Tuesday, April 28, 2015

#ShareTheHorror



My first novel, The Haunted Halls, came out in July of last year, 2014. I knew the publishing world had changed from the days of the publisher taking care of business for the author. I knew I had to promote my novel myself, and mostly by myself. I had played in punk bands for years (none that were “commercially” successful), and I believed in our talent. I believed in my talent. I could gladly tell you about my band, but I had very little experience in pushing books, and even less confidence in my own ability as a writer. Being new to the writing game, I had to learn fast. And I did.

In October of 2014, The Haunted Halls was followed by my self-published short story collection, Slush. I actually sent out some ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies)!  Hey, I was learning. In January, alongside Samhain favorites, Jonathan Janz, Russell James, and Hunter Shea, Samhain Publishing released my novella, Abram’s Bridge. This month, they unleashed my horror/sci-fi/aliens among us second novella, Boom Town.

In the horror writing world, self-promotion is a talent. There is a delicate balance between getting your work out there and spamming your Facebook friends with your ugly mug and the fiction you have to peddle. Think of it like opening your mailbox: Is your “promotion” like a surprise letter of awesome news that’s going to make them smile or want more? Or, as a lot of self-promoting comes across, does your daily “promo” go the way of those dreaded circulars piling up in their trash? At least with using the internet there’s no paper involved. #SaveTheTrees

I have been pushing Glenn Rolfe novels and novellas for the last ten months. That’s a lot of “me” posts. I don’t want to become an endless stream of e-Circulars.

In the fall of last year, about the time I released Slush, the Horror Writers Association started the “Horror Selfies” campaign:
In 2014, the Horror Writers Association (HWA) created the Horror Selfies campaign in an effort to highlight the exceptional work, both literary and cinematic, produced by the horror genre. Inspired by the popular “Say it with a Sign” meme—used by everyone from Ellen DeGeneres and Jon Bon Jovi, to David Beckham and Princes William and Harry—the HWA is utilizing the vast reach of social media to provide a platform through which people can tell the world why they love horror.

This was a wonderful idea that was conjured by the HWA president, the late Rocky Wood (along with Tom Calen and AJ Klein). If ever there was a person to fall in with, and to compel one to participate in the cause, it was Rocky Wood. What Rocky understood, above all else, is that we (the horror lovers of the world) are a community. And successful communities take care of one another. They praise one another. They know that one member’s success is a success for all of us.



In December, I decided to take this concept and apply it to my daily posts. In order for me to feel comfortable in promoting my own works, I would double up on promoting works by others. I began posting my favorite reads of the years complete with direct links to those works. It was in that first month of being a cheerleader for my favorite horror writers that I coined my own campaign, my own hashtag: #ShareTheHorror

It feels amazing to heap praise upon your favorites and spotlight authors you admire. A lot of members in the horror community are really good at this. Others, not so much. I invite you to #ShareTheHorror today. If you feel good, give it a try for a week. I think you’ll enjoy it enough that you’ll be on the #ShareTheHorror campaign trail for life.  

I will tell you to go out and find my best work to date, Boom Town, but while I have your attention, let me also point out five other new pieces of dark fiction worthy of your consideration:






Share your favorites, share what you love….share the horror.

Article by: Glenn Rolfe

Click here to view our recent promotion for ‘Boom Town’

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