James A. Moore's Blog, page 8
November 12, 2017
THE TWISTED BOOK OF SHADOWS!!!!
(yes, I'm asking for money, but honest, there's a good reason.)
THE TWISTED BOOK OF SHADOWS
Edited by Christopher Golden and James A. Moore
Published by Twisted Publishing
(a Haverhill House Publishing imprint)
Anthologies were a vital, formative part of our development as writers — and as readers. We look back with love and wonder at the efforts of the legendary Charles L. Grant to bring the cream of the horror crop into readers’ hands. His eleven-volume SHADOWS series contained familiar names, but every installment also presented us with the unfamiliar, and often the brand-new. Other Grant anthologies — TERRORS, NIGHTMARES, MIDNIGHT, the quartet of GREYSTONE BAY books — provided the same. Charlie Grant helped move unknown writers into the horror community’s conversation.
There were other anthologies that contributed to the trend. Thomas F. Monteleone’s BORDERLANDS series. Kathryn Ptacek’s WOMEN OF DARKNESS. Stuart David Schiff’s WHISPERS series. Kirby McCauley’s legendary DARK FORCES. Skipp & Spector’s milestone BOOK OF THE DEAD. David J. Schow’s SILVER SCREAM. And on and on…
But those books were published during horror literature’s glory days. In the years since, it has grown more and more difficult to persuade publishers to invest in horror anthologies (or anthologies of any sort, really). If Golden wants to pitch an anthology to a mainstream publisher, it’s necessary to compile a list of contributors first. Which means that there’s little opportunity to bring in unknown writers.
Yet those memories remain. We have talked for years about the desire to present an anthology that is open to anyone, and which allows us to follow some personal rules (outlined below). Yes, it’s a massive time commitment, but we—and John McIlveen of Haverhill House—believe it is absolutely worth it. We want to create a market for horror stories that presents a real, professional opportunity.
To that end, THE TWISTED BOOK OF SHADOWS …
• Will have zero spaces reserved for marquee names.
• Will use a blind submissions program (we won’t know who wrote the stories until we’ve selected them).
• Will pay professional rates—a minimum of six cents per word, with a cap on advances of $300 per story.
• Will pay royalties—a pro rata share of 50% of all royalties earned.
How the hell are we going to do this?
If you’re reading this, you already know. We’ve launched this GoFundMe page because we believe there are enough readers out there who will believe in this project to get it funded. We want there to be opportunities out there for horror writers to compete based solely on talent, and to be paid professional rates for their work. Yes, we’re aware six cents per word is not a lot of money, but it’s a start.
We’re also starting with our own money. Christopher Golden, James A. Moore, and John McIlveen have each committed to donate $333.34, making up the first One Thousand Dollars (and two cents) of the money needed to fund this book. The editors are not taking a penny from their efforts until royalties are earned.
What should you donate, and what do you get?
If you believe in this project, you should donate whatever amount you feel comfortable with. $5 or $50 or $500. However, donate at least $25 and you’ll get a free digital copy of THE TWISTED BOOK OF SHADOWS. Wait … why just a digital copy? Well … we’re doing this as a GoFundMe instead of a Kickstarter because we want to focus on paying the writers. No gimmicks, no fancy prizes … nothing like that. No incentives other than a great reading experience and a level playing field for authors. We believe that there are enough people out there who believe in this project that we’ll be able to meet our goal of raising $7000 in total (especially since we have already committed to put in the first thousand).
What happens to the money if we go over our goal?
If we’re fortunate enough for that to happen, it’s our hope that we’d roll the additional money into the next volume. If, for whatever reason, there is no second volume, we would disperse the money in equal shares to the authors of this first volume. The editors will not take a penny of the donation money, not even in repayment for our initial donations. A donation is a donation. The only way we’ll earn any money is from actual royalties from actual sales.
When will THE TWISTED BOOK OF SHADOWS open for submissions?
There will be a window for submissions during the entire month of February, 2018. This gives authors nearly four months from this announcement to write their stories. More information will be forthcoming about the submission process.
What happens if you don’t meet your goal?
We hope that won’t happen. If it does, we might need to accept fewer than our planned 18 stories. But if somehow there is no book, donations will be refunded.
So what now?
DONATE! If you believe in this project, if you’d like to see an open, professional market for great horror stories, please contribute. Remember, $25 or more gets you a digital copy of the book, but every dollar helps.
And PLEASE SHARE!
— Christopher Golden, James A. Moore, and John McIlveen
THE TWISTED BOOK OF SHADOWS
Edited by Christopher Golden and James A. Moore
Published by Twisted Publishing
(a Haverhill House Publishing imprint)
Anthologies were a vital, formative part of our development as writers — and as readers. We look back with love and wonder at the efforts of the legendary Charles L. Grant to bring the cream of the horror crop into readers’ hands. His eleven-volume SHADOWS series contained familiar names, but every installment also presented us with the unfamiliar, and often the brand-new. Other Grant anthologies — TERRORS, NIGHTMARES, MIDNIGHT, the quartet of GREYSTONE BAY books — provided the same. Charlie Grant helped move unknown writers into the horror community’s conversation.
There were other anthologies that contributed to the trend. Thomas F. Monteleone’s BORDERLANDS series. Kathryn Ptacek’s WOMEN OF DARKNESS. Stuart David Schiff’s WHISPERS series. Kirby McCauley’s legendary DARK FORCES. Skipp & Spector’s milestone BOOK OF THE DEAD. David J. Schow’s SILVER SCREAM. And on and on…
But those books were published during horror literature’s glory days. In the years since, it has grown more and more difficult to persuade publishers to invest in horror anthologies (or anthologies of any sort, really). If Golden wants to pitch an anthology to a mainstream publisher, it’s necessary to compile a list of contributors first. Which means that there’s little opportunity to bring in unknown writers.
Yet those memories remain. We have talked for years about the desire to present an anthology that is open to anyone, and which allows us to follow some personal rules (outlined below). Yes, it’s a massive time commitment, but we—and John McIlveen of Haverhill House—believe it is absolutely worth it. We want to create a market for horror stories that presents a real, professional opportunity.
To that end, THE TWISTED BOOK OF SHADOWS …
• Will have zero spaces reserved for marquee names.
• Will use a blind submissions program (we won’t know who wrote the stories until we’ve selected them).
• Will pay professional rates—a minimum of six cents per word, with a cap on advances of $300 per story.
• Will pay royalties—a pro rata share of 50% of all royalties earned.
How the hell are we going to do this?
If you’re reading this, you already know. We’ve launched this GoFundMe page because we believe there are enough readers out there who will believe in this project to get it funded. We want there to be opportunities out there for horror writers to compete based solely on talent, and to be paid professional rates for their work. Yes, we’re aware six cents per word is not a lot of money, but it’s a start.
We’re also starting with our own money. Christopher Golden, James A. Moore, and John McIlveen have each committed to donate $333.34, making up the first One Thousand Dollars (and two cents) of the money needed to fund this book. The editors are not taking a penny from their efforts until royalties are earned.
What should you donate, and what do you get?
If you believe in this project, you should donate whatever amount you feel comfortable with. $5 or $50 or $500. However, donate at least $25 and you’ll get a free digital copy of THE TWISTED BOOK OF SHADOWS. Wait … why just a digital copy? Well … we’re doing this as a GoFundMe instead of a Kickstarter because we want to focus on paying the writers. No gimmicks, no fancy prizes … nothing like that. No incentives other than a great reading experience and a level playing field for authors. We believe that there are enough people out there who believe in this project that we’ll be able to meet our goal of raising $7000 in total (especially since we have already committed to put in the first thousand).
What happens to the money if we go over our goal?
If we’re fortunate enough for that to happen, it’s our hope that we’d roll the additional money into the next volume. If, for whatever reason, there is no second volume, we would disperse the money in equal shares to the authors of this first volume. The editors will not take a penny of the donation money, not even in repayment for our initial donations. A donation is a donation. The only way we’ll earn any money is from actual royalties from actual sales.
When will THE TWISTED BOOK OF SHADOWS open for submissions?
There will be a window for submissions during the entire month of February, 2018. This gives authors nearly four months from this announcement to write their stories. More information will be forthcoming about the submission process.
What happens if you don’t meet your goal?
We hope that won’t happen. If it does, we might need to accept fewer than our planned 18 stories. But if somehow there is no book, donations will be refunded.
So what now?
DONATE! If you believe in this project, if you’d like to see an open, professional market for great horror stories, please contribute. Remember, $25 or more gets you a digital copy of the book, but every dollar helps.
And PLEASE SHARE!
— Christopher Golden, James A. Moore, and John McIlveen
November 11, 2017
October 20, 2017
THIS IS HALLOWEEN
And because it's the right time of year, a reminder that THIS IS HALLOWEEN is now available both in trade paperback and as a kindle edition. The Kindle edition is only $2.99!
Wicked Haunted
So the New England Horror Writers have a new anthology coming out called WICKED HAUNTED. Last year it was WICKED WITCHES and this year, instead of focusing on witches we're going with ghosts. Of COURSE I wanted to be in the anthology because I love ghost stories!
Well, it's out today.
You can order it HERE!
Ghost stories, from local myths to full blown horror shows, have been spun around campfires since the dawn of man, passed from generation to generation for edification or simply to frighten and thrill. They lead us along dark side roads, into murky swamps and abandoned houses. Ghost stories bring us face-to-face with the farmer harboring secret graves behind his barn, the old man living next to the cemetery, or the frightened person staring back at you from the mirror. They haunt the listeners and readers and make them want to re-tell them again and again, so they would not be alone in their fear.
Here's the table of contents:
Bracken MacLeod Lost BoyJames A. Moore PulpedRemy Flagg MurmurDoungjai Gam We're all Haunted HereEmma Gibbon Ghost MakerKenneth Vaughan And They Too Want to be RememberedPeter Dudar The Thing With No FaceGD Dearborn Triumph of the SpiritNick Manzolillo My Work is Not yet Completed
Well, it's out today.
You can order it HERE!
Ghost stories, from local myths to full blown horror shows, have been spun around campfires since the dawn of man, passed from generation to generation for edification or simply to frighten and thrill. They lead us along dark side roads, into murky swamps and abandoned houses. Ghost stories bring us face-to-face with the farmer harboring secret graves behind his barn, the old man living next to the cemetery, or the frightened person staring back at you from the mirror. They haunt the listeners and readers and make them want to re-tell them again and again, so they would not be alone in their fear.
Here's the table of contents:
Bracken MacLeod Lost BoyJames A. Moore PulpedRemy Flagg MurmurDoungjai Gam We're all Haunted HereEmma Gibbon Ghost MakerKenneth Vaughan And They Too Want to be RememberedPeter Dudar The Thing With No FaceGD Dearborn Triumph of the SpiritNick Manzolillo My Work is Not yet Completed
Books-A-Million Likes me!
Spotted in Maine!
The Virtual Box Set for Seven Forges
An ebook collection of the first four Seven Forges books is coming out in November and will be available through January. Can you say "cool Christmas Present?"
Joe Ledger: Unstoppable
Coming Halloween day: JOE LEDGER -UNSTOPPABLE. An anthology with original stories set in Jonathan Maberry's New York Times bestselling Joe Ledger universe by Larry Correia, Mira Grant (aka Seanan McGuire),Scott Sigler, David Farland, Christopher Golden,Tim Lebbon, Steve Alten, Jon McGoran, Dana Fredsti, Jennifer Campbell-Hicks, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Bryan Thomas Schmidt (also co-editor), GP Charles, Keith DeCandido, James A. Moore, Aaron Rosenberg, Nicholas Steven, James Ray Tuck Jr, Jeremy Robinson, and Jonathan Maberry. Print, eBook and (soon to be announced) audio, read by Ray Porter.
October 10, 2017
The Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival, year three!
THE MERRIMACK VALLEY HALLOWEEN BOOK FESTIVAL 2017 will be held on Saturday, October 21st, 2017, from 10am till 4:30pm. Once again, the event will be held at the Haverhill Public Library (Haverhill, MA) and is FREE and open to the public. Sponsored by River City Writers, Andover Bookstore, Haverhill House Publishing, and--of course--Haverhill Public Library.So…who’s going to be there? We’re expanding a bit this year, adding a number of writers primarily known for their mystery and thriller novels, and our total number of attending authors and artists has passed FIFTY. Among them, we’re thrilled to welcome back Joe Hill. Joe’s new book, Strange Weather, debuts around the country on October 24th…but we’ve made special arrangements with Joe’s publisher and our friends at Andover Bookstore to have Strange Weather make its official debut three days early, at the Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. Joe will be on hand to sign them, of course.
But I know you want the full list of attendees, so here you go.
MERRIMACK VALLEY HALLOWEEN BOOK FESTIVAL 2017
Joe Hill
Hank Phillippi Ryan
Sarah Smith
Tim Lebbon
Gregory Bastianelli
Matt Bechtel
Stephen Bissette
Daniel Braum
Lisa Bunker
Dana Cameron
Glenn Chadbourne
Jason Ciaramella
Joseph Citro
Tom Deady
Kristin Dearborn
Rachel Autumn Deering
Barry Lee Dejasu
Amber Fallon
Fiona's Fright Shoppe
Dan Foley
Craig Shaw Gardner
Christopher Golden
Scott Goudsward
Catherine Grant
Kat Howard
Christopher Irvin
Nicholas Kaufmann
Brian Keene
Toni L.P. Kelner
John Langan
Fred Van Lente
Bracken MacLeod
John M. McIlveen
Hillary Monahan
James A. Moore
Holly Newstein Hautala
Jason Parent
Philip Perron
Leigh Perry
David Price
Mary SanGiovanni
Cat Scully
Rob Smales
Thomas Sniegoski
Laurie Faria Stolarz
Paul Tremblay
Tony Tremblay
John Urbancik
Kenneth Vaughn
Trisha Wooldridge
Douglas Wynne
Rio YouersExtra fun for Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival.
The brilliant novelist Sarah Smith will be conducting her own version of "Antiques Roadshow" at the event. Bring an antique item or two and for a minimum $1 donation to the library, she'll evaluate and discuss the items with you. Thanks Sarah!
October 2, 2017
ONE BAD WEEK a Jonathan Crowley Chronicle
Available soon from Haverhill House Publications
Jonathan Crowley is having a bad time of it. He’s too busy for anyone’s good, dealing with calls from beyond the grave, demons that refuse to stay dead, the very creature that murdered his wife and children and a few spirits that have unfinished business with the Hunter. The past comes back to haunt the man who gives monsters their nightmares in a series of encounters that deal with Crowley’s past losses and even his occasional victories, but anyway you look at it, Jonathan Crowley is having One Bad Week. Now the question is who will survive to talk about it later?
Includes an original bonus Rufo the clown shot story, "Changing Faces."
Jonathan Crowley is having a bad time of it. He’s too busy for anyone’s good, dealing with calls from beyond the grave, demons that refuse to stay dead, the very creature that murdered his wife and children and a few spirits that have unfinished business with the Hunter. The past comes back to haunt the man who gives monsters their nightmares in a series of encounters that deal with Crowley’s past losses and even his occasional victories, but anyway you look at it, Jonathan Crowley is having One Bad Week. Now the question is who will survive to talk about it later?
Includes an original bonus Rufo the clown shot story, "Changing Faces."
September 28, 2017
ONE BAD DAY: A Jonathan Crowley Chronicle
So new this year for the Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival, I am releasing ONE BAD DAY: A JONATHAN CROWLEY CHRONICLE.
Tis includes several Crowley stories: Back to Serenity, a sequel to SERENITY FALLS, Little Boy Blue, Vendetta and Home for the Holidays, as well as a brand new, never released Rufo the Clown, story called "Changing Faces."
Here's a little preview of the cover.
Guess who's smiling at you.
Go on, Guess.
Tis includes several Crowley stories: Back to Serenity, a sequel to SERENITY FALLS, Little Boy Blue, Vendetta and Home for the Holidays, as well as a brand new, never released Rufo the Clown, story called "Changing Faces."
Here's a little preview of the cover.
Guess who's smiling at you.
Go on, Guess.
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