Anthology
Market Guide
What writer doesn’t
dream of seeing their name in a book? Your very own novel is great, but an anthology
surely is the next best thing. But how do you even find these markets, and how
can you tell if the book will look good enough to show off to your mom, or if it’s a rag printed off someone’s
printer?
Here
are some answers.
Where do I find these
anthology calls anyway?
Why, right here on
Apollo’s Lyre of course! But this is not the only place. Sign up for newsletters. Try joining organizations for your
genre(s), like SFWA or The Short Mystery Fiction Society; often they have online groups where calls are posted. Online writers groups are also a good place to meet editors and other writers. Networking may even lead to an invitation-only anthology opportunity, so get out there and get to know
your fellow writers.
Another
way to find open calls for anthologies is to use your search engine; try ‘anthology call’ and the current year. It takes a little digging through expired or odd links, but sometimes you’ll
find a gem of an anthology.
And
don’t forget anthology opportunities in familiar places. Many regular publications
have an annual ‘Best of’ anthology (like Apollo’s Lyre) –a great way to sell your story twice in one
go.
How can I tell if
it’s a good one?
There are a few ways
to rate the quality of an anthology.
First: read the guidelines, they are very telling,
and not just on how to send in your story. Like with any publication, guidelines
are a great way to get a sense of the person(s) you’re sending your work to. Watch for mistakes in spelling, sloppy formatting or foul language, if this is something
you have a problem with. An anthology’s call or webpage can give you a
good idea of the finished product.
Second:
does it pay? If there is no pay or royalties it doesn’t mean that this
anthology is a bad place to submit your work. Payoff comes in many forms, including
exposure of your work, and only you can decide what you’re willing to part first rights for. If payment is in royalties only, remember that you’re only paid when the book sells, and you’re
splitting the profits between fellow authors and the editor. Unless the project
is one with high-profile writers involved or has a dynamite marketing effort behind it, royalties may not amount to much.
Third:
does the anthology have a publisher slated? A publisher in place is a plus, since
the chances of your work actually seeing print are very high. A call without
a publisher simply means the editor plans to look for one once the project is completed –not a bad thing, there’s
just a greater chance of the anthology being cancelled if a publisher isn’t found.
A
word of caution regarding calls stated as P.O.D.: print on demand is simply a
printing technology publishers use, but the term is often interchanged with self or vanity publishing. If an anthology call states it will publish P.O.D. and no clarification as to publisher is given, make
sure you know what the editor actually means. There’s nothing wrong with
self-publishing, but you should know where your story goes once it’s accepted.
It could be someone’s printer.
Finally,
check the deadline. Some anthologies state they’ll take submissions ‘until
filled’ –remember that this could take a long time, sometimes years. Are
you willing to lock up your masterpiece that long if it comes to that?
What’s with
all the themes?
Anthologies mostly
rely on themes to sell, since the authors’ names alone won’t do it. Most
of the time, anthology editors pick a broad theme to get a diverse and large amount of submissions, but sometimes, there’s
the oddball theme. The pink elephant anthology –what a fun theme, you think. A creative challenge. But think before
you write that story. Will you be able to sell your pink elephant story if it
gets rejected? And if you do, some writers will recognize the theme –ah,
there’s a reject from the pink elephant anthology, remember that one? Writing
to a theme can be a fun challenge, but do plan ahead before you invest your time and creativity. Have the next market for your story ready.
I’m ready to
submit!
As always, follow
the guidelines. Don’t send a story that doesn’t fit the theme or
flavor of the anthology; no matter how fantastic your writing may be, you’re wasting everyone’s time.
Be sure you’re willing to part with the
rights a publisher asks for before you sign any contract. Anthologies can be
in print for a long time, which makes selling reprints a little more complicated. Make
sure you understand which rights you’re parting with.
They accepted my story! Now what?
Get ready to wait. If the anthology is an electronic one (like PDF) it can be quicker, but print anthologies
can take forever, or at least it seems that way. Publishing schedules can take
a long time where books are involved, and if the editor still needs to find a publisher, get ready to wait a really long time.
Sometimes, an anthology is cancelled for various
reasons, for instance if no publisher is interested, or if the editor doesn’t get enough quality submissions. You’ll get your rights back and are free to submit elsewhere.
So make sure you have a next market in mind. That’s if you didn’t
write that pink elephant story.
Hey, I can do this. How about I put together my own anthology?
Go for it! But remember: you’ll have to write, edit, proofread,
write contracts, query publishers and market the book. If you think that sounds
like a lot of work, you’re right, it is. But if you have all those skills,
or have a group of writers willing to do the work, anthology projects can be a lot of fun, and a great way to create your
own opportunity for publishing your work. You can even use the pink elephant
theme and… Okay, enough about that.
Here
are some anthology markets to sink your teeth into:
.