I’ve been an editor since 2011. I kicked off my career with nonfiction, especially academic essays and reports, before transitioning into fiction editing. I’ve also been taking my creative writing seriously since about 2018, when I started submitting short stories and poetry. As an agented author out on submission with two books as of August…
CATS: Oddball Books, Unsettling Art, and Strange Facts
Nothing moves quite like cats. That liquid slink when they’re on the prowl. True, I’m a dog person. But I love how cats walk the windowsill between life and death, wild and domesticated. And I love how, whatever you feel about cats, you’re going to damn well respect them. Book Recs Catriona Ward’s book is a clear…
Poetry and Nature as Important Tools to Express Emotion
Sometimes books find you when you need them most. This July, Jarod Anderson’s Something in the Woods Loves You was that book for me. The poetry in its language and message was exactly what I needed. The book is part memoir, part essay, part nature writing. The author, born and raised in Ohio, is struggling…
SUBMERGED: Underwater Horror Books and Other Strange Content
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…