Welcome to the depths. The mud is soft and dark. The blue-gray tones are cool and soothing. Don’t kick too hard. Just relax and pick your way through these fragments of underwater horror. If you like what you find here, subscribe to the Author-Oddity Newsletter! I always include a little extra for subscribers. And if you’ve got…
Why Do People Hate AI Book Covers?
Again and again, it’s the same slow-motion train wreck. An author, almost always self-publishing, shares a post featuring their new book. The book’s cover uses generative AI art. The comments start. Vicious sometimes, sharp swipes. “Ew, is this AI?” “I never touch books with AI book covers.” Within an hour, admin or moderators usually have…
APPLES: Scary Books and Other Strange Content
This May, we’re focused on APPLES. What a weird, tempting fruit. Shiny skin. Juicy flesh. Reliant on a period of icy dormancy. Did you know planting an apple seed won’t yield a tree with the same apples? The seeds of an apple are a combination of its parent tree’s genetics and a different apple tree’s…
How to Email Interested Literary Agents
Email Templates to Help You Reply to Literary Agents’ Offers of Representation You’ve queried literary agents for months. Years, maybe. Finally, after enough rejection to drown a damn whale, the email arrives. The Zoom chat happens. A literary agent wants to represent your book. First off, CONGRATULATIONS. This is a huge milestone on anyone’s publishing…
HOUSES: Scary Books and Other Strange Content
I’m picky about my haunted house books. It’s not enough just to have “house” in the title. I want the house to be a character. Without this particular haunted house, there’s no way the story could happen. Grady Hendrix’s How to Sell a Haunted House, for example, is a great read—but it’s not about a…
Introducing Haunted Houses in Writing
I love haunted houses. I love their mystery, their poetry, the way they stand in for how we’re haunted ourselves. One of my favorite moments is when we “meet” the haunted house. Go on, give me mile-long, absurdly detailed descriptions. Use adverbs. Use “too many” adjectives. Tell me exactly what those gutters look like and…
CAVES: Scary Books and Old Art in Dark, Deep Places
Another month, another themed list! Thanks in particular this month to the “Spooky Book Club” and “Horror Books” Facebook groups for caves-themed book recs. If you like what you find here, sign up for my newsletter! I always include a little extra for subscribers. Got any theme-related stories? Books or games set far underground? Music that…
Writing Advice for New Writers
Webinars are one of my favorite sources of great writing advice. From the hundred or so webinars I’ve taken notes on since 2021, some advice has never left me. When I start a new book, when I’m struggling with muddy middles, or when I’m groaning over revisions, these suggestions and insights have pulled me through….
MUSHROOMS: Fungi in Scary Books, Art, and Weird History
Every month, for my newsletter subscribers, I do a themed list of book recs, art, music, video games, etc. The newsletter always includes a little extra, but here are some highlights! Do you have any mushroom-oriented books you’ve loved? Any games or music steeped in shroomy goodness? Just a favorite mushroom? If so, drop a…
How to Find Beta Readers (and Whether to Pay)
First off, what is beta reading? Not everybody thinks of this service the same way. For me, beta reading means outlining my impression of a story in a 3-4 page report. Characters (development and arcs), pacing, and the “big picture” are usually my three areas of focus. Sometimes called a “reader’s report” or “manuscript review,”…