Image Credits:-
Some images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Screenshots and photos of my earlier publications were taken by me, Allison Symes. Book cover images are from Bridge House Publishing. Creativity Matters – Find Your Passion for Writing book cover photo was supplied by Wendy H Jones.
I’ve had the privilege and joy of being published in various anthologies over many years, mainly published by Bridge House Publishing.
What are the advantages to writing for anthologies? I thought I’d take a look at this and give some tips on working out ways of using any set theme wisely.
Themes and Confidence
Most anthologies do have a set theme. Mind you, this is a good thing. Most writing competitions do as well so it is a good idea to get used to writing to themes set by others. It stands you in good stead. For one thing, you can remind yourself you have done this kind of thing before so there’s no reason not to do so again. I see that as an invaluable aide in the fight against Imposter Syndrome.
Writing for anthologies can help with that too. Why? Because publication credits boost confidence, it reassures you someone else thought you were worth publishing and that kind of attitude is the best way to resist the self-doubt which Imposter Sydrome encapsulates. (I take some comfort from knowing many creative types do get this wretched syndrome. It is self doubt personified).
Writing for Anthologies
One obvious advantage is being published here is this is a great way of building up publication credits. It does show to a publisher someone else thought your story worth publishing. It also tells them you would have worked with the anthology publisher on editing etc before the book went to print. It also shows you’ve been able to work to a deadline. The one thing all anthologies have is a deadline!
And if you can show how you have helped promote the book, that is also a tick in the box. Publishers do expect authors to do promotional work and why wouldn’t you want to do so? It is a case of sharing work you are proud of and letting the world know it is out there.
I love reading anthologies too. They are a great mix of stories and styles and they can be a fabulous introduction to the works of other authors so they can help you improve your reading “diet” no end as well.
Do check out The Bridgetown Cafe Bookshop if you’re not sure where to start looking for anthology collections. This is the online shop for Bridge House Publishing, Chapeltown Books etc. You also have a range of buying options here. It doesn’t have to be just one big online retailer though they are available too!
And if you prefer to write short fiction, well it is still possible to get your work in a book. It is generally accepted the big publishers will not take anthologies unless they are by a very well known author with a huge audience already.
But this is where the independent press comes in. They are far more open and usually take unsolicited submissions (though it always pays to check). The Mslexia Indie Press Guide is an invaluable aid, doing for the independent presses what The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook does for the bigger publishing houses.
Well worth getting a copy of the Indie Press Guide (it is possible to see the Yearbook in the library though it may not be this year’s version). What you are after are the website links (and therefore submission guidelines). The guide also tells you what the indie presses are looking for.
Some anthologies are written to raise money for specific charities so if there is a cause close to your heart and an anthology comes up supporting it, why not send a story in? It is another way of support after all.
Tips for Writing to Set Themes for Anthologies
Many anthologies do give you a topic but this can often be widely interpreted. For example, the last Bridge House Publishing anthology was called Evergreen. My take on the theme was of a magical being being very upset at an uppity young Fairy Queen assuming this being was far too old to do anything useful. My character was keen to prove she remained ever green and ready to go (which ended up being the title of the story as well. Themes can often make for great titles!).
First useful tip: work out possibilities from the given theme. Write down everything you can think of that could relate to it. You’ll find the first few ideas will be the “obvious” ones but if you keep going, you will start finding ideas which dig deeper and are more likely to give you something unique to work with. We’re not looking to reinvent the wheel here. The market for love stories, for example, is huge. There will always be room for more love stories. It is what you bring to the mix here that will make your story stand out.
Second tip: when you’ve made a list of potential ideas, leave it alone for a few days, yes really! Time away can give you a greater sense of perspective. When you come back to your list of ideas, the ones that grabbed you to begin with should still continue to grab you. If they don’t, then maybe that tells you this idea isn’t as strong as you thought.
When I write down my list of ideas I make a note of the kind of character that could serve the tale well. For my BHP story, I knew I needed an uppity character causing trouble for someone older than she was and who had a lot more experience in the magical world. Instant clash of personalities. Having an older character meant I had a character with a powerful motivation to prove she could still do her job, to show she was ever green and ready to go. Readers will identify with that.
Other Benefits for Writing for Anthologies
Royalties do accrue for anthologies. As I’ve been in a number of them for many years, I continue to earn royalties across the whole spectrum here and this money adds up. Being in anthologies also helps me earn a little more from the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society annually.
And it gives me a proven track record in being published regularly. It gives me news to share via my author newsletter and social media. That flags up this is an active author with stories out there.
Once a year, in most years, I get to go to my publisher’s celebration event where it is a joy to meet in person with other authors in the same books with me. The nice thing is every author in an anthology has a vested interest in promoting the books they are in and this helps everyone else who is in that collection. Royalties by the way are worked out pro-rata but that is standard practice. So the more anthologies you can be in, the more that pro-rata element can mount up as mentioned.
You also get used to working with an editor on your story, which is all handy experience. You get used to getting your work back to a time so the book production is not held up.
And sometimes you can take part in a non-fiction anthology. I did this by contributing a chapter on writing flash fiction and short stories to Wendy H Jones’ Creativity Matters – Find Your Passion for Writing. An interesting addition to my “writing bow”.
Conclusion
Do not despair then if you love writing the shorter pieces, especially fiction. There are opportunities out there. Knowing where to find them is a lot of the battle – and is where I’ve found the Mslexia Indie Press Guide useful.
Anthologies also make great presents for those you know who love reading and like a good mixture of authors and styles. I deliberately read novels, then short story and flash collections, as I like to make sure I read in my field as well as out of it.
I also like a mixture of the shorter and longer forms of writing. Anthologies have a wonderful role to play here in showing up what the short form can be. It is not the poor relation to the novel. Both have their place. Both make for wonderful reads.
Related Posts:-
Local Author News – Allison Symes – Crossing Fiction and Non-Fiction
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
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I toyed with the word Mslexia. How is it pronounced? Who invented it? Does it mean anything? It has got Grammarly confused.
Indie Press Guide is a straightforward and informative title. The one Amazon offers is from 2020.
Thanks for that informative piece, Allison.
Thanks Mike. Mslexia is if you like an invented brand name and ties in with their writing magazine.You can get tbe latest guide directly from their website but an older version is still of value. There won’t be many dead web links.