believe I'm becoming known for that ) but is there another post or a topic where we discuss finding publishers and what to do? Just curious, I'm nowhere near the publishing stage, but I'd like to know what would happen then.

Sorry about the off topic message, this was the closest one I could find to what I was searching for.

I'm not sure what constitutes a published author, but when you take me to Amazon and show me your book...that's when I really fall back in awe and listen to your opinion above my own!

eruheran

I think we have a few of those kinds of people on here. Jill Williamson sells on Amazon I think.

Yeah Jill sells like crazy! Number one for MLP. Reviews from all sorts of places.

I didn't know she was on here! Shows you how little I sign in unfortunately :P

Actually, sorry, got my names mixed up. I was thinking Molly Evangeline. She publishes through amazon though.

Actually, sorry, got my names mixed up. I was thinking Molly Evangeline. She publishes through amazon though.

You know what: I recently had the privilege of meeting Jill Williamson in person, and I invited her to join us. Maybe she will.

That would be absolutely awesome.