The Pros and Cons of Writing Holiday Fiction (Collections & Anthologies)
During the holiday season you have probably seen advertisements for a multitude of ‘Holiday Book Collections.’ Readers love these collections, not just to put them into the holiday spirit, but because they can usually get several stories for a reduced rate. Authors also love these collections because the group promotions can help launch their book onto bestseller lists.
The Pros and Cons of Writing Holiday Fiction (Collections & Anthologies) helps you decide if joining in on a collection is the right choice for you!
Book collections (or anthologies) combine the stories of several different authors together under one title. Some collections have 3 or 4 stories, some have 7, some 9, some 12 or 15! Because of the sheer volume of words, many collections are eBook only, and the number of pages for each story is limited. Most of the stories in a collection are either short stories or novellas.
Interested in the possibility of joining other authors to write a holiday collection?
Below, we list some of the pros and cons:
Pros:
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An Opportunity to Get Your Story Published.
If you are not yet published, many times an aspiring writer can get in on writing a collection with a group of established authors who already have a large platform. Not only does this give you a publishing credit but it also allows you to have your story seen by many readers, far more than you could get on your own.
If the collection is Indie-published or self-published, and sells real well, your story could also attract the attention of a potential agent or editor from a large publishing house.
If the other authors presenting a proposal for the collection are already published with a certain publishing house, and they invite your story to be included, an acceptance could lead to your first publishing contract. This could launch your career!
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A group of writers can publish a collection.
There is also the possibility that a group of aspiring writers (at the same level) may wish to put together a holiday collection to help each other launch a writing career. The more people you have to help promote the collection, the greater your chance for more sales. Readers are more willing to read the work of a new author when offered in a multi-book collection that is reasonably priced. The reader assumes that even if one story isn’t so great, there might be another one in the collection that makes the purchase worthwhile.
Great! So how does an aspiring writer gain access to such a wonderful opportunity?
Networking, my friend! An aspiring writer must always be networking with other writers to discover golden doors of opportunity. Connect with other writers on social media, join writing groups or organizations, attend writing classes, workshops, and conferences.
While you can certainly make connections online, the most meaningful relationships are formed through in-person gatherings, which is why writer conferences are simply the best! Attending a writer’s conference should be a top priority for those serious about writing and publishing. Use Google to help you find one in your area.
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Holidays are great for boxed sets.
Boxed set collections make a great gift! While collections for each holiday are popular, Christmas stories sell extremely well. Some readers buy Christmas stories year-round.
Boxed set collections also allow several established authors to combine promotion efforts to market one title—which just may land them on the bestseller lists.
Book promotion is a lot of work for one author. Imagine the possibilities if several authors all engaged in full-on promotion efforts?
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Holiday stories are fun!
Holidays bring back memories of people and events that touch our emotions. Readers who love a special holiday will be eager to read books set during that time frame. They look for the details that capture the festivity associated with that holiday and bring their senses alive. Holiday stories can either take them back in time or offer them hope for the future. It can be a very nostalgic journey that warms their heart.
For the very same reasons, holiday stories are also fun for writers to write! Creating fictional stories set during the holiday season can fill us with emotion and pull on our heartstrings, making us feel all warm and good inside. Hopefully, that emotion can be brought onto the page for our readers to enjoy!
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Readers find stories with holiday traditions interesting.
Many holiday traditions are tied to myths, legends, and true events that go back centuries, and the research behind your stories can be of great interest to readers. You may even use some of this information in your blogs or email newsletters. Great for promotion!
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Can provide bonus content.
If you have written a series of full-length novels, you might want to write a short story or novella using some of the sub-characters. This gives your readers a special bonus for the holidays, another glimpse into the story world that you have created. This may also help fill a gap in your release schedule and satisfy readers until your next new book series comes out.
Cons:
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Limited timeframe for sales.
The majority of sales occur around that specific holiday each year, while the rest of year your sales might not do so well.
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Collections are usually eBook only.
Because of the sheer volume of words, many collections are eBook only – because it would be too fat and expensive to print. That means the authors will not have print copies for book signings or events. (Although authors can hand out promotional cards with the book links.)
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Less royalties with collections.
Holiday book collections are usually priced low to attract readers. Then you have to split the profits between several authors which means you will not be making as much money as you could if you had published a single book by yourself. Of course, that depends on how well the collection sells. It also depends on your goals. Sometimes, it’s not about the money but the exposure to a wider audience and a chance to build your author platform that matters most.
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Holiday stories need to be written off-season.
Many authors need to finish their Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s short stories or novellas in July to allow time for formatting and to collect pre-orders for a fall release. This could mean you need to listen to Christmas carols such as ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas’ and ‘Jingle Bells’ to get you in the mood to write a cold, snowy, holiday story while you are sitting in front of a fan wearing a bathing suit in the middle of a hot summer. Whatever it takes to capture the mood!
We hope you have enjoyed The Pros and Cons of Writing Holiday Fiction (Collections & Anthologies) and that you have gained needed insight to help you decide if writing for the holidays is right for you.
If you have any questions or would like to leave a comment below, we would love to hear from you!
And if you would like additional help developing your story idea, we invite you to download our Free Brainstorming Your Story Idea Worksheet.
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is a multi-published author, speaker, and writing coach. She writes sweet contemporary, inspirational, and historical romance and loves teaching aspiring writers how to write quality fiction. Read her inspiring story of how she published her first book and launched a successful writing career.