ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

We could turn them around and send them back?

Mal McLean wrote:Why can't we simply restrict viewing of ABPA's members poetry to members only? Just an idea to encourage the discussion of draft forms. Surely, a poem, having been subjected to private criticism behind the closed door would remain eligible for a competition? Maybe not.

Yep, we can do that .... Does anyone want to restrict, ABPA Member's Poetry to the public ??

Let me know, it's your forum after all ...

Well, I'm maybe talking more of a thread where members can post and discuss their ideas and drafts, closed off from external scrutiny.
Maybe. I'm not sure I'd do it myself, but it's just an idea.

Mal

Would those that run the competitions still considered it "published" though Mal? I'll lay odds they would.

The "General Poetry Discussions" as well as the "General Chit-chat and off Topic", are not available to the general public. Only registered Forum members can access those two topics ...

I think it has a bit to do with the identity of the author as well Mal and a lot of our forum members are also judges.


Bob

Bob Pacey wrote:a lot of our forum members are also judges.


Bob

Not me, was on a jury once though.

Seriously though if it was something that forum users, and members would utilise then a "secret poets room" could be beneficial and not contravene publication rules. I assume I'm not the only one to run poems via pm through other members for their feedback, and it would just be an extension of that.

I think having all the forums as open as possible to members of the public is best.

Marty

ps. your tennis analogy was better than your AFL one, Stephen. AFL use all the tools and power they can muster to bring serial winners back to mediocrity, so someone else can have a turn. It's their policy = equilisation.

Just a feed-in re publication --
The newly released ABPA Guidelines (applicable to ABPA National and State Championships and hopefully to be used by all festival organizers) recommends under WRITTEN

"Previously Published (not for profit) original works
These should be permitted in written competitions at the organisers’ discretion. N.B.
Not for Profit means no payment received by the author: not sold as a CD/DVD or
download recording, nor in a book or other publication."

the important statement being "not for profit"

Have a look at the ABPA Competition Package -- June 2014 (on the main Website) and in particular the Guidelines and the assessment sheets, as there are quite a few modifications to previous requirements especially with respect to Written Competitions.

Your mongrels sent my Suns back to mediocrity yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We may have won if we had Brian Kelleher fit to play for us!


Neil Ablett

Heather's right, Mal. The catch-all nature of many of these rules means that simply putting a poem on the web, even if the audience is restricted, still constitutes 'publication' if somebody wants to make a fuss. The BKA rule, for example, prohibited any entry that had been "...published in any book, magazine, website or other source whether for financial gain or otherwise." So having a special members' area here would have made no difference at all to BKA eligibility.

And there is still the question, unless actually defined, of what 'publication' means. Is a poem that has been read at a local writers' group 'published'? What about one that has been passed around for comment at a workshop? Who knows? That's why, as Hal says, the phrase "not for profit" is so important...if you haven't received any payment for it, then it's OK.

The 2013 BKA rules also specified that the competition was only for "amateur entries". What on earth does that mean?

Cheers
David