In a post in his column on LitReactor, Richard Thomas offers advice for getting accepted into a themed anthology, which doubles as good writing advice in general.
Of course, you want to pay close attention to the theme and genre or sub-genre of the anthology, as some may have very specific interests. “So read the submission call, study the directions, absorb the details, and do whatever research is necessary,” Thomas says. Importantly, follow the guidelines. If the call for submissions says no works over 5,000 words, don’t send a story longer than that. Don’t submit a pastoral poem to a horror zine. Also, pay attention to the submission deadline.
Thomas also advises writers to not self-eliminate. Some anthologies are very specific with their wants, and others are more open-ended. A call for general mystery stories may be open a non-traditional crime story, where a call that specifies neo-noir or sci-fi mystery has a narrower window. Thomas advises submitting early, so that you are the first writer to submit a story on a specific theme. Or if you are confident in your work, submit late, in hopes of being the best example of a certain theme.
His other advice, which is also good general advice, includes:
- Avoid your first instincts, and first plot choices. Don’t go for the easy story. “If you thought of something right away, then so did most of the other people submitting,” Thomas says. Dig deeper and look for interesting angles on your theme.
- Lean into your strengths. “I write maximalist, weird, psychological horror, so that’s most likely what I’m going to try to do,” Thomas says. “But that could go anywhere. I’m always going to keep my strengths in mind, as well as my weaknesses, and try to write a story that takes advantage of whatever I think I do best.”
- Lean into your unique outlook. “What do you bring to the table that nobody else submitting to this anthology can do?” Thomas asks. “It might be your childhood, your education, your family, your cultures, your influences, where you live, your religion, your orientation, your gender.”
- Zig when everyone else zags. “If you think everyone is going to write something set in the far future, write in the far past,” Thomas suggests. “If you think monsters will be in every story, redefine what ‘monster’ means.”
Give the editor what they want. When writing for a specific market, find out what the editor likes. Read their prior books or issues of their magazine.
