Reprinting a story

BeccaPrice · 10-26-2013, 07:21 PM

In Dragons and Dreams, there's a short story called Sunflower about a character named Butterfly-Fairy. BF has rather taken over my new collection, Fairies and Fireflies - all the stories in it are either about her or her friends, and they all take place in the Wide Wild Field.

Question: should I reprint Sunflower in F&F with a note that it also appeared in D&D? or should I put a note in the front of F&F and say that BF also has a story in D&D?

I could also pull it out and have it be a permafree story as advertisement for F&F.

F&F is pretty much aimed at a much younger set than D&D was; D&D covered a wide range of ages, and F&F is pretty much aimed at 3-6. (another collection being worked on, Quests and Fairy Queens, is aimed at 6-10 or so)

The completest in me says I should include the extra story, so all of BF's stories are in one place. But maybe people would be upset if they've already bought D&D to find a repeated story?

I'm probably over-thinking this, but I'm tired, and trying to decide what I should do before I hand the document over to my artist.

crich70 · 10-26-2013, 08:24 PM

I don't see a problem with including the story. You could include a note in a forward about how it was the inspiration for the other stories in the series. And I don't think it would be a problem to include a note that it was originally published as part of another collection. Sort of cross advertizing for the other book.

BeccaPrice · 10-27-2013, 07:08 AM

thank you.

HarryT · 10-27-2013, 07:15 AM

It's very common for the same story to appear in more than one collection. Lots of authors do it.

BeccaPrice · 10-27-2013, 10:49 AM

This truly has turned into Butterfly-Fairy's book (although it wasn't intended to be), so it does seem only fair to include it. I had to re-write it a bit so that it fit in with the other stories (mostly changing "meadow" to "the wide, wild field" which is used everywhere else in the stories).

I do hope it sells well. Butterfly-Fairy is the only character I've ever written who seems to have come alive and demand more stories about her. It's a very strange feeling - I used to think authors were exaggerating when they talked about some of their characters like they had an external existence, but BF really seems to have a mind of her own. (and she's rather obnoxed that my next collection is aimed at older children and won't have any BF stories in it *at all*.)

BeccaPrice · 10-27-2013, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crich70

I don't see a problem with including the story. You could include a note in a forward about how it was the inspiration for the other stories in the series. And I don't think it would be a problem to include a note that it was originally published as part of another collection. Sort of cross advertizing for the other book.

is this too quaint?

Dear Cassie:

When you first read "Sunflower", you asked whether Butterfly-Fairy ever got her pussy willow kitten, so I wrote the story "Willow". When you beta read that for me, you asked, "is that all?" and so the story "Firefly" came about. After that, Butterfly-Fairy rather took over, and started telling me more stories about her adventures and her friends. The book you hold in your hands is the result. I hope you enjoy these stories as much as you did the original "Sunflower" and the other stories in Dragons and Dreams.

Fondly,

Becca

pdurrant · 10-27-2013, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I could also pull it out and have it be a permafree story as advertisement for F&F.

Include in F&F, but also release separately as an advertisement for F&F.

crich70 · 10-27-2013, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

is this too quaint?

Dear Cassie:

When you first read "Sunflower", you asked whether Butterfly-Fairy ever got her pussy willow kitten, so I wrote the story "Willow". When you beta read that for me, you asked, "is that all?" and so the story "Firefly" came about. After that, Butterfly-Fairy rather took over, and started telling me more stories about her adventures and her friends. The book you hold in your hands is the result. I hope you enjoy these stories as much as you did the original "Sunflower" and the other stories in Dragons and Dreams.

Fondly,

Becca

I don't think it's too quaint. Many authors have written similar notes about how their books came to be. And not just children's books. At the start of "The Robe" by Lloyd C. Douglass he notes that someone he knew wanted to know what happened to the robe afterward. And R. L. Stevenson included a note to Lloyd Osborne (his step-son) at the start of "Treasure Island."

10-26-2013, 07:21 PM	#1
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,146 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	Reprinting a story In Dragons and Dreams, there's a short story called Sunflower about a character named Butterfly-Fairy. BF has rather taken over my new collection, Fairies and Fireflies - all the stories in it are either about her or her friends, and they all take place in the Wide Wild Field. Question: should I reprint Sunflower in F&F with a note that it also appeared in D&D? or should I put a note in the front of F&F and say that BF also has a story in D&D? I could also pull it out and have it be a permafree story as advertisement for F&F. F&F is pretty much aimed at a much younger set than D&D was; D&D covered a wide range of ages, and F&F is pretty much aimed at 3-6. (another collection being worked on, Quests and Fairy Queens, is aimed at 6-10 or so) The completest in me says I should include the extra story, so all of BF's stories are in one place. But maybe people would be upset if they've already bought D&D to find a repeated story? I'm probably over-thinking this, but I'm tired, and trying to decide what I should do before I hand the document over to my artist.

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10-26-2013, 08:24 PM	#2
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I don't see a problem with including the story. You could include a note in a forward about how it was the inspiration for the other stories in the series. And I don't think it would be a problem to include a note that it was originally published as part of another collection. Sort of cross advertizing for the other book.

10-27-2013, 07:08 AM	#3
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,146 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	thank you.

10-27-2013, 07:15 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It's very common for the same story to appear in more than one collection. Lots of authors do it.

10-27-2013, 10:49 AM	#5
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,146 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	This truly has turned into Butterfly-Fairy's book (although it wasn't intended to be), so it does seem only fair to include it. I had to re-write it a bit so that it fit in with the other stories (mostly changing "meadow" to "the wide, wild field" which is used everywhere else in the stories). I do hope it sells well. Butterfly-Fairy is the only character I've ever written who seems to have come alive and demand more stories about her. It's a very strange feeling - I used to think authors were exaggerating when they talked about some of their characters like they had an external existence, but BF really seems to have a mind of her own. (and she's rather obnoxed that my next collection is aimed at older children and won't have any BF stories in it at all.)