THE FIX is reviewed on Lurid-lit.com Now!!!

Steve Lowe's new book is reviewed. Take a gander please....

Morons on LinkedIN

Group: Fiction Writers and Editors (no promotion, spam, or bullies)

Subject: Declining your request to join Fiction Writers and Editors

The owner or a manager of this group has declined your request to join. There are three possibilities:

1. You have few or no LinkedIn connections. Frequently, spammers present as such, so we're trying to protect the group. If you are a legitimate author, we encourage you to come back and join us later when you have become more established. There is no magic number, as it's a combination of your connections and your profile (see # 3 below).

2. If your profile is made out for a company rather than an individual, you will be declined.

3. Your LinkedIn profile shows no indication of being in the fiction writing or publishing industry. If you're just starting in the industry and feel you are legitimately requesting to join despite your profile, please adjust your profile and reapply.

Thank you for your interest.


Thank you for your inability to read....................         

Editors Notes: The Meaning Of GALL Has Been Defined

With so many horror anthologies becoming incestuous; and several publishers are now noting in their submission guidelines that their friends are getting first shot a new publishing phenomenon is beginning to rear its head.

'Kickstarter' the shamelessly new way to public pan handle is becoming extremely popular. Here people pledge money for your artistic project or home repair, etc. and you get a chance to live out your dream on the dime of someone else.

Sounds a lot like the current Welfare state that our President has changed for us in America.

I am sent inquiries two to three times a week to hand over my dollars to help a new or in some cases established publisher I ignore most. I recently had a case where I was told directly that if I didn't pay in I wouldn't be published.

I walked.

Today I was told there is no room for my submission because all their friends had responded but I was still expected to pay into Kickstarter for the good of the project.

Why? Because people know I have a day job and I'm not just the proverbial writer these days who sits in their mother's basement expounding on Facebook as to their importance to literature. Their are guys in their forties doing this.

I told the publisher to grow up and pay for their own projects themselves. They want stories fine, but I am tired of people putting the bite in me.

Never pay to play.

If anyone wants the name of the publisher and project send me your email.
 

Hiatus

'The Carnage Conservatory' has announced today that it will be on hiatus. We thank Emily for everything she has done for us and I offer my support and help in the future with the re-launch down the line.

Editor's Notes: Today We Walked Away From An Anthology

I have a story that was accepted for publication in an anthology  but the publisher went belly up. I have since tried to place it but have met with three distinct rejections.

One told me the enjoyed it and then proceeded to criticize every aspect of it.

Another told me I don't know how to write a story and proceeded to explain how stories are written.

And today we find the third where I was told it was publishable but anti-climatic. Now this was after I was accused, in a off handed way, of plagiarizing a scene. I respectfully explained where the scene came from; in other words that it was part of a recurring childhood nightmare.

Right off the bat I can see the publisher and I are going to be really good friends.

I ended this story having the character who represents the embodiment of evil go off into the world to do his deeds. My idea is that evil is ever present. Yet anti-climatic for this publisher who wants a knock down Armageddon battle and he gives me two days to re-write it to fit this scene.

And by the way, going back and looking at the guidelines; the pay itself should have made me think twice about submitting in the first place.

I decided to walk away.

My opinion is that while horror should make you uneasy and make you jump it should not be simplistic.

Editors like doctors need to have a bedside manner.

DOLL REPAIR to be SUBVERSE by May 1st

My poem DOLL REPAIR, a rather cheeky tome with rhyme and tone will appear in the second issue. Details and a link to follow.

BLOOD is in SCHLOCK! WEBZINE UK Now!!!!

Happy Easter! My story BLOOD is in Schlock! Webzine from the UK now!

A Lack of Professionalism of One Genre Against Another

This morning I awoke to find my email littered with a rant. No, not necessarily a rant but a pathetic plea and cry for help with all the subtlety of an ACT-UP demonstrator. During this morning's witching hour a fellow writer attempted his imitation of a third rate elementary school bully by spewing garbage, or as the kids call it --- talking trash; insulting all of us involved in a charitable endeavor.

I mention it because it is another in a long line of similar crap spewed by Bizarro writers against those who write horror and those who write fantasy.

On his own Facebook page, before launching his dingy filled Normandy invasion, this individual announced his plan to 'shake things up'; the same buzz phrase I have seen over and over from others of his ilk. For a few of his ilk this 'performance art' is how they promote themselves.

In the end a friend of his writes that essentially he is making himself look 'stupid'. And that guy was right.

I mention this because, again, this isn't the first time and I am sure not the last. I don't understand the attacks other than like all bullies the insecurity is so deep they lash out. But while I can deduce a reason, I make no excuses for that. In my day we handled bullies in the school yard. In my day, they were taught a lesson.

Since we are not allowed to do that today all I can say is this is a married man and if this is his level of maturity, well it is amazing he found a wife.

And while I don't blame all Bizarro writers for the actions of a few, perhaps those who publish in that genre should take a close look at those who represent their banner.

We are supposed to be professionals here.

And When It Happens Twice...

you know you are making a mark.

We've been quoted before. We have been 'blurbed' on blogs and websites as well as advertisements, but this is the first two covers and I do like being on the cover.

When You Are A Literary Critic And You Are Quoted.......

you are both happy and humbled.

HIT and DIRTY HANDS to be included in an Anthology

Well here is a pleasant surprise. Both HIT and DIRTY HANDS live on. If you remember they were episodes I wrote for the BLACK OUT CITY PODCAST last year. Well, the stories will be back in print and in anthology form. I just signed the contracts and the paperbacks as well as kindle will be out in August courtesy of Horrified Press.

Details and links will follow this summer.

HELLSPEAK by Mark Slade is on LURID-LIT NOW!!!

Yep, we mix noir and horror with Mark Slade's newest HELLSPEAK. And you thought your guardian was special.  Get on over there.....www.lurid-lit.com.

Yep, KINDLE is like your dinner --- you only rent

http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets/you-dont-own-your-kindle-books-amazon-reminds-customer-f1C6626211

Fascinating article and I feel vindicated from all those who have told me I was crazy or stupid or both.

My Mind Is A Blank

It's a terrifying feeling. I can't think of anything to write. I can't work on any work. I can't make up my mind about what to have for dinner/ My mind is a total blank; an absolute zero; a barren wasteland; an arid desert; a sugar free dessert; a non-alcoholic beer.

My mind is a eunuch; flaccid and dull.

How does __________________ handle it.

You fill in the blank. I'm in enough trouble with the 'beautiful people' here in the People's Republic.
 

Paranormal Pairings and Why We Won't See Them

I guess its the age we live in. Everyone is bubbling with conceit. Everyone is overflowing with self importance. Knowledge is secondary at best.

Why is it we don't see horror writers out with paranormal investigators? Ego? Mistrust?

Or is the fact that there is little to write about when all you have are floating dust particles, lens reflections and refractions as well as self fulfilling whispers in the white noise.

Probably a little of all three.

I would love to go out on a hunt. I would love to find evidence of a life after this. But I see nothing in these television shows and websites to merit victory.

Like Houdini before me, I want to believe and if anyone will allow me I am ready to run right at that shadow climbing up the wall.

BLOOD to be in SCHLOCK! WEBZINE

Thank you Gavin Chappell. BLOOD to appear in this Sunday's edition. Details to follow.

The Cupboard Is Bare

I don't have a lot out there for potential published pieces. The anthology offerings I read are less than exciting and more than forced. I am not excited about opportunities. Many publications have closed submissions like an evacuation pipe from a clogged toilet.

And to add to this I have had a backlash to my 'Weird Tales' article with a couple of editors taking me to task in terms of taking the time to define to me what a 'short story' is.

If this is how its going to be it only hardens my resolve.

We said this year our output would be less and pages more. We are beyond where we should be after three years.

I am enjoying reviewing more than ever. The quality of the non-horror I have been sent is amazing. There is much out there to rejoice for you just need to waid through it; so stop on by and check out my reviews on Lurid-lit.com.

No Face Time for Face Book

We do have a Facebook page that mimics this page; and for those who have been asking we do not link because of the repetition. We also do not link because I'm usually a little late in seeing to the Facebook posts in favor of this blog.

If you are as tired as I am with tedious narcissism of Facebook?

For writers blogs and websites are still superior platforms to promote work. On Facebook you have swim through a lot of information you are polite to like but frankly don't care about.

Not all but a lot. 

Thank You HELLO HORROR

HELLO HORROR is aiding its contributors over Twitter by announcing updates. Treating us like an alumnus, this is touching and while I screwed up in stating what story I published with them in my thank you reply; it was A TRICKLE OF WATER and not HATE; this is unprecedented and elevates this magazine and publisher above many others.

They will be tweeting my appearance in WEIRD TALES.

THANK YOU HELLO HORROR.

R. I. P. Is On Two Sentence Stories right now....

http://www.twosentencestories.com/

And yes, the link will open. Vote early and you can't vote often.

SOUTHERN SELECT: A DUTCH CURRIDGE NOVEL is on LURID-LIT Now!!!!!!

We review another Dutch Curridge adventure with SOUTHERN SELECT. See if you should select this novel too.

Is Re-Assignment Covered Under Obamacare?

Got your attention didn't I? This entry has nothing to do with the oft revised and worst piece of legislation ever written. But then again we are discussing writing here.

Anyway, most of my old western weird tales have found publishers. There are a few stragglers and one such loping tale was sent off for consideration a month ago to a publisher I have never sent to in accordance with my own Obama-like philosophy to spread the wealth around.

Well, I finally heard, and yes it was rejected, but rejected in its own weird way. You see the editor thanked me for sending the piece; he told me he enjoyed reading the piece but then stopped writing in the first person and switched to the third person. Here he stated that, and I am I'm paraphrasing, the reader couldn't engage himself in the story until the end and that perhaps it should be re-worked with more and even graphic violence as well as a chase scene all written in third person.

Okay. So as it stands this is the story of two brothers; one an honest man and the other a mass rapist and killer. The story is told through the good brother and the story itself takes place on the day of the hanging of the bad brother.

So I need to graphically describe the crimes and detail the pursuit leading to his arrest; but forget the trial itself; to engage the reader in what would most likely become a long and drawn out mash up of minutia.

I decided to investigate this theory further by looking into the background of the person who wanted to turn an a weird tale into a 'B' western.

We have discussed it many times that the most meaningful assessors are those who have worked within the realm. It is always best to take the word of another writer rather someone with a degree 
and no bibliography.

The story will remain the same and I will go somewhere else hopefully my waiting will not be long and the response from the panel will not be death.

Happy Anniversary to SCHLOCK! WEBZINE

It's been three years. The first issue came out April 10, 2011. This is a fun and wonderful read; AND not because I have been in a few times -- a great read. Happy Anniversary!!!

Happy Birthday to Robert Bloch

To one of the writers I have on my Mount Rushmore. Sadly he has been gone almost twenty years now; he would have been 97.

TWO SENTENCE STORIES AND HAIR OF THE DOG IS BACK UP

Finally. And that is no April fool.