Nice article about anthology opportunities. I tend to look to them as a reprint market, if that is part of their submission call. I’m less likely to write something to a specific theme than to see what I have already finished or started that may match. And because I write different types of things I’ve had stories in recent years in crime, sci-fi and literary compilations. In a couple of cases, I sent stories that were quite long, 7500 words or larger; print anthologies often are good markets for the big ones, I find.
I was on this merry-go-round from about 2015-18, and I stepped off after that. (I think I’ve had three stories published since then.) Chasing those horses threw my creative life out of balance: my novel writing ground to a slow crawl, and I often felt as if my editing practice was suffering from the daily write-or-edit Sophie’s Choice. Then I met the woman who became my wife and time for short stories narrowed to a pinhole.
Part of it too, I think, is that the crime-short-story world, while wider than ever, seems more scattered and fractured. The late and much lamented THUGLIT seemed like the main field on which talent was being scouted and sighed to publishing deals. Now there are a number of solid outlets but none seems to have seized pole position the way THUGLIT did. Among, say, Tough, Guilty, Rock and a Hard Place, Dark Yonder, Starlite Pulp, All Due Respect and many others, which is more visible? Which gets attention from publishing houses? Which offers the best possibility for leveling up the way Jordan Harper, Eli Cranor and Shawn Cosby did, to name a few?
True, you should be writing for the love of the art and the craft, and when bolts of inspiration strike, but let’s be honest: we all want to level up too. We don’t write only for $40 paydays or a scattering of online praise from our pals. We all want our work to take us someplace. How is that done? Can it still be done?
Thanks for your insightful comments, Jim! THUGLIT was the pioneer in publishing modern short crime fiction, I believe, which is why it may have gotten so much attention from agents scouting for talent. As you say, the short crime market is saturated. Where does an agent look first? I know other crime writers and crime fans do read these anthos/pubs.
I love writing short stories, but I'm often told that the novel is where to make your mark. That being said, I am working on a collection of linked crime fiction short stories, we'll see if I can get any traction with that. I've also got novella/novel ideas which I'd like to work on.
Perfectly on point, as usual, Victor. I'd made a list of calls I wanted to respond to and ended up not sending anything ... conflicting priorities and a pretty thin story hamper right now. I like deadlines and often do my best work under the gun, but it got to be a bit much ... and then there's the pull of the book. I have a WIP there that's screaming at me for attention ! Anthology calls are a form of instant gratification. There's a choice to be made between a succession of quickies and a long-term relationship.
Thanks for reading, Martine! I've done the same thing, put together a list of calls, and then watch them fall by the wayside as I work on my own stuff. I love writing short stories, but I've got longer work I need to write as well. LOVE your analogy of "quickies" versus "long-term relationships," lol.
Thanks for reading, Anthony! It's hard to say who actually reads these anthos, other than other writers, and other fans of crime fiction. I'd love to do some research on the topic--poll a group of literary agents and publishers, to see where they look for new writing talent. Could be interesting!
Nice article about anthology opportunities. I tend to look to them as a reprint market, if that is part of their submission call. I’m less likely to write something to a specific theme than to see what I have already finished or started that may match. And because I write different types of things I’ve had stories in recent years in crime, sci-fi and literary compilations. In a couple of cases, I sent stories that were quite long, 7500 words or larger; print anthologies often are good markets for the big ones, I find.
I was on this merry-go-round from about 2015-18, and I stepped off after that. (I think I’ve had three stories published since then.) Chasing those horses threw my creative life out of balance: my novel writing ground to a slow crawl, and I often felt as if my editing practice was suffering from the daily write-or-edit Sophie’s Choice. Then I met the woman who became my wife and time for short stories narrowed to a pinhole.
Part of it too, I think, is that the crime-short-story world, while wider than ever, seems more scattered and fractured. The late and much lamented THUGLIT seemed like the main field on which talent was being scouted and sighed to publishing deals. Now there are a number of solid outlets but none seems to have seized pole position the way THUGLIT did. Among, say, Tough, Guilty, Rock and a Hard Place, Dark Yonder, Starlite Pulp, All Due Respect and many others, which is more visible? Which gets attention from publishing houses? Which offers the best possibility for leveling up the way Jordan Harper, Eli Cranor and Shawn Cosby did, to name a few?
True, you should be writing for the love of the art and the craft, and when bolts of inspiration strike, but let’s be honest: we all want to level up too. We don’t write only for $40 paydays or a scattering of online praise from our pals. We all want our work to take us someplace. How is that done? Can it still be done?
Thanks for your insightful comments, Jim! THUGLIT was the pioneer in publishing modern short crime fiction, I believe, which is why it may have gotten so much attention from agents scouting for talent. As you say, the short crime market is saturated. Where does an agent look first? I know other crime writers and crime fans do read these anthos/pubs.
I love writing short stories, but I'm often told that the novel is where to make your mark. That being said, I am working on a collection of linked crime fiction short stories, we'll see if I can get any traction with that. I've also got novella/novel ideas which I'd like to work on.
Thanks again for reading!
Perfectly on point, as usual, Victor. I'd made a list of calls I wanted to respond to and ended up not sending anything ... conflicting priorities and a pretty thin story hamper right now. I like deadlines and often do my best work under the gun, but it got to be a bit much ... and then there's the pull of the book. I have a WIP there that's screaming at me for attention ! Anthology calls are a form of instant gratification. There's a choice to be made between a succession of quickies and a long-term relationship.
Thanks for reading, Martine! I've done the same thing, put together a list of calls, and then watch them fall by the wayside as I work on my own stuff. I love writing short stories, but I've got longer work I need to write as well. LOVE your analogy of "quickies" versus "long-term relationships," lol.
Good article! You wonder how many of those anthologies actually get read in the end.
Thanks for reading, Anthony! It's hard to say who actually reads these anthos, other than other writers, and other fans of crime fiction. I'd love to do some research on the topic--poll a group of literary agents and publishers, to see where they look for new writing talent. Could be interesting!