How to Write for Anthologies: Land Short Story Sales with Harmon and Crist

Chapter 2: Why Write for Anthologies?

The reasons for writing for anthologies are many and often over-looked.

Anthologies are written about all kinds of subjects for the interests of many different readers. Looking at a current market listing, (more on market lists in the section on Submitting) we see in excess of thirty anthologies looking for submissions!

The publishers are seeking a variety of stories. There are submission calls (announcements of open markets) for cowboy romances, life-after-the-apocalypse tales, detective stories, steampunk fiction, Victorian mysteries, fairy tale villains, fantastical horse adventures, and ghost stories told from a ghost’s point of view. Just hearing those topics probably sets your mind to thinking about story possibilities.

It quickly becomes apparent that writing for anthologies:

•gives you ideas for new stories to write, and stretches your writing skills by challenging you to create stories about subjects or in genres you might not have considered trying

•can be used as an exercise to increase your short fiction output

•is a way to interact with a wider variety of editors and publishers

•offers a chance to practice your cover letter and submission skills

•is a good way for members of a critique group to each create a new story for discussion, and

•can help educators come up with new ideas for writing assignments for their students.

Publication in anthologies comes with its own rewards. It:

•raises your visibility in the writing community and can facilitate networking opportunities

•raises your visibility among readers

•gives you an opportunity to work with many different publishers and editors over short spans of time

•puts you on the radar of staff members who schedule panelists and participants for conventions and conferences

•helps you land author interviews and guest blogs

•elevates you as a writer in the eyes of your local library and writing groups, and

•after several publications, builds a resume which might be used to leverage a book deal with a major publisher, or lead to other writing-related opportunities.

As a bonus, if you are published in an anthology that is outside of your “usual” subject matter area or theme, you will:

•expose your writing to a whole new readership

•expand your reader base—in other words, increase your popularity, which in turn can mean more money for your short fiction, and

•discover new genres and themes in which your writing might shine, and if new readers like your story, they are likely to seek out more of your short fiction.

Often, themed anthologies are created to showcase the short fiction of one or more professional writers. But paying a full-roster of “pro” writers to fill out the full Table of Contents can get expensive. That leaves several, if not all, of the remaining slots open and ready to be filled by new and emerging writers—possibly you.

Garnering a slot in an anthology which features professional writers will:

•raise your writing reputation by having a byline next to a more well-known author

•have the potential to place your story before a reviewer along with the pros’ stories, and

•offer the chance to present your story alongside a pro if a publication reading is scheduled in your area.

Anthologies have the opportunity to be very successful; that is, to be distributed widely, sell more copies, and even make “bestseller,” lists, if:

•the marketing efforts are multiplied by all of the involved authors, and

•these efforts include social media, reviewer contacts, and library and bookstore contacts.