Writers of the Future Volume 38: Who Won the Gold This Year?

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The newest installment in the Writers of the Future anthology has just released in Kindle and will release in paperback on June 28th!

The Writers of the Future contest is dedicated to discovering and nurturing new creative talent. It is one of the longest running awards in science fiction and fantasy and the only one limited to new authors and artists. This yearʼs winners are featured in the anthology, and their stories are illustrated by the winning illustrators. Gorgeous—what a masterpiece.

Here is the scoop.

What is the Writers of the Future?

e2 Ron Hubbard initiated the Writers of the Future writing contest in 1983 to provide “a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.”

It was so successful, the sister contest, Illustrators of the Future, was created five years later to provide that same opportunity for the aspiring artist. There has always been strong connection between artist and author, and this partnership shines in the final anthology each year with each winning story illustrator by one of the winning illustrators.

Over the last 38 years, the intensive mentoring process has proven very successful. Over 500 past winners and published finalists of the Writing Contest have published over 1,800 novels and nearly 6,200 short stories. They have produced 33 New York Times bestsellers, and their works have sold over 60 million copies.

The 370 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,000 illustrations, 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art, and visually contributed to 68 TV shows and 40 major movies.

Several great authors you are likely familiar with were discovered by contest. For example, Brandon Sanderson was a finalist and gives credit this this win providing encouragement to keep going. Nnedi Okorafor, Sean Williams, Patrick Rothfus, Jo Beverly, Eric Flint, and many others were winners or finalist in the program, and this win helped to jump start them on the road to success.

The newest in the series, Writers of the Future Volume 38, is on the launch pad. It is available as a Kindle exclusive and in Kindle Unlimited. See here: https://www.amazon.com/Ron-Hubbard-Presents-Writers-Future-ebook/dp/B09VXXCP5T

Cover Art by Bob Eggelton

WOTF 38

Earlier in March, the cover art for Writers of the Future Volume 38 was revealed to an international online audience by the cover artist Bob Eggleton. John Goodwin, President of Galaxy Press the publisher of the fiction works of L. Ron Hubbard and the Writers of the Future series, hosted the event. Bob presented the process and inspiration for the cover, saying “My idea was taking this older work of mammoths and merging it with these new elements, humanoid robots exploring a past earth. Or is it someplace else? That is for you to decide.”

Video of event is embedded here: https://www.youtube.com/embed/pWJW4PCLLOs

Bob Eggleton is a winner of nine Hugo Awards and twelve Chesley Awards, the 2019 L. Ron Hubbard Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts, a 2015 Rondo Award in Classic Horror, and an award from the Godzilla Society of North America. His art is on the covers of numerous magazines, professional publications, and books in science fiction, fantasy, and horror worldwide, including several volumes of his own work. He has also worked as a conceptual illustrator for movies and thrill rides. He has been an Illustrators of the Future Contest judge since 1988, of which he stated, “L. Ron Hubbard ignited the spark of imagination, which in the minds of these new artists has become ablaze.”

The presentation of the new cover took on special significance this year. After this book was finalized, the book’s editor, David Farland, tragically left us. One of his last acts was to write a short story to accompany Bob Eggleton’s cover art. To this, Eggleton stated, “I feel privileged to have worked with David Farland on his last story, and so dedicate this cover art to him and the memory of his life.”

Attendees of the online event were quick to make known their excitement for the cover art.

Illustrators of the Future judge Lazarus Chernik commented, “This perfectly represents Bob Eggleton to me. He emotes with his brush as much as his characters and compositions, breathing life to fantastic scenes like no other. No faces? No problem. The paint itself becomes a person.”

Bookseller Jean-Paul L. Garnier of Space Cowboy Books stated, “Year after year, Writers of the Future remains an important anthology and a great read. If you’re looking for stellar new voices in science fiction and fantasy, look no further.”

About Writers of the Future Volume 38

WOTF 38 3DThis year’s collection includes 3 Bonus Short Stories by Frank Herbert, David Farland, and L. Ron Hubbard. Frank Herbert was a judge for the contest, and in recognition of the success of his science fiction classic Dune, we have republished his last essay with advice for new writers and one of his rare short stories.

“A Word of Power” by David Farland: When Fava, a Neanderthal shaman, discovers the men of metal driving away her mammoths, she must find magic powerful enough to save the herd.

“The Daddy Box” by Frank Herbert: An abused boy finds an alien artifact that gives him the strength to reshape his life and stand up to his violent stepfather.

“The Professor Was a Thief” by L. Ron Hubbard: Grant’s Tomb—missing! Pennsylvania Station—missing! The Empire State Building—missing! New York City is disappearing piece by piece.

And art and writing tips by Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, L. Ron Hubbard, and Diane Dillon.

“The Single Most Important Piece of Advice” by Frank Herbert: The last essay from Frank Herbert was written with the clear purpose of fulfilling what he saw as a paramount obligation to his art and craft—he provided the single most important piece of advice he would give a beginning writer.

“Boos and Taboos” by L. Ron Hubbard: L. Ron Hubbard challenges the restrictive “taboos” of writing for publications that bind stories in formula straitjackets. Urging writers to flout by-prescription storytelling, he describes his own conspicuous success in doing that, with a final, telling reflection on creative energy, sales—and writing stories that will be remembered.

 “Teamwork: Getting the Best Out of Two Writers” by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson: Together, Brian and Kevin have written over twenty novels and numerous short stories, primarily expanding Frank Herbert’s Dune universe, but also on their original SF epic, the Hellhole Trilogy. Here they share the pitfalls and successes of their process and how they make it work.

“The Third Artist” by Diane Dillon: Leo and Diane Dillon chose to blend their talents, working together as one artist—the third artist—beginning a career that spanned fifty-four years. As an interracial couple, they dedicated their career to be inclusive of all races and cultures to reflect the world we live in.

And for a taste of this year’s award-winning stories—thirteen captivating tales from the best new writers of the year—here are the short descriptions:

In a world where monster killing and trapping is big business, one girl from a Hunter family decides she won’t kill monsters. As a matter of fact, her best friend is one…. —“Agatha’s Monster” by Azure Arther

A “book wizard” wants to help a pair of young orphaned brothers repair their relationship. But a powerful new magic book with problematic spellwork stands in the way. —“The Magic Book of Accidental City Destruction: A Book Wizard’s Guide” by Z.T. Bright

The daughter of Neptune Station’s greatest hero is about to face her most daunting mission yet: elementary school on Earth. —“The Squid Is My Brother” by Mike Jack Stoumbos

A bartender with a vendetta against the future must determine if his customer is a time-traveling tourist. —“Gallows” by Desmond Astaire

Grant’s Tomb—missing! Pennsylvania Station—missing! The Empire State Building—missing! New York City is disappearing piece by piece…. —“The Professor Was a Thief” by L. Ron Hubbard

A disgraced Lark is forced to take the job nobody wants. His songs can sway minds, but there’s no margin for mistakes in the frozen north. —“Lilt of a Lark” by Michael Panter

When a lieutenant with a mysterious past discovers an exotic creature held captive by a traveling farrago, they must decide how far they will go to save what matters most…. —“The Mystical Farrago” by N.V. Haskell

Alone but for her grandchild and a fox spirit, Emily braves Russia’s winter and Napoleon’s army to keep her family alive and together. —“Tsuu, Tsuu, Kasva Suuremasse” by Rebecca E. Treasure

An abused boy finds an alien artifact that gives him the strength to reshape his life and stand up to his violent step-father. —“The Daddy Box” by Frank Herbert

A son must decide whether to follow his father’s footsteps and accept a responsibility he doesn’t understand. —“The Island on the Lake” by John Coming

When a desperate bid to recover stolen memories goes wrong, Alice must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect her best friend. —“The Phantom Carnival” by M. Elizabeth Ticknor

A botanist must cure a dying planet before an evacuation when she will be forced to leave her young daughter behind. —“The Last Dying Season” by Brittany Rainsdon

When Fava, a Neanderthal shaman, discovers the men of metal driving away her mammoths, she must find magic powerful enough to save the herd. —“A Word of Power” by David Farland

Technology suppresses crime on the generation ship Eudoxus until a body is discovered, threatening the years of peace. —“The Greater Good” by Em Dupre

A genetically engineered assassin, concubine, and bodyguard has to unravel the entirety of her being to save her son…. —“For the Federation” by J.A. Becker

Tyson doesn’t need to be psychic to know the invitation is a trap, but he can’t refuse a poker tournament with the highest stakes imaginable. —“Psychic Poker” by Lazarus Black

The Writers of the Future Week

Starting a week before the annual awards event, the winners are flown in to Hollywood for an exclusive workshop to learn from the professionals in the industry who share their insights and secrets for success. For more information see the articles covering the writing workshop (https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writers-workshop) and the art workshop (https://www.writersofthefuture.com/art-workshop).

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The famous art reveal, where the artists and illustrators of this year’s anthology meet for the first time and see the artwork created for their story was held on April 6th at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel.

On April 8th, the Achievement Awards was held at the Hollywood Taglyan Complex. Judges, winners, and celebrities flew in from around the world to acknowledge this year’s winners and to announce the L. Ron Hubbard Golden Pen Award and Golden Brush awards. This Award was presented to this year’s winning authors and illustrators along with $5,000: Desmond Astaire won the Golden Pen for “The Gallows” and Zaine Lodhi won the Golden Brush Award for his artwork of “Agathaʼs Monster.”

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Critical Acclaim

As the only program of its kind, with a consistent top-notch collection of talent, it continues to be applauded from industry professionals to bestselling authors:

“Science fiction as a genre has always looked to the future and the Writers of the Future looks to the future of science fiction.” —Kevin J. Anderson (co-author of the Dune sagas)

“Some of the most excellent speculative fiction that you can find. They’re cutting edge.” —Nnedi Okorafor

“These are the people who are going to be creating trends.” —Brandon Sanderson

“Writers of the Future, as a contest and as a book, remains the flagship of short fiction.” —Orson Scott Card

“The best new stories by new writers, anywhere.” —Larry Niven

“See the best of the best culled for you, curated and selected in a single volume every year.” —Robert J. Sawyer

“An absolute wealth of imagination, adventure, excitement, stimulation and joy, every possible human emotion.” —Sean Williams

“A very generous legacy from L. Ron Hubbard a fine, fine fiction writer for the writers of the future.” —Anne McCaffrey

“Writers of the Future is a terrific program for new writers, and goodness knows, there are few enough of those. It has my heartiest support and unqualified recommendation.” —Terry Brooks

“Some of the best SF of the future comes from Writers of the Future.” —David Hartwell Hugo-Award-winning editor

“This collection shows why I'm happy to be a judge for the Writers of the Future Contest it always finds great stories by the new writers who will be winning Hugo and Nebula Awards a few years from now.” —Tim Powers

“The Writers of the Future Contest has not only provided a place where new writers could break into print for the first time but it also has a record of nurturing and discovering writers who have gone on to make their mark in the science fiction field. Long may it continue!” —Neil Gaiman

“It all started when I won the Writers of the Future Contest. Without them, I can honestly say I would not be where I am today.” —Patrick Rothfuss

 “Writers of the Future played a critical role in the early stages of my career.” —Eric Flint

“Writers of the Future was an accelerator to my writing development.” —Jo Beverley

 “The best-selling SF anthology series of all time.” —Locus Magazine

“Writers of the Future collection is exciting and engrossing, with stories that range across the spectrum of SF and fantasy. Tried-and-true space opera and epic fantasy, these stories explore new mysteries and ideas.” —Publishers Weekly

“This is a fine collection that will appeal to both fans of science fiction and fantasy short stories and aspiring writers looking for ways to improve their craft.” — Booklist

“Verdict: Speculative fiction fans will welcome this showcase of new talent.” —Library Journal, Starred Review

Conclusion

If you have not yet read the Writers of the Future and love cutting edge science fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories you need to check out this series.

If you are an aspiring writer or illustrator with a passion for the genre, you need to enter this contest.  It is recommended you also read the books as you will see quality of your peers that are winning and each volume has tips from the Judges to give you the edge.

Watch the Achievement event online at https://www.writersofthefuture.com

Here are the quick links to the new book and contest resources:

Writers of Future Volume 38 on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Ron-Hubbard-Presents-Writers-Future-ebook/dp/B09VXXCP5T

Writing Contest Rules: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/contest-rules-writers/

Enter the Writing Contest: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/enter-writer-contest/

Free Writing Workshop: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writing-workshop/

Writing Podcast: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/podcast/

Contest Judges: https://www.writersofthefuture.com/writer-judges/

List of Writers of the Future & L. Ron Hubbard books: https://galaxypress.com/l-ron-hubbard-books/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WotFContest/

How to Promote Horror: 5 Methods for Better Character Design

How to Promote Horror: a dark, shadowy person at the end of a tunnel.

How to Promote Horror: a dark, shadowy person at the end of a tunnel.

Character design is a way to understand who your characters are. The more you know about your character, the easier it will be to render them on the page. Good fiction (not just horror) is, after all, written in much the same way a mystery is solved: by looking at motive. 

As horror writers, our characters often get a bad rap. Too many people judge horror based on B-rate movies filled with one-dimensional characters who exist only to be slaughtered around the next corner. Good horror fiction is SO much more than that. 

You need to ask yourself, what are your characters’ motives? What do they want and how will they react in any given situation? When you know that, you can write fiction that rings true on the page. 

That being said, you might find your characters are not doing what you want them to and that they have entirely derailed your meticulous plotting and outlining. However, a good writer knows when this is okay and when it’s not. If you’re like me, this is the exciting part, when true writing begins.

 

5 Methods for Better Character Design

The problem is when you start writing and you don’t know your characters, you’re likely to end up with a lot of prose you can’t use. No matter how much plotting you do (if any) beforehand, if you don’t know your characters, you will only be bullying them to do what you want them to do. Simply put, this kind of writing is not very good. 

 

1. Visualize Your Character

One of the first things I like to do is visualize the character. You can often tell a lot about someone based on how they choose to dress and how they hold themselves. I’m not much of an artist, but I will sometimes sketch certain visual details, such as a hat or a unique item that a character may keep on them.

You don’t have to know everything. It often doesn’t matter what colored eyes a character has, and you certainly don’t want to describe every little detail to your readers. In fact, it’s often best to let your readers fill in the blanks from their own imaginations, which can help them to connect with your characters.

Nevertheless, a racial background can be useful. For instance, a Mexican-American is likely to have ties to a specific cultural background that influences how they see the world. It may also play a part in how others respond to them. 

 

2. Write Until You Know Your Character

Personally, I used to do this a lot. When we’re just starting out, a lot of us writers are told: JUST WRITE. It’s not bad advice, by any means, because the only way to learn how to write is to write. However, when you write before you know who your characters are, you’re likely to end up with a lot of prose that you’ll need to cut from the final piece in editing.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can be time-consuming. Stephen King sometimes uses this method, and if you’re having trouble getting started, then just do it. Start writing! As you put words to paper, things will begin to open up. The plot may reveal itself and, hopefully, characters will begin to take on their own voices. From there, you can start again, now writing with your characters’ POVs in mind.

 

3. Write a Short Story From Your Character’s Point of View (POV)

One good way to ‘write until you know your characters’ is to pen a short story from a character's POV. This story should be separate from your larger work and put a lot of its focus (if not all) on a single character. In this way, you’ll be able to flesh out your character before returning to your novel or whatever it is you’re writing.

If all goes well, you’ll then have a short story you can submit around to anthology publishers or use as a freebie for promotional purposes. If not, it doesn’t matter. The point of the exercise was to get to know the character.

 

4. Give Your Character a Personality Test

One way a lot of us try to get to know ourselves is by taking personality tests. It’s a fun exercise and can be useful if you know how to use the information. With that in mind, why not give your character one?

Yeah, I realize these types of tests are pseudoscience, but it doesn’t matter. All you’re trying to figure out is if your character is an introvert or an extrovert, and other things like that. A good test to use is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which recognizes 16 distinct personalities that will give you a better understanding of your character. 

 

5. Figure Out Your Character’s Alignment

Another good way to summarize the basics of your characters is to figure out their alignments. For those who don’t know, alignment is a Dungeons and Dragons RPG term used to help establish a player character’s motives. It’s determined by establishing the character’s morality and ethical understandings.

The ethical axis is split into Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic, while the morality axis is Good, Neutral, and Evil. Therefore, characters range from Lawful/Good to Chaotic/Evil and everything between. Using alignment is a solid way to define the basics of even minor characters in your stories. 

 

Creating Compelling Characters

Although this column is about horror fiction, the advice here is for everyone. Characters are, perhaps, the single most important factor in writing effective fiction. The plot is the plot, and it’s okay, but don’t rely on it. If you are able to use better character design, it will be your characters who carry the story forward.

 

Author Keith Deininger and his son Rook.Keith Deininger is the award-winning and #1 Amazon bestselling author of horror and fantasy, including titles such as WITHIN, THE FEVER TRILOGY, and THE GODGAME series. He has been called “one of the finest writers of imaginative fiction” and “Ray Bradbury on acid.” His latest novel, VIOLENT HEARTS, has been compared to Stephen King’s fantasy-based work. He lives in Albuquerque, NM with his wife and kids. Although he loves a good nightmare, in person he’s a really nice guy. Promise.

Keith’s personal site: www.KeithDeininger.com
Keith’s SEO content writing and editing company: www.MeridianPublications.com

How to Promote Horror: 5 Reasons NOT to Kill a Character

Keith Deininger

Blood spilling on a book.

As horror writers, we’re used to killing characters. After all, what’s more horrific than being killed?  However, the trick with writing horror, and all fiction for that matter, is knowing when NOT to kill a character.

 

1. It Distracts from Your Narrative

Time-honored advice tells us to “kill our darlings.” While this advice is used typically to highlight those moments when it’s best for the narrative to remove a scene, plot device, or (as is often the case with my own writing) lovingly crafted descriptions (Purple prose? Bah. I’ll show you purple…), it’s also important to realize this fact applies to characters as well.

As such, it’s often best not to go on a killing spree. Well, unless that’s the type of fiction you’re writing. But, even then, it’s best to wait for the right moment.

In fact, as a horror writer, it may be that the act of killing a character is your “darling,” but since the best thing for the narrative is to not kill, you should NOT do it. Resist your writerly bloodlust and focus on the story. Your narrative will thank you, not to mention your characters.

 

2. Killing Them Serves No Purpose

Similar to distracting from your narrative, you should never kill a character if it doesn’t serve a purpose. Pointless death is just that…pointless.

It’s become a fad in recent years to introduce a main character and then kill them off purely for shock value. Thing is, this technique can often backfire and blow up in your face, killing any chance you have of your readers finishing your book.

When you do kill a character, it needs to be for a significant reason. It can still be shocking, but it also should drive the story, such as to show an antagonist's power or to serve as motivation for revenge.

For instance, George R. R. Martin (shoutout to a fellow New Mexico author!) is famous for brutally killing a number of main characters in his A Song of Ice and Fire series. However, each death progresses the plot, either as villainy or consequence.

 

3. They’re Not Going to Stay Dead

I mean, as horror writers, we all know necromancy is a thing. Sometimes they come back, and all that jazz. However, if you build a world where your main characters can be raised from the dead, their deaths become meaningless.

In fantasy fiction, writers go to great lengths to create magic systems with very specific rules and consequences, and bringing people back from the dead is a messy business. It can make a magic system seem too powerful and strip your narrative of tension, and without tension, what do you have? Well, it’s not a good story, I can tell you that much.

What’s more, if you suddenly raise a character from the dead without having first set up the possibility, you’re diving deep into the realm of deus ex machina. That is, wrapping up a story through a randomly convenient device.

With this in mind, it’s recommended you only play with such dark, necromantic forces when it’s important to your plot, such as the zombie apocalypse. Although, it can also be used thematically, such as the Christian symbolism of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia, or as a selective force that generally does not benefit characters, such as in A Song of Ice and Fire (the books, not the show. Don’t get me started on the show… I… Mm, will stop right there…).

 

4. They’re An Insignificant Character

Look, I understand we’re largely talking about horror here, but when somehow your main character finds themselves wandering a dark hallway with another character we hardly know, while the killer lurks in the shadows, it’s pretty obvious what you’re setting up. Inevitably, when the killer jumps out and stabs the random character through his eye, allowing your main character to escape to fight another day, it doesn’t mean very much. We all saw it coming from across the stratosphere.

This is often called the ‘Red Shirt’ trope, referring to the insignificant officers in Star Trek that are introduced on away missions only to serve as cannon fodder later on in the episode. While this may serve to show us the threat our main characters are facing, we really don’t give a flying flapjack whether or not the red shirt lives or dies.

When tempted, it’s important to remember that death doesn’t just happen to minor officers or tertiary characters. Use this trope too much and your readers will begin to think your main characters are safe, maybe even immortal. This, just like raising people from the dead, has a decidedly adverse effect on a story’s tension.

Nevertheless, this does not mean you can’t kill minor characters, only that they should not be the only ones who die. Again, think about Martin’s work, no one is safe and his storytelling is brilliant for it.

However, there is one caveat I’d like to mention while we’re here. That is, don’t go overboard either. How many of us stopped watching The Walking Dead after so-and-so was killed? If you wipe out all of your good characters, there’s really no point in continuing the story, is there?

 

5. The Character is a Minority

Finally, we come to this one. Although this could be considered a controversial subject, let’s dive in anyway…

Diversity in fiction is a hot topic (in fact, it deserves its own post, which could be my next article). After all, a large majority of writers are white and straight. Mostly, this is due to cultural availability, as being an author is one of those paths that is encouraged mostly for middle-class white people (I know it was for me, although my parents were clear it was supposed to be a hobby and not a career). However, there is a dangerous precedent that has been set where the minority character is always killed, often early in the narrative.

It may be the token black character (a trope that’s even become a joke at this point), someone from the LGBTQIA+ community, or even a stereotypical female character, but whoever it is, resist the urge to kill them unless you are absolutely sure it serves the story.

Many authors introduce minority characters in order to give them some sort of background as quickly as possible. Then, they can elicit a larger emotional response when they are killed off. The problem with this is that it adds to an insidious pattern of prejudice, whether sexism, racism, or the Bury Your Gays trope.

My point is, while minority characters should certainly be more prevalent in fiction, as they are, after all, a big part of the real world, they should not be used as a cheap plot device. Take note and be aware of this fact. That is all.

 

Death is a Part of Life, But…

Remember, you are an indentured servant to your story. Whenever your story (not you!) kills a character, it should leave an emotional impact and move the plot forward. Death is a part of life, but take the time to think about the implications of your murderous ways and be sure to always spill blood with class and purpose.

 

Author Keith Deininger and his son Rook.Keith Deininger is the award-winning and #1 Amazon bestselling author of many horror and fantasy titles, including WITHIN, THE FEVER TRILOGY, and THE GODGAME series. He has been called “one of the finest writers of imaginative fiction” and “Ray Bradbury on acid.” His latest novel, VIOLENT HEARTS, has been compared to Stephen King’s fantasy-based work. He lives in Albuquerque, NM with his wife and kids. Although he loves a good nightmare, in person he’s a really nice guy. Promise.

Keith’s personal site: www.KeithDeininger.com
Keith’s SEO content and editing company: www.MeridianPublications.com

How to Promote Horror: 5 Horror Movie Marketing Tactics You Can Steal for your Book

NormanProfileWhen it comes to marketing a horror movie, the trailer is everything. A good trailer can be shared all over social media and attract just the right audience to go and see it. Promoting a horror novel is much the same. Here are 5 marketing tactics horror movies use that you can also use to promote your horror novel.

 

5 – Show Audience Testimonials and Ratings

A lot of movie trailers show quotes from critics praising the movie. This technique is commonly used to sell books as well.

One technique that has become a best practice is to start your book description on Amazon with a quote praising the book or your work. You can also put additional quotes on your book cover and at the bottom of your book description.

You can get quotes by pulling from favorable reviews or by reaching out to other authors. Many authors will be happy to blurb your book in exchange for a free copy.

 

4 – Creativity Can Be More Effective than Money

There's a reason a lot of up and coming directors start with a horror movie: small budgets. With a little creativity, there are ways to make a good horror movie without spending a lot of money. Look at movies like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity. Both had tiny budgets and both found humongous success.

There are a lot of great promotional sites for authors, including BooksGoSocial, but there's also something to be said for being creative. You may be able to find a fun and creative way to promote your book on social media without spending a lot of money.

I photoshopped this image to help promote my horror novel, Violent Hearts, and it drew a lot more traffic, likes and comments, then a regular book cover post.

 

ViolentHearts explodinghead

“Bradbury on acid.” Greg Gifune, author of The Bleeding Season

3 – Show Your Characters

Horror movie trailers often revolve around their characters. If they can make you care about what happens to these characters, you are much more likely to go and see the movie.

Same is true for books. Be sure to include details about your characters in your book description and promotions that will make your audience sympathetic to your characters.

 

2 – Use Mystery to Entice Readers to Buy

Horror movie trailers often hit us with something unexpected and mysterious. Where did that come from? What is causing that? These questions draw us into the story and make us want to go and see the movie.

You can offer excerpts and short cliffhanger teasers on your social media feeds to build an audience and entice readers to buy your book.

Here's one I've used to promote my horror novel, Violent Hearts:

It started that cold night spent in the woods, all those years ago. Owen and Chloe wakened something, something inside them both. But, for a while at least, they thought they could live normal lives…

Click here. 

 

1 – Give Readers What They Want

vincent price 394306Same is true for promoting your book. Give your readers characters they care about, with sympathetic backgrounds you can sum up in a few words you can use in your book description. This helps to put a “face” to your characters and give them life for your readers.

We've all seen movie trailers that give away too much of the plot. Don't be that person. Instead, tell them what the blood and guts are in your book.

When someone picks up your book, what's in it for them? Tell them! Be explicit. If your book is an exciting adventure, then tell them it's an exciting adventure. If your book has uncanny hauntings or violent gore, don't be afraid to share this fact. Not only will you keep away readers who don't like such things and might leave bad reviews, but you will get the right readers interested in your book.

authorpic orig smallKeith Deininger is the award-winning and #1 Amazon bestselling author of many horror and fantasy titles, including WITHIN, THE FEVER TRILOGY and THE GODGAME series. He has been called “one of the finest writers of imaginative fiction” and “Ray Bradbury on acid.” His latest novel, VIOLENT HEARTS, has been compared to Stephen King’s fantasy-based work. He lives in Albuquerque, NM with his wife and kids. Although he loves a good nightmare, in person he’s a really nice guy. Promise.

Keith’s personal site: www.KeithDeininger.com
Keith’s SEO content and editing company: www.MeridianPublications.com

How to Promote Horror: A Quick Guide to Social Media

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Here lies the ancient book of Horror Novel Promotion. But beware, for it is dark and full of terrors!

burning social mediaWhen it come to promotion, social media is our largest asset and our biggest crutch. Thanks to internet communication, everyone has something to promote. Without it, there is no indie author. But with it, suddenly everyone's decided to write a book, whether they have what it takes or not.

In the horror world, using social media to promote your writing is just like any other genre. Interaction and personality are key. Using social media is about creating a platform and cultivating an audience by making friends and people you interact with.

Just posting your book and Amazon link on social media is not an effective strategy. At most, such posts may serve as an announcement of a new release and encourage fans of your work to buy it, but that's as far as such posts go.

Effective promotion on social media means putting your books in the background and sharing and creating content that fans of your genre and writing may like. It also means interacting with others and commenting on their posts that you find interesting and that relate to your message.

Here are a few tips to help you with the larger social media platforms for promoting horror books:

FACEBOOK

Facebook is a great place to market your horror books, but it takes time and effort. You can start out by making an author page to promote your horror books. Then you will need content that is relevant to your audience, and lots of it, as well as a way to attract people to like your page.

This can be done either by “boosting” your posts, which costs a little money, or engaging in groups and posting your page content to those groups.

Here are some horror groups worth checking out:

Horror Writers. This is a page for horror writers, readers, and fans.

Horror Writers Net. This group is for anyone who appreciates horror fiction.

Horror Readers and Writers. This forum welcomes anyone posting about horror, whether it be books, films, editing, or producing.

Horror Promotion. This page encourages readers and fans of horror to post their favorite horror books.

Literary Darkness. This group focuses on intelligent discussion about literature with dark themes.

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Q: How is anyone to find the book they want? A: Social Media!

TWITTER

Twitter is a big ‘place' and a lot of tweets are lost in the noise. When tweeting it's important to use hashtags so others will see your tweet. Also, if you're going to post a link to your website or Amazon book page, be sure to use a link shortening service like bit.ly so you'll have enough characters to write something snappy that others will respond to.

Here are some important hashtags for horror authors:

#Horror
#Paranormal
#Suspense
#ScaryStory
#HorrorStory
#Scary
#indieauthors
#mustread
#kindle
#kindledeals
#BookMarketing

GOODREADS

Social media for book lovers, Goodreads is a site owned by Amazon that has its own catalogue of books and reviews. It is also home to some old-school type message boards perfect for horror authors. Just remember, interaction is key, not blind posting of your books.

Here are two of the biggest horror groups on Goodreads:

Horror Aficionados. This group features discussions on all things horror, mostly books, of course, but also movies and horror culture.

Literary Horror. A group dedicated to dark fiction of the literary sort.

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.

authorpic orig smallKeith Deininger is the award-winning and #1 Amazon bestselling author of many horror and fantasy titles, including WITHIN, THE FEVER TRILOGY and THE GODGAME series. He has been called “one of the finest writers of imaginative fiction” and “Ray Bradbury on acid.” His latest novel, VIOLENT HEARTS, has been compared to Stephen King’s fantasy-based work. He lives in Albuquerque, NM with his wife and two kids. Although he loves a good nightmare, in person he’s a really nice guy. Promise.

Keith's personal site: www.KeithDeininger.com
Keith's SEO content and editing company: www.MeridianPublications.com

How to Promote Horror: Why is Stephen King so Popular?

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Stephen King in Creepshow — Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Stephen King is one of the most successful authors in the world. He's written more than 60 books, all of the them bestsellers. And he writes horror.

Horror!

Yes, that much maligned genre I keep talking about. He's been doing it for 40 some years and he's still going strong.

King himself once called his writing “the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and fries.” It's not complex stuff. He writes prose that is simple and easy to follow.

He spells everything out for his readers. No literary subtitles here. If he wants you to know what a character is feeling, he tells you what that feeling is and why that character is feeling it.

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Writers are weird people. When one of them makes it big, you get articles like this one. Did I mention, writers are weird?

King's simple style does not, however, limit the stories he tells. He is a master storyteller, often weaving complex plots with lots of characters and making it look easy.

His stories are exciting and fast-paced. They suck you in and won't let go. You have to keep reading and reading.

He is also very good with time and place and very good with character. And it is with his characters that his writing shines and wins over his readers.

His characters are always sympathetic, sometimes with heartbreaking backstories that he explicitly writes in detailed flashbacks, usually everyday people.

Even his bad guys are only bad because of some sort of corruption, typically from an outside evil force. And by ‘outside evil' I mean an antagonistic force, often supernatural, that is either out to get his mostly innocent and well-meaning characters (like Pennywise the clown in It), or out to make them do evil things themselves (like the Overlook Hotel in The Shining).

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Here's how you do an author pic. Black and white. Stark shadows. No smiling. Intense eyes. Courtesy of Simon and Schuster.

But always these antagonistic forces come from things that are twisted, evil and not human. It's a comforting message that people like to believe. People are good. Other things are bad. A message worth noting as a contributing factor to King's success.

Personally, I have been reading Stephen King since I was 14 years old. I have read a good majority of what he was written, with only some of his newer stuff missing from my list.

Even as I discovered writers I liked more over the years, I've always come back to King's stories. I'm drawn back to them when I need something into which I know I will lose myself.

If you're like me and you grew up with a sort of high-minded ideal for your writing, born out of reading too much Hemingway and Faulkner (or whatever “classic” author you're into), then further perpetuated by college literature and creative writing courses, it's worth taking a step back and looking at the work of an author like Stephen King.

King's writing style is simple, his characters are easy to relate to, and his stories move quickly.

These are traits that sell books.

King is not famous because he writes horror, but in spite of it.

Oh, and my favorite King novel?

The Tommyknockers (I know, I know. Considered one of his worst. Ask me in the comments and I'll tell you why it's my favorite.)

authorpic orig smallKeith Deininger is the award-winning and #1 Amazon bestselling author of many horror and fantasy titles, including WITHIN, THE FEVER TRILOGY and THE GODGAME series. He has been called “one of the finest writers of imaginative fiction” and “Ray Bradbury on acid.” His latest novel, VIOLENT HEARTS, has been compared to Stephen King’s fantasy-based work. He lives in Albuquerque, NM with his wife and two kids. Although he loves a good nightmare, in person he’s a really nice guy. Promise.

www.KeithDeininger.com

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