Month: March 2022

Featured

Call for Submissions – HorrorTube Anthology Vol. 3

Seeking submissions from authors with active BookTube or AuthorTube channels for the next HorrorTube Anthology.

Again, we are looking for a diverse group of authors with active BookTube and/or AuthorTube channels (no channel too small) so please do not hesitate to submit.

Genre: Classic Horror! *Please, no horror erotica, paranormal romance, or romantic suspense.

Theme: MONSTERS! Monsters can be human or inhuman, but for this anthology, we’re seeking horror stories of a gorier nature, so don’t hold back! But please, no graphic depictions of sexual assault, child or animal abuse. Supernatural stories depicting unique monsters are encouraged. Contact Regina at reginashauntedlibrary@gmail.com with any questions. *See FAQs below.

Length: 1,000 – 5,000 words

Deadline: June 1, 2022

Details: Please submit your story as a separate attachment (word doc) along with a short cover letter including a clean link to your YouTube channel to reginashauntedlibrary@gmail.com. Please use the standard submission format. For guidance see https://www.shunn.net/format/story.html.

Please submit only your best, most polished work. Reprints are okay. The terms include the nonexclusive right to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit and sell digital and print reproductions of your story worldwide.

English language only.

Payment for accepted submissions: $10 honorarium, print and digital copy. All proceeds will be donated to the literacy charity First Book.

Deadline: June 1, 2022

Release Date: October 2022

Cover Design: Cameron Roubique

Edited by Regina Saint Claire with a  foreword by Steve Donoghue.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is considered an “active” booktube/authortube channel? 

Your channel should have recent uploads (at least once a month) and include bookish and/or writerly content. 

Why is my story rejected?

The biggest reason for rejection is a poorly edited story. Another reason for rejection is if your story does not fit the theme. Also, poorly formatted stories annoy editors so please follow the directions for submissions including pasting a clean link to your YouTube channel in your cover letter. 

Are psychological horror stories okay?

Psychological stories are great, but for this anthology (slated for a spooky-season release), we’re looking for gory, “fun” horror stories with good suspense and satisfying “pay-offs.” Think R.L. Stine with more gore!

Are reprints okay?

Yes. But please do not break any contracts with other publishers.

What does “non-exclusive rights” mean?

It means you’re free to publish your story on other publications and platforms. 

Featured

The Woman Beyond the Attic – Book Review

I recall the moment in my high school math class (my least favorite subject) when I spotted a classmate with a paperback copy of Flowers in the Attic stashed under her desk. I began to see the book floating around the halls and whispered about in the girls’ locker room—something about child abuse, incest with a brother. Beyond intrigued, I immediately bought a copy from one of those revolving racks in the drugstore. I read it in one day and never forgot it. It wasn’t just the unsavory sex that kept me riveted. The subject of family secrets, a mother and grandmother doing horrible things to children, was something rarely–if ever–discussed at that time. The gothic melodrama catapulted to the top of the bestseller list, threatening to topple Stephen King from his throne. And who can forget the cover!

When King accused VC Andrews of writing bad prose in his book On Writing, I doubt if it was just professional jealousy at work. If I’m being generous to Mr. King, I believe he meant that she is a bad writer in the same way Margaret Keane is a “bad” artist. I’m sure their popularity drove the cognoscenti of both art and literary worlds mad, but still, as Warhol quipped about Keane’s art, “If it were bad, so many people wouldn’t like it.”

We don’t expect ” good ” literature when we read VC Andrews or the many series penned by her ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman after her death. But we do expect to be entertained in the way only connoisseurs of the genre understand. And what is the genre exactly? Well, that’s been debated, but in Neiderman’s new VC Andrews biography, The Woman Beyond the Attic, he asserts that she created her own genre. I agree. And what a fun genre it is—a bit of romance, but no syrupy happy endings, a lot of sex and suffering. In other words, it’s like life, for many women especially, the keepers of family secrets. 

Neiderman’s The Woman Beyond the Attic delves into VC Andews’ life and exposes some secrets along the way, including her mysterious illness, relationship with her mother, and the impact of her work. 

Although I suspect many fans won’t be satisfied, I found it a thoroughly enjoyable read. Below is my video where I discuss the book in more detail.