In this monthly column, we pose your questions to an expert in a specific field of speculative fiction. This month, award-winning editor Dan Coxon answers questions about anthologies, as asked by BFS members in our dedicated Discord channel.
This month: Anthologies, with Dan Coxon
Name: Dan Coxon
Website: www.dancoxon.com/
Specialism: Dan Coxon is an award-winning editor and writer based in London. His most recent anthology, Heartwood: A Mythago Wood Anthology, is nominated for both a British Fantasy Award and a World Fantasy Award this year.
Follow: BlueSky @dancoxon.bsky.social; Instagram dan.coxon.author
Dan Coxon has won two British Fantasy Awards, for Writing the Uncanny and Writing the Future (both co-edited with Richard V. Hirst), and has been shortlisted for the awards a total of seven times. He has also won a Saboteur Award, and was a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Awards. His most recent anthology is Heartwood: A Mythago Wood Anthology (PS Publishing), and in October his anthology of haunted house stories, Unquiet Guests, will be published by Dead Ink Books. His second short story collection, Come Sing For the Harrowing, will be reissued by CLASH Books in April 2026.
What’s the most important thing to know about putting out an anthology?
Without wanting to talk myself up (Look at me! Look how hard I work!), it’s the amount of work that goes into compiling them. I think some people have the impression that you simply ask for stories, choose some, then package them up and give it to a publisher. It’s never that simple. Like any creative endeavour, there are stumbling blocks and pitfalls, multiplied by the fact that you’re often dealing with fifteen or twenty writers. Pulling that all together, and not just throwing it onto some pages but actively curating a series of stories, feels like a major effort of will.
What criteria do you look for in anthology entries?
It’s not hugely helpful advice, but mainly that they stand out. It comes as a surprise to lots of people to hear that the majority of stories we receive for open calls are at least competent, and many are publishable. It’s not simply a matter of finding the ten or twenty good ones – because they’re often all good ones! Something has to really shine to make the cut, and that’s often about what resonates with you personally. It’s one reason why you should never be offended when an editor rejects your story – it might not have been right for them, but it could be just perfect for someone else.
Is the market for anthologies bigger than for single-author short story collections, and if so, why do you think that is?
I’m not sure it’s bigger, maybe just different. A short story collection by a major name will almost certainly sell more copies than any anthology, for example. When it comes to less-known writers, though, I feel that it’s sometimes hard to convince readers to shell out their hard-earned cash for a writer they don’t know – while if that author were featured in an anthology alongside a bunch of other authors, some of whom they might have read before, then it becomes an easier sell.
When curating anthologies with specific themes, how strictly do you interpret that theme?
Both very strictly and incredibly loosely (yes, I’m aware that’s not particularly helpful!) You want everything to contribute in some way to the theme, so there’s no room for going wildly off-theme. That said, as an editor you’ll often receive a lot of similar stories for themed anthologies (if it’s a vampire anthology, say, you’ll get castles, and coffins, and sexy teen vamps aplenty). Anything that stands out as being a little different – but still firmly on-theme – stands a better chance of making the cut.
How has the anthology landscape changed in recent years, and are there any emerging trends you see coming?
I suspect it’s changing all the time, although personally I try not to pay too much attention to that. For me, it’s always about the quality of the work itself – the publishing industry works so slowly anyway (it’s not unusual for an anthology to take two years from pitch to publication) that if you try to chase trends, you’ll end up failing. There are constantly new and exciting writers coming through, though, so keeping an eye out for who’s fresh and interesting is a big part of it.
How much do cover letters matter to submissions, and have you rejected submissions based on a cover letter alone?
I wouldn’t reject on a cover letter alone, but it certainly sets the tone. It’s usually the first thing an editor sees, after all. In most cases, I really just want a cover letter to be professional in its approach, so I know that the writer I’m looking at is taking what they’re doing seriously, and would be good to work with if selected. At the end of the day, though, if the story’s amazing that trumps everything.
How do you decide to order stories in an anthology?
Different editors have different working methods, but I think we all agree that the story sequence is hugely important! Yes, some readers will just dip in and out, but for those who read the book cover to cover you want to give the best reading experience you can. Personally, I believe that you want to place each individual story to show it in its best light – a story that doesn’t work in a particular spot might shine if it’s following something different. I think of it as being like the track order on a classic album: you want your lead single (most accessible and popular story) close to the start, but maybe not the first piece (that’s often better as a tone-setter, something quick and easy that pulls a reader in); anything long or experimental probably goes near the end, once you’ve won some trust. At the end of the day, though, a lot of it just comes down to what feels right where, and you get a sense for that after a while.
As a writer, is it better to tailor your writing to a similar style of the anthology publisher or work on developing your own voice and writing style.
I’d definitely say develop your own voice and style. Editors are always looking for interesting and unique voices, something they haven’t seen before. We read hundreds of stories, remember – so if your work reads just like those other stories, then we’re unlikely to choose it. That said, if you’re writing something for a specific anthology call, it’s often a good idea to look at the editor’s previous work, just to get an idea of what they like or don’t like. But then do your own thing.
Do you expect submitters to the anthology to market the anthology and does a writer’s following affect chances of acceptance?
Whatever following you have online really doesn’t affect your chances at all. An editor (or at least a good one) is just trying to produce the best book they can, so it always comes down to the story in the end. Depending on the publisher, you might be asked to take part in signing events or online promotion, but it should always be optional – it’s a great way to get your name out there and be seen by readers, but if you don’t want to do it, no one will force you.
What are anthology curators looking for?
That’s a very broad question! Other than half-decent advances from publishers, I’d say we’re all looking for a story that wows us – something that we read and immediately think ‘my god, I have to have that one’. How you get there, though, is the great mystery.
What kind of stories catch your attention?
Something well written, but more than that, something unusual and original. If I’m editing a themed anthology in particular, I like to see stories that approach it from a slightly different angle – otherwise the book ends up being monotonous and bland.
Any top tips on writing for anthologies?
Be professional when dealing with editors, only send your best work, don’t take rejections personally. And really, really focus on the quality of what you’re sending – polish those stories over and over again, then send them when they’re the best you think you can do.
Any recommendations on how to get into and find anthologies as a reader?
There are always publishers bringing out new anthologies, which can sometimes be a little overwhelming I guess! Titan Books publish new anthologies regularly, as do Flame Tree, so maybe keep an eye on them. I’d probably also go for something by one of the more established editors if you’re looking to get into it, so you can see what a really good editor can do: Ellen Datlow, for example, or Paul Kane & Marie O’Regan. Otherwise, maybe just pick one that has a few writers you like!
Which anthologies do you wish had been yours and why?
Honestly, I’m struggling to think of any. Just like being a novelist, working as an anthology editor means that you follow ideas that excite and intrigue you, and work with writers (and stories) that you find interesting. For that reason I tend to like my own anthologies more than other people’s, because they’re perfectly tailored to my own taste! If I could have anyone’s career, though, I’d have Ellen Datlow’s.
The majority of anthologies I’ve seen struggle with visibility and don’t accumulate a lot of reviews, even when they contain popular authors. How do you increase rate of review/sustain reader attention beyond the ‘launch excitement’?
It’s tough. The shelf life for anthologies is often much shorter than novels, and so they do tend to vanish quicker. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t still be promoting an anthology six months down the line, though – for many readers that still counts as a new book, not everyone buys things when they’re released. Appearing on podcasts or at conventions can help. Personally, I’m always working on the next project.
From an editorial POV, how do you make a print anthology happen if you are not yourself a publisher? Do you pitch to publishers who have a track record of anthologies and have a conversation about whether they’re interested to make one on a theme you pitch? I’m only familiar with anthologies where the editor was invited to curate the list or they created a Kickstarter to make it happen, and wondering how else it works.
Yes, you’d have to pitch it to a publisher in the same way that you’d pitch any book. The difference is that (unlike novels) you’re not expected to have the book finished, and you’d be commissioned to produce the anthology based on your pitch. Most publishers want to see your overall concept, maybe some idea of how it would fit into the market (which genre it’s in, similar things that have done well), and then a list of authors you’d include – some publishers just want a ‘wish list’ so they can get an idea of what it might look like, others will want authors to be firmly attached. Even if it’s going to be open submissions, they might want to see a couple of well-known authors attached to it from the start, just so they know they can sell it.
What makes for an intriguing anthology pitch? (By which i mean, how would you get publishers interested in one?) Do most anthology ideas come from publishers, or from individual editors?
Ideas mostly come from editors, although if you already have a relationship with a publisher it’s possible that they could contact you with a concept. The majority of the time, though, you’ll be pitching, the same as you’d pitch any book. It’s not a precise science, but I’d say that the pitch needs to be clearly defined, and easily summed up in a sentence or two – they want readers to be able to look at a book and know what it is. It helps if there are similar books that have sold well, but not one exactly like that (a fine line at the best of times!) Having a few well-known authors attached to the project, at least in principle, helps too. That way the publisher can see exactly what the book will be: where it will sit in the market (in terms of genre, theme), who it will appeal to, which authors are going to generate interest. Then you just have to cross your fingers and hope.
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