We moved into our house in 2017. It was a brown, two-story home in a modest neighborhood. It has since been painted blue. The day we saw our house for the first time, we visited a different house c…

Something from the past, something is approaching

Ossuary No. 13’s first issue was well received. It contained 16 horror stories available only in print, ranging from dark humor to zombie horror and everything in between. And now it’s gone. Issue #2 is slated for December 22, and it will include even more exclusive tales of terror. Issue #1’s theme was “undeath”, whatever that meant to the writer.

Ossuary No. 13 is a print-only horror zine mailed out quarterly (spring/summer/fall/winter). Editor: Walt Shuler The genre is big enough to hold multitudes, from the visceral squelch of the knife b…

Blackspire is home to The Spec-Fic Speakeasy, Strangleroot Books & Games, and Ossuary No. 13. Click to read Blackspire, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.

Hold on, buddy

#SmallPitch We’re back again with another entry in…wait, this isn’t quite that. Instead of a small press, today I want to highlight #SmallPitch, a twice-yearly chance for (mostly unagented) writers…

Open Call for Submissions With OSS13’s Issue #1 winging its way to subscribers and contributors, it’s time to announce the theme of Issue #2: ritual+winter. We’re officially accepting submissions from today through November 25st. What to Know Each approved submission earns $5 + a free contributor’s issue of the magazine ($6 value). Word count is a max of 2,000 words.

Nightingale Press For this installment, we’re talking to Nikki | Nocturnal Narrator , owner of Nightingale Press & Publishing. If you spend any time exploring fiction on Substack, chances are you’re familiar with her. She’s always out there promoting and supporting other writers. She’s also no slouch as an author herself. NP&P’s debut anthology, Les Oiseaux du Mal, is due out soon.

Shiraki Press And just like that, we’re on our third Spec-Fic Small Press Rundown. Today, we’re going to highlight one that, in some ways, is the opposite of Drek Death & Doom Publishing (rundown #2). Shiraki Press fits squarely in the spec-fic category, but their hopepunk ethos sets them apart. Honestly, a lot of their mission resonates with me (and probably will with more than a few of you authors), particularly points 1 and 2 from their…

Edge & Busby Press Hi, folks. Walt here. Since this is the first article in an ongoing series, I thought it might make sense to do an intro before we jump straight into things. What’s This? Spec-Fic Small Press Rundown will be an ongoing series of articles focused on, you guessed it, small presses that specialize in speculative fiction (primarily fantasy, sci-fi, and horror).

Hi, folks, I'll keep this brief. If you hadn't noticed, The Spec-Fic Speakeasy is officially live. We actually have 2 episodes up now! You can listen to them right here on the website if you want. You can also subscribe via: Apple Podcasts Spotify Substack In episode 1, RM Greta and I interview author MA Knight about their book, FEVERCHAIN…

Hey, folks, it's been a minute. Apologies for the mostly radio silence, but it's been kinda busy around here between getting the bookstore ready for our first outing, hammering out the final details for OSS13's first issue, and everything else. So, here's a brief update of what's been happening. First, we're inching closer to finalizing issue #1 of Ossuary 13…

This is a great start to a story, both heartbreaking and intriguing. I really want to know more about the world itself and the history intimated by the characters.

Apologies for the lengthy wait, but I feel like that's going to be the normal moving forward, at least until Strangleroot is up and running. Anyway, here's a new chapter! Chapter 5 “Oh, the poor girl!” Silvia exclaimed. The guests stood in various states of undress in Wulfzhan’s great room. One of the staff had built the fire up, and others were serving late snacks and nightcaps, although Mel didn’t feel the least bit hungry.

Spillwords.com presents: Three Days, flash fiction by R. M. Greta, who writes speculative fiction and personal narratives in the form of ...

Love original fiction? RM Greta is one of my favorite authors and this new story hits! Make sure to check it out.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash Hey, folks. Walt here again to talk about, what else, Strangleroot Books & Games. This time around, I’d like to answer a question that I’m sure some of you’ve been asking, which is: why the hell do you want to open a horror-exclusive bookstore? Given that until a few years ago, most bookstores didn’t even have a dedicated horror section, that reaction makes sense.

Hi, folks. It's been a long time since I posted any fiction. Wolves Among Us is still progressing, albeit slower than I'd expected with everything else going on. I guess better late than never? Anyway, here's Chapter 4. Chapter 4 Mel, Kurt, and Tommy followed Sessions out of the room, up the stairs, and then down a corridor. He stopped before a door and unlocked it, handing the key to Kurt.

I'm 99.9% sure I know who this story revolves around, and it's just brutal. If you love FEVERCHAIN, put this in your eyeholes. If you haven't read FEVERCHAIN, what's wrong with you? There's a link in the post to buy it, and you SHOULD DO THAT. Love, Walt

When I was a kid, there was nowhere more magical than the bookstore (although the toy store was a close second). I have vivid memories of spending hours perusing the shelves at my local used bookshop, credit ticket for my trade-in books clutched in my sweaty hand. I think the first new bookstore I ever went to was at the mall, so it was probably Walden or maybe B.

Well, I just officially filed articles of incorporation. As long as I didn't screw something up, Strangleroot Books & Games, LLC will be official in a few days! The GoFundMe has already raised just over $500 (in less than a week). Y'all blow me away! ❤️ You can still help us bring killer books to North Central Florida. Hit the link to donate. If you can't, sharing it with other people is SO helpful. Thanks so much, your support is incredible. Love, Walt

Unbreaking the Publishing Industry The publishing industry is fucking broken. Depending on your source, only 1% to .6% of the books submitted to trad publishers actually get published (with or without an agent). However, even if you’re one of the blessed few to land a deal, you’re not out of the woods. Most books sell fewer than 2,000 copies in their lifetimes.