I've been considering teaming up with a few folks for some kind of fiction anthology. I'm mostly open to horror & dark fantasy. It would be my first time doing something like this, so if there's someone on here who has experience writing short stories or putting an anthology together, I'd love to hear from you.
I have done this myself. I have been involved in a number of anthologies from both an editing, contributing, and publishing perspective. Personally, I would advise against this, since you will be self-publishing a collection with a number of different contributors. The cynical part of me thinks that this will lead to arguments. Who goes first? Who goes last? Why is my story there? Then there is the editing. Who is in charge? Who has final say? Same with cover design. Then there are royalties to consider, in the event that the book sold in any numbers. Who handles that? It is a major commitment. Personally, I think you would be better off contacting your authors, asking them for contributions, then suggesting your theme, and sending your stories to a willing publisher. They would edit, format, and curate the collection. They would create the cover art, get it to market and take care of any post sale admin. If you have a good idea, a good collection of stories, then you can probably find a small press who would be interested. And if the stories are not acceptable to a small publisher, then you were better off NOT doing the collection in the first place. A bit harsh, but you have to think of the bigger picture. Your future self might not thank you.
Thanks for your opinion, but I'm set on something. Sorry for not getting back to you with my little story. I started something very small, but didn't finish it yet. Fantasy-genre so far.
Well, good luck. Once you have embarked on this path, you are effectively setting yourself up as a publisher. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
I love dark fantasy and horror. Berserk forever! Are you looking for writers? I would be willing to contribute. Do you have an overall theme? PM me.
You just need one person who is the editor of the anthology and handles the logistics and the editorial decisions etc. It's not hard to set up and execute.
