Weekly Posts from The Horror Tree for 3/11/22
Mar 11, 2022 10:40 pm
Hi there,
Word of the week: kerfuffle– a commotion, or a fuss
Hello, readers! One of the articles that we’re featuring today includes tips for writing books, and I wanted to point out some of the tips that I’ve found useful in my own writing journey.
- Workshops. There are free and paid options for workshops, but workshops, in general, can be quite beneficial to help you up your writing game. Workshops might focus on a specific genre (like horror), or they might focus on form (writing flash fiction, or writing a novel). There are many organizations hosting high-quality workshops that I recommend. I’ve attended workshops through Clarion online, HWA, Cat Rambo’s Academy, and Gotham Writers. I’ve found most, if not all, of these workshops have helped me produce pieces of fiction I was later able to place.
- Writer’s groups. Finding one or two like-minded people and talking about writing, or reading each other’s writing, can be a huge boon. It can be something as simple as a critique partner, but having someone you trust to talk about story and craft is a great way to challenge yourself and grow as a writer.
- Volunteer as a first/slush reader. I’ve learned so much by reading works submitted by other writers. I’ve read for professional magazines, literary magazines, and small indie presses. Being able to evaluate a submission by what works and doesn’t – and why – has helped me improve my own craft tremendously.
As always, you can find me (Holley Cornetto) lurking on Twitter @HLCornetto.
Horror Tree / Trembling With Fear Update (This section updated by your fearless editor and chief, Stuart C.!):
Whew. It has been a week. Both of my kids had colds (thankfully, not the dreaded Big C), my current MBA class has kicked into high gear, and I've had a big project at work. All of that and I've been able to get some actual writing in for the first time in ages!
I haven't neglected the site either, we've made some progress in preparing for the next Trembling With Fear releases, started further exploring alternates to Mail Chimp for our newsletter, AND I was able to load our WIP new layout again and start poking at it a little. I should warn you, it is still quite far from being released. I was hoping to have it launched in the first quarter of this year, but it looks like it'll be the second at this rate.
Now, onto the latest articles on writing from around the web that Holley has found this week!
Articles:
Articles for this week include marketing tricks for older books. Perhaps you had a release a year or more ago, and you’d like to up your sales. This article contains advice about how to freshen up the book or draw more attention, and (hopefully) attract new readers. The second article is from Jane Friedman’s site, regarding email marketing. In our general articles, DIY MFA provided a much-needed perspective with “Start with a Small Step.” I think many of us can be guilty of throwing all of our time and energy into projects with an initial burst of enthusiasm and ride the wave until we eventually either run out of time or energy. This article is a reminder to take it slow, and do what you can do. The last article is for newer writers, or perhaps veteran writers who find themselves stuck. It is packed with practical advice for things you can do now to help you in your writing journey. I hope you find something useful here!
Business:
Writers in the Storm: A Marketing Revamp for Your Older Book Title
Jane Friedman: A Thousand New Email Sign Ups in a Week? It’s Possible
General:
diy MFA: Start with a Small Step
Helping Writers Become Authors: How to Write a Book When You Have No Idea What You’re Doing
Free Fiction Roundup:
This week’s stories come from Metaphorosis, Flash Fiction Online, and Bourbon Penn. “Hope on the Vine” is a touching story about friendship, sacrifice, and what it takes to rebuild hope in bleak circumstances. In this postwar world, the wizard Nima is trying to cultivate a hope vine. Throughout the story, we learn that the stakes as so much greater than simply growing a vine. “Sea Ink” is a flash piece that manages to evoke a strong emotional response despite its small size. “Black Hole Elvis” was my favorite read from this week. It captured the complexity of parent/child relationships in a realistic way, in turns beautiful, troubled, passionate, and toxic. I adored this story. I hope you enjoy it too, readers.
"Hope on the Vine" by R. E. Dukalsky at Metaphorosis.
"Sea Ink” by Jennifer Linnaea at Flash Fiction Online.
“Black Hole Elvis” by Nikita Andester at Bourbon Penn.
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)
🗒️ Ongoing Submissions: Dragon Gems
Payment: 2 cents per word Theme: Fantasy or science fiction Thank you for your overwhelming response to our Call for Submissions!
Due to the sudden increase in the number of submissions we are currently receiving, it may take up to 90 days before we can inform you of our decision whether we would like to work with you to publish your work.
Dragon Gems is our publishing program for your short fiction when a novel just won’t do.
Published in digital format, and priced at a reasonable 99¢, your story will still receive the same promotional support as we provide for any of the books we publish, and be distributed through the same online distribution marketplaces.
Your story may also be selected to be included in our annual short story anthology....
🗒️ Taking Submissions: It Came From the Trailer Park: Volume 2
Deadline: July 1st, 2022 Payment: Royalties Theme: Horror Comedy / Creature Feature After the success of the first Trailer Park anthology, we’ve decided to bring it back next year for another go.
Stories should be original creature feature, horror-comedy with the same feel as The Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, Shaun of the Dead, or Tucker and Dale vs.
Evil.
And of course, our heroes winning the day in all of their redneck glory.
Genre: Horror Comedy / Creature Feature Word Count: 7,000 – 10,000 Edited by: William Joseph Roberts Anchor Author: Jonathan Maberry Due Date: July, 2022 Email submissions to: threeravenspublishing @ gmail dot com with “Trailer Park” in the subject line Payment: Stories selected for publication in the upcoming Anthology(ies), will receive a percentage of sales divided equally between the contributing authors....
🗒️ Taking Submissions: Kids Are Hell!
Deadline: June 30th, 2022 Payment: $5 Theme: Scary Kids You don’t have to be a parent to know just how horrifying children can be.
We want your stories innocent youngsters turned malevolent (think: The Omen, Children of the Corn, The Midwich Cuckoos, etc.
)- the more terrifying the better!
PLEASE read and adhere to our submission guidelines… * Word format saved in .
doc, or .
docx * 12 pt times new roman * Double spaced * Absolutely NO extra lines between paragraphs!
* 4K-10K word count * Write ‘KIDS’ along with your name and story title in the header of your email *The body of your submission email will be considered the cover letter.
* The submission documents are to be separated and Word (.
doc or .
docx) documents are to be attached to your submission email.
To submit, email your polished story to theresa.matthews@hellboundbookspublishing.com – Make sure that you check your mss for grammar and punctuation, use our guidelines to help you: DOWNLOAD YOUR HBB GUIDE TO GRAMMAR HERE (PDF) Deadline: 30 June 2022 NO REPRINTS – ORIGINAL UNPUBLISHED WORKS ONLY Payment – $5.00 for first rights.
Capped at 120K words in total.
🗒️ Ongoing Submissions: Shacklebound Books Monthly Newsletter
Theme: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror are all accepted, but we generally publish dark fiction and as such those are strongly prefered.
Payment: .02 per word, .01 per word for reprints.
Note: Reprints Welcome Note: 250 words or less Please read the guidelines very carefully.
Stories submitted that do not conform to the guidelines will not be read.
We are a small press....
🗒️ Taking Submissions: Strange Sunrises
Deadline: June 30th, 2022 Payment: $30USD Theme: Science fiction stories that take place on another planet.
Title: Strange Sunrises: Tales from Distant Planets Theme: Science fiction stories that take place on another planet.
The setting should feel alive and have some influence on the plot.
Any subgenre is welcome, but please submit horror stories to the Sunsets collection.
Word Count: Preferred 2500-7500....
🗒️ The Iconic Horror Games Writers Can Use For Inspiration
Over the years, the horror genre has been filled with material from a variety of different mediums.
For many, movies enabled them to experience this particular category of entertainment in all its glory, while for others, novels were the go-to option.
Another hugely popular horror-filled medium is in the gaming world, with an array of iconic releases coming to the fore throughout the history of gaming.
After all, there’s no genre that can make you feel alive quite like horror games do.
Of course, other titles have their appeal, too, be it all-action shooters such as Call of Duty: Warzone or online slot games like Panther Moon, but horror games elevate the all-around gaming experience a great deal further thanks to the array of emotions the average horror-themed release evokes.
From endless mortality to creeping tension, alongside the typical jump scares, it’s a genre of gaming that has not only entertained but also inspired....
🗒️ Taking Submissions: Mithila Review: Hope Punk issue
Deadline: May 20th, 2022 Payment: USD $0.08 cents per word for the first 5000 words.
$10 per poem.
Theme: Hopeful science fiction and fantasy (see below!
) Mithila Review is inviting submissions for a special global Hopepunk issue of science fiction (and fantasy) devoted to positive and powerful character-driven stories that imagine an open and inclusive tech-empowered democratic future for all people, species and countries on Earth.
Who we are Mithila Review is a readers-supported international journal of science fiction and fantasy established in 2015.We have published the best of speculative fiction, poetry, non-fiction and conversations with new, emerging, and Hugo-winning authors over the years.
You can read all our issues for free here on our website or on your favorite reading device....
🗒️ March Horoscopes: What Grows in your Spooky Garden?
As a lot of green-thumbers out there seem to be planning and prepping for their Spring gardens, this month’s batch of horoscopes digs into which plants are most likely to be sprouting up in your own garden of dark delights!
(Disclaimer: Please note that these mock horoscopes, and any other information included within, are meant for entertainment only, and are not meant to be taken as actual advice, past/present/future predictions, or in any factual, accurate, scientific, or truthful context.
Also, not being an expert on horticulture or other areas included in these fiction-based horoscopes, and any mistakes in the plant/tree representations are my non-horticultural-expert own.
Still, it should be said that these plants may be highly toxic and poisonous and can harm not only people, but pets/animals as well—not to mention potentially invasive and/or non-native.
Use caution, do your own research, and consult an expert if you decide you want to plant any of these potentially poisonous/venomous plants!
And definitely, absolutely don’t consume them!
) Pisces (February 19—March 20)....
🗒️ Taking Submissions: Contrary Summer 2022 Issue
Deadline: June 1st, 2022 Payment: $20 Theme: We ask our fiction writers to imagine their readers navigating a story with one finger poised over a mouse button.
Can your story stay that finger to the end?
“Turning words into art is unnatural.
It begins with a contrary attitude.
It says, I am unhappy with the way things are and desire to make things different.
Rather than represent the world, I will make something wildly and savagely new....
Enjoy,
Horror Tree
