From the desk of Franco E. Santos, MA, Ed.D
Why is this anthology free when most every other anthology publications charge? That would be a question I would be asking if I were an author in your position. The thing is, I am an author and have spent so much time trying to figure out how to get my works published. It got to the point that in 2025 I decided to simply start a publishing company. Thus, Santos Press came into being. (Please see my professional bio here.) There are three reasons why the anthology comes at no cost to you:
1. Veteran-to-Veteran support: I am a US Army Veteran and have been where you are: not knowing how to get my work into the public consciousness. Now that I am in the position that I find myself in, I am reminded that leadership means training those who will take your place. My goal for the anthology is for it to become a stepping stone that would help propel other Veterans’ upward literary trajectory.
2. A need to be among equal: Like you, I am a writer. I have been writing both short stories and poems (mostly poems) for as long as I can remember. I have thought about self-publishing my collection of poems. However, that would be a fool’s errand in that self-published collection of poems from an unknown author can be disregarded as a “vanity” project. So, I thought, if there is a book that is specific to a niche, in this case the Veteran community, and the quality of the poetry therein is of high quality, then that book will attract attention. The authors whose works are included in that anthology will gain the public’s interest. I would like my work to appear alongside yours. (This is also why there is the need to vet submissions. I am sure you will agree that such scrutiny will be necessary because your reputation will also depend upon the quality of the other poems in the book.)
3. It costs money and time. It’s a gamble, but I think it’s an educated gamble: “Well and good. That sounds nice” you say (I would say the same thing, too). “It still costs money to attempt something like publishing an anthology. What’s in it for you?” It is true that it costs to prepare, send out national press releases to invite Veteran poets, then design the book, publish and market. For me, this is a bet: I am betting that this book will at least break even. If it does, goals 1 and 2 above will make it worthwhile. However, if it does not break even, the loss would all be mine, not yours. In that case, you still walk away with a badge saying that “I’ve been published.”
Conclusion:
When I was a young Army E-1 and in basic training, my drill sergeants pounded in my “thick skull” that my survival depended upon the survival of my fellow soldiers. So many decades after I’ve left the Army, I still think of that lesson and it applies here: my boat will only float if yours does. In the end, This anthology exists to elevate Veterans, that’s you and me, not to profit from them. I rise only if you rise. No, there is no cost to you.
If you have poem(s) that you think rises to the occasion, I hope you would consider submitting it for consideration and inclusion in the Veteran Voices: An anthology of poems by those who served.
Respectfully,
Franco E. Santos, MA, Ed.D
Santos Press, LLC
https://santospress.com
https://francosantos.com
https://chompthechimp.com