Veneficia Publications don't pay for short stories in group anthologies

[Guest]

You have me on Summer leave - can you tell . I'm usualyy much quieter in here as I'm normally working but this is my writing time so hey, I can jump in and out at will.

I wanted to say something about writing for nothing. We all want to write a best seller, or sell our poems and short stories but it doesn't always work that way. And freebie writing does improve your writing skills. I spent eleven years writing for, editing and publishing Clan Dolmen's online magazine - because I believed it was an important free reseource. Because I didn't get paid, we could put it out for nothing. And a lot of people got a lot of free info. We had good writers, some publishers too, writing articles for nothing, and I have to say, it opened doors for me. I have written stories and poems for others anthologies both fiction and non fiction which likewise opened doors. I have as a result spoken at events in the USA, the Netherlands, the UK, and will be speaking in Berlin this October and Italy next March.

So, when we say we (Veneficia Publications) don't pay for short stories in group anthologies,  as it's a platform for new writers to get their names out there, that's because I know it can be. And I still contribute freely to others anthologies, because like those who have written for our anthologies, I do so because l love it.

[Carolyn]

That's such an enchanting idea. It would be even more enchanting if these anthologies were given away free to everyone eager to discover new voices. And also assuming these talented new voices have ways of paying the rent and grocery bills, of course.

[Debra]

I am currently working with a non-profit (in the States) to publish one volume per year of regional literature (Northern Appalachia) and support and help authors from our region, traditionally underrepresented. Your post is so true, thank you.

[Ezri]

Writing for free is fine if you're specifically using it as a vehicle to open doors. Unfortunately most people write for free either in the desperate hope it might somehow lead to a door opening, or because they've been lead to believe the 'free exposure' will work like magic. This has lead to companies who can afford to pay trying to get freebies. Most professionals give them what for while working for actual cash and ironically, the better exposure this often brings. Entering legit competitions is a good way to write for free while practicing the craft. I've also given my time to people like indie game developers that might go nowhere or might bring in a future income that may be tiny or very large. If people are able to discern the difference between being used and backing a project that may be worthwhile in their writing career, it's all good.

[Peggy]

This is such an important post. I've written slews of training documents, and I still take pride in them because they were well-written, clear, thorough, and empowered people to do their best work. Words matter, and as wordsmiths, we can forge lasting language-based resources, tools, art, and communications. Language builds community, preserves histories, and encourages change. I've also ghost-written a lot of books, which allowed those with a story (or cookbook!) to share to have an opportunity to see their work in print. I write because it's impossible for me not to.

[Wayne]

This has always been my philosophy on free work with my vanilla writing: if I see an anthology and they have a premise I find interesting, I might write a short story for it. As long as the rights to my story return to me within a suitable period of time. In horror writing, this type of anthology has gotten me exposure through podcasts, etc. which has certainly helped me to sell books in the long run and helped me form contacts in the genre.

I might also create a short as a lead-in to one of my novels - give the short away for free and whet the appetite for the reader to pay for the follow on book. This has also served me well.

Finally, I might even publish whole series on no-pay sites to build a fanbase that hopefully leads to book sales of other works.

However, if my business was writing short stories instead of writing novels, I wouldn't contribute free stories to an anthology. Refine the work, shop it around, and, hopefully, get paid.