So You Want To Be Part of an Anthology …
By Jenna Elizabeth Johnson, Coastal Dunes Branch
Since I’ve spent the past few months working on two short stories for two separate anthologies, I thought this month would be a good time to talk a little bit about featuring your own writing in anthologies.
Where to begin
First, if you wish to put together a good anthology, start looking for authors who write in your genre or write stories similar to the one you want to showcase. Next, decide on a deadline for the first draft, final draft, date when you plan to release the set, etc. This helps keep everyone on track. Thirdly, send out an invitation via email. Let the authors know what you are planning and how many other authors you’d like to feature. This can be relatively informal at this point, but still friendly and inviting.
Once you have your team of authors, you need to discuss who will be responsible for each aspect of the collection. You’ll need cover art, someone to format, and someone to edit (I recommend having everyone edit on their own and turn in a final, polished product). You need someone to promote the book before and after its release and you also need someone willing to take care of the financial end of things (keep track of profits, send out checks, deal with the taxes and such). Finally, you will want to put together a contract others will need to sign. This can be simple, something stating that the royalties will be split a certain way with so much set aside for marketing or a larger percentage for the person taking on the responsibilities of treasurer.
You’ll also want to decide if the stories will remain exclusive to this set or if the authors can publish them in another collection or on their own.
The pros and the cons of anthologies
The Pros: Taking part in an anthology gives your work more exposure. If you are really lucky, you might be on a team with a very well known author. All of their readers will be buying the book to read that author’s story, but will most likely be checking out yours as well. Another plus is that this is yet another book out in the world that could mean potential income for you. Finally, whenever you can network and connect with other authors is a good thing. Working together on individual stories for an anthology is exciting and a great way to expand your craft and draw inspiration and encouragement from others.
The Cons: If you are the person putting this whole thing together, it could mean a lot of work. Remember the kid in school who got stuck doing all the work for the group? This is a potential possibility with group anthologies. Another possible negative would be if you are working with a group of people who don’t respect your work or a managing author who doesn’t pay the other writers fairly or on time. Again, be sure to do your research and take a close look at any contract you are asked to sign.
Being part of an anthology collection has been a very positive experience for me over the years. It has allowed me to connect with other wonderful, talented authors and most importantly, I am convinced featuring my books in these collections has really helped with exposure, the same kind of exposure I couldn’t get on my own as an independent author. If you are considering taking part in an anthology, I’d be the last person to try to change your mind, just make sure you think it through before signing that contract.
These words of wisdom come from Jenna’s “President’s Reflections”
in the February 2017 edition of the Coastal Dunes branch newsletter.