What's an anthology?
An anthology is a collection of short stories, poems, and/or essays gathered together with a specific theme in mind.
How do anthology books work?
The person putting the stories together is called a "Compiler" or "Editor." The compiler sends
out a request that he or she is looking for certain types of stories and what the specifications are for submitting a story.
The compiler will read through them, looking for the best submissions—often ones that are of good writing quality,
tell a great—if not unique—story, and really grabs the attention of the reader.
Those stories are then sent to the publisher who reviews them for submission and makes the final decision as to which
stories are included in the book.
The book then gets laid out and ready for printing. This process can take as long as two years. Once the books have been
printed, they are sent out to book distributors, bookstores, online venues
(i.e. Amazon), and
non-traditional chain stores, such as Wal-Mart.
Should I submit a story to a compiler who doesn't have a signed contract with a publishing house?
Only you can answer this. Anthologies that do not have a signed contract with a publishing house means there is no
guarantee that, once chosen, your work will ever make it to print. However, even signed contracts can be cancelled. The real
question you need to ask yourself is, "Do I feel submitting a story to this publication is a good use of my time?"
Can I use a reprint or sell my submission before it's printed in an anthology?
In most cases the answer is no. The stories you submit must have never been seen in the publishing realm before.
Publishers want fresh meat—they don't want to recycle old news.
Can I resell the story as soon as my submission is accepted for the anthology?
No. You must wait until the book you've been accepted in has come out in print. If you resell your story before the book is
printed, and another publication prints your story, the publisher of your story WILL find out and he/she WILL PULL YOUR STORY!
In other words, if your story is published before the book hits the bookstores, you breached your contract and could be held
liable for damages.
How long will it take before I receive an acceptance?
That depends on the publication. While the compilers would love to say, we'll give you an acceptance or rejection letter within
so many weeks after submission, publishers and editors require those letters be sent out only after all submissions have been
accepted, and they've had the final veto over the stories submitted. The average time is usually between one and two years.
Does the writer get paid?
This is where anthologies can get a bad rap by more experienced and published writers.
Payment really depends on the publishing house and the author. While all writers deserve to get paid for their hard work,
some anthologies simply do not pay.
However, no financial payment should not mean you skip submitting to that anthology. Anthologies are a great way for the
beginning writer to break into the writing industry—especially if the anthology takes off.
Anthologies are also great for veteran writers who want to break into a new market, have a story to share that doesn't quite
fit a paying market, or really believe in the cause of the book being compiled.
Anthologies can even work for those working their way up in the industry, looking to break into a niche market, or
relating to a specific profession. For instance, comedians would do well to have their stories in an anthology with the sole intent to make people laugh.
And finally, Anthologies are a great way to memorialize special events, feelings, and relationships, while reaching out
and touching the lives of others. Because anthologies often start with a passion to express one's self or to fulfill a
need in today's society, you should never skip out on the chance to share your story. After all, you just never
know when sharing your story will help heal the soul of another. If you
feel it would be an "honor" to be associated with a specific book, theme,
cause, publisher, or like-minded people, then by all means share your story!
On a side note, it is important that I point something out—NEVER, NEVER PAY someone a reading or inclusion fee
to have your story included in his or her book or anthology! And while I would never pay a contest fee to have my story
included in an anthology, contest fees are different then inclusion and reading fees. Many authors and writers enter
fee-based writing contests on a daily basis and have reaped many rewards for doing so.
If the anthology you are submitting to doesn't pay, make sure that you DO NOT GIVE UP ALL RIGHTS. Asking
for first rights is understandable, as no company wants to publish a book of reprints. But you should have the option
to sell reprints of your story once the book has been put in print—even if it means placing a "previously published in
(name) anthology" tagline with each reprint you sell.
The bottom line...
As with any book, when an anthology series first starts out, a lot of money goes into advertising, publicity, and
production of said book. Costs such as:
- researching competition
- advertising to locate qualified submissions
- preparing a website that people can visit to learn more about the anthology
- the cover artist
- editing, proofing, layout, design, binding, and printing of the book
- distributor set-up fees
- warehousing costs to store books until they are distributed
- the discount you must give bookstores and distributors
- the UPC code
- copyright costs
- the ISBN
- marketing materials such as catalogs, postcards, flyers, and brochures
- advertising costs to get the anthology out to the public
- shipping and handling to distribute books
- taxes
- etc.
A major publishing house, recently made the statement that "...it costs $40,000 - $50,000 to take an idea to print."
And let us not forget all the unpaid time that went into reading each and every submission that landed on the compiler's desk!
So don't be too upset if you find your submission was accepted into an anthology, but you aren't receiving monetary pay—your
rewards might be far greater than you've ever imagined.
Your payment may come in the form of:
- reprint fees as magazines use your story as an excerpt in their publication—if you haven't been able to get your work in a
high paying market, your excerpt may be the key!
- publicity
- speaking engagements—that you will more than likely get paid for
- paid writing assignments
- fan mail that makes any monetary reward seem downright pitiful
- discounts on books that you can resell for a profit during speaking engagements
An important note—Every writer has to decide what is best for his or her career. Sometimes receiving
no monetary compensation for publication in a quality book can open the
doors to other markets or gain you the exposure needed to get your writing career off the ground.
Another way to look at writing for anthologies is to look at them as writing assignments. Every good writer
writes and stretches his or her talents by writing for new markets―why not give it a try?
And if you really want to s-t-r-e-t-c-h things, you could say that you were paid $15.95―the cost of the
book. How many times have you written an essay for as little as $15 or even sold reprint rights for $15?
Marketing benefits of anthologies are:
Every anthology has about 20 - 40 authors, plus the compiler, the editor, and the publisher promoting the book. This
means that you have 42 other people promoting your name, along with theirs. The more the publishing world sees
your name, the more likely you will begin to reap the rewards of "name recognition."
One writer was accepted in a non-paying anthology and made $1000 in reprint rights as her story was reprinted in
several publications as excerpts from the book (after the book went to print of course)...another writer earned a nice
chunk of change as a guest speaker...and another writer gained paid writing assignments due to the exposure
in the anthology. So while some anthologies have a con in the form of no monetary payment, the pros can far
outweigh the con if you truly MARKET yourself as an author in that particular anthology.
On a final note...
Artists, comedians, musicians, and movie stars often start out in dives where they work very hard for little to no pay—until
the day their big break arrives.
Many "professionals" often distribute articles for free to online and print markets and charity events when
they know it will benefit their careers, company, or private practice. Is an anthology any different?
And with respect to Chicken Soup for the Soul
Series...true, they take all rights and only pay $300 while their marketing tactics reap the rewards for years and dollars to come.
But when you write an article, on a work-for-hire basis (as a copywriter), you give up all rights for the same $300. At least with
Chicken Soup for the Soul,
you have your byline, which can often gain you more writing assignments elsewhere—work-for-hire assignments do not allow you a byline.
About The Author:
Alyice Edrich is the author of Tid-Bits For Making Money With E-books.
Learn how you can earn $10,000 a year or more selling information you already possess—from the comfort of your own home. Visit
http://thedabblingmumpress.com to order a copy today!
* This article is available for your publication, for a F-E-E.
This article may NOT be reprinted without monetary compensation and written permission from the author.
For reprint rights or comments/questions about this article, please contact the author.
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