Don’t overlook the anthologies

Writers trying to make it in the comics industry have a tough road: They’re competing against a lot of other talented writers who want to make it, too. And if you can’t draw, you have to find an artist with which to collaborate if you hope to get anything published. That’s no easy task.

But there is an outlet that many would-be comic writers overlook: the anthology.

Publishers are putting together these collections of shorter stories all the time. One of the more popular anthologies now is Flight, a critically acclaimed collection of beautifully drawn comic stories.

Of course, as a new writer, your chance of getting involved in any way with a Flight anthology is nill. But, there are a lot of smaller publishers out there working on anthologies right now. Many of them are looking for writers — sometimes even without artists attached — to help fill their pages.

Do a Google search for comics anthologies. Check the Web sites of small publishers; You’ll find that many of them put out a regular anthology.

On a personal note, I just began writing a short story for an anthology coming out late this year by an independent publisher. I won’t spill the beans yet — not, at least, until I’ve written more of my story — but it’s an exciting challenge, and a theme that promises to be fun.

So don’t overlook those anthologies. They can be the novice comic writer’s best friend.

Tags: anthologies, comic writer, Flight comics