What do you think when you hear a book is an anthology?
Some people may be delighted with thoughts of reading from a variety of authors. Others may groan, remembering antiquated stories in outdated books.
Me? I’m excited to produce anthologies so that a diverse group of writers can be introduced into the writing scene.
My third anthology, The Write Spot: Reflections was recently published with the help of two authors who didn’t even know they were cheering me on.
Eleanor Henderson and Anna Solomon, co-editors of Labor Day: True Birth Stories by Today’s Best Women Writers, wrote an article, “Labor of Love,” printed in Poets & Writers magazine, May June 2014.
“Labor of Love” was my steadfast companion on my journey from “What am I doing?” and “Will this work?” to the completion of three anthologies.
Excerpt from “Labor of Love”
“We’ve always loved anthologies. As new writers, we buried ourselves in them, finding stories, poems, and essays that shaped and inspired our own work. Now we return to them when we need a good laugh, or comfort — when we need the sort of perspective that only multiple voices can provide. The best anthologies are like the best mix tapes: individual pieces playing with and against one another, resulting in an eclectic, vibrant chorus.”
Beautiful, gorgeous writing by Eleanor and Anna.
“Labor of Love” describes their journey from conception of their idea for an anthology to the birth of their successful book.
“When we checked in with our agents, they were tepid about the idea.”
Eleanor and Anna persisted. They had faith in their project, gathered birth stories, found a publishing house and their book was published.
Their final words, and these are the words that kept me going when I had doubts about producing anthologies:
“Don’t lose faith. So the word anthology might turn some people off at first. But if you develop a unique idea and stay true to your vision, eventually it will pull readers in.”
One of the challenges for The Write Spot series of books was what title to use. I wanted a title that indicated these are books to inspire writing and also books that are entertaining. With the third book, I simply shortened the title.
The Write Spot anthologies are available for $12 at Amazon.
The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing: Discoveries
The Write Spot to Jumpstart Your Writing: Connections
