Precisely the message I needed to read today. Even with what I achieved as a 16 year metal, punk and horror journalist, it's been the brutal uphill as a horror fiction author. I keep struggling with myself not to quit, even when good things happen, and they do happen. I'm that ramming the face into the rocks writer, but I still believe, and I believe in others, since we are in the midst of a true neo horror Renaissance.
When I was freelancing, I preached the art of the solid. I preached it after my time ran out. Doing the solid is everything. It means everything. I was at the height of my game back then and I did all the solids I could for others, because I was so grateful to rise as an A-lister and it meant everything to those who helped me along, put me in front of a high profile music artist or film director to help boost my own profile. To those who got me comped to a show I'd driven hours to and the publicist messed up my credentials. To those who passed my contacts to an editor looking for writers based on my rep. To the readers who boosted me and brought even more work my way. It was all my honor to reciprocate to whatever latitude I could. Often it was my taking on new bands for them and their record labels to give them a review or interview when nobody else would. And there's the time a record label asked me to have a shipment of merch sent right to me and then I took them to the band at their gig, since I was covering said band that night. Do the solid.
It's a far harder road in this horror fiction game and I'm disheartened on a daily basis, but I'm also working harder to elevate my game, get better and try to matter again.
Your words are powerful and kudos to you for boosting these writers.
My wife and I just moved into a new house and we're financially recuperating, which also entails having no funds to hire a proper publicist of my own, but I hope to be at Stoker Con next year and I will hope to cross paths with you sometime, Kat.
I love this post, and I couldn't agree more! There's a long-standing belief that writing is isolating, but it really takes a community to create something beautiful. Readers, editors, and fellow writers build an ecosystem. Community and empowering one another are so important for indie authors.
(Speaking of which, thanks for the shoutout for Mindchoir 🖤) Beautiful post, Katherine <3
Love this!
Hell yeah!
Thanks for this! Writing is all about community and empowering each other.
Precisely the message I needed to read today. Even with what I achieved as a 16 year metal, punk and horror journalist, it's been the brutal uphill as a horror fiction author. I keep struggling with myself not to quit, even when good things happen, and they do happen. I'm that ramming the face into the rocks writer, but I still believe, and I believe in others, since we are in the midst of a true neo horror Renaissance.
When I was freelancing, I preached the art of the solid. I preached it after my time ran out. Doing the solid is everything. It means everything. I was at the height of my game back then and I did all the solids I could for others, because I was so grateful to rise as an A-lister and it meant everything to those who helped me along, put me in front of a high profile music artist or film director to help boost my own profile. To those who got me comped to a show I'd driven hours to and the publicist messed up my credentials. To those who passed my contacts to an editor looking for writers based on my rep. To the readers who boosted me and brought even more work my way. It was all my honor to reciprocate to whatever latitude I could. Often it was my taking on new bands for them and their record labels to give them a review or interview when nobody else would. And there's the time a record label asked me to have a shipment of merch sent right to me and then I took them to the band at their gig, since I was covering said band that night. Do the solid.
It's a far harder road in this horror fiction game and I'm disheartened on a daily basis, but I'm also working harder to elevate my game, get better and try to matter again.
Your words are powerful and kudos to you for boosting these writers.
My wife and I just moved into a new house and we're financially recuperating, which also entails having no funds to hire a proper publicist of my own, but I hope to be at Stoker Con next year and I will hope to cross paths with you sometime, Kat.
Cheers, amiga.
I love this post, and I couldn't agree more! There's a long-standing belief that writing is isolating, but it really takes a community to create something beautiful. Readers, editors, and fellow writers build an ecosystem. Community and empowering one another are so important for indie authors.
(Speaking of which, thanks for the shoutout for Mindchoir 🖤) Beautiful post, Katherine <3
I absolutely love this post! Thank you for writing and sharing it!