Get Paid But Don't Pay Fees
Writing for anthologies can be quite profitable. Or it can pay nothing at all.

The anthology's guidelines should state the payment terms. You might run across anthologies that pay in contributor copies. Others may pay hundreds or even more than $1,000. Some pay by the word. Some even offer a bonus for work that is chosen for the cover story.

You can also evaluate the anthology's payment terms outside of the monetary compensation. An anthology that gets a lot of press attention or is backed by an ad campaign also gives you publicity. You may be able to buy discounted copies of the anthology that you can use at book signings or speaking events. Anthology work can also lead you to more paid writing assignments.

Deciding if the pay is adequate enough for you is a personal decision. But writer beware of anthology collections that ask you for money. A contest fee that gives away prizes is not the same as an anthology collection that wants you to fork over your money.

For contests, a fee usually goes toward the prizes and to help fund the organization behind the contest. For an anthology that requires a fee, you're paying to get your work read, which you shouldn't have to do. You may even find yourself sending off your work and a check and never hearing a word back.

Even if the anthology promises all work will be published, that's still not benefitting you as a writer. Sure, you can say you're published but, keep in mind, the anthology is publishing everyone.

So your work could end up sandwiched in between some of the worst poetry, fiction or even someone's grocery list for all the anthology editor cares. After all, the people behind the anthology made their money off of every single person who came up with the required cash just to have the "privilege" to be published in their anthology.

Where's the Anthology's Home
Is the anthology under contract with a publishing house? If so, the guidelines will tell you.

Otherwise, you may be submitting to an anthology collection that may never happen. The editor will continue accepting submissions until the anthology is full but even then the anthology will still have to be shopped around to a publishing house. If there are no takers, you may end up waiting and waiting to find out the anthology is now dead.

Deciding if a particular anthology is right for you is a personal decision only you can make. Evaluate all of the factors for each anthology and make the best choice that's right for your writing career.