Compiling an Anthology

[alanna]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but...

I have an idea for an anthology that I would really like to compile. Here's the catch: I have no idea how to go about it. I have no resources with which to compile the anthology (It would involve submissions from around the country/world). I was wondering if anyone here knew if an antholgoy had to be compiled before I sent out the queries. Is the process for compiling an anthology and publishing it essentially the same as a non-fiction proposal? Do I query agents/publishers with the idea and then get into high gear if it sells? Will they help fund the calls for entries with an advance? I have no experience in this, so any information on how to go about it would be very very helpful. Thank you so much everyone!

[Jamesaritchie]

If you can manage it, it's always far better to have a pubishing deal in place before you begin compiling an anthology. If you can't do this, then you at least need some publisher to express interest in looking at it.

Odds are that, no, you won't get an advance from the published to held fund putting teh anthology together. You probably would, if you had done successful anthologies before, and could prove you have what it takes to line up top writers. Otherwise, probably not.

But it really doesn't take all that much money to put out the call for writers. And like any other busines, sometimes you have to invest money to make money.

[alanna]

Thank you so much!

[erinbee]

I was considering morphing a NF proposal into an anthology and decided not to on the advice of my agent. He said that he is rarely tempted to represent an anthology because they're often laden with drama and issues and don't tend to sell that well (unless they're niche or edited by David Sedaris or something). So here's my word of warning: when publishers buy anthologies, they expect YOU to work out and negotiate the rights. Even if they do fund the (very low) amount of money you'd have to pay writers, you can run into issues in which you can't get the writers you want, writers want unrealistic claims on royalties, or writers don't feel it's worth it to give all rights over for a small sum. This can directly impact the quality of submissions for your anthology; as an editor, you may also sometimes run into quality issues with writers you've sought out for the project.

Not to discourage you from your goal, but anthologies can be really tricky! Good luck :)

[alanna]

erinbee- thanks for the info. i had not known that.

the anthology I want to compile is to raise awareness for an international issue, and most if not all of the money I would make in royalties of this anthology would go directly to supporting that cause. i'm hoping that the authors would be willing to support the cause with their writing as well. i guess I can just query and find out!

[MOON GODDESS]

Wow, I didn't know anthologies were given such a low rate of success by agents and such.
Didn't Jenna and some others here compile anthologies? Perhaps some others can shed some light about their success. We all know it's lots of work.
It seems there have been many successful anthologies. "Chicken Soup" and the "Chocolate" are two biggies, but there are also "lesser" ones that have been published.

[MOON GODDESS]

Speaking of anthologies....There is one in the paying market section that calls for the senior citizen perspective.
Maybe I missed the info, but at what age are you considered in your "Golden Years?" 50? 60? Thanks.