Most of the authors at Writers Who Kill write short stories as
well as novels. Last summer, WWK blogger Paula Benson, interviewed short
stories writers. This summer, we want to canvas editors and publishers of
anthologies to promote short stories and to point our readers in the direction
of some great reads. Summer is the perfect time to read short stories while
hopping in and out of the pool, sitting on the beach, or to read round the
campfire after hiking all day. This week we’re focusing on the SinC Guppy Chapter’s
anthologies, Fish Tales and Fish Nets. Please welcome Kaye George
and Jim Jackson, two of the chapter’s anthologies coordinators. E. B. Davis
What prompted you to create an anthology?
We wanted to give our unpublished members a chance to be in print
and experience the process of professional editing. We knew many of them were
excellent writers who had not been given a chance yet.
How did you develop a theme for your
anthology?
We wanted to stick with our chapter name,
Guppies (or Guppy chapter), so we required mentions of fish or water in each
story.
Do you develop a “local” theme to entice
readers in your area?
No, we’re an international chapter, so we stuck to our name. The Guppy
name stands, loosely, for the Great UnPublished. Our online chapter was founded
by unpublished authors attempting to help each other achieve publication. We
called the first anthology Fish Tales,
the second we named Fish Nets and the
working title for the third is Fish or
Cut Bait.
How long did you give your writers to submit
stories?
Four months. For the current anthology we decreased that to three
months.
Did you adhere to the guidelines set up for
anthologies by SinC?
Yes.
What was the response to your query for
stories among your writers?
We received more than we could publish. For the third anthology we
received 55 stories of which we expect to accept 20-22.
What were the criteria for selection?
We used a scoring sheet. The judges gave
numerical scores between 1 and 4 for the eight categories we chose: general impression (which was really the
beginning), characters, setting, plot, ending, overall impression,
presentation, and theme.
Were the stories judged blind? How did you
obtain judges?
Yes. For the first two anthologies, we required each entrant to judge
three other entries. Because some judges had more short story experience than
others, we discovered that scoring was not the level playing field we desired. For
the third anthology, we are using nonmember judges who we approached through
our contacts with the Short Fiction Mystery Society.
Did you hire an editor?
Yes.
Was any thought given as to the order of the
stories in the anthology?
The editor chose the order and that order was accepted by the
publisher.
How did you find a publisher, and who
published your anthology?
We sent out query letters, the same as for a novel or short story.
The same publisher, Wildside Press, did our second anthology.
Were you given a choice of covers?
No, the publisher did it. We all love it, though.
How are you promoting your anthology and do
you have a budget to do so?
We produced bookmarks and sent each author a large supply. We’ve
had it available at Malice Domestic conventions and others. The writers attempt
to sell them individually also.
Do you think that there is a resurgence of
interest in short stories?
I wasn’t aware an interest in short stories had gone away. Markets
for them come and go, but they are always there.
Have any of your chapter’s stories been
nominated for awards?
From the first anthology “Dead Eye Gravy” by Krista Davis and
“Palace by the Lake” by Daryl Wood Garber were nominated for an Agatha. “Palace
on the Lake” was also nominated for an Anthony and a Macavity. From Fish Nets, Gigi Pandian’s “The Hindi
Houdini” was nominated for an Agatha Award.
Are you planning other anthologies?
Yes, by the time this interview is published, the selected stories
for Fish or Cut Bait will be with the
editor.
These anthologies can be found at Amazon. Remember that you can order them through your
favorite indie bookstore!
Jim and Kaye, I was one of those who had her first piece, other than poetry, published in FISH TALES. What a thrill that was. And I was just as excited when I was accepted for FISH NETS, too. I've been happy to be a Guppy since I joined in 2007, and for me getting my stories was a validation that I was a writer.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't yet a Guppy when Fish Tales came out, but one of my stories appeared in Fish Nets. I was honored to have had it published in this volume. Writing to theme can be a challenge, but reading how the authors met that challenge, to me, is the fun part.
ReplyDeleteBoth Guppy anthologies were well edited by Ramona DeFelice Long. She deserved mention and thanks for the her work.
ReplyDeleteRamona did a fantastic job. I was lucky to have the opportunity to be the liaison between authors and publisher for FISH NETS. What a terrific learning experience!
ReplyDeleteGreat project. I've read most of the stories in the first anthologies, and the quality is very good.
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading the stories in the second anthology and they were excellent. Now I need to go back and by the first one. Very interesting to hear how the process works. I'm thrilled to have a story in the third anthology coming out.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like Fish or Cut Bait will be a terrific anthology. I look forward to reading the stories.
ReplyDelete