Many of us were brought up on reading. Books were a part of our childhood, and we can often still be found with a book in one hand and a tea cup in the other. While having a drink and a good old fashioned read may still be a beloved part of the British Summer, it’s no longer novel to have both.
As schools became more focused on exam success and less interested in encouraging critical thinking and creativity, the number of books read plummeted. In order to combat this, a move was made to create a non-fiction writers’ bible which would serve as an example of how writing should be done and would encourage students to consider reading for pleasure once more.
The result of this is the creation of creative writing anthologies such as The Marvellous Milton by John Milton (1608-1674), illustrated with quills, papers, and other paraphernalia which give a real sense of what it was like to be a writer at the time of Milton. The 16th century may not have seen the dawn of the electronic age, but it was the golden era of the printing press when William Shakespeare (1564-1616) and Christopher Marlowe (1586-1593) were alive and well, and can still be found on the shelves of any good bookshop.
What makes a good creative writing anthology? The best ones are often a mix of famous literary figures from the past and present along with up-and-coming novelists, prose writers, and playwrights. The aim is to collect a varied group of writing that showcases various points of view and allows the reader to develop an understanding of the various aspects of creative writing.
However, the main purpose of a literary anthology is simply to provide an example of good writing. For a high school or university anthology, the emphasis should be on the academic side with a mix of classic and contemporary texts. The former should be used to demonstrate proper referencing and the latter to encourage the student to develop their own style.
How Do You Go About Publishing a Creative Writing Anthology?
If you’re looking to publish a creative writing anthology, you need to first decide on the type of reading level you want to target. If you want to appeal to a broad audience, go for a simple language and minimal use of academic words and phrases. You don’t want to come across as too much of a academic, however, and lose the interest of the general reader.
Once you’ve established a broad base of interested readers, move onto the next stage and decide what type of content you want to include within the book. For a general audience, sticking to fiction and creative non-fiction is best. If you want to include some academic pieces as well, go for a mix of the two. You don’t want to overdo it and appear like you’re trying to educate the reader with complicated vocabulary and an academic writing style. The key is to appear authentic and genuine while not taking up too much time.
Publishing Houses to Look Out For
Just like with any other type of book, it’s important to look out for publishing houses that are willing to take a chance on your work. As mentioned, the best creative writing anthologies are a mix of classic and contemporary authors, and the best way to ensure you’re published by a reputable company is to query several of them.
The first step is to establish whether or not you’re allowed to publish a novel or short story in the first place. Some houses will only allow published work to be used as source material, while others will let you sell your own work even if it’s already been published. It’s often a case of judging a publishing house by its covers or its blurb on the back of a book, but you can also evaluate them on the quality of their editing, layout and designing, and the likeliness of their authors to respond to your queries. Keep in mind that the more reputable the publishing house, the more care they’ll take in editing your work, so be careful not to shirk off too much of the raw material you submit.
Where Can I Find Out More About Publishing a Creative Writing Anthology?
Once you’ve decided to publish a creative writing anthology, the next step is to find out more about what you’re getting into. While the decision may seem exciting, there’s a lot more work involved in creating a novel than a simple short story. For example, you’ll need to find an editor, a publicist, and a copy editor, all of whom you can contact via your local librairy or bookshop.