Market Round-Up June 2007

© Jodi M. Webb – All Rights Reserved

 

The experts are out on whether contributing to anthologies is worth a writer’s time. Well, I have two books with my name on their contributor’s list sitting on a bookshelf and a few more bucks in my pocket. Seems worth my time. I’ve learned that you have a better chance of being published if you pass up the mega-anthology series for the smaller opportunities. There are anthologies for every subject under the sun it seems—and some are very specific which decreases the pool of submissions and increases your chance of acceptance. My mailbox recently contained a call from an anthology for Susquehanna Watershed Writers—those who live or lived in a small section encompassing parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland.

 

This first market offers a never-ending list of anthologies that June Cotner is working on for various publishers. Most are prayer or inspirational books with a few other topics like "family traditions" thrown in for you more secular writers. A great market for those poems you have stuffed in desk drawers. Coming up: dog blessings, parent blessings, birthday blessings, and that catch all—everyday blessings. Check for the latest at: June Cotner Anthologies http://www.junecotner.com/jccallsub.html

 

LaChance Publishing is the home of the Voices of…Series that tells the story of various diseases they feel are underpublicized or have research that is underfunded. Writers can either have been diagnosed or been touched by the disease another way (family member, friend, medical personnel). LaChance’s president tells me they are now collecting stories about MS, autism, alcoholism and HIV-AIDS. Voices of…Series http://www.lachancepublishing.com/submissions.php

 

Cat Scratch Books is publishing a book of gothic romance fiction—novellas of 7,500 to 17,500 words. But they’re only accepting seven so send your best work. And pick a great title—one story’s title will be used as the title of the anthology! Gothic Romance Anthology—check both links since they revised their guidelines a bit. http://www.catscratchbooks.com/guidelines.htm http://www.catscratchbooks.com/

 

Jodi’s Tip: Think of anthologies as extra work. I spend time on pieces for anthologies only after all my other deadlines are met. Some writers think they can be a great exercise to break through writer’s block but I often find they become a reason to avoid the other job. Whatever works for you. Make sure the publishers promise to pay before you invest your time and talent(saying "Hopefully I’d like to pay for submissions after I get a publisher" is no promise) and don’t sign away every right you have unless you’re sure you’ll never be interested in looking for a reprint market. Both of the anthologies I contributed to paid with a copy and money(one on acceptance, one on publication) and I retained all rights after publication.

 

 

About the author:  Jodi M. Webb spent years writing articles for dozens of magazines such as Pennsylvania Magazine, American Profile, and Christian Science Monthly. But recently she’s been discovering a wonderful new market: business writing. Her new specialty includes catalog copy, customer newsletters, and writing in the voice of her alter-ego the Organizer Genie. Like every writer Jodi feels she has a book(or two…or three) in her but she hasn’t managed to get an agent or publisher to agree with yet. Stay tuned for updates!

 

 

Tired of Earning Peanuts from Your Writing? If you want to break into non-fiction magazine writing but don't know how, this just-released ebook is for you. You'll learn all the concepts that are essential for all magazine writers. Whether you are a novice or experienced writer, Cheryl Wright will teach you how to boost your income writing for magazines. *Bonus market listing included! Click here now to learn more!