Hi everyone!
Today I want to talk about comics, and specifically about being an editor for a comic anthology, as New Year, New Stories 2026 is now live on Kickstarter (link above).
When I put together the first “New Year, New Stories”, I had no experience editing an anthology. It worked – there were no major problems, at least! – but it was done without a real understanding of what mattered and what did not. At the time, I was focused almost entirely on whether individual stories were good enough on their own and trusting my instincts on the rest.
Now, at the fifth anniversary of the project, my approach has changed significantly.
I think carefully about every submission, why it belongs in the anthology, I consider pacing at the collection level (not just within individual stories) and about how each piece contributes to the overall reading experience.
Readers of an anthology should get ups and downs, but that variety must come without it being jarring, which stems from a strong editorial approach.
New Year, New Stories 2026 represents five years of learning what that actually means.
From my perspective, I have improved a great deal as an editor, and I am extremely proud of the anthology we have assembled. It is full of wonderful indie stories from creators who simply want to give you something you have not seen before. From mythology to science fiction, from fantasy to post-apocalypse, it is all here.
If that is your kind of thing, come and take a look at New Year, New Stories 2026 on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sovcomics/new-year-new-stories-2027?ref=ezspi9
Thank you for continuing to support indie comics!
– Ed