Good news on a nasty rainy day is always great, especially when you are four days in with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and unsure if the project is going in the right direction. I received an email just moments ago that I’m included in a forthcoming anthology I submitted a story to months ago. I’m particularly excited because I wasn’t sure what I submitted would fit the mold. It’s a (very) small writer’s insecurity I have. What can I say? I’m a bit sensitive about my creative “ish.”
I caught wind of the call for submissions via Twitter through @MissPrincessDom and her fashion blog The Epitome of All Things Beautiful. The open call for stories started around the spring, and asked for stories with a shoe theme, since that is the whole theme of the anthology. The topics (around shoes) was left open and broad, I guess to allow creativity. I went to work on a story, but still unsure if my shoe theme would come across. At this point, all I can say… it did.
This will be my fifth entry into an anthology but my second time being published in one. The first (both entry and published) came in 2006 after collaborating with a group of fellow African-American women writers online. Together we created Surfacing: Phenomenal Women on Passion, Politics and Purpose. It was published by a small publishing house and benefited the relief efforts of those affected by Hurricane Katrina. So yeah…it was for charity.
My second chance almost came last year. I had submitted to another call for submissions in 2008. This one was really fun and published by a major publishing house. The editors who actually put the book together loved my story and wanted to include it. I was sent a release form and was anxious to receive the (very) small “royalty” payment for my inclusion. Yet, when the release time was drawing near I was noticing the two editors doing their promotional tour for the book on national talk shows and such, and my guts (and my bank account minus the royalty) was doing flips. Finally when What Was I Thinking: 58 Bad Boyfriend Stories was released, I ran to a bookstore to see if my name was in the list of contributors. Nope! The list was mainly B to C-list celebrities who were in their late 30s or 40s. I hadn’t quite reached 30 yet. Still my story was damn good…so I thought.
One of the editors finally reached out to me and basically explained, they loved it but the final cut was left to the publisher. I laughed it off. I chalked it up as my REAL first lesson in dealing with the publishing world as far as MAJOR (nee mainstream) publishing houses. Plus, I figured the publisher wanted to go more with celebrities than the average Jill telling her horrid dating stories. Who cares about the average Jill that went out on a date with a guy in 2002 that still carried his cell phone in a carrying case (read mini suitcase for phones) and wanted to sit by an electric outlet to charge the sucker. Or the fact that the average Jill was with the Nigerian security guard that kissed very rough and soft simultaneously while trying to hide his married with children life until he decided to come clean on the phone on Christmas Eve as said Jill was driving through Capitol Hill?
Yes those things really did happen.
All my other exclusions happened with a small company, but I still keep tabs and in touch with the owner via Twitter and finally had a chance to meet her in person during a documentary screening last month. Even funnier, she was also included in the Surfacing anthology. We laughed when I introduced myself to her as we seemingly have a good Twitter relationship.
All in All today’s news is perfect together. I’ll keep folks posted if I’m still in or finally kicked out at the very end.
June 2nd, 2011 → 11:13 am
[...] a while back… like last fall… I wrote a post on how I received word that I was included in another anthology. If you truly know the publishing industry you know it takes time to finalize publication dates [...]
December 29th, 2011 → 10:26 am
[...] more news on the creative writing front about an anthology I was selected to be included in. The book finally has a name, The Perfect Pair, and is schedule to be released mid-year for 2012. [...]