Some New Anthologies For You

So, you seem to be enjoying the anthologies produced so far, both as writers and readers.

Here’s the list, beginning in December last year:

Condor: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Inaugural Anthology 2018

Sand: A Collection of Short Stories by Steve Carr

Flashpoint: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Flash Fiction Anthology 2018

Through Another’s Eyes: A Short Story Collection by Gary Bonn

Galaxy: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Science Fiction Anthology 2018

Storm: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Fantasy Anthology 2018

Vortex: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Literary Anthology 2018

Window: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Children’s Anthology 2018

and, soon to be released

Carrier Wave: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Comedy Anthology 2018

I have had tremendously positive feedback on all of the ones that have been published, and many of you have written glowing reviews on the web about one or more of them. You’ve also voted for your favourite stories in many of them, and as a result those winners are currently working on compiling their own collections - upon which I will pay royalties.

All of these are available here on this website.

But what next?

Well, I wouldn’t want you to get ‘anthology withdrawal’. I realise that for many of you Clarendon House anthologies have become a part of your lives. Many authors have been able to secure publication in more than one anthology, and have begun to experience the thrill of seeing their own names in print not once but several times. (No one has yet to beat our beloved Steve Carr, though, who has had his own collection already published and who has appeared in all the above except for Gary’s, naturally - though Gary himself comes close, having had stories printed in six out of seven of the group anthologies, as well as his own. Superstars.)

I’m sure that you would like this pattern to continue. The idea isn't just to give you ‘exposure’ - the idea is to boost your prestige and confidence as an author and to give you a track record of publications and the beginnings of a paid career.

Now, when I have surveyed this point before, a few of you wondered why I would announce three anthologies at once, with the same due date. Several of you have said that this put you under undue pressure because you wanted to submit to all of them but didn’t have time. My own thinking on this had many levels (it usually does, some of them so labyrinthine that I can’t even follow myself) - I wanted to make sure that writers who specialised in one genre or another had options, for example. I also wanted to see, to be completely transparent with you, if slightly added pressure would yield more writing from you. The truth is that it did, for the most part: I was never short of submissions for any of the anthologies published so far. As time went on, in fact, I received more and more submissions for each announced anthology. In other words, an identical due date had only beneficial effects on supply, from my point of view.

I also wanted to enter the marketplace with a ‘splash’ - three anthologies and then another three shortly afterwards was intended to get Clarendon House (and you as the Inner Circle) noticed. And it did.

But I get it. You want me to announce anthologies for you, but space out the due dates a bit so that you aren’t maybe working on three stories at the same time and so that you can get submissions into all three, right?

All right. I’m listening. The next set will have different due dates to give you time to get yourselves organised.

And what is that next set?

Announcing the next three Clarendon House Publications anthologies…

Rapture: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Romance Anthology 2018

Enigma: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Crime/Mystery/Thriller Anthology 2018

and

Miracle: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Christian Stories Anthology 2018.

Let me describe what I’m looking for with each one.

Rapture: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Romance Anthology 2018

This is about love. It can be love in a different historical era, love in a science fiction or fantasy setting, or love set in contemporary times.

But not sex. No sex scenes at all - this needs to be ‘family friendly’ love. Romantic relationships in fiction can achieve super-power levels without having a single sex scene. Think Austen; think Brönte.

What do I mean by ‘love’? C. S. Lewis describes four kinds of love (in his book conveniently titled The Four Loves): Affection, Friendship, Eros or romantic/sexual love, and Intellectual Love or Charity. This anthology is about the Eros kind, the love between one person and another which can lead to sex (and often does). Unfortunately, ‘Eros’ is the root word for ‘erotic’, and that, as I say, is precluded. But this is a big opportunity for romance writers everywhere - and I know that there are many of you.

Length: under 10,000 words. The due date for Rapture is July 31st.

Enigma: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Crime/Mystery/Thriller Anthology 2018

There are many of you out there who already write crime stories or thrillers, and probably many more who would like to try. This is for you. I am looking for clever crime stories, detective fiction, fast-paced, entertaining and with twists. I am not looking for blood and gore or horror, though things may get forensic, I understand that. This could be anything from a Sherlock Holmes-type tale to a Bourne Identity-style thrill-a-minute.

Length: under 10,000 words. The due date for Enigma is August 31st.

Miracle: The Inner Circle Writers’ Group Christian Stories Anthology 2018

This is for the many Christian writers out there, or those who want to try their hand at a story with what Tolkien called a ‘eucatastrophe’ - a miraculous ‘turning to the Good’ at the end. I’m thinking of the Christmas market here, in terms of readership, but the stories don’t exclusively have to be about Christmas as such.

Length: under 10,000 words. The due date for Miracle is September 30th.

Each one of these will also have a voting competition, meaning that votes will be taken for each and the winners will be offered paid anthologies.

Submission guidelines have been updated and can be viewed at the bottom of this page (along with all our already published anthologies).

While all this is happening, I will be working on many other projects for you including the collections of the winners of previous anthologies.

And there are other projects which I haven’t even mentioned yet, which have been bubbling away for a while… so stick around to find out about those.

Phew. I think that’s covered everything for now.

Please let me know if you have any questions.