So, you want to be a horror writer? Whether you just finished your first NaNoWriMo, you’ve got a few short stories making the rounds looking for a publication to call home, you’ve self-published a novella on Amazon, or you just have ideas jotted down in a notebook that you haven’t yet turned into even a single story, you’re already on your way.

And chances are, if you’ve gotten this far, you’ve probably already heard a lot of advice—whether from teachers, parents, professors, peers, other writers, or sites like this one. So why listen to me? It’s not like I’ve hit the “big time,” whatever that even looks like for horror writers these days. But I’ve published three collections of short stories so far, one novel, two books of nonfiction, and more than fifty stories in various venues. I’ve been in Best Horror of the Year on several occasions. Maybe more important to this topic, I’ve been writing full-time for more than five years now.

I don’t bring any of that up to suggest that my advice is going to have any more validity than any other you may have heard. After all, if I have one piece of advice for you, it’s that everyone comes to this gig differently, so only take the advice that works for you, no matter who it comes from. Rather, I bring it up to say this: I only got this far because of advice that I received from other, more established authors in the field. The least I can do is pass a little of what I’ve learned on to you, and hope that it helps.

Most lists of advice for aspiring writers are all about honing your craft. That’s obviously important, but, like I said, there’s lots of advice out there for that. So, while it goes without saying that you should read widely and well—that you should study and hone your talents—this list is going to focus on some of the more practical, business side of advice that many of us wish we had gotten earlier on.

Essential Tips for Aspiring Horror Writers

Get our eeriest tales and best book deals delivered straight to your inbox.

Follow Us

More from

Corporate

© 2021 OPEN ROAD MEDIA