by Bernie Dowling
Our first thrilling episode on how your group can produce your own anthology ended with the cliffhanger of your being on the threshold of publishing.
As with those ancient pre-movie serials we quickly replay the action from the first episode. Our Writers Anthology Group (WAG) of the Arts Alliance Pine Rivers decided to do an anthology. We set up an editorial committee and found a sponsor, the late Peter Campbell.
We drew up a leaflet inviting writers to enter a short story and/or one or two poems. A payment of $20 would buy one copy of the anthology if the story was accepted. If it was rejected the $20 would be returned.
We distributed the leaflets in libraries, our local art gallery and among writers’ groups.
(Anyone who buys a copy of either of our anthologies Serendipity (2013) or Alpha and Omega (2014) will have access to all out support material. Email bentbananabooks@gmail.com)
In the first instance, we requested the unpublished story as a print copy.
In earlier anthologies we asked for the phrase which was the book title to be included in the story.
For Sweet and Sour we asked for a comic story and/or a drama/ thriller. Each writer had only one story published.
The past two anthologies had broad options asking only that story in some way relate to the book title.
Our editorial committee edited the hard copy with two editors assigned to each story. Suggestions were sent to the submitters. Further edits were done through email.
After the initial run of the anthology, copyright reverted to the authors with Bent Banana Books and WAG retaining publishing rights for reprints with no further royalties paid.
Authors could pre-order further copies, last year at $15 each.
We had enough money in the kitty to order one copy for each author, 10 copies for our sponsor, the pre-order copies and copies for sale and giveaways to our local libraries and sometimes to our illustrators.
The editorial committee worked without pay as did out illustrations editor/ cover designer, Ken Armstrong. Not-for-profit WAG holds excess funds on behalf of writers. Last year we invested in trophies and prizes for senior high school writers.
Out editorial committee for at least the past two volumes has been Myself, Vera Murray, David MacLaughlin, Anne Olsson, Lorraine Noscov and Ronald Holt.
We send out our call for submissions in November and December and have the book launch 10-11 months later. It gives us plenty of time to get it right.
So how did we physically publish the anthology? That’s where we leave you on the edge of your chair, eagerly awaiting Part 3.
Here is our song about the contest for meaning.
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