Here are some things to think about if you are considering
Starting a Small Press or Putting Together an Anthology
It may not seem it, but these are very similar. On top of that, if you are doing one of them, you need to consider the pitfalls you may encounter from the other.
Below is an outline from a talk I give. It is, of course, incomplete. This kind of thing is always changing and will be out of date by the time I finish typing this. But it gives you a good place to start thinking about what you didn’t know you should be thinking about.
Questions to ask yourself before you start:
Are you prone to “giving up?” on projects?
This is the kind of project that never really ends and always has new problems.
Even after it is published, it doesn’t end.
-author copies
-payment issues
-rights issues
-typos
-reviews
-promotion
-unhappy customers
-unhappy authors
-everybody else knew a better way
Can you afford it?
Not just paying authors, but artists, cover designers, editors, marketing…
Who is paying, Publisher or you? (Either way, examine this idea again. Closely.)
Do you have the time?
You may think you are doing this on your schedule, but you can’t control others.
May take MONTHS longer than you think.
May take hours where you didn’t expect to have any problem.
Are you good with people, especially strangers?
Herding cats is easy compared to authors because cats don’t intentionally obfuscate.
You will be amazed by other people’s work ethics. Seriously. Both ways.
Are you thick skinned?
(And you thought a bad review was hard to take…)
There is nothing you can do that someone else can’t/won’t take exception with.
Expect that you will take the blame even if it has nothing to do with you.
Authors who get rejected are often sore losers.
Authors who get accepted are often arrogant prigs.
What will YOUR role be?
-Publisher
-Editor
-Formatter
-Artist
-Cover Designer
-Curator
-Accountant
-Marketing
-IT
-Everything?
Can you separate business from friendships?
Really. Think hard on this one.
Can your friends separate business from friendships? (If you said yes, you’re probably wrong.)
Can you handle the consequences when you find out you were wrong?
Things to have sorted out BEFORE you start
(before anyone else is involved)
Publishing:
Are you the publisher?
-Do you understand self-publishing?
-Platforms, ISBNS, marketing, ebooks…
-Need to set up an LLC or similar?
-Need business account so you can write checks/receive payments? (USAA will cancel account if they think it is being used for business)
-Need business license?
-Need to pay taxes? (local, state, federal)
Is someone else the publisher?
-Do you understand what you are getting into?
-Hands-off/no say/middle-man/at fault/contracts/taxes
Kickstarter or other way to fund?
-Authors have been burned. Many won’t work in advance
-Plan to move forward if it fails to fund?
Payments:
How/how much are you going to pay authors/artists/editors?
-upfront
-royalties
-mixed
Paying back a publisher? Covering costs that shouldn’t have been yours?
Paying taxes on paying royalties (you or publisher?) and costs.
-1099 form $10 or more (vs. $600 for other)
-$3 each plus mailing (or pay online service to do it)
-checks or service fees (PayPal)
Contracts:
Do you have one? Where can you get one? Publisher provided? (Copyrighted?)
-author
-editor
-artists
-formatter
-cover designer
-beta readers
Have contract ready to go before asking for submissions.
How to get them signed.
-Mail
-PDF
-Service (Docusign, Pandadoc)
What will you do when someone breaks contract?
– Curated or contracted?
-fails to provide story
-over wordcount
-wrong theme curated
-wants different payments
-wants to pull story after already going to print
-uses IP (song, character, world) without permission
Very clear idea of anthology theme.
In writing/in contract from publisher
In writing/in contract from curated authors
**If you are approaching a publisher with an idea for using someone else’s IP, be prepared to be turned down.**
**If you someone is approaching you with an idea for using someone else’s IP, be prepared to run away.**
Very clear submission guidelines
Almost NO ONE will follow them.
What will you do about that?
Who has control, editor or publisher?
-who gets invited
-who is not “big enough”
-who is “not appropriate”
-who can “slip in” a story (meaning who can ruin the anthology last-second with something inappropriate.)
Submission Guidelines
Formatting
-standard Shunn formatting
-html, pdf, jpeg files
Cover letter/Query letter (what do you need to have in it?)
-acceptance of terms
-state wordcount etc.
-subject heading
-reprint? Rights returned? Available online?
How to submit
-mail
-service
-email
How to get word out that you have submissions open.
-How to approach authors you want to curate.
Set Deadlines for all of these: (hint: pull a Scotty and double/triple your estimates!)
-Submissions
-Acceptances/rejections
-Contracts (when to send them out/ get them back by)
-Edits out
-Revisions in
-Review (ARC)
-Publication
-Deadline In writing/in contract from publisher
-In writing/in contract with everyone.
-What will you do if someone doesn’t follow through?
-What will you do if the Publisher doesn’t follow through?
-What will you do if YOU can’t follow through?
Slush pile
How will stories be submitted?
-mail
-email
-submittable or similar
How will you keep track of slush pile? Spreadsheets? Service? (cost?)
Who will be reading slush?
Who has access to the slush pile?
-trust issues?
Who decides on which stories to keep/reject?
-In writing/in contract from publisher
-Generic rejections vs. Personal rejections
-dealing with poor reactions to either
-Generic acceptances vs. Personal acceptances
-dealing with poor reactions/overreactions
-when can they announce it/do cover reveal?
Who decides on story order?
-In writing/in contract from publisher
Edits
Who will be editor?
Who get to determine who the editor is?
Is editor/proofreader familiar with the genre?
Who gets final say? editor, author, publisher, you?
-In writing/in contract from publisher
Rights requested and for how long?
Needs to be very clear in contract!
English only
Anthology only
Reprint in “best of” or some such?
Are reprints okay
-Why they might not be okay
Exclusive?
For how long?
Audio?
Other rights?
Over-reaching?
If working with multiple people on the project (slush reader, editors, artists, formatters, marketers, etc.) lay clear lines for who will do what and by when in exchange for what.
Basically, always use contracts.
Things to watch for after you’ve started the process:
Authors/publisher/contractor repeatedly missing deadlines.
More than one is a pattern, and you will be sorry if you let it continue.
-signing contracts
-turning in stories
-returning edits
-making ARC copies
-turning in art
-answering emails
-can’t contact them
Authors/Editors/Publishers repeatedly pushing their boundaries
More than one is a pattern, and you will be sorry if you let it continue
-Resisting (good) changes in edits
-Insisting on certain punctuation styles (not house)
-Insisting on (bad) changes in contracts
-Taking over art direction/formatting/layout with suggestions/demands
-Revising their story after edits are completed
-Requesting special treatment after contract signed
-Special form of payment
-Provide their own artwork
-Want their story first/last
-Want you to add story
-Revealing information they should have already told you. (“Oh! Sorry, it WAS already published!”)
-Acting surprised over information they had already in order to get something (“I thought we were supposed to get free copies!”)
Other Issues along the way:
Production problems.
-Files get rejected
-Files don’t work
-Formatting doesn’t work
-ebooks vs print
Distribution problems.
-Kindle has crappy rules.
-Ingram costs money
-revisions cost money
-proof copies cost money
-getting “author copies” to authors
Proofreading
-Not the same as editing!
Beta readers.
Marketing strategy.
Getting reviews.
Dealing with authors/editors/publishers who “make a scene” on social media/in public.
Dealing with “groups” who make a scene about your authors/stories.
Other things to think about:
Theme/Title/Cover art by committee rarely works.
Find your vision and follow it.
Sticking with similar themes and genres work best.
-mixing genres in a theme can work, but also doesn’t.
-romance doesn’t mix well with horror.
First story hooks, last story leaves lasting impression, middle story has to carry the middle.
-Authors believe this and take pride/slight from it.
Better stories is more important than more stories.
Bad story from curated author will ruin the anthology.
Promising friends they can have a story in the anthology can be a huge mistake.
Putting your own story in can be a huge mistake.