Weekly Posts from The Horror Tree for 12/10/21
Dec 11, 2021 4:41 am
Hi there,
Word of the week: Philocalist – lover of beauty; someone who is able to find beauty in all things
Welcome back, readers! I hope you are all emerging from your post NaNoWriMo experience with renewed optimism and an eye towards polishing up your work. This time of year, my mind naturally turns towards self-care. Whether or not you enjoy the holiday season, and no matter if – or what – you celebrate, this season can bring stress and frustration along with joy and happiness. Don’t forget to take time to take care of yourself. The best gift you can give others is to be as happy and healthy as you can. That, and writing excellent fiction to share with the world. Speaking of excellent fiction, it is awards eligibility posting season! If you haven’t already made one of these posts, I’d highly recommend it. It’s easy, just gather a list of your publications that came out in 2021, and share with the reading/writing community. In addition to sharing your fiction with the world, it may provide a confidence boost to be able to look back on all you’ve accomplished this year.
As always, you can find me (Holley) lurking on Twitter @HLCornetto. Now, onto the latest articles on writing from around the web.
Sponsor:
This month we're being sponsored by Were Tales which includes some amazing authors (including some who write for and frequent Horror Tree) so you should pick up a copy today!
Horror Tree / Trembling With Fear Update (This section updated by your fearless editor and chief, Stuart C.!):
My most recent MBA class is officially over! The final grades haven't been calculated yet but enough have that I can confidently say I have aced my MicroEconomics course. (The main thing that I've learned is that I am not switching professions to go into Economics. I may have aced it but it cost me great mental strain and unhappiness.)
As to Horror Tree, I'm finishing up a website for a client and will be attempting to turn my attention to the Horror Tree redesign. That is at the top of my list though we do have multiple changes and additions that we're hoping to make over the course of the next year.
Speaking of additions, I'm currently speaking with a couple of potential editors for expanding our original fiction offerings beyond Trembling With Fear. More on that soon! Now, back to Holley!
Articles
Helping Writers Become Authors continues their series on structure with the article “The Two Halves of the Third Plot Point.” As mentioned last week, we don’t usually follow article series, but these are extremely helpful for writers looking to learn more about structure, and what different parts of a story should accomplish. As with any part of writing, these rules can be broken, but before you do so, it’s best if you understand what they are and how they work.
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering if social media is important as an author, I’d suggest checking out the article on Jane Friedman’s site. Likewise, Writers in the Storm published an article called “10 Keys to Successful Publishing.” One of the most valuable tips on this list, in my humble opinion, is “follow similar authors.” I would extend this to include following authors who write in your genre, who have published work you admire in venues that you admire. There is much to learn about writing and publishing, and many authors ready to share.
The last article I’ve included introduces and explains a platform growing in popularity among indie horror writers called godless.com. Godless is an ebook distribution platform that has placed itself as an alternative to Amazon. While the platform began with a leaning toward extreme horror and splatterpunk, it has increased in reach and scope as more authors have looked into the platform as a viable distribution outlet for their work. If you’ve heard of this site, but remain unsure of what it is, or how to use it, check out the LitReactor article below.
Craft:
Helping Writers Become Authors: The Two Halves of the Third Plot Point
Business:
Jane Friedman: Yes, Social Media Call Sell Books. But Not if Publishers Sit on Their Hands
Writers in the Storm: 10 Keys to Successful Publishing
General:
LitReactor: godless.com and the Evolution of Publishing
Free Fiction Roundup:
Readers, it’s my favorite part of the newsletter! It’s time to round up the fiction I’ve read this week, and share the best of it with you. I’m starting this week with a piece of flash by Greta Hayer called, “You Are Not a Player Character.” This short manages to retain a sense of humor while sending a deeper message about living one’s own life. Connie Millard’s “Little Boxes” appears at Dark Recesses Press. Dark Recesses recently relaunched, adding a webzine which will be publishing fiction free to read online twice weekly, much to my delight.
“Little Boxes” explores themes of self-identity, self-esteem, and women’s roles in the family – how they are perceived, or not – by those they love. Millard is a talented writer, and I can’t wait for you all to read this story. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Novel Noctule, a magazine billing itself as literary horror, also put out a new issue this past week. This magazine is currently on hiatus, but before that was the case, made a very strong showing by publishing quality stories in each issue. This latest issue is no exception, with the story “Silence” by W. T. Paterson taking on traditional gender roles and ideas about masculinity, as well as fierce women. If you’ve been following my fiction picks at all, you’ll know, dear readers, that this type of fiction resonates strongly with me. The last selection on my list is “Orla, Always,” written by Thomas Ha. This story appears online at Metaphorosis. I was hooked by the end of the second sentence. The language in the opening of this tale is beautifully woven, making the act of reading the words alone a pleasurable experience.
This week, I’ve added a micro fiction as a bonus. How short can a horror story be? Sometimes, 101 words are enough.
Now, on to the fiction:
“You Are Not a Player Character” by Greta Hayer. Flashpoint Science Fiction.
“Little Boxes” by Connie Millard. Dark Recesses Press.
“Silence” by W.T. Paterson. Novel Noctule.
”Orla, Always” by Thomas Ha. Metaphorosis.
And, as a bonus, one very short fiction:
“Sleepless” by C. M. Saunders. Flash Fiction Magazine.
If you post any writing content during the week and think it would be a good fit for us to feature, do reach out and let us know at contact@horrortree.com
Thank you Patreons! As always, the site's lifeblood is in your hands and we truly appreciate your support.
Looking To Help Horror Tree?
Here are the main things we're looking for:
- Advertising and either Site or Contest sponsorships!
- Someone to help create videos for social media (we have tools, but not time!)
- Article writers (articles, interviews, reviews, crowdsource compilations, etc.)
- Sharing guest posts with us or reaching out for us to be a blog tour host.
- The obvious one here is also to become one of our Patreons!
If you're interested in contributing and think you have something that would help out PLEASE don't shy away from contacting us! (contact@horrortree.com)
🗒️ Taking Submissions: letters i’ll never send
Deadline: December 31st, 2021 Payment: $50 and a contributor’s copy Theme: A compilation of first-person accounts including letters, prosaic poems, diary entries, postcard letters, short personal essays, and other genre-bending experimental pieces I am seeking writers for an experimental anthology titled “letters i’ll never send”.
This anthology will be a compilation of first-person accounts including letters, prosaic poems, diary entries, postcard letters, short personal essays, and other genre-bending experimental pieces.
“letters i’ll never send” is meant to serve as a sentimental linkage between the writer and the reader.
It should lure the reader in emotionally, so that they can resonate in some meaningful way.
Simultaneously, all pieces inside the book should connect with the others in vulnerable, open, or spiritual ways – or all of those ways.
Essentially, just write as if you’re writing to whoever, and run with whatever comes up – whether it’s an angry letter, a love letter, a breakup letter, a friendship letter, a self-reflection letter, a letter to yourself, a postcard letter to a friend/significant other, etc.
The possibilities are endless, and as long as you capture the vulnerability and heartwarming (or heart-wrenching) pull that I’d love to evoke in the book, then this anthology will be an impassioned masterpiece!...
🗒️ Ongoing Submissions: Dark Recesses Press Website Content
Payment: Flash Fiction (up to 1000 words) – $10.00, Very Short Fiction (1000-2000 words) – $15.00, Short Fiction (2000-3000+ words) – $25.00 Theme: horror/dark fiction WEBZINE CONTENT (free for readers) – Fiction: We are looking for horror/dark fiction pieces between 500-3000 words.
Query for longer works.
Longer works are a tough sell but may be considered if they knock us off our seats.
Common sense when submitting please.
We do not accept stories that involve the sexual abuse/exploitation of minors.
We are not looking for pure shock value.
All components of your story should have merit....
🗒️ Watch Our Interview With Ruthann Jagge!
Ruthann Jagge Interview Enjoy this Author Interview between Author Ruthann Jagge & host Ivana Sanders about her experiences as a horror author, anthologist, lover of folk horror, and her newest release “The New Girl’s Patient” an eerie gothic horror set on a farm!
✨ Ruthann’s Bio from her website: “I grew up in Upstate New York where my favorite month of October can be both magical and terrifying.
I’ve loved reading stories that tilt to the dark side for as long as I can remember.
Now I write my own.
I live on a cattle ranch in rural Texas, and the porches on my 100 year farmhouse are painted “haint blue” just in case.
If you listen closely the night air whispering through these old fields has a lot to say....
🗒️ Taking Submissions: Valravn Anthology 2021 Winter Window
Deadline: December 31st, 2021 Payment: 10 cents per word Theme: Horror VALRAVN is our yearly annual of “wyrd fiction” short stories (3,000 to 10,000 words).
We also publish anthologies as the mood strikes us.
These guidelines are similar to our novel/novella guidelines above, but there are key differences, so we’d recommend you read carefully.
VALRAVN is still horror themed, but each annual contains a multitude of genres and elements in it.
Our anthologies tend to be themed, and when we announce them, we announce the theme we’d like short stories submitted in....
🗒️ Taking Submissions: Moon: The Book of Lunar Horror
Deadline: February 28th, 2022.Payment: $10 per story, in exchange for nonexclusive publishing rights.
Theme: “Lunar horror and isolation.
” See below for details.
Note: Reprints Welcome Deadline: February 28th, 2022.Payment: $10 per story, in exchange for nonexclusive publishing rights....
🗒️ What Skills to Highlight in Your Writer Resume
What Skills to Highlight in Your Writer Resume The irony befalls hard when a writer has to sit down and write a resume for themselves.
Given the nature of their job, everyone including the recruiters has high expectations from a writer’s resume.
However, writing a resume can be confusing irrespective of what your job profile may be.
That is until you learn about the basics of a resume, or like in this case, a resume for a writing career.
Currently, almost 75% of the giant companies use the Application Tracking Software (ATS) to streamline their recruitment process.
The software scans through the resumes for a particular set of keywords that are common to the job profile and just like that, it filters out the most relevant resumes for the position.
The notable point here is that the skills that you mention in your resume are crucial if you want to rank high in this ATS system and get shortlisted.
So what are the skills that you must highlight in your writer’s resume?...
🗒️ Taking Submissions: For Those Who Deserve to Exist
Deadline: December 30th, 2021 Payment: $30 and a contributor’s copy Theme: Reclamation by marginalized individuals.
Rising up, overcoming, and righting (and rewriting) transgressions Who Can Submit: Those who identify as a marginalized individual or a person from a marginalized community.
This new open call is one that is very special to us here at Inked.
The past 10 months have felt like 30 years, and it seems in many ways we are going backwards instead of making progress.
So this time, we’re going to grab a spot on the stage, demand the world make room....
🗒️ December 2021: Tarot Cards for Writing Inspiration
“A sad tale’s best for winter: I have one of sprites and goblins.
” ― William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale Before I drew the cards for this reading, I was thinking that winter would be a good time for inspiration of the dark romance (gothic, dark fantasy, et al.
) sort.
So, let your mordant imaginations take you through the sinister pathways of the heart.
It promises to be an intense read, as every card I drew was a major arcana card.
In any case, I hope your upcoming holidays (or Winter Season festivities) are just as deliciously dark and depraved!
Main Character: The Fool.
This card could represent a person with a certain “joie de vivre” that has compelled them to spend a lifetime seeking adventure and entertainment....
🗒️ Taking Submissions: Extraordinary
Deadline: January 5th, 2022 Payment: Royalties Theme: Mythology Extraordinary Mythology Deadline: 5 January, 2022 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES We consider stories for two types of publications: Website Anthologies (approximately 20 stories per anthology) Submissions: Open (check the deadlines mentioned above the images) Response Time: We will try our best to respond in four to eight weeks after the submission period ends.
The first wave of rejections is usually quick (two weeks after the submission period ends) Word Count: 4,000–15,000 for website and anthologies; 500–2000 for flash fiction anthologies Submission Fee: None Rights: the copyright to the story remains yours.
All we ask for are nonexclusive rights to publish your story Payment: Website: Currently, there is no payment for website publications because the blog is not yet monetized and we are in the beta phase (which may last for eight to twelve months).
Once we get the numbers, we will come up with a model (probably token advance) that will allow us to pay our writers as well as fund the growth of TGVB (YouTube channel, audiobooks, story podcast, etc).
It is an important goal for us to reach the stage when we can pay a decent sum to our authors....
🗒️ Enter To Win A Digital Copy Of ‘Spawn: Weird Horror Tales About Pregnancy, Birth, And Babies’
Deborah Sheldon is back with another amazing digital giveaway with Horror Tree!
This time around, she is providing 10 digital copies of ‘Spawn: Weird Horror Tales About Pregnancy, Birth, And Babies‘ and you have two weeks to try and win a copy!
From today until the end of December 20th, 2021 be sure to visit this post with multiple ways to put your name in the hat to win yourself a copy of this fantastic anthology.
ENTER TO WIN A DIGITAL COPY OF SPAWN: WEIRD HORROR TALES ABOUT PREGNANCY, BIRTH AND BABIES The Horror Tree is giving away TEN ebook copies of Deborah Sheldon’s anthology, Spawn: Weird Horror Tales About Pregnancy, Birth and Babies, released by the award-winning press, IFWG Publishing Australia.
https://www.amazon.com/Spawn-Weird-Horror-Pregnancy-Babies-ebook/dp/B08X7FVFFK/ A selection of the darkest Australian fiction....
Enjoy,
Horror Tree
