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How to Become A Featured Writer at Anthologies Online

At Anthologies Online we feature writers because the story and example of  a writer helps other writers as well as the featured writer. Publicity can be helpful to a writer, but only if the publicity casts the writer in light that will serve the career of the writer.  The featured author page should create a sense of who the writer is and the style of their work.  The page should fit the style of Anthologies online: Bio written in third person, and writing sample where the combined submission is between 800 and 1800 words.   The page may also serve to promote a writing project, but should not read like a commercial.  Writers may view these pages to gain an understanding of how another found a measure of success in writing and or publishing.  The poet, mystery writer, article writer, inspirational writer, novelist and more would all find models of success by searching our featured author pages and seeing the places a person was published and a sample of their writing style. Anthologies Online will sometimes seek out writers, interview and write featured author pages, but generally accepts or declines the page as submitted by the author.

A featured writer  applicant should keep this overview in mind and review the Featured Writer pages before submitting their page to Anthologies Online.

Important Information and Answers to Common Questions About Applying to Become

 a Featured Writer:

Please do not apply to become a featured author unless you plan to promote your page. The featured author page offers the writer an opportunity to announce that their writing has been recognized.  The featured author is expected to notify the organizations and newsgroups they participate in (a simple press release will do) and to link to their page and/or the general site where applicable.  If you do not have any other webpage, put an announcement in your email signature.  Anthologies Online does not verify that every author does this, but we are always puzzled as to why an author would seek publicity and then fail to capitalize on their opportunity.

There is no cost to applicant to publish or maintain the page, but neither Anthologies Online nor its representatives and associates (no one, anywhere) makes any  guarantee that the page will remain online.  The page may be temporarily unavailable due to server problems, or the editor may remove the page at any time per their discretion. The site may go offline.   That said, we've maintain and updated pages for years on many authors, and some use their featured author page as their exclusive author webpage, sending updates up to two times per year.  

Keep your site updated by sending in changes when your writing career changes.  If you send an announcement, please send in your old bio, with the new information inserted so that we will not have to rewrite your bio.  When announcement sentences are added to the bio, they begin to read as scattered.

Send announcement for the newsletter.  Subscribers, editors and featured authors may send  writing related announcements (contact AO) for possible inclusion in our newsletter.    

Anthologies Online may place Ads at any time. Web pages do cost the site owner. Featured author pages generally do not pay for themselves, but the site is committed to attempting to stay viable.

Do not send attachments unless the editor has agreed in advance to receive them.

Do not try to sell items directly from your Anthologies Online Featured Page.

Send your application, the proposed content of your Featured page, all within one email.    

Anthologies Online and all representatives assume no responsibility for page content, although we do fact check some submissions.

Anthologies Online hold submissions for only one to four months and does not respond to all submissions.  A large percentage of submissions are instantly deemed inappropriate, so if you can write a page that shows the bio of someone working toward publishing success ( you don't need a lot of credits to be chosen), an a compelling writing sample, you have a good chance of being featured.  

Why Featured Applicant Submissions are Not Chosen

There is nothing wrong with the submission, other than that a different  writer sent a proposed page that better served the needs of the site at a particular time: we just featured a romance writer, or they have a new book hitting the shelves right now and we want to support their efforts in getting the word out.   Writers are invited to keep trying, reapply up to every three months.

The writer sends only part of the page, and directs the editor to pull the writing sample or bio off some other website, or sends information in two different emails.

The writer sends hyperbolic copy: "Writing that propells the reader into undulating throngs of ecstasy and despair."  

The writer sends copy that is too folksy: "Likes to take long walks by the windswept ocean during the day and  spend long winter nights curled up with her three adopted six-toed kitties in front of the stone fireplace built by his autistic grandfather."

The copy is really a pitch for a service offered by someone who writes primarily about the service they offer.

The writer submits copy that is poorly written.

The writer sends unprofessional formatting with fancy colors and fontings thinking this makes them stand out. It does make them stand out as an amateur, and creates reading and formatting nightmares for the editor.  These submissions are likely to be immediately rejected.     

The writer sends unsolicited attachments.

The writer sends the bio written in first person.

Apply to be A Featured Writer

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Consider how you would like the publicity to help your career.  Do you hope to impress a potential editor, promote a particular book or project? Consider how you will publicize your page if it is published.

Study the featured writer pages

Submit the proposed copy  (contact AO)

Be ready to publicize your page if chosen.