Occasionally you will see competitions where the organisers make it a condition of entry that you must give up your copyright. Occasionally this will apply to all contestants whether they are winners or also rans. Never, never, never, give up your copyright. If that is a condition of entry move on to the next competition!

Granted it can seem appealing to give up your copyright in order to get into print, after all you are only starting out and well the work is not that valuable. I use to think like that.

Let’s look at what giving up your copyright really means. To begin with it means that never gain can you use that story or poem ever again. It means also that the organizers of the contest hold all the rights to that story so if it is ever used again in print, on the stage, on the radio, on the television or on the big screen you gain nothing. You’ll not even appear in the credits!

You can of course give limited rights e.g. rights to a first publication. It’s quite acceptable of course for competition organizers to ask for limited rights, e.g. to use it in a winners’ anthology or use it online. These are only limited rights. I repeat: never, ever give up your copyright it is a valuable. commodity.