Anthologies may not always be runaway hits like self-help books, autobiographies, or fictitious novels. Like most human digits, not all entries within an anthology are at the same level as each other. Despite this, they’re the stepping stone for a new writer.

Here are the benefits of contributing short stories to anthologies.

A Tool for Starting Small

In most cases, writers don’t branch out into two completely unrelated genres. For instance, you’ll rarely see a historical author dabbling in contemporary fiction due to reasons their audiences may or may not be privy to. However, have you ever wondered how they found their genre?

All you have to do is check a veteran writer’s earlier works to see they used to participate in anthologies. You may even discover that they wrote in a genre completely different from the one they’re currently famous for.

Since anthologies don’t include full length novels, they afford new authors a chance to test different waters before deciding the one for them. It’s like putting feelers out there to see what gets the loudest cheer.

A Bridge that Connects

Readers hardly ever pick up a book that has less than three stars on Goodreads. The app has become quite famous over the years for its spot-on reviews. However, the only thing worse than negative publicity is no publicity at all.

Many a new writer has fallen victim to obscurity. The very fact that you may not agree with that statement because you’ve never heard of such a thing is a testament to how many authors just never leave a mark. Their first mistake: starting on their own.

You see, when a writer starts with an anthology, their work is more likely to be checked out by the readership of other authors in the said anthology, thus bringing the spotlight on them during their salad days.

A Prologue; An Epilogue

Before coming out with a full-length book, writers may see how it sits with the readers by taking a segment and putting it in an anthology. If readers love it, the writer might then proceed with their book. This segment may hint at a much bigger story, ending on a cliffhanger, or be an after-the-fact scenario with torturous allusions to a mysterious past.

In any case, a writer might try to promote or see how a piece of work fares with their readers by putting a compressed version of it in an anthology.

Read An Anthology Essay Written by Stephanie Hart

Author Stephanie Hart is famous for bringing tangibility to her collection of memoirs and short stories and moving books with vivid descriptions. While her current works are all about the moments in her childhood and her upbringing, she got her start by writing essays that went on to make literary magazines and anthologies, such as The Sun, Jewish Currents, And Then, and more.

Find an account of the Jewish family life by Stephanie Hart and more of her works on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel.