Forest Floor
Forest Floor is the debut anthology created by the Writers in Trees collective. Originally conceived of in online meetings in the group’s early stages, the project was intended to serve as professional development for group members, allowing them to gain experience in each facet of the publishing process. Members each wrote submissions, and then joined various teams – editorial, cover design, marketing, etc. – to accomplish the specified goal of each team. The final anthology is the work of the collective in its entirety, from content to editorial work to cover design.
Forest Floor will be free to download as an e-book on January 16, 2025.
The Project Manager: Leah Duarte
The project manager was responsible for ensuring task completion in adherence to the project timeline. This included reaching out to members regularly via email during the first and second drafts, as well as checking in on the progress of each team. The project manager was the primary point of contact for contributors throughout the writing process, and also provided regular reminders of incoming deadlines and project needs. The project manager answered general project questions, updated the project timeline, and kept the group informed of progress and changes throughout the two-year project period. The project manager also filled in any needed roles, i.e. editor, copywriter, that were not attended to elsewhere in the team.
The Editorial Team: Leah Duarte (editing and layout), Chelsea Kowalski (editing and layout), Rahma Mohamed (editing and galley proofs), Tracy Pia (layout, galley proofs), John Bao (bios) and Lauren Redwood (editing and galley proofs)
Editing: Each editing team member was assigned to a submission, providing substantive feedback at the macro-level to refine pieces in terms of plot, character, and thematic material. Each editor was assigned a co-editor to provide additional feedback and multiple perspectives on key issues. Editors and co-editors met with authors to discuss edits and set direction for second drafts.
Layout: The manuscript layout subteam was responsible for organizing the anthology contents to enhance reader experience. The team discussed the order of the pieces, experimenting with various orders until arriving on separation by genre and alphabetical organization by author last name within sections. Pieces were then ordered alphabetically by author last name and divided into three groups for a member to format and organize into their appropriate genre section. The main goal of the manuscript layout was to ensure the reader had a seamless experience transitioning from section to section, with thoughtful organization of pieces and differing genres.
Galley Proofs: The galley proof team was responsible for proofreading the galleys to ensure they were ready for final publication. The team collaborated with the editor at Plume Press by sending edits, receiving feedback and a new version of the galleys with edits applied, then proofreading the manuscript one last time. Proofreading involved reading the galleys closely and identifying any spelling and grammatical errors as well as final formatting adjustments.
Bios: At the beginning of Writers in Trees, each member was tasked with writing their biography, summarizing any achievements, accomplishments, contact info, and any other fun anecdotes they felt like sharing with interested readers. At the time of submitting for publication, we asked members to make any necessary updates, then compiled them into one section of the anthology.
Cover/back cover design: Paavan Agarwal and Vanessa Seneriches
The cover design team was tasked with designing the book cover. Read Paavan’s blog post, “The story behind the cover for our anthology, Forest Floor,” for a great in-depth look at how the design process took shape.
Anthology launch planning and social media: Lauren Redwood, Rahma Mohamed, Santhwana Michael, and Emma Graham
This team was responsible for promoting the book and for planning our virtual book launch, as well as other opportunities to share our stories with others.
Our members also received PD on the editorial process from Plume Press editors Carine Lee and Shelly Zevlever, and worked closely with Reilly Ballantyne who worked on the book’s interior design. A big thanks to Managing Editor, Tali Voron, for her constant support.
Forest Floor will be free to download as an e-book on January 16, 2025.
Writers In Trees 