Anthology question

[deborahjross]

I put the best of my backlist short fiction, including award-nominated "Madrelita" and "Javier, Dying in the Land of Flowers," upon AnthologyBuilder. I'd like to edit them together in a "best of Deborah" anthology, so readers could find them all in one place.

My question is, would you rather the introduction be by the author, or by Some Other Famous Person? Is it of greater interest to read the author's own thoughts about these stories, why she chose them, how she came to write them, or commentary from a wider perspective?

Comments

[tcastleb.livejournal.com]

I like author info, and I like hearing how and why stories came to be. I'm a sucker for movie commentaries because I like seeing how things are put together. Insider info. :>)

[meirwen.livejournal.com]

Forward by a respected peer, afterword by the author. Just my opinion.

[flavoroflove.livejournal.com]

I like forwards by the author. I am interested in their thinking. When someone else writes the forward, I figure the publisher picked them for marketing purposes, and they are writing to a particular goal.

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

I like to read the author's thoughts. :)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Both can be good. (How's that for a wimpy, nonhelpful answer?)

I think in general I'm happier with an author intro, though, unless the famous person really knows the author and the author's work well and has a lot of extra insight to add. That's a tall order, whereas the author writing about the stories' genesis, etc., is always interesting.

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

Thanks, all, for the input. Once I've put the anthology together, I'll post a linky-thingy here.