horror writer

CHARWOOD…coming in August from Aggadah Try It

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Dark doings are afoot in the forests of Charwood…

Coming August 2023 from Aggadah Try It, Josh Schlossberg—editor of The Jewish Book of Horror, author of the cosmic horror novella, Malinae, and longtime environmental organizer—delivers CHARWOOD, an ecological Jewish folk horror novel 5,783 years in the making.

After joining the Tenders—a band of backwoods activists claiming to solve climate change by burning trees for energy—Orna Tannenbaum falls in with Rowan, their odd yet charming leader.

When she triggers a tragic accident, Orna must fend off blackmail and cope with panic attacks, all while weathering the surprise visit of her estranged orthodox Jewish father.

Until she uncovers what the Tenders are really up to in the forest and must apply the ancient wisdom of her culture to battle dark forces threatening to gain a foothold in the world. 

Celebrating Small Press Horror

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I don’t know about you, but when I want a beer, I almost always go for a microbrew. Not only do they taste better to me, not only am I supporting a small business, but because craft brewers are free to experiment with a diversity of flavors, they’re far more likely to create my favorites.

Now, I’m not here to rail against the popular mass-produced breweries, and I’ll even drink one if it’s the best option around. While it may not always suit my particular palette, at least I know what I’m getting.

I feel the same way about horror fiction. While over the decades I’ve enjoyed authors whose books have been published by large mainstream publishing houses, my favorites these days tend to come from small and indie presses.

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Indie Horror Heroes

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Some folks may wonder how I choose guests for my obscure podcast, Josh’s Worst Nightmare, where I, benighted author Josh Schlossberg, survey the dark landscape of biological horror.

Truth be told, there’s an arcane ritual with a rabid fox’s saliva, stingers from a hundred wasps, and the first spring growth of an ancient mountain spruce. But that’s all just to silence the demons in my head. My real decision-making process is a lot simpler: I invite on the writers I see uplifting others in the indie horror community.

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The Three “CONS” of Writing Horror

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Not long ago, I messaged a horror fiction “gatekeeper” to thank them for their work and to ask if they’d be open to reading more indie horror authors. They responded by listing a few well-known names they were promoting, including one whose “Big 4” published novel had years ago been made into a popular Hollywood movie. And then basically told me that all good writers eventually become famous, which is when this person will read and share their work.

As an author, editor, small press publisher, and reader, everything I write about horror fiction is a conflict of interest. That being said, I also have the privilege of seeing the landscape from a variety of perspectives. On top of that, I’ve interviewed scores of writers, followed their careers, and listened to podcast after podcast with some of the biggest names in the genre. The one thing most of them have in common? They were thinking about giving up until that one big break.

After years of processing this information, I believe I’ve come up with the essential elements for getting one’s horror book published and selling. I call them the three “CONS,” as in: CONTENT, CONTACTS, AND CONTEXT.

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