The Anthology Project

One thing that my enforced hiatus has given me is a chance to think of new projects. One of these is related to a new writing group that I've joined. We've decided to put together an anthology of our writing and self publish it using Lulu.

There has been a lot said about self-publishing, both good and bad. Check out the latest issue of Writer's Digest for a far more astute discussion than I can give. There are certain ways, though, that this project sidesteps the bad parts of self-publishing and seizes on the good parts.

The question is, what would we want to get out of an anthology? The most tangible element is the thrill of seeing our work in print, even if it did not go through a traditional publishing house. That thrill is more acute for the various parents, relatives, and friends who have supported us, and have been waiting a long time to hold that volume in their hands. We're anticipating twenty entries; if each one distributes a book to five friends, that's 100 copies. Is it worldwide distribution? Of course not. But it's a start.

Doing an anthology results in cross-pollination as well. Sure, moms are gonna buy this thing to see their own darling's stuff, but they might just read some of the other stories too. In other words, the audience for 95% of the book is going to be an audience that could not have been reached if the book was sent only to friends and relatives. This cross-pollination extends to another field--promotion. Any time one of these volumes is distributed to a potential agent, it serves to promote the entire group.

The least important aspect is fundraising. I don't anticipate sales to be very high, but whatever money is made would go to the group. These funds could be used for group events, meeting space... or to fund the next year's anthology.

One of the greatest things about Lulu is how you can use your own publishing imprint. Essentially, our group becomes the publishing house. In later years, we accept outside submissions, accept and reject manuscripts, publish and promote the finished product--in effect, we become the publishing house. Recognition takes time, but if we consistently put out a quality product, then the name of our group becomes associated with quality.

Tomorrow, I delve into exactly how this will all come together... hopefully.