Nuts & Bolts: Author Clay McLeod Chapman on Building a Catalogue

By Tom Joyce

The market is crowded, the rules of social media are constantly changing, and the logistics of building a catalogue are more complicated than ever. The good news, according to author Clay McLeod Chapman, is that time-tested strategies such as supporting other authors and finding a unique voice will still get the job done. In this month’s edition of Nuts & Bolts, he gives advice for beginning authors about getting their material in print.

Q: How important is it to have material published before you start shopping a novel around?

A: I’m of two, maybe three, minds on this … I do think there’s some added value to the notion of planting your publishing flag out there. If you can point to particular publications, whether they’re online or in print, that have given your work a home, you’re essentially adding a sense of value to yourself by showing publishers other spots have already embraced you. It’s essentially saying, “See? I’m published over here, and here, so you should, too!” I think, sometimes, publishers can be a little cagey to take chances with an author who might not be published yet — so if you can show those editors that you are, that your work is out there in the ether already, it gives them a boost of confidence to take a chance. You’re fostering a body of work that will continue to expand, so any sort of foundation you can build for yourself, no matter where it is, or how small, it all helps. It shows people who you are and where you’ve been, while also beginning to map out what will be a long and ever-expanding/extending publishing career.

Q: Where do you recommend new writers start when they’re trying to establish a catalogue of material?

A: I personally started with The Writer’s Market. That book was my bible when I was beginning. I found my first agent through that book. I published my first short story through them. I do believe they’ve just released the 100th edition, which is mind-blowing … Every agent, every publishing company, every lit journal, is listed in there. If you want to get more genre specific, I’ve had good fortune at The Horror Tree in finding submission spots that might be interested in the stories that I want to tell.

Q: Are there any common missteps that writers should be wary of when building a catalogue?

A: Blind submissions tend to be a no-no, I find … If you submit to a particular publication without necessarily knowing who that publication even is or what they’re looking for. Having a sense of familiarity with the journal you’re submitting to is always a plus. Read their back issues. Support the place you want to support you!

Q: How would you recommend that writers stand out at this point of their careers?

A: You know … it’s funny, but I think we’re all trying to figure out how to stand out. It’s a cluttered market. It’s a morass of social media. There’s just so much out there. How do you get people to see you? To hear you? I don’t know. I’m trying to navigate that myself, and I have to imagine other authors are too. Even the big ones. So … how do we all do that? I know it’s a bit cornball, but if you remain true to yourself and focus on your own authorial voice, you’ll be crafting a singular style/brand/perspective that won’t be replicated by anyone else. It may sound silly, but being the best version of you is pretty much all you can do. I know I gravitate towards those singular authors — Nathan Ballingrud, John Langan, Brian Evenson — whose work is so singular, so exceptional, that they cannot be duplicated. Nobody out there is doing what they’re doing, and I believe that has helped them rise to the top. They’ve certainly made a fan out of me.
But if there’s something more to be done beyond that, it’s engage. Engage with fellow authors via social media. Engage with other writers at in-person events. Go support others. Just be present. Read other people’s work, review them at Goodreads … just be active. Support. You’d be surprised. At a certain point, that support will turn around and head back your way.

Q: What resources would you recommend for finding potential markets?

A: Definitely The Writer’s Market. Definitely Horror Tree. I know the HWA even puts out APBs on publishing opportunities. Go to your favorite publications and see what their open call policies are! Their websites, I’m sure, explain exactly what they’re looking for – and when.

Q: Do you employ different approaches for indie vs. traditional publishing?

A: I try to strike a balance between both. I’m hopeful that I can continue to work within each sphere, because I do believe they really feed off each other … I don’t think it’s a different approach per se, but I am mindful of what stories I tell within which particular plane. I haven’t found a big discrepancy between them — yet — beyond the scale and scope of people working behind the scenes to help get these stories out into the world. But the truth is, whether it’s indie or trad, there are always passionate people who love books working their butts off to get these stories out there. It might just be one person at their mom ‘n pop indie publishing house, or ten at a larger house … but the hope, the belief, is that they’re doing it because they love books.

Q: Do you have any projects you’d like HWA members to know about?

A: This has been a great year of getting stories out there in the world. Earlier this summer I had a novelette called  Stay on the Line come out with Shortwave Books that featured illustrations by Trevor Henderson. I published a novella titled Kill Your Darling with Bad Hand Books in September. I’m in the thick of a four-issue comic series at Dark Horse called  Séance in the Asylum which is a lot of fun. And up next I’ve got a new book coming out in January titled Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, with Quirk Books. That one’s going to be a dooooooozy.

Q: Where can people follow you online?

A: Eeeeeeeeverywhere
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Threads
Bluesky
TikTok

I feel like I’m doing them all pretty poorly, but you gotta get the word out somehow… right? Hello? Is this thing even on? Hellooooooooo?

Clay McLeod Chapman writes books, comic books, YA/middlegrade books, as well as for film and television. His latest novel, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, is available January 7th. You can find him at www.claymcleodchapman.com.

Tom Joyce writes a monthly series called Nuts & Bolts for the Horror Writers Association’s blog, featuring interviews about the craft and business of writing. Please contact Tom at TomJHWA@gmail.com if you have suggestions for future interviews. For more about what he’s looking for, see here https://horror.org/about-nuts-bolts-practical-advice-for-horror-writers/