By A.P. Fuchs
When you think of horror novels, what names come to mind?
Try Stephen King, Dean Koontz, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe. Do you want to know why? It's because these names dominate the horror literature market, are shoved down your throat every time one of these authors come out with a new book (okay, not Poe or Lovecraft as those boys are dead, but as for King and Koontz? Yes sir, they're the ones who have the big displays at the bookstores). I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with these guys' work. Far from it. They got to the top for a reason and that is because they are able to spin a good yarn. But my concern here is the other guy, the author who doesn't get the thirty million dollar advance to write three-four books and who gets their name mentioned in the media or has TV specials based off their work.
Unfortunately, the average "reader" relies on the brick and mortar bookstore to tell them what to read and why. Fine. That's what bookstores are for. But what about the underdogs? The guys who still work a regular nine-to-five job and write novels and short stories in their spare time? What about guys like me who can't afford to quit their job and write full time? I'm not complaining. But I can tell you one thing, it's guys like me who know how to spin a horror tale and some, I dare say, better than the pros or, at least, more risky, darker tales...just down right horror. I'm talking about the small press authors, or the self-published ones, the guys who didn't make it into the big leagues not because their story stunk but because their tale didn't match the "market" at the time. Their novel wasn't guaranteed to sell one hundred thousand copies, if not more. Okay, I understand this, too. We live in a world where the almighty dollar occupies people's minds most of the time. The big publishing houses run a business and they want a guaranteed return on their investment. So be it. But, again, I address Joe and Jane Reader and plead with them not to just check out the books at the bookstore down the street. There are other books out there, scarier ones, darker ones, ones that make you want to vomit from fear. But...no one knows they exist.
However, thank God, we have a little something called the Internet. Okay, it's a big something, and it's something valuable. Just go on over to any search engine, type in what you want to find and Whoala! Instant information. Anything you could possible want is on the Net...including small press horror novels or links and web pages to the authors who don't have a half-million dollar budget to promote their work. Most of these authors have spun a good tale and are waiting for people like Joe and Jane Reader to come along and snatch them up. I've read some small press books and I couldn't understand why they had never made it to the big leagues. Yet, there were others that I read (namely self-published ones), that I understood why they never made it. Part of it is the fault of the author for not thoroughly checking their work or hiring an editor. Other times it's the publisher's fault for accepting books from anyone with enough cash to pay to have their work printed. But there are good books out there. Yet how do you discern which ones are worth your time and which ones are not? Well, reviews are a good start. Nearly all--if not all--of these books can be found at Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com, and most of them have reviews. You can see for yourself if the story you're interested in is worth you ponying up the dough. Regardless, these small time authors are the ones who are the most honest, the ones who don't have a guy or girl in an expensive suit or dress leaning over their shoulder and telling them if their story is "marketable" or “good” or not. These are the guys who pour their blood and guts into their stories and their passion shows. Trust me. These are the guys who write for the love of it and not for the money. The guys who write without the hope of reward but simply write to tell a story and share it with as many people as they can.
There's a lot of good reads out there. Keith Gouveia's "Dream Demon" and Jarrod Spicer's "Voodoo Doll" to name a couple.
Ask your bookstore about novels you read about online, the ones that show up when you type "Horror author, or horror book" in your search engine. Your bookstore should be able to order it in. If not, we got a whole World Wide Web out there to find a vendor whom you can trust with your credit card number. So get out there and give some of these boys (and girls) a chance. Better yet, give them a read.
They're waiting for you.