#IWSG: The Ups and Downs of Anthologies

I had a strange experience this month. I got published and didn't know it had happened. I only found out the book was out three weeks after its release, and even then, it was kind of by accident.

The publication was a short story in an anthology. I love anthologies, both as a reader and a writer. They are like sampler platters and gateway drugs into other books and authors. You can try a lot of different things for a low investment of time and money, since the pieces are shorter. I've discovered more than one writer I love to read this way.

But anthologies, I'm learning now that I've been published in a few, are complex critters, even more so than novels, because they require the cooperation and coordination of so many different people. To publish a novel, there's just the one writer to worry about and whatever team of professionals gets brought in (editors, artists, publishers, proofreaders, etc.). An anthology has all those folks, plus several different authors to work with.

So, I thought it might be fun to share my adventures in anthologies so far. It's an uncertain process that can definitely bring out all your insecurities.

The very first anthologies I was ever in were compilations. Those were quite painless. Basically, the publisher had already acquired the rights to publish the piece in a magazine AND in a compilation anthology at the same time. My work was included in a couple of poetry anthologies this way including Bearing Witness, a collection of poetry by teachers about teaching. For these, I had to submit my work, but getting into the book was a bonus publication, nothing that required additional effort on my part. 

I've also been in a couple of group-produced anthologies. What I mean by that: collections produced by the members of an already existing group. IWSG has done a couple of these (I had an essay in the The Insecure Writer's Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond). My critique group worked together to put out a collection with one short story from each of us: The Seven Story House. Classes I've been a part of have sometimes put together a book as well. The amount of effort those have taken for me depended on the project and what level I was in charge at. 

As I seek to gain more publication credits, I've been watching for open call anthologies. Here, I've had mixed experiences. A lot of times, these anthologies are really small productions--like a one-person or one family small publisher. So, while it's easier for an unknown writer to get a piece accepted into them, it's also really easy for the projects to fall apart. All it takes is one life crisis to take down a project when the team working on it is so small. One that I was super excited about ended up being abandoned all together. Another one that I thought was a longshot ended up being produced and is selling well. Just goes to show you never can tell, I guess. 

For these, I submit my work, sign the contract and take the payment (if there was one--sometimes you're paid in a share of the profits, if there are any, or you're participating for exposure or charity) and hope for the best on the book coming out. There can be long communication gaps and delays that can leave you doubting that the editors liked your work. That's the story of the Theme-Thology: Mad Science, the one that came out without my knowing it had. HDWP is a one-family kind of small press, and, given the troubles that descended upon them, I'm pleasantly surprised that the book actually came out, and don't really blame the editors for failing to get it out with fanfare and trumpets. It was an act of love and devotion that they pulled the project together in the end.

Now I'm working on a novella for an invitation call. These are pretty awesome because there's little doubt that my work will be accepted and published. After all, the publisher/organizer contacted me and asked me to contribute something. They must already like my work. My first one of these was put out by the same publisher who does my novels. Curiosity Quills put out Indomitable Ten to showcase all the superhero and super-villain writers in their stable and give us a chance to get some cross promotion by attracting each other's audiences. The one I'm working on now is for a charity anthology and I've got one more on my writing schedule for August. 

So, there you go: my writing life in anthologies. It's a varied landscape. What experience have you had with anthologies? Do you like reading them? 

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For #IWSG this month, we were asked to respond to this prompt:  What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?

Defining my "very first" piece of writing as an aspiring writer would mean digging through childhood crates at my mom's house, so I think I'll talk about my first novel. I "finished" His Other Mother in 2012. It was the first book-length work I ever completed. It's been around submission land off and on ever since, with some interest but no contract. I still believe in the book and its potential for finding a readership, but I'm not investing that much energy in it right now because my superhero stuff is selling and has my passion right now. After its most recent rejection, I've shelved His Other Mother for a bit. I think I've learned a lot about writing since 2012 and I plan to give the book another revision before I send it out again. But, that's low on my priority list for right now, so it may be a while until it happens. 

If you're not already following #IWSG (Insecure Writer's Support Group), you should really check it out. The monthly blog hop is a panoply of insight into the writing life at all stages of hobby and career. Search the hashtag in your favorite social media venue and you'll find something interesting on the first Wednesday of every month.