How to Contribute to an Anthology or Compilation
Ever since the first Chicken Soup for the Soul, the anthology market has blown wide open. An anthology or compilation book is one to which several authors contribute. In many anthologies, each chapter is penned by a different author; others incorporate anecdotes and short stories by dozens of authors.
If your article, anecdote, or book excerpt is accepted to be part of a compilation, you will be one of many authors promoting the book, which can result in a greater opportunity for exposure—not only for the anthology, but for your own book. What a great way to be part of a larger “team” in sharing your story.
The bio at the end of your contribution gives you a chance to mention your other book(s) and also helps you develop a following of people who are encouraged by your message. Before you sign a contract for your compilation submission, make sure you are able to include the title of the book your contribution was excerpted or adapted from, an 800 number for ordering, and your Web site.
Investigate your options
If you want to learn what compilations are currently seeking submissions, search for Christian writers’ groups and see if they have a Web page titled, “writing opportunities.”
You can also visit the sites of companies that produce compilations. At Chicken Soup for the Soul, for instance, you’ll find a page that lists topics for upcoming anthologies and submission guidelines. You can also sign up to receive their e-newsletter, which includes advance notices of new projects.
Be wary of scammers
There are many ways less-than-scrupulous companies will try to suck you into being part of an anthology that is nothing less than vanity publishing.
Here’s how the scheme works:
The company places ads in various publications (including writers’ magazines) announcing a poetry contest, with cash prizes for the finalists and guaranteed publication for finalists and semi-finalists. There are no entry fees, and poets can submit as many poems as they wish.
The contest isn’t a real contest, though, but a fake designed to draw in paying customers. Everyone who submits is declared a semi-finalist, no matter how dreadful their poem. The company then asks for money: $40 or $50 for the anthology, plus anywhere from $20 to several hundred dollars for extras–adding a biography to the anthology, having the poem read onto audio tape, having the poem mounted on a plaque, having the poem embossed on a coffee mug…the list goes on.
Check references to make sure you’re getting involved in a legitimate anthology, and you won’t be sorry. The Northwest Christian Writers’ Association repackaged its “Beginner’s Packet” into a compilation of 45 articles written by 20 authors: The Write Start: Practical Advice for Successful Writing.
WinePress also published a compilation of stories in conjunction with Proverbs 31 Ministries as a resource for their She Speaks! Speakers and Writers Conference, held annually in North Carolina. For the Write Reason also includes 31 Bible studies for writers, one after each story.
As you investigate anthology options, you may discover one that’s a great fit for your story or for an excerpt/adaptation from your book.
Source: http://www.sfwa.org/beware/contests.html
Tweet This!
