Short Story Writers Wanted

I am putting together a collection of short stories written by new,
undiscovered authors. My idea is to put around 10 or so stories together
in a kindle release. Any revenue would be shared equally. I am able to
get the cover designed for free through my contacts. I think this will
be a lot of fun. If anyone is interested, then please send your
manuscripts to ianpaulyn att btinternet dott com (written like this to
stop spammers). I cannot guarantee that your story will be included, as
only the best will be chosen. With our collective efforts, it may be
easier to get the book the exposure it will need for sales. By sending
your manuscript to my e-mail (in whichever format is easier for you),
you are confirming that you do own the copyright of the work. I will get
the winning manuscripts proofread and edited, although I will keep the
edits down to a bare minimum - I want the author to feel that what they
have written will stay in the form they envisaged. Look forward to
receiving your texts. I have had a some good contributions so far, but
need a few more before I can considering publishing.

A little about myself

I currently work for an independent publishers, although this project is
my pet idea to do in my own time. During my time there, I have worked
as a project manager on many different series. I have had experience in
the production, sales and reprographics departments. I have also edited,
proofread and designed many different titles. To get an idea of the
number of titles I have worked on, if you search for my name in quotes,
"Ian Paulyn", in amazon.co.uk you will see a good selection. The
eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that the majority of these books are
children's books, but I feel the skills I have acquired over the last 15
years will enable me to handle this project successfully.

You have a good idea, but unless there are some guidelines to the short stories, the book might mix erotica with youth fiction or murder and mayhem with romance.

So, what's the pay?

More importantly, care to share the contract you will offer, so we can see the terms?

I have found that being part of an anthology is zero pay. It's more a promotional thing than anything else. If it sells, the editor often keeps the royalties because dividing $2.00 per book among ten or more authors is more bookwork than the author gains.

I earned zero from The World Outside the Window, an anthology with 19 authors edited by E. Don Harpe and published by R.J. Buckley. Shelagh's Forever Travels anthology had no contract and no discussion of royalties; so, I assumed there would be no sharing with the contributors and my experience with royalties where they are shared is that it's a pittance anyway made it a moot subject. Shelagh produces lovely books and has a following. Hopefully, I will gain from the additional exposure with a story in Forever Travels. She also published her author interviews which provide additional exposure for authors. Her covers are very eye catching. Short stories add to the portfolio of published works at least.

I have a recipe in Killer Recipes, but all royalties are donated to the American Cancer Society. I have received some royalties and did receive an advance for the short story, The Ice Storm, in the Romance of My Dreams Anthology by L & L Dreamspell. Again, the royalties are split among ten authors, so it's not much.

Valid questions.

As far as having a mix of genres - yes I do believe that it is a good thing. Maybe not as extreme as you suggested, but I do want the book to be a showcase. I have not limited this to one volume, and in time it may be possible to produce single genre volumes. In this case, I would prefer to have a general mixture.

The pay - to be honest, probably very little. I know that it is very hard to get a book noticed on Amazon. I am embarking on this project mainly for the enjoyment, and I hope to find kindred spirits. This is not to imply that I will not do my utmost to maximise the sales, but I do not want to mislead people by suggesting that they might make lots of revenue.

This is a personal project. As such, I have not employed solicitors. I am currently working on an agreement, but essentially it will state that all contributors will receive an equal part of the revenue from the book and that they will retain their copyright.

To clarify, this is an experimental project which I believe will be fun for all involved. It may not make a lot of money, but I would hope it will at least achieve some exposure for the contributors and give me some pleasure in producing it.

Her's my concern about genre. My contribution to The World Outside the Window was actually a gift story for a friend's young daughter. When the book came out, most of the stories (with the exception of "Rose's Question") were dark, sexual, violent stories. It just seemed to turn out that way. Thus, Rose could not have a copy of the book with the story dedicated to her. The book itself is an exceptionally well-written collection of talented stories; they just happen to tend toward the darker thoughts that were not appropriate for a teen but great, intense reading for adults.

Sorry for not clarifying. I have already selected a couple of great stories which have a few uses of bad language. As such, I would not consider placing a children's story within the collection as I do not think it would be suitable, although I would like to produce a children's selection at a future date. I am being deliberately open about the genres that might be in the publication, but I will take a sensible editorial look to ensure the volume has some structure (I am not suggesting a completely random selection).

My story for my friend's daughter, was an adult story; it was suitable, however, for a young adult also because it lacked graphic sexual content, adult language or extreme violence. The World Outside the Window is in ebook format; you might like to check it out to see an example of a collaborative similar to what you are planning, but one with a theme.

What are your skills in regards to this project? Do you have a list of references? Industry experience?

Quote :

What are your skills in regards to this project? Do you have a list of references? Industry experience?

"I currently work for an independent publishers, although this project is
my pet idea to do in my own time. During my time there, I have worked
as a project manager on many different series. I have had experience in
the production, sales and reprographics departments. I have also edited,
proofread and designed many different titles. To get an idea of the
number of titles I have worked on, if you search for my name in quotes,
"Ian Paulyn", in amazon.co.uk you will see a good selection. The
eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that the majority of these books are
children's books, but I feel the skills I have acquired over the last 15
years will enable me to handle this project successfully"

You're welcome!

Even if she didn't have that experience, everyone has to start somewhere. Lots of people just like writing short stories and have plenty of unpublished ones they wouldn't mind contributing to an anthology. Seems that's what she's looking for. So what?

LC wrote:

Quote :

What are your skills in regards to this project? Do you have a list of references? Industry experience?

"I currently work for an independent publishers, although this project is
my pet idea to do in my own time. During my time there, I have worked
as a project manager on many different series. I have had experience in
the production, sales and reprographics departments. I have also edited,
proofread and designed many different titles. To get an idea of the
number of titles I have worked on, if you search for my name in quotes,
"Ian Paulyn", in amazon.co.uk you will see a good selection. The
eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that the majority of these books are
children's books, but I feel the skills I have acquired over the last 15
years will enable me to handle this project successfully"

You're welcome!

Even if she didn't have that experience, everyone has to start somewhere. Lots of people just like writing short stories and have plenty of unpublished ones they wouldn't mind contributing to an anthology. Seems that's what she's looking for. So what?

First of all, if someone wants my work. I'm not going to google their info. They can post it and I'll go verify it.

Second, "even she didn't have experience, everyone has to start somewhere." This is dangerous thinking. Think about that if you are taking your car to a mechanic or your sick pet. What makes you think your writing is any different?

Lastly, this person may indeed have good intentions, but good intentions mean zilch. Let's see some details of what this project is like. Unless of course you'll take your sick child to someone who read lots of medical books because he "has to start somewhere". Good luck with that.

Well, unless someone was damaged by a short story, I fail to see your analogy with doctors.

LC wrote:

Well, unless someone was damaged by a short story, I fail to see your analogy with doctors.

Indeed you do.