Helpful Devils 1 — Commentary on the HWA

by Brett Talley

When I signed a contract to publish my first novel, That Which Should Not Be, I was a complete neophyte in regards to the writing industry. Since I had submitted the book directly to the publisher, I did not have an agent who could give me advice, and I didn’t know a single soul who had ever published a short story, much less a novel.

That’s why the Horror Writers Association has been such a godsend.

Even though I have only been a part of the organization for a short time, the other members have been nothing but friendly and welcoming. The HWA has quickly become my go-to resource for all of my horror writing needs. I find the forum to be particularly useful. Nothing beats firsthand experience, and the HWA members who post on the forum are extremely knowledgeable. As importantly, they are free with that advice, and no doubt there are newbies such as myself who have avoided many of the pitfalls that they encountered because of a piece of timely advice. The HWA also offers a wealth of market information on everything from writing contests to submission calls for anthologies and other publications. I have already availed myself of this resource several times in the last few weeks, contacting markets that I would never have known existed were it not for the HWA.

I have no doubt that the value of my membership will become even more apparent to me in the coming months and years, but as a new writer, I could not be more pleased with my experience with the Horror Writers Association, and I would recommend it without hesitation.

TODAY’S GIVEAWAY

Brett Talley is offering up two print copies of his novel, That Which Should Not Be. Read an excerpt from That Which Should Not Be.

To enter post a message in the comments section below or e-mail memoutreach@horror.org. Winners will be chosen at random. Contestants may enter once to be considered for all giveaways, but multiple entries are permitted.

A native of the South, Brett Talley received a philosophy and history degree from the University of Alabama before moving to witch-haunted Massachusetts to attend Harvard Law School. When not writing, he is either practicing law or watching the Alabama Crimson Tide play football. His novel, That Which Should Not Be, can be found at most booksellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the publisher JournalStone.