Elaine Ash, who edited the new Beat to a Pulp anthology alongside David Cranmer, will be guesting on my blog in the next week or so. She’ll be here to answer questions about putting together anthologies in general, and BTAP Round 1 in particular. I have a few questions I plan to ask her, but I’m soliciting input from everyone who visits as to what additional questions they might like to see answered. Here’s your chance to pick the brain of an editor. You can leave your question in the comments section here, or email me at kainja at Hotmail dot com (You all know how to translate that, I believe). Or you can just drop by on the day that Elaine is here and ask your questions directly. I’ll post again as soon as we establish that date.
Here are the questions I’ve already lined up for that day:
1. Can you give us some of your selection criteria for the anthology? How did you choose the stories that you did?
2. You and David Cranmer edited this book together. How did you divide up the duties? Did you butt heads over anything?
3. What makes a story hard or easy to edit?
4. The anthology has an awesome cover. How did that come about?
End of questions:
Now, if you have any burning questions you’d like to toss into the ring, please do so. Elaine volunteered for this, after all!
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20 comments:
wunderbra! :O lol
anxious to see her answers, so will be back...
q: are there length limits to anthology submissions?
Laughingwolf, most of them do have length limits. SOme are pretty broad, like 1 to 8 thousand words. Others are much more restrictive. But you can ask her about her lenght requirements for this antho.
Well, here is one questio i¡m very interested in so...
-Any chance to see Beat To A Pulp published in Spain? You know, even with internet and all that e-shop stuff, sometimes is hard to be a pulp reader in the East of the Great Puddle.
Deka,
I will have the link where you will be able to order (on my blog) very soon.
DC
1. Were there stories you liked but didn't select for reasons other than space?
2. Did you start out with an agreed balance among past, established, and new writers?
3. Were there any differences between the two of you from the start about selection criteria? Any that came up later?
4. Were you in total agreement about every story, or was there some horse-trading in the selection process?
5. Doing this all over again, what would you do differently?
Deka, I see you got your answer from David just below.
David, thanks for dropping by.
Ron, good stuff. I will work those questions in.
Will there be a "Round 2" and if so, when can I submit a story? :D
Thanks david for answer me, and to you Charles. Both for your kindness and patience.
I have no problem in reading in english (in fact, many times is better9, but just sometimes, you know, is nice to see some stuff translated ;)
Tom, I believe the answer to that is yes but we can ask Elaine.
Deka, I can imagine so.
Many fine questions. I'll be looking forward to this.
Your #1 question is mine too.
No burning questions--they're now ashes--but I'll look forward to your interview :)
Evan, it should be good.
Mark, then it shall be asked.
Sage, still some embers in those ashes I should imagine.
Thanks for sharing value here with us always, Charles!
Warm Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
cloudia, thankee for the kind words.
My journalism prof, many years ago, said anthologies could be a source of income, providing that only famous authors were listed.
He did say, you could add something of your own, and that could be your way in as a writer.
I don't know if that is true today.
In the course of my dumpster diving, I am finding more and more John Updike and Steven King in mint condition--the books-- let alone anthologies.
Ah well. Forty years ago, my fellow-staffer at the Canadian Magazine, Frank Rasky-- was already complaining that he was working in an obsolete medium.
But today, fellow blogger Chris Benjamin here in Canada, is selling his novels like crazy.
...And it looks like Beaten to a Pulp is moving as well.
Ivan, so much is about timing and promotion. I don't know if there's any way to predict it. It's like capturing lightning in a bottle, as they say.
As a reader of anthologies, i must say a bunch of stories put together in the same book are wonderful for various things.
But mostly, for give the reader a variety of points of view about a subject. Or, if all the stories are penned by the same wordsmith, to have a sample of the themes used by the said writer.
I think is a very big point on behalf of anthologies.
Are the authors paid a lump sum? Do they get royalties? If so, how much per copy goes to the author, how is it worked out?
Chris.
Deka, I like a variety in my collections too. It's one reason I enjoy reading anthologies.
Scathach, I'll ask. thanks for dropping by.
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