Looking for avenues to publish, authors search far and wide for any chance to do so. One method is by submitting a work to an anthology. Anthology genres cover the gamut in the writing world, giving authors more than a few opportunities. Of course, there are sharks and vanity presses aching for your business (and money), too, but not to worry. The literary field is ripe with legitimate publications seeking submissions, too.

Anthology submissions are of specific interest to new authors, but seasoned authors have learned that an occasional short story, essay, or poem published by a magazine, literary journal, or anthology adds credibility to their CV. The process, dangers, and victory are easy to understand.

Process

As with any submission, following the guidelines per publisher are paramount. From Chicken Soup for The Soul, to college annuals, to genre-specific volumes, you may find a home for your work once you do the serious homework.

Many of the annual ones, like Proud To Be, a veteran and military collection of poems, short stories, and essays published annually by Southeast Missouri State University Press, want anything veteran related.

The Jerry Jazz Musician seeks works related to music.

Best American SciFi Press produces an annual science fiction anthology.

The list goes on. Your specific genre is sure to have markets. Just remember:

• Follow the guideline instructions to a “T”. Publishers are serious about this.

• Regardless of the originality of your piece, adhere to the theme. If they ask for werewolves, a story about a couple and their pet wolf just won’t quite do.

• Edit (or have your critique group do it) because they want perfection.

• A rejection letter is not a personal attack on you. Resubmit elsewhere and move on.

Dangers

Just like with every other facet in life, the bad element also exists in the literary world. Vanity presses and the like will advertise open submissions hoping to entice writers to submit to their “annual anthology” or contest. Like many presses out there, they may publish via Amazon or some other POD, but if you want a copy of the book with your work and your name on it, expect to pay full price. Beware the sharks.

A good example is where you can enter a submission expecting the prize to be inclusion in the book, but once it is published, you are expected to pay full price for the book. You just put $24.95 in their pocket and each copy that you get your friends and fans to buy gives them more $$ – and you only get a copy of the book – that you paid for. You should not have to pay them for the privilege to publish your story.

I have had short stories published with university presses that pay an author a fee and a copy or two of the work. Some create anthologies via contests, charging a small reading fee, which is the market norm.

Victory

Nothing beats the feeling of getting published. Getting your work published in an anthology is a plus, not only for your CV but your credibility. An added bonus is that your name can be in the same book with a known author or professional in the field who also submitted or edited the work. These writers are selected as winners, paid well, and the remainder of the anthology is filled with honorable mentions. They market these winners, and how nice is it to ride their coattails with your own story in the same publication?

Where to find anthologies? Simply do a search for “submit anthology,” or use Submittable.com. Open a free account, click on Discover, and type “anthology.” Add other search options like romance, scifi, or essay to drill down the results. Also, some publishers print an annual anthology, so once you find one, sign up for updates.

Just like with submitting to mags and publishers, do the homework, match your specific genre, spit shine that puppy, and submit. I have also had the honor of being asked to judge works for anthologies, so the more your name is out there, the easier the recognition. If you have a piece sitting on the back burner, bring it out, edit and rewrite and apply your submission savvy to get it out there.

Bio: Attracted to words at an early age, Rod Martinez’s first book was created in grade school, his teacher used it to encourage creativity in her students. His high school English teacher told him to try short story writing, he listened, and the rest – as they say, is history. You can find the author at http://rodmartinez.us