The Anthology: A Project for Writing Groups

A few weeks ago, I met a horror author, who mentioned a project that he is working on. He leads a write-in/critique circle, and the members are working together to self-publish an anthology of horror short stories.

What a great way to showcase their collective creativity! Yet, bringing together the voices and talents of various writers into a single anthology is super challenging. How can the group make sure the project is a success?

I haven't been part of an anthology group myself, so I started down the research rabbit hole, plus contacted a few writers who have worked on this kind of project before. I got a lot of warnings: This is hard work and many writing group members feel like this effort should be easy, but it's not.

Based on their input plus notes from my readings, I put together some anthology-planning suggestions to think about. So, if you're in a circle that is considering a group anthology project, here's a practical roadmap to guide your group on this exciting journey!

An anthology project is where the writing group works together

1. Define a Common Theme & Tone

The first step for any anthology project is to establish a strong, unifying theme. This focus helps define the purpose of each contribution and gives the anthology its soul. Whether you choose a specific genre, a significant event, or a shared experience, a well-defined theme serves as the heartbeat of your work.

Consider brainstorming themes together. For example, your group might decide that your anthology is focused on stories within the broad sci-fi genre. A theme like "Journeys of Discovery" could inspire space opera stories, military science fiction or stories around parallel universes.

One experienced author explained to me, it's important to have agreement about the tone of the stories, too. Your group might want to ensure all submissions are humorous or light hearted, or all stories provide a dark view of the future.

The theme-and-tone step takes a little work because you want to gather everyone's perspective. The effort is worth it, however, because it ensures that all members feel included in the process, which fosters a sense of group ownership. When everyone feels represented, motivation within the group will flourish and propel the group to complete the project.

One author on Facebook shared that he had observed an anthology project fall apart because the group couldn't achieve agreement around the theme and tone. I took away from his comment that this is a foundational step.

2. Decide what 'publication' looks like

Articulate what your finished product will look like. Will you publish an ebook only, or print and ebook, or another format, say, an audio book or a serialized format? In addition, you'll want to think about your distribution channels. For example, if you're delivering your anthology as an ebook, will you leverage Amazon? And if you use Amazon, will you choose Kindle Unlimited? If you choose an audio book only, what platform will you use?

While you might adjust your method of delivery as you get closer to your date of publication launch, envisioning your final product at the beginning of your effort will inform how you will go about putting together your anthology and crafting your project timeline and plan.

3. Set a Schedule, Roles & Clear Guidelines

After settling on your theme and setting a vision for your anthology final product, it's crucial to target your publication date, develop your project schedule, set steps and assign responsibilities, and articulate clear submission guidelines.

I won't go into all of the details of a self-publishing project plan here, but you can assume that a project schedule would include all the routine assets (and investments into those assets) that go into publishing any book, including book cover, blurbs, time to write the stories, and time to edit the stories, etc.

About a target publication date: Give yourself plenty of time! This is not a quick effort. Many contacts who shared their experiences said their groups planned ahead more than six months out. Plus, depending on the theme and tone, a group could consider aligning publication with a holiday or time of year. A ghost story anthology might select Halloween, or a sweet romance anthology could target May-June.

About submissions: An author told me that submission guidelines should cover formatting styles and file format, because it saves the editor from having to do a lot of re-work. He described how he volunteered to compile his group's stories into one document, but hadn't been explicit about the type of file for the others to send to him. As a result he received manuscripts in all different formats. Some he couldn't open and others were messy. He had to go back-and-forth with the individual authors to get the final, clean and usable scripts, which took up a lot of his time, piled extra effort on the other writers, and added weeks to project completion.

Another author suggested guidelines should include how the group will approach content warnings and set clear word limits--minimum and maximum, She said when she worked on her first group anthology, her writing buddies submitted a variety of story lengths, including flash fiction and longer stories. The group had to go back and figure out what length of stories they wanted, which pushed their pub date back.

Some websites recommend addressing copyright and permissions (for U.S. authors, see copyright.gov). Clarifying ownership rights at the outset will prevent misunderstandings and ensure that royalties are managed to everyone's satisfaction. (Through my research, I read how some anthology groups prepare their collection with a worthy cause in mind, and direct the proceeds from the sales of their book to a charity.)

And last but not least, since I've seen a lot of mixed emotions around AI, a good idea is for the group to discuss the scope of AI-assistance up front. AI can provide help in the assessment of the individual stories, the coordination of the work, as well as the organization of the parts. Being specific and clear in the guidelines about how AI tools will be used, by both individuals and the collective, will minimize confusion and misunderstandings later on.

4. Encourage Perspectives from Everyone in Your Writing Group

One of the most enriching aspects of an anthology is the diversity of voices. Encourage participants from different backgrounds and experiences to contribute. This diversity not only enhances the anthology but avoids a bunch of cookie-cutter stories and broadens the anthology's appeal, increasing its potential reach. For example, including writers from various cultural backgrounds can introduce unique storytelling styles that captivate a wider readership.

If you're a coordinator on the project or one of the editors, you can help nurture diverse voices by hosting write-in sessions designed to explore fresh aspects of the theme or POVs within the anthology's framework. This approach builds community while allowing exploration and different contributions to shine through. An author commented to me that his anthology project thrived because it showcased varied perspectives of the theme. He said the differences in the stories resonated with different readers and it drew in a wider reading audience.

5. Include an Editing Process

Editing is where ideas come to life! A well-defined editing process ensures that the anthology maintains high standards. As a recommendation from one author: Appoint an editing committee, but before the editors do their work, encourage peer reviews among all contributors. This means establishing a step in your timeline where each writer gets feedback from one or two peers before the story is submitted to the editing committee. The peers serve as beta readers, and this collaborative effort can enhance the overall quality of the work, and also manage the burden on the editors.

Another author suggested the group specify the tasks of the editors. She explained that some authors may assume that the editors will do everything from developmental editing to proofreading. Editors will want to be clear about their responsibilities and set boundaries.

Remember, editing is not just about correcting mistakes. It's about collaboration and collective improvement so that you can make your final product the best that it can be. The editors will have a view of the draft anthology across all the stories, so their input will be invaluable to the successful outcome of the project.

6. Plan for Publishing and Promotion

Once your anthology content is polished and ready, it’s time to finalize your publishing platform or platforms, which will inform your promotion plan. When that's settled, then collectively strategize your marketing.

You might consider creating excitement around your anthology through readings, launch events, and online campaigns. Important, whatever strategy you map out, fulfillment shouldn't be the work of just one member of the group. Collaboration is key! By combining and leveraging all the writers' networks, including social media accounts and email lists, the group will turbo-charge the reach and amp up the anthology results.

One writer, who participated in an anthology dedicated to a worthy cause, recommended finding topic adjacencies among YouTube channels, blogs and podcasts, and pitching them from the perspectives of both the anthology and the good cause. This may gain more interest than pitching the anthology alone.

Another anthology contributor shared with me a tactic from his group, which self-published their anthology as print. Each contributor pitched in a certain amount of dollars and they did a collective print run of a number of extra copies, providing a tangible product for each author to use in their direct outreach efforts with local bookshops, libraries and live book clubs. The human touch and the physical book generated more interest.

7. Celebrate Yourselves

Once the anthology is complete, savor the moment! Your group deserves it! Organize a party, either virtually or in-person, where contributors, and friends and family, can pat each other on the back. This event will help celebrate the collective effort of the group and bring members closer together. As an idea to keep spreading the word, you could template the process and share your collective learnings with other writing groups who may be considering anthologies, too.

Go & Create

Creating a successful anthology is a fulfilling venture that requires careful planning, open communication, and an appreciation for diverse voices. By following these guidelines, writing groups can unlock their creative potential, inspiring not only themselves but also reaching a wider group of readers eager for fresh narratives.

As I mentioned before I haven't been involved in one of these projects myself, but now that I've talked with others and done some research, I'm adding this idea to my long-term goals list. Who knows? You and I may collaborate on an anthology at a future date! For now, I'm wishing the horror writer author and his writing group all the best success in their anthology! (Maybe he'll promote the work here on my blog. 😊)

And let me know what you think about writing group anthologies in the comments. Have you worked on one? Would you like to work on one?