Currently, I'm juggling a few books in my reading pile, slowly chipping away at them between bouts of writing, and they have me thinking about collections in general. For young writers who work primarily in short story mode, there's an excitement in the idea that one day he or she might have written enough to collect into a book. The mistake these writers make, almost across the board, is making that move too soon.
It's hard to believe, especially for that young writer, that it matters, but the notion is true that "you only have one chance to make a first impression". A lot of people interested in reading more of an author's work will buy the first collection with his or her name on it, and if that book fails to live up to their expectations, they won't be back for another. Sometimes, even if the book has many good tales, but they're mixed with mediocre tales, the same thing will happen. The signal-to-noise ratio is simple far too low to make it worth their while.
What the young author ought to do is hold out. Just write and write until he or she has far more than is necessary, and then start to prune away any tale the author doesn't think of as A-Grade. It's a lot harder than it sounds, especially when the result is only a handful of tales are left out of dozens. Nonetheless, a first collection ought to hit the reader straight between the eyes with just how good it is. A strong start can do wonders for a career.
Another thing to keep in mind: in this writer's opinion, collections ought to be short, but not too short. There should be enough stories to satisfy the reader that buying the book was money well spent, but not so many that the author wears our his or her welcome. Anything between 50K-words and 80K-words should be enough for a collection of short stories. Too few and the reader feels cheated, or as though he or she hasn't had a fair cross-sampling of the author's work; too many and the chance of a story failing to connect is greater. The idea is to get in, wow the reader, and get out. Too much of a good thing leads to readers bored by work that should be exciting, but instead numbs due to repetition. Few writers are gifted enough to overcome this.
The last trick I'll offer has to do with sequencing. A good collection is laid out in a specific order to maximise reader interest. It should start with a very strong piece. This assures the reader, right off the bat, that he or she is in good hands. I think a second strong piece ought to follow, if only to solidify the feeling from the first. The end of the book is equally important, as it's what will leave the most indelible impression on the reader. Mirrored to the front of the book, it should end with two high quality tales, so the thing goes out with a bang, and reader is left with good emotions about the book overall. And though it might be argued differently elsewhere, I think the middle of the book ought to have another example of the author's A-Game. It acts as an oasis, reminding the reader why he or she should love what he or she is reading. Around these tent-poles, then, the rest of the stories flow. What should be kept in mind is that the work should be varied as much as possible to avoid the reader feeling the author is being repetitive. Tales that end similarly, or have similar messages, or are written in similar styles must be kept as far apart as possible.
It takes some monkeying with the list to find the right order for it to work, but eventually it will fall into place. Of course, many readers like to pick and choose what story they will read and when, creating their own order for book; no one can control that, so forget about it. Instead, count on the reader beginning on page one and following the book in the order the author has laid out.
There are of course a slew of other factors, including cover art and book design, that can affect the impact of first book, but I urge any young writers reading this to start with the suggestions above and to not be frightened if it consequently takes longer to get a book in front of people. If those readers are interested in your work, the wait will only drive up their desire. Then, when the book finally hits and is worth the wait, the real fun for the author begins.
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