Guest Blogger: Jon Doolan
Say Yes! to an Anthology Contribution
Alastair Humphreys has done it.
Ed Stafford’s done it.
Benedict Allen’s done it.
Anna McNuff’s done it twice!
What am I talking about?
No, not some insane expedition into the middle on the unknown. Each of these adventurers has written a short story for an anthology.
But why on earth would they do that? And why should you consider it too?
Benefits of contributing to an Anthology
Anthologies are a great idea. They’re a collection of short stories (anything from a couple of thousand words to a minuscule hundred words for ‘flash fiction’) from different authors all consolidated into one book.
Benefit #1: Embrace Collaboration
The main benefit of being in an anthology is the fact that you have strength in numbers. There are more people behind the book. That means more eyes on your work (spotting those elusive typos), more voices to promote the book when it’s time for launch and more friends and family to flog it to.
Benefit #2: Write Less
When you contribute to an anthology you can write a lot fewer words. Some writers find this difficult. For some, trying to condense an entire adventure into five-thousand words is a real struggle. Top tip – If you get the chance to write a short story, maybe focus on one part of the adventure and write it really, really well.
Benefit #3: Reach a new Audience
Being in an anthology is that your writing will be reaching people that you might never have had a chance of reaching. Maybe another author’s Aunt Ethel buys to book to support their wayward neice and end up flabbergasted by your story instead. Then Aunt Ethel jumps on the internet to find out more about you and what you’re about. Hey presto – another sale! The more authors in the anthology, the more potential new readers that your story will be in front of.
Benefit #4: Boost your Status
Having your name alongside other (potentially more exciting) adventurers will give your adventure ‘status’ a metaphorical boot up the backside. In The Big Book of Yes, my little story about cycling through Thailand was alongside tales of mountain summiteers, continent crossers and globe circumnavigators. And all I’d done is cycle for a couple of days, stopping each night in air-conditioned hotels – hardly a huge adventure. But alongside these other MASSIVE adventures, my story got a little nudge up the adventure pecking order.
Benefit #5: Gets you out of the Starting Blocks
If you’re a first time author, having your story in an anthology is also a great way of dipping your toe in the water before you go diving in. It’ll give you experience with what it’s like to write, receive critique, self-edit and promote your book. You’ll also have that unmistakable feeling when you hold your print book in your hand for the first time. Like holding a new born baby. That’s right! These are your words in print. Bliss!
So if you get the chance to write for an anthology, do it. It’s hardly any work and it doesn’t really matter if you even get a cut of the profits (if the royalties go to a charity, double bonus points!). What matters is that you are saying, ‘YES’. You’re getting your name out there and your story in front of other people’s eyes.
Go for it!
Not sure if contributing to an Adventure Anthology is right for you? Here's 5 reasons why you should. @jondoolan1 #travelwriting #travelblogger Click To Tweet
About Jon Doolan
Jon is the editor of the bestselling The Big Book of Yes series. The Biggest Book of Yes [third in the series] was published on 1st August 2020 and contains 49 incredible adventure stories. All royalties go to Teddington Trust to help people with the rare skin disease xeroderma pigmentosum to have their own adventures. Find out more at jondoolan.com. You can find Jon on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
We also featured Jon in our Author Interview series, and you can read about his author series writing adventure here:
